Bone Warriors by Bron Bahlmann

Bone Warriors
by Bron Bahlmann

Middle Grade/YA Fantasy
278 pages, softcover
Target Reader: 11-15

Sweetwater Books
978-1599553221
Release Date: May 15, 2009



From the publisher:

Craving power and lusting for human souls, the wicked necromancer sweeps the land, leaving behind nothing but death and devastation. Returning home, fifteen-year-old Derrik and his friend Tweaks find their homes burning and families missing. They immediately embark on a rescue quest for redemption and retaliation. Such evil cannot be allowed to roam exempt.

Sinister Giants, colossal green jungle cats, and undead monsters confront them as Derrik and Tweaks encounter inconceivable threats in the forbidden woods, as well as gain unlikely allies. The boys soon realize that their only hope to save their families comes from the very creature they cannot trust. But they re running out of time. How can they put an end to the necromancer's terrifying reign?

Read the first two chapters HERE.

Derrik and Tweaks—best friends since children—are out in the fields when their village is destroyed and their parents and neighbors are taken hostage by the necromancer. The two boys set out on a long journey to rescue their families. Along the way, they meet Ssaska (a reptile man), Clatterin (a set of reanimated bones), a group of giants, "scales" and "furries" (man-like reptiles and mammals), boar-men, old men that turn to stone, and a whole host of other intriguing creatures—born from the imagination of Bron Bahlmann.

Derrik and Tweaks, the two main characters, were well developed. They grow and change, and become prepared to make the final battle when they stand against the necromancer and his army of bone warriors. I loved Tweaks (almost cried at the end). I wasn't quite as fond of Derrik, but that's probably because he behaved more like a typical 15-year-old boy. They gain a couple of traveling companions on their journey to save their family. I liked Ssaska; I wish Clatterin had been a little better developed.

I was amazed at the unique characterizations of the various groups of "people" Derrik and Tweaks encountered—the giants, the boars, the bird people, the alligator pirate, and more. Bahlmann gave them very distinct voices and personalities. I also thought the various fauna and flora in this world were ingenious and very clever.

The storyline was complex and kept me interested. However, as a hero's journey, I felt there needed to be a little more change and growth in Derrik's character. I also thought we needed a little more foreshadowing of the eventual demise of the necromancer and his bone warriors.

The writing was pretty good, with just a few exceptions (a couple of story holes, like how did they know Clatterin was female?). The plot and dialogue were good and tight. My biggest complaint about this book is the overuse of adjectives. It was sometimes too distracting. I'd recommend that on his next book, Bahlmann pull out half of them. And I do hope there is a next book. Bahlmann's book was good, regardless of his age. Overall, I really liked the book and read it in two days.

Oh, and one more thing—the author, Bron Bahlmann, is only 15! Yes. Remember when Eragon came out? And everyone was raving over what a wonderful book it was and that a 15-year-old was capable of writing such a great story? Personally, I didn't like it. I didn't think it was a wonderful book. The writing was weak. Good for a 15-year-old, perhaps, but not good enough to stand against other books in the genre. But guess what? Bone Warriors really is good.

If you like fantasy, I think you'll enjoy this book. I'm looking forward to seeing what this young man will come up with next.



Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Cover:




Content Ratings

Language:

Violence: The necromancer is evil. His army slaughters people in real time, but it's not gorey. The main characters fight various "people" and get hurt. Some of the good guys die.

Drugs/Alcohol: The alligator pirate, an adult, drinks something that is similar to ale.

Immorality: No romance.

Values/Themes: Good wins; evil loses. Selfless acts save the day.

Age Appropriate: Pre-teens, teens.

Writing Mechanics: A few typos; adjectives run amok. Other than that, pretty good.



© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Interview with Tristi Pinkston

I can't remember how I first met Tristi Pinkston, but I liked her immediately. Even though she's much (as in, very much) younger than me, we have many of the same interests and hobbies.

We both like to write—although she actually finishes her books. We both like to dress up in costumes (she as an Easter Bunny, and I love letting my inner witch run loose). We both love to read, do book reviews on our blogs, go to the same writers conferences, and belong to the same group of Babbling Babes.

And I've turned her into a perfume addict.


I just finished reading Tristi's new book, Agent in Old Lace.

This book is a departure from Tristi's previous historical fiction. It's romantic suspense (why do all my friends write romantic suspense?), with Shannon Tanner as the damsel in distress. She discovers that her soon-to-be fiance, Mark, has been stealing money from her father, and in that moment of truth, he drops his perfect boyfriend facade and tries to kill her. The FBI (who've been tracking him for years but unable to catch him) send their best agent, Rick Holden, to protect her—disguised as Shannon's Aunt Anita.

Yes, with that set-up, you know how it's going to end—but it's the way they get there that makes the story.

I interviewed Tristi at her lavish, million dollar mansion about her book and her success as a writer.

Me: So Tristi. Your first three novels were historical fiction. What made you drop that genre and move to romantic suspense?

Tristi: I still love historical fiction, but I thought I'd try something new and contemporary, just for a change.

Me: Yes, I can imagine history would get pretty boring after awhile. (Yawn!)

Tristi: No, it's not that at all. I love history. I just wanted to expand my writing—

Me: Sure, whatever. You know, when I was in college, I developed an allergy to the mildew spores found in old dusty research books. I was spending a ton on Benadryl, sneezing and wheezing until my throat hurt. It was embarrassing. Plus there was that one time when I took a little too much Benadryl and got thrown out of the library for dancing on the tables. They revoked my research privileges for six months.

Tristi: (Shifting uncomfortably in her chair.) Oh, really. I didn't know that about you. . .uhm, about my book. My main character is Shannon, a financial advisor who learns that her stockbroker boyfriend has been defrauding his clients, her own father included—

Me: Yes, I told them that already. But why did you pick romantic suspense, with all that (gag!) kissing and stuff?

Tristi: I think of it more as a contemporary mystery, and there really is very little kissing. There's the suspense of what Shannon's ex-boyfriend might do next, the kidnapping of her best friend, and then there's her father's illness.

Me: Okay, I have to admit there was some mystery and suspense there. In fact, the book starts off pretty good with Mark chasing Shannon in the mountains, her having to sleep hiding under a bush, and the extra villians you threw in. That was cool.

And I also really liked the part at the end, when you think it's all over and there's nothing but kissing left, and then, wham!—

Tristi: Yes. I'm glad you liked that but let's not give away too much of the story here.

Me: I also thought it was pretty funny imagining Rick having to deal with skirts and heels and a wig. And then when Shannon about gives him hives...

Tristi: Really, Karlene. Don't give it all away! I want readers to read the book, to experience it for themselves.

Me: Okay, okay. I also thought it was pretty clever the way you sneaked po—

Tristi: Karlene! I must insist that you don't give away any more of the plot here. Seriously!

Me: Fine. Geez. Just trying to do a friend a favor.

Tristi: (under her breath) Julie warned me about you...

Me: What?

Tristi: Oh, nothing! This interview is over. Just tell your friends to come to my Launch Party on Saturday.

Me: I think we just did.

© 2010 It's a Book Affair

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

The HourglassDoor
by Lisa Mangum

YA Paranormal Romance
432 pages, softcover
Target Reader: 15-18

Shadow Mountain
978-1606410936
Release Date: May 13, 2009



From the publisher:

His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time?

Abby’s senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He’s mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before. Abby can’t deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

Read Chapter 1 HERE.

Abby is a senior in high school, with her life all lined up. Then she meets Dante—and her world turns upside down. He's cute, mysterious, and odd things happen when he's around.

I really liked this book. In fact, the only thing I didn't like was I felt Abby abandoned her girlfriend to a guy she at first knew was a bad influence, and later learned was downright evil. The consequences to her friend were pretty shattering. I would talk to my kids about this and that in a similar situation, they had a moral responsibility to help their friend and to tell an adult what was happening. Other than that, I loved this story.

The Hourglass Door is a paranormal romance—meaning that it mixes fantasy and reality into the love story and that one or more of the characters have paranormal powers/strengths. Immediate comparisons with Twilight come to mind. Dante is not quite as compelling as Edward, however, he's got more depth. His goodness comes from his character, and not simply from the fact that he's beautiful and he doesn't eat people.

(But he wouldn't—eat people, that is—because this is not a vampire story, and he's not a vampire, and there are no vampires anywhere in the book. Dante is the paranormal character in the story but I'm not saying anything more because who and what he is and what he can do is a huge part of the story.)

Abby is more likeable than Bella. She's sensible and has a good head on her shoulders. She doesn't change her entire life because she meets a cute guy. Abby has brains, and although not perfect, she tries to be a good person.

The love story is also more believable than Twilight. It's based on shared experiences, communication, and you can see why Abby and Dante would like each other. Also, he doesn't watch her while she sleeps (creepy), nor does she keep trying to seduce him.

That said, if you liked Twilight, you'll probably like this one as well. The action is good. There are good guys and bad guys (really bad guys). It's intense and thrilling—and the ending sets up a great sequel. I loved this book.


Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Cover:


Content Ratings

Language: There might be one or two words, but I can't really remember.

Violence: The bad guys are pretty bad but there's not gore.

Drugs/Alcohol:

Immorality: Light kissing.

Values/Themes:

Age Appropriate:

Writing Mechanics: A few out-of-character remarks by Abby about herself, but overall, good. Also, I read the ARC which was given to me by a friend, so these remarks may have been changed in the final book.



© 2010 It's a Book Affair

I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

I Am Not a Serial Killer (John Cleaver #1)
by Dan Wells

YA Horror
272 pages, softcover
Target Reader: 14+

TOR
978-0-7653-2782-6
Release Date: March 30, 2010



From the publisher:

John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it. He’s spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential.

He’s obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn’t want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he’s written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.

Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don’t demand or expect the empathy he’s unable to offer. Perhaps that’s what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there’s something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat—and to appreciate what that difference means.

Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can’t control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.

2009 Whitney Award Winner: Best Novel by a New Author

View video here.

This book was released in the UK by Headline Publishing Group (UK imprint of Hachette) before it came to the U.S. I have the UK version because I picked it up at a writers conference that Dan Wells attended.

Unlikely hero, John Wayne Cleaver (what a name!) IS a sociopath, by classic psychological definitions. However, unlike most sociopaths, but like most teens, he works very, very hard to overcome his darker side and his negative impulses. John realizes he has choices and that it's not his impulses or thoughts, but his behaviors define him as a person. I think this is an important message to teens these days; it's subtle, but it's there.

The story line and plot points are fast-paced and keep you turning the pages. It was imaginative and unique. The writing is wonderful. The characters are realistic, their thoughts and actions believable, the family dynamics fascinating.

This book is very well-written and descriptive. There are some gross and violent scenes; there is a very detailed description of an embalming at the beginning of the book. There is also some "light" swearing. That said, I think the book will be very appealing to teens, especially boys, and I think the subtle positive messages more than balance out some of the harsher scenes.

Intense and riveting, I totally recommend this book to teens (14 and older) and anyone who enjoys a light horror story that is scarey enough to get your adrenaline moving, but not so hopeless and dark that it leaves you sleeping with the lights on.

Plot:

Characters:

Ending:

Cover: I like the UK version better.



Content Ratings

Language: Some mild swearing, like what's in the Bible.

Violence: A pretty graphic and gross embalming scene. Graphic descriptions of dead bodies, murder victims. Violent fighting scenes between John and the demon.

Drugs/Alcohol:

Immorality:

Values/Themes: The value messages are good, but not preachy. However, some of the themes—discussion on what it's like to be a sociopath, thoughts and feelings, etc. are a little rough and not for everyone.

Age Appropriate: Depends upon the maturity of the reader. Some readers will find this too disturbing.

Writing Mechanics:


© 2010 It's a Book Affair