Monsters and Mind Games

Fire is a monster. She can read minds and can often change or guide another person's thoughts. She is also an 18-year-old girl. In the world created by author Kristin Cashore (author of Graceling), there are both animal and human monsters. All are feared or hunted and collected, but never accepted as "normal." But Fire has been raised by Lord Brocker, alongside his adopted son Archer. As Fire and Archer have grown into their late teens, they have moved beyond friendship into love, but Archer has grown to be jealous of everyone that Fire even looks at or talks to.

They live in an agricultural area in the north of The Dells, a country on the brink of war. Both Gentian and Mydogg, rulers of nearby lands, are plotting (separately or together?) invasions. Cansrel (Fire's father), who had worked side-by-side with the previous king, Nax, had also been a monster, but he was a tyrant who enjoyed torturing others and wielding his cruel power -- a reputation that horrified Fire.

Now, with the threat of war looming, Fire accompanies Archer to the capital city to help the Dells by using her powers. There has been a threat made against the king, Nax's son Nash, and Fire's task is to find out who's behind it and to stop the murder. Nash rules with the assistance of his brother Brigan, the commander of the royal armies. Spies and thieves own the roads, and thrive on the undercurrents of intrigue that threaten the peace. The land is riddled with tunnels that provide shelter for the homeless, and secret passage for messengers traveling between various plotting factions. One of the dangers that Fire uncovers is the presence of a new kind of monster, who seems able to remove people's memories, remove their natural inclinations to defend themselves, and even force them to kill. Can Fire find this "monster" in time to prevent disaster?

The book is fast-paced with lots of action and suspense. There is also quite a bit of romance, as more and more characters and their ever-increasing relationships are introduced. And family relationships (parent-child, sister-brother) as well as varying levels of friendships are also explored. The author is on a roll with her descriptions of these stories of fantasy and adventure.

International Woman of Mystery - at age 15!

Ally Carter has done it again! Her previous series (Gallagher Girls) involved a private girls' school that trained its students to be spies. This mile-a-minute story follows a girl who is in a family of high-stakes thieves. Like, they steal things like Monet paintings. Ready for a more normal life, Kat (Katarina) had created a secret identity so that she could enroll in a prestigious boarding school. But now somebody has set her up (there is actual video of her somehow putting the headmaster's car on the fountain in the quad), and she is expelled. At the same time, someone has set her father up to take the fall for the theft of five long-"lost" paintings -- from one of the most notorious evil mobsters in the world. And that guy has threatened to kill Kat's father - and everyone else Kat loves - if the paintings aren't returned. So -- it's time to get the gang back together. Kat assembles her old friends (fellow thieves and cons) and her cousin Gabrielle to pull the most daring of stunts. They need to steal the paintings from the place the REAL thief hid them -- a highly secure museum in London. And besides the danger involved in the job, Kat has to deal with her growing feelings for her billionaire friend (potential boyfriend?) Hale.
This book has earned 4 out of 4 stars!

What's scarier - terrorists or politicians?

This 3rd book in the Gallagher Girls series was just as much fun -- and as well-written -- as the first one. Cammy Morgan, 16-year-old daughter of two spies and a student at the exclusive Gallagher Academy just outside Washington D.C., is the central character in this series. After her father's death in some foreign country about four years ago, her mother "retired" from active service and became the headmistress at the Gallagher Academy, ostensibly a snooty school for spoiled rich girls, but actually a training ground to prepare girls for a future as a spy, researcher, or some other illicit government service. Cammy is now in her junior year, and has moved on from basic language study, history, and "the best ways to evade a pursuer" to more advanced study of "Covert Ops." This year they're getting into disguises -- which comes in very handy when Cammy, Bex, and Liz need to escape the school to protect Macey. Since her father is running to be America's next Vice President, Macey is out on the campaign trail helping with the "family image" so important to candidates today. But someone is out to kill Macey. Cammy just happened to be on hand in Boston when someone made the first attempt, and she and Macey barely escaped, though with serious injuries. Cammy's long-lost Aunt Abby (also a spy) shows up to serve as Macey's personal security guard, but she's only one person, and doesn't know everything that Cammy and her friends have found out -- so they know they just have to chip in when Macey has a command appearance at the next stop on the campaign trail. But other considerations are complicating the whole story -- why does Zach, the romantic but mysterious boy from the OTHER spy school, keep showing up when things go wrong? And is Macey seriously interested in that dorky son of the presidential candidate? Is there really a secret society whose mission is to destroy anyone connected with the Gallagher Academy? There is definitely more here than meets the eye!

For its clever dialogue and writing style, for the romance, adventure, and suspense, and definitely for its unexpected twist at the end, I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

Girls go all Harry Potter

It's been a long summer, and I've read a LOT of books, seen a lot of movies, watched a lot of TV, pulled a lot of weeds, etc. etc. . . . but what I want to share with you, dear readers, is my joy at discovering a new, fun series that I want to recommend to all of you. It's the Gallagher Girls series by Abby Carter - and the first book hooked me right away. In I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, Cammy Morgan is a student at an exclusive girl's school just outside of Washington, DC. But it's no ordinary high-falutin' private school. No, this is a school for spies. Cammy studies covert operations, culture and assimilation, and advanced encryption. (see, that's how it's like Harry Potter - a "secret school" with really unusual subjects to study!) Her parents were both spies -- her father died "on the job," and her mom is the director of the school. Soon after she returns to the school for a new year, she meets a hot local guy in town, Josh -- but she can't reveal to him the true nature of the school or what she's training to become. Before you know it, her friends have conspired to investigate this new object of Cammy's desire, and have developed convoluted plans to help her sneak out of school to meet Josh. Can Cammy and Josh have a NORMAL relationship, when everything about her is everything BUT normal? This was a fun book - and will make a great movie (I was trying to cast it the whole time I was reading it). There are two sequels already - stop by the library to try out at least this first novel in the series.
4 out of 4 stars