Author Archives: Rose Herbert

Review: Mercedes Lackey – Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar

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 Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar
Mercedes Lackey
Another collection of short stories set in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar universe. There are 12 new stories, as well as a novella by Lackey. Another good collection of tales, the majority were enjoyable to read.
‘Errold’s Journey’ by Catherine S. McMullen wasn’t a great short story to start this lot off. The dialogue and style seemed awkward and I wasn’t engaged at all. Too passive, too much stating and not enough showing. The ending has a slight twist, but I didn’t feel what Errold had achieved was worth his reward. Relevant to the Darian’s tale Valdemar trilogy.
‘The Cat who Came to Dinner’ by Nancy Asire was excellent. I really enjoy reading about Valdemar. Reulan was a great priest and I could understand why the glorious ending was the way it was. I did want to see the aftermath though! Those who have read the Storm Warning triology will be familiar with a similar cat.
‘Winter Death’ by Michelle West is a little depressing really. The dream sequences I found confusing, and the reader is left in the dark for a long period. However it is touchingly painful and worth reading. The reader is held in anticipation. This story is slightly longer than some of the others and the ending to me was a little bit of a let down.
‘A Herald’s Rescue’ by Mickey Zucker Reichert is a tricky one! You think you know what is going to happen (particularly if you read  ‘The Demon’s Den’  in Sword of Ice), but indeed you don’t really know! I really liked it, and I didn’t even remember it from the first time I had read it – a real surprise.
‘In the Eye of the Beholder’ by Josepha Sherman is short and decidedly not sweet. It’s adrenaline pumping as you feel along with the protagonist. You have to wonder what happens to the beast at the end though – I see the potential for more mischief. The romance seemed a little out of place…
‘Trance Tower Garrison’ by Fiona Patton is another twisty tale. Initially the style of language didn’t do anything for me but ruin my ability to get into the story. Ah, but it was worth continuing reading! It has a certain kind of symmetry – although it’s no always apparent why things happen, they do happen for a reason  – particularly Companions choosing a Herald.
‘Starhaven’ by Stephanie Shaver is a pure Herald story that is right with the vein of Lackey’s own woks in my opinion. A pleasure to read, well-written and with just a hint of humour. The kind of Herald I like.
‘Rebirth’ by Judith Tarr is very very strange. I’m not sure it fits with the chronology of Lackey’s universe. I’m really not in favour of creating an afterworld for Herald and Companions when they die, as I feel that Lackey has already done that (particularly in Vanyel’s own trilogy – The Last Herald Mage). It’s not bad, but it’s not the best I have read either.
‘Brock’ by Tanya Hill depicts a Herald who is not a Herald. As in the first short story collection, this has Jors and his companion in it. I think they behave consistently across both, which is great! Brock is a MoonChild, which I think is somewhat similar to having Down’s Syndrome. Touching.
‘True Colors’ by Michael Longcor shows how many people are needed to make up Valdemar. I liked Rin, and I half expected him to be chosen on the spot!
‘Touches the Earth’ by Brenda Cooper was a little odd, in that I didn’t know Healers could do killing for a job at all. Anyway, Anya was someone to relate to, although the humour of this short story seemed strained.
‘Icebreaker’ by Rosemary Edghill is another that shows that people may have satisfaction in their lives even if they aren’t a Herald. It is the job of Heralds to look after their people through anything.
‘Sun in Glory’ by Mercedes Lackey is an excellent new novella. Excellent excellent excellent. It takes place between the Arrows of the Queen trilogy and the Storm Warning trilogy. Just what I would expect. It is even linked in with ‘The Cat who Came to Dinner’.
All in all, these stories are good in their own right as a whole, but most of them are not what I feel is true to the Valdemar world as created originally by Lackey. The majority are well written and enjoyable, and I particularly liked those with humour (‘Starhaven’ for example).

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Review: Maria V. Snyder – Poison Study

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Poison Study
Maria V. Snyder
It is against the Code of Behaviour to kill, but that is exactly what Yelena has done. Stored in a dungeon for jut under a year, Yelena is willing to die to forget what she has been through already. When offered a second chance as a  poison tester for the Commander, she’s willing to make the most of what comes her way.

Yelena is a great strong female protagonist. She seems to bounce back from a bunch of problems. One of the reasons I liked her so much was because she wouldn’t give up. She’s very smart, and maybe a little bit too athletic to be believable, but then, usually the protagonist of most books is like that.

I found the romance of this book a little unconvincing. I was sure that the age gap between them was quite large, and also that it seemed to be a semi-dependant relationship. It also seemed to sneak up on Yelena without her noticing – something odd for a character who seemed to know herself well.
Plenty of foreshadowing going on in this book. Some of the smallest details end up being important. I love the way Yelena’s back story is gradually revealed, as it adds nice emphasis to her circumstances. I was unsatisfied with the Rand subplot. I wanted something better for his end. Yelena also seemed to about turn on him so abruptly. I could understand where Rand was coming from, but it seemed like there were more ways out of his situation. It was certainly a great way of showing the harsh side of the Commander and Valek though
Oh, those damn beans. I was so sure they were cocoa beans, but then they ended up being something different. Someone else give me an opinion here – did you think they were cocoa beans? Coffee beans? Something else? It was obvious that those were the cause though.
Sorry about the cover photo being so blurry. I had horrible lighting conditions, and it just wasn’t working for me. I’ll take this photo again if I’ve got time. UPDATE: I took a new photo! On a similar note – do you enjoy seeing my actual copies of books? Or would you prefer a plain old version from Amazon?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it without hesitation. I’ve got the next two books of this trilogy sitting on my shelf, but I can’t have them yet! I’d say this book was ideal for teenagers, and perhaps some adults – but don’t go looking for too much depth. Pick the books up, and you’ll be hooked for sure.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Sword of Ice and Other Tales of Valdemar

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Sword of Ice and Other Tales of Valdemar
Mercedes Lackey
The first ever collection of Valdemar tales by other authors set in the world of Mercedes Lackey. As it so charmingly states on the front cover, there are 18 tales! Some are written in concert with Mercedes Lackey, and the opening and closing stories are both by the same collaborators.

The cover is somewhat unexciting, and I didn’t think that the Companion’s eyes were really blue enough to be convincing. The stories inside were a bit of a mixed bag, but then, who ever likes absolutely everything?

‘Sunlancer’ by Philip M. Austin and Mercedes Lackey reinforces the power of the word, particularly in Karse. It’s a sentiment I agree with, and this short story is remarkably well written and compelling. You do seem to know what will happen, but the ending is still a little of a surprise.

‘The Demon’s Den’ by Tanya Huff is a tale of hope and overcoming adversity without being too pretentious about it. It shows how ordinary citizens (not really written about in Lackey’s own books of Valdermar) are often sad when they are not chosen as Heralds, even if they are self-sacrificing. Jors seemed a little one dimensional, but there was potential for more. I liked Ari, although it was not obvious to me that she was blind.
‘Iron Rose’ by Larry Dixon and Mel White shows what the hertasi get up to when the hawkbrothers aren’t watching! A touching story, perhaps lackign a little in depth, but satisfying all the same. It is obvious that the hertasi are good at this!
‘Babysitter’ by Josepha Sherman shows a touch of healthy cynicism! Yay for not totally being given over to babysitting immediately. There were some problems though: griffins aren’t exactly easy to care for and I expected even a youngster to be a little more grumpy (and less puffbally). Ending of this one is a little abrupt, and I felt like this story could have been set in almost any world with griffins, not just that of Valdemar.
‘The Salamander’ by Richard Lee Byers is ok. I don’t like Selden, and I’m not fond of the way this story is written (too much personal opinion and stilted observations). I guess it could be a good one for those of you who like mysteries. Reminds me a bit of Romeo and Juliet actually.
‘A Child’s Adventures’ by Janni Lee Simner shows what happens when an older Herald is chosen. Inya can’t believe she is chosen, and she must discover for herself why it might be important for her to become a herald.
‘Blood Ties’ by Stephanie D. Shaver is painful to read, and potentially triggering. The things some people do to their families. Well written.
‘… Another Successful Experiment’ by Lawrence Schimel reminds me of polo! Various games have already been played in Valdemar via the books that Lackey herself has written, so this is nothing new. Exile’s Honor/Valor as well as the new Collegium Chronicles both have this type of game. Nothing groundbreaking.
‘Choice’ by Michelle West creates Kelsey, a spunky character who has always wanted to be chosen but has gone her life without it. She manages not to become sour, and when the oppertunity to look after a Herald comes up, she jumps at it! In doing so, she encounters many more things than she thought she would. A very good story that explains why some people are chosen or not. A thing I did notice was a typo of ‘their’ instead of ‘there’.
‘Song of Valdemar’ by Kristin Schwengel shows what happens when someone is gifted with the wrong thing. It really does seem very sad, and the fact that it touched me indicates it it well written.
‘The School Up the Hill’ by Elisabeth Waters was also good. Sometimes it seems like the number of coincidences is too great, but it is magic! It’s a little confusing at first, and the reader has no idea what is going on, but it’s good because of that.
‘Chance’ by Mark Shepherd deals with one of Vanyel’s lovers. Vanyel will always hold a special place in my heart. The dialogue is a little stilted, but this perhaps reflects well what the two men feel. I wasn’t sold on the concept of a gay brotherhood, nor that being gay gives you an erection at bad moments! This short story is contiguous with Vanyel’s novels, which is awesome though.
‘Sword of Ice’ by Mercedes Lackey and John Yezegulalian is the title short story of this collection. I think that the title doesn’t really go well with it. You get to know the background of Savil, Vanyel’s mentor. A little confusing for this to come after ‘Chance’.
‘In the Forest of Sorrows’ by John Helfers is also about Vanyel, after he has become a forest spirit. I’m not sure this short story really portrays him as I imagined – he was never so overconfident and I didn’t know he could ‘Fetch’.
‘Vkandis’ Own’ by Ben Ohlander is filled with the heat of battle, and what the aftermath means in Karse. We see the beginning of Solaris’ takeover of the Priesthood, but really it’s hard to know what will happen.
‘A Herald’s Honor’ by Mickey Zucker Reichert fills in a bit of the border folk for me – I’vealways been fascinated by the Holderkin, and wished that Lackey had done more. The reader needs to do a little thinking, and use their logic – it might even help you evaluate your own values.
‘A Song for Noone’s Mourning’ by Gary Braunbeck doesn’t fit for me. The half world that is depicted is unlikely, as is the behaviour of the Herald involved. It’s a nice idea, and relatively well written, but it doesn’t fit for me.
‘Blue Heart’ by Philip M. Austin and Mercedes Lackey has the format of a story within a story, something I often enjoy. It’s good, although I did want more about the hidden Herald, rather than the butterfly. It wasn’t exactly the thrilling conclusion I wanted for the short story collection, too soft and questionable – but perhaps that’s the way it was meant to be.
I struggled to work out why these short stories were ordered as they were
. Had I been in charge of it, I would have either grouped them by area (Karse vs Valdemar) or by time, while also stating where in the continuity they came.
I’ve decided to tag/label authors that have written stories in anthologies only if I have some of their other works to read, or I intend to buy some of them soon! That way I will hopefully keep the number of labels I have down, but also help people to find what they want more easily. If I ever get ARCs, then I’ll likely change this policy – until then, it’s all good.
I’d recommend this book of short stories for anyone who enjoys the Valdemar universe and wants more. The majority of these stories are enjoyable and canon-like for this universe. The majority of tales are suitable for teens and adults alike.

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Review: Karen Tyrrell – Me & Her: A Memoir of Madness

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Me & Her: A Memoir of Madness
Karen Tyrrell
It is hard to imagine what it is like for a person with mental illness, particularly one as ‘bad’ as bipolar disorder (manic-depression). The ravings and journalling of Karen while manic provide such a valuable resource that Karen plumbs for information to write this novel. It’s those formed into a relatively cohesive whole that allow the reader into a manic mind.

This has to be one of the first books I have ever read that is a memoir. I was attracted to it because I have a fascination with mental illness, although not nearly to the extent that Karen does when she is ill. I think it’s fantastic that Karen is going out of her way to speak out about her illness, because it is so often stigmatised unfairly.

This is a compelling read to an extent. The reader will experience with Karen her ups and further ups! It is amazing how Karen has managed to write so much about a time which she herself does not really remember. The sentence and paragraph introductions into each chapter provided excellent guidance for the reader, and are a sort of springboard. They gave you some idea of what was coming, and to prepare yourself for another psychotic episode.
Some parts of this novel were relatively repeditive, and it frustrated me that the reader was not trusted more to remember who the different characters were. Karen’s long suffering husband Steve has an autoimmune disease, which we are reminded of multiple times. We’re also constantly reminded of the different people Karen has worked or studied with, and their importance, when really I remembered that detail from before.
I felt that some of the text was telling instead of showing. I would have loved for some of the memories of the harassment at Karen’s school to be included more as distinct flashbacks, rather than rather dry encounters reported to her psychologist.
It is confusing that the end of this novel is about actually writing the book. The memories which the reader has accepted as occurring and Karen remembering them for us, are actually fragments that she herself does not remember until her husband tells her. This distances the reader in my opinion.
Some parts of this novel smack of self publishing. There are a couple of unusual line breaks, and some errors in punctuation. It’s really very minor, and perhaps that is part of the memoir genre, which doesn’t usually attract me as a reader.
Something I would have liked cleared up were the ages of Karen’s children. Michelle is shown driving, but she still lives at home and seems partially dependant on Steve and, to an extent, Karen. I wanted more of the other characters to shine through, although again I need to keep in mind that this is a personal memoir about Karen only.
I struggled with the psychic connections that Karen focussed on excessively. It was not clear to me whether the ‘real’ Me Karen believed in these things as well, or whether they were products of her delusional mind. I find it hard to believe that wellness living and alternative therapies were the turning point – but then I haven’t had great success with those myself.
As usual, I have been far better at picking apart the novel than complimenting it on what it does well. I did feel a connection with Karen, and I sat on the edge of my plane seat in anticipation as she went on and off her medication. The language rushed me through just as as if I had mania myself, but I didn’t feel a comparable slowness when Karen was ‘down’.
Lithium and Seroquel are both drugs I am familiar with, although I believe Seroquel is usually the American term for this drug. This book isn’t particularly distinctly Australian, but then it isn’t particularly American either. It could be almost anywhere that has private and public hospitals and a school system! I wasn’t aware of the involuntary commitment regulations, but then I imagine that not many people are aware. It does provide a fascinating insight into what those conditions are actually like – craft days seemed so inappropriate!

This is the first ever book I have won, yet I can’t give it a completely glowing review. It is worth reading if you are obsessive about bipolar disorder, or have an attraction to memoirs. Also, a number of people on Amazon (I don’t normally post to Amazon, but it has been requested by the author) have given it 5 star (for me: buy and reread frequently) or 4 star (for me: reread) ratings, when this was only a 3 star book to me. Perhaps I’m not the target genre. I wouldn’t recommend it as precisely light reading, although the language is relatively simple.

I received this book as part of a Goodreads FirstReads giveaway. This has not influenced my opinion, because all opinions are my own. Other people wishing to send me ARCs or books for review consideration are welcome to email me. I have a very short turn around time of around a week for most of the year.

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3star

Review: J. K. Rowling – The Tales of Beedle the Bard

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The Tales of Beedle the Bard
J. K. Rowling
This is a sort of bonus book of short stories that I believe was written to sustain interest in the Harry Potter books as the later tomes were produced. As it happened, I didn’t read this book or the other stand alone (Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them) until now.
So few stories! Five is not nearly enough for someone who likes new fairytales. I think the first (The Wizard and the Hopping Pot) is very similar to the wizards in Enid Blyton’s stories for children and the second (The Fountain of Fair Fortune) is definitely based on something I am familiar with, although I can’t think of which at the moment. ‘Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump’ reminds me a bit of the Emperor’s New Clothes, where the king is so dumb he doesn’t realise what he is being sold for. Finally, ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’ is very familiar, but again, I can’t remember where from!
These are a lovely collection of children’s tales. Nothing upsetting, even for Muggles. I think that the highlight of these tales is the insight we get into the character of Dumbledore. It’s so nice to have a little more of him after so much focus on Harry.
It’s hard to say much about these because they are so short. A worthy addition to any Harry Potter lover’s bookshelf. I appreciate that this was a charity book – good on Rowling for trying to share her million with those millions that don’t have anything.
I guess people obsessed with the Harry Potter series will love this no matter what age they are. Really they are most age suitable for children, but people of any age could enjoy them. They don’t pretend to be anything too complicated, although of course there are some moral stories. But nothing too complicated!

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – The Sleeping Beauty

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The Sleeping Beauty
Mercedes Lackey
Rosa’s mother has just died, and things seem set for her to inherit a horrible step mother determined to kill her off! Instead a craft set of trials is devised to determine her husband. Although Rosa has favourite, there is someone who hasn’t shown their hand and could destroy everything.
Initially this book starts out with a great sense of humour – something that Lackey says she deliberately included. As the novel progresses, things do become a bit more involved. One gripe I had was that the same analogy used by Godmother Bella in The Fairy Godmother to explain to Elena about her missing price is used again in this book.
I love Seigfried. He’s so likeable. You can tell from his physical description that he is frequently underestimated, yet underneath all that is a bright brain. I like his little bird too.
Rosa is awesome. I like Rosa too. She doesn’t get nearly enough airtime! Or I guess she does, but it’s not really that obvious because perspectives are swapped every which way. A strong willed female protagonist once again. I’m a bit sick of the Sleeping Beauty / Cinderella stories though – there doesn’t seem to be anything else going for the women!
There are some inconsistencies with the fairytales, and countless references to others. If you aren’t familiar with your fairytales, I’d suggest brushing up on them.
I liked the trials, particularly the riddles. That was my favourite part of the whole thing! Worth reading just for those. Perhaps this isn’t the most glowing of reviews, but it is enjoyable, and certainly easy to read with a thrilling conclusion.
It’s a complete change from Fortune’s Fool, where the kingdom in question is poor. This kingdom is so rich that they are constantly at war to keep the neighbouring kingdoms from stealing the gold. The final trial is quite logical from that really.
After awhile, the covers on these books become quite samey. There are only so many pretty women you can look at! It would be nice to have another strong male Hero in future books, and have him on the cover instead. I can understand that Lackey is a female and therefore writes female orientated things, but still…
This one is suitable again for teens as well as adults. Not even very many adult themes in this one! Just some clever use of language, humour and trials as I mentioned.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – The Snow Queen

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The Snow Queen
Mercedes Lackey
Aleksia is the Snow Queen, ruling and saving young boys from becoming Clockwork Artificers. Imagine her horror when she discovers that she has a duplicate – and her duplicate is actually putting spears of ice into young men to destroy them. Aleksia has to prove that she is true, while also trying to overcome her own isolation.

This book is considerably later in time since The Fairy Godmother. Elena is now a senior Fairy Godmother, and has multiple Kingdoms under control. When I looked this up on Mercedes Lackey’s website to check the spelling of Aleksia’s name, I discovered this is actually the 4th book in the Five Hundred Kingdom’s series, when I have been rereading them as this being the 3rd book. Nevertheless, it didn’t have a huge impact on my enjoyment because it doesn’t depend on any characters from Fortune’s Fool.

I felt a little like Aleksia was too cold for me! I did connect with her character, but not to the extent that I did with Elena. There were parts of her that didn’t feel fleshed out (particularly her seemingly rational but out of proportion anger at the North Wind). More could have been done with her

There is a section where two people are attacked by bandits, and it is briefly described how they get out of the situation and gain from it. A couple of pages later after swapping view points, this is repeated and expanded upon. It wasn’t far enough away in the text hat I felt that the repetition was warranted.

Other parts of the novel didn’t connect. No matter how many times I reread this, I can never remember which of the two men with Veikkio Aleksia is interested. I can understand using different sounding names to emphasis that this is taking part in another part of the world, but it’s annoying to keep track of.

I loved the concept of the Runes foretelling what a person is good at for the Sammi. For such a practical people, I couldn’t understand how their afterlife could be so boring though! I would like to see more stories about them, because the end of this book didn’t feel finished for Aleksia at all. I wanted to know more about how she would bring more friendly people (not just children!) to her castle.

Recommended for adults and teenagers as there are no ‘sex scenes’, only a great story! Highly enjoyable, even if I feel that is isn’t quite as good as the others in the series. There are more new fairytales from other parts of the world that European readers may not be familiar with which adds an extra level of interest.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Fortune’s Fool

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Fortune’s Fool
Mercedes Lackey
In another tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Sasha and Katya are both seventh born children. The difference between them is that one belongs on the land and the other in the sea. Both have important roles for their kingdoms, but both are equally alone as well.
Sasha and Katya show very little character development. Sasha is the kind hearted soul he has always been, and Katya the strong willed woman who loves clothes!  Their relationship also seems a little quick moving, but then again, the Tradition is behind it.
I like how this book has two climax points. The first is with Katya, which introduces her nicely, and the second is with the Jinn. The various adventures Sasha had didn’t hold as much weight with me because I knew that as a Fortunate Fool he would come out of them ok every time.
Nippon. Anyone who has studied Japanese will see that Lackey has blatantly ripped off their language. I’m not sure I found it great – I wanted something new, not something I was familiar with. Granted, it was a bit like medieval Japan, but in a Fairytale book I felt there should be more.
Three Baba Yagas! How scary. This is a fairytale that everyone should be familiar with, the strange house that walks on two chicken legs. This book really makes an effort to draw in a number of Fairytales, which is excellent.
The ending is a little bit too clear cut for me. Or rather, not the ending itself, but the little epilogue that is at the end, in a years time. All too very convenient and unlikely, even with the Tradition. I was under the impression that the castle was further away from Sasha’s kingdom that it appears, and it isn’t near the water except by a stream.
I’d recommend this book for adults only, simply because it has explicit sex scenes in it. They aren’t really necessary for the book, and they do feel a little gratuitous, but I guess Lackey doesn’t get to explore that much in her other books.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – One Good Knight

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One Good Knight
Mercedes Lackey
Princess Andie is intelligent, waif-like beautiful and has just turned 19. Her mother however isn’t ready to see her as an adult, and would rather she was confused and silly with conventional beauty. When Andie finally gets a real ‘job’, she uncovers things that were probably better off hidden. Andie becomes a liability very quickly – as a virgin she’s very likely to be snaffled up by an evil creature…

Andie is smart, and bookish – just what I like in a female protagonist. She isn’t very good with common things, but her common sense is certainly in place. Yay for a non-traditional heir. Lackey has a good thing going, and she really works with it.
The different perspectives of this book, particularly the Queen vs Andie in the first parts of the book really set the plot going. Those that have read The Fairy Godmother in this series will recognise the Traditional path that is taking place, but Andie can’t see it. You just keep waiting for the penny to drop!So many good things to say about this book, but many of them would give away too much of the plot. It’s not a particularly hard read, but it will sucker you in and steal all of your time (oops to doing all that study I had lined up)

Andie’s knowledge of the Tradition, and also that of the other people in her Kingdom (such as Sophont Balen) seems strange, after the emphasis in The Fairy Godmother about most people having no idea. Yet everyone seems to be exploiting it easily! It’s nice to see how a situation can be resolved without a Fairy Godmother though – the regular people have a chance.
The cover of this book doesn’t match how I saw Andie at all. I though she was very thin with no breasts, and the girl on the cover certainly does have those! Also I expected that the dragon would be less fierce looking than that. Hard to discuss more without giving the plot away.
Worth a read. I’d say this book is suitable for teens as well as adults because it contains none of the explicit sex scenes of the first book. This series is a very good one, and worth buying to reread often. Lackey really breaths life into old fairytales.

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4star

Review: Midsummer Night's Giveaway (Fairytale Adaptations)

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Sam @ A Journey Through Pages put a call out for other bloggers to join her in a celebration of YA Fairytale Adaptations. Now, I have to say I don’t do a lot of YA reading of Fairytale novels. I have however read a couple of adult adaptations, children’s fairytale adaptations and another historical fiction fairytale that I can talk about. 
I have already published three reviews of adult Fairytale adaptations:
These two authors are very different in style and execution. While I’m a fan of Mercedes Lackey from a long while back, this was one of the first novels of Juliet Marillier’s I read and reviewed. 
Lackey makes believable characters in The Fairy Godmother, and focusses on them to the exclusion of all else. She warps the fairytales and creates ‘The Tradition’, a guiding force which forces people to follow their fairytales to a set conclusion – unless they are changed by Fairy Godmothers or the like. Lackey immediately draws you in, and it’s a great ride all the way through the book. A very enjoyable introduction to Lackey’s writing. Beauty and the Werewolf is actually the sixth book in the series, but you won’t spoil anything for yourself by reading it first.
Differently from Lackey, Marillier does a true adaptation, staying strictly to the tale of the six swan brothers and the sister who can’t talk until she has finished weaving her shirts for them. Nevertheless, Marillier puts a new spin on the book, and you are driven by her vibrant formation of the world around her characters. That’s not to say she doesn’t put effort into her character development – she does, but the thing I appreciate most about her novels is her rich world-building.

A YA fairytale I have previously read::

Scatterheart by Lili Wilkinson
I didn’t love this novel, for reasons I have outlined within the review. Yes, it’s not a traditional Fairytale because that element is only a supportive idea for the historical fiction, but I felt it was worth including here as an example of me not always loving Fairytales!
This week I have lined up for you several more in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series (One Good Knight, The Fortunate Fool, The Snow Queen, The Sleeping Beauty) and a couple of short Fairytales by the estimable J.K. Rowling. I’ll try and read some more soon, but I think for the weeks that this will be happening I will be on holidays in the States! I’m pretty excited about that, and I’ll be sure to pick up more books while I’m away. Let the week begin!

A final note: I’ll be updating this post as the week progresses.

Here is a quick link for entering Sam’s giveaway! You can sign up here, or on her website, either way will get you entered to win some awesome books. Personally I’m hoping to get my hands on the Juliet Marillier novel, either in this giveaway or through The Book Depository.