Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Published: 2007, Ace
Series: Kate Daniels, #1
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Library book
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“What kind of woman greets the Beast Lord with 'here, kitty, kitty'?”

I've been meaning to start the Kate Daniels series for a while now. Reading young adult fiction almost exclusively for a solid period of time can become a bit tiring. As much as I love coming-of-age stories and stories of self-discovery, sometimes it's nice to have a protagonist already be self-aware of the person he/she is and work with that. And Kate Daniels is certainly a physically strong female protagonist whose emotional maturity and self-confidence make for a refreshingly more mature read.

In a futuristic Atlanta, technology and magic vie for dominance. Signs of modernity have begun to crumble in this new world, replaced by new challenges, new governing bodies, and new rules. This is the world that twenty-four year old Kate Daniels lives in. Kate has been (barely) getting along by herself when she finds out that Greg, her mentor and one of the few friends she has, was violently murdered, along with a vampire. Greg's murder is not something that Kate can just disregard, so she reluctantly drags herself back into the politics that make up her world, collaborating with The Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid in order to find Greg's killer. Her investigation leads her to discover more deaths and other, even larger problems, and Kate finds herself working alongside the were-humans of the Pack, as well as the necromancers from the Masters of the Dead. As she struggles to make sense of the strange events, Kate discovers that she can no longer avoid the paranormal scene, and perhaps she no longer should.

At its heart, Magic Bites reads like a work of detective fiction. Kate first tries to solve the mystery of her guardian Greg's death, and, in her search for truth, discovers more and more questions that must be solved. Narrowing down lists of suspects, figuring out clues, examining motives. Perhaps that's where my issues with this novel started. Besides the rare exception of the television show Veronica Mars, I really am not a fan of mystery or crime shows; my mind simply doesn't work that way. Needless to say, in that aspect Magic Bites and I did not get along very well.

Fortunately for me, however, the main redemption of this book came in the form of its protagonist, Kate Daniels. Whenever she gets into tight binds, Kate relies on herself, her knowledge, her skills, and her determination, to make things better. Her reliance on herself makes her admirable, but just as admirable is her ability to admit that relying solely on oneself is lonely, that that's not always the best way to live and operate. Contrasted with the sarcastic, practical, and tough-as-nails heroine are hints of a milder, more insecure one. Although Kate is good at her job and efficient, she does not completely disown her more feminine side. Those details are what truly make Kate into a three-dimensional protagonist. 

One of the reasons that I love all types of speculative fiction is that I love the world-building that goes along with them. Is this speculative world one much like our own, with subtle differences here and there? Or is it something utterly different and fantastical? The world that Kate Daniels inhabits ultimately isn't too far removed from our own world. What distinguishes it is the power play between technology and magic, which is a clever reversal of a common trope. How often do we as readers experience worlds where magic equates to an older world, while the use of technology makes the world seem more futuristic? In Kate's world, it is the magical side that is more powerful, while the use of technology and "modern conveniences" severely limits people. 

While I think that the premise behind the world-building is great, I found it suffered a bit in its execution. In direct opposition to the dreaded information-dumping technique, I felt as thought Andrews didn't supply me with enough information on what caused the world to become the way it was. There are allusions to events here and there, but nothing that was quite as substantive as I'd hoped to learn. The magic in the world seems to be controlled by two main groups: The Masters of the Dead, run by necromancers who control zombie-like vampires, and the Pack, were-creatures organized into a paramilitary group. I couldn't say why that is. Nor do I understand the dynamics behind The Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, beyond the fact that they're there to help govern the world, along with the police and other, more typical governing bodies. Perhaps some of my lack of knowledge can be attributed to being distracted as a reader, but, really, if I have trouble recalling any details of the major power groups, I consider that to be a problem. The characters, their allegiances, and their relationships to Kate also did not feel clear enough. At least I know that Kate Daniels is a series, so this unfulfilled knowledge is something that has the potential to be better understood over time. 

Magic Bites offers tantalizingly enticing snippets of great characters, plenty of intrigue, and an interesting and complex new world. This first novel just didn't provide quite enough of any of those aspects to really satisfy my questions. From what I've heard, this series only gets better, so I'm hoping I'm able to form a stronger attachment with Kate's story in the upcoming installments.

Bout of Books 7.0: The Finish Line

Bout of Books 7.0 has officially ended. And how did I fare?

Books read:
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Unfortunately I was unable to read Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere this week, but I do plan on reading it within the upcoming few weeks.

I think my participation in Bout of Books 7.0 was more individual than anything else. I missed twitter chats and didn't participate in any of the mini-challenges. (I also feel a bit like I don't quite understand how everything works. I think I'll have to better research future read-a-thons so I can make sure I'm an active participant, as well as an active reader!)

My two biggest takeaways from this week:
1. Reading two books a week is completely doable, and there's no reason I shouldn't be able to read three books or more during less-busy weeks.
2. Contemporaries may be quicker reads, but I have to be better aware of the subject matter before deciding to read a number of contemporaries in a row. All three of the books I read dealt with protagonists coping with death and heavy situations. Based on my recent family situation, they were cathartic to a point, but then just started becoming a bit depressing. I could have switched up the books I was reading, but I became kind of invested in those choices. But perhaps knowing the subject matter of The Sky is Everywhere (death of a sister) made me reluctant to finish the other books quickly enough to start it. As I said, I will be reading The Sky is Everywhere eventually, but for now I'll be reading some decidedly non-contemporary books.

Be sure to keep a lookout for reviews of the above-mentioned books in June! And thanks to On a Book Bender and Reading the Paranormal for organizing the event! I promise I'll be a better participant next time!

A Book Blogging Dilemma: My Rule for Purchasing Books

A few months ago, I came to that realization that I think all book bloggers must hit eventually: I simply cannot go out and buy every single book* that looks really interesting to me. Not only can I not afford to pay for all those books, but I don't have the space. I made the goal that from now on, I would only buy books that I've already read and loved. 

Benefits of this rule:
Saving money
By already reading the book, I will have determined if I love it enough to spend money on my own personal copy. I read a lot, and, honestly, I'm not about to start shelling out money for every book I read. I've been raised with a healthy appreciation of the public library, and that appreciation has only grown over the years. This rule will allow me to save money for those books I already love and authors I want to support personally.
Paperback releases 
If I've already read the book, then I generally won't feel the need to re-read it for the next year, or however long it does take to release in paperback. Paperbacks take up less space and are cheaper.
Re-readability 
If I love the book enough to want to purchase it after having read it, then I know it'll be a story that will resonate with me for many years. I won't have to take a chance on it not working for me.
Sharing the love 
If I love a book, then I want to share it with the whole world (or at least those who I know can appreciate it). Owning a book does make it much easier to persuade others to read it. But I want some sort of credibility in my recommendations, so I generally want to loan books that I loved enough to buy in the first place.

The main reason that I was able to make this goal is because of how convenient and accessible my public library is. My library is part of an amazing consortium within the state of Wisconsin, so even if my library doesn't carry the book, there are about fifty other libraries within the system that can ship their copy of a book to mine within a few days (it takes longer, obviously, if the book is on hold). And my library system has had at least one copy of literally every book I've wanted to read thus far. 

So far I've been pretty good at sticking to my resolution. The only  time I broke this resolution was back in February, when I bought a physical copy of a book I had already read and loved, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and then decided to also purchase its sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight. I hadn't read Days of Blood and Starlight yet (actually still haven't, to my shame and disappointment), but because I had loved the first installment so much and had read and considered enough reviews of the sequel, I bought it with the confidence that I'd like it. I can foresee sequels and further installments causing me to break this rule, however, as I do plan on purchasing Melina Marchetta's Quintana of Charyn and Leigh Bardugo's Siege and Storm before reading them.

Recently, however, certain new releases have seriously tempted me to break my self-imposed buying rules.

Golden by Jessi Kirby	Reboot by Amy Tintera	The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

As I write this, my library still doesn't have Golden in their catalog (today is Golden's release day). Nor is Reboot. On the other hand, I was able to get on the (rather significant) waiting list for The 5th Wave about a week before its release. I think the issue here is twofold. Through book blogging, I have become hyper aware of upcoming book releases, generally months in advance. This leaves me itching to read the book as soon as it releases. I also am not sure how my library system works. Perhaps there's a way to request the library order copies of certain books? I'm just not sure how the system as a whole determines which books to add to their catalogs. Something to look into, for sure.

Is book blogging just making me greedy with the desire to read all the books as soon as possible? Is my purchasing rule too limiting? Let me know if you have any specific rules or guidelines in terms of reading and purchasing books!

*As an additional note, by "books" I mean physical books. The purchasing of ebooks (or rather, the rights to read them) is a whole other issue, one that I address in this post.

Waiting on Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights any upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Publication Date: September 10, 2013

While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. Trapped in horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to endure the fate that’s in store for her?

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning WWII thriller. The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival. (Goodreads)

I absolutely adored Code Name Verity (my review) and couldn't be more excited that Wein is writing another book highlighting the roles that women played in World War II. Although if Rose Under Fire is anything like Code Name Verity, it'll be a difficult read. Difficult, but so worth it. 

What are you waiting on? 


Edit: Apparently this is the Canadian cover. The U.S. cover was just revealed and is quite different, unfortunately.

Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the bloggers of The Broke and the Bookish. This week we're all sharing a list of books that address what we consider to be tough subjects.

Speak & Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson — Tough subjected featured: depression, rape, eating disorders, death. From the two Anderson books I've read, she seems to tackle some extreme issues facing teenage girls in contemporary society. I enjoyed reading both of them, but found that I was able to better understand and connect with Melinda, the protagonist of Speak, over Lia, the protagonist of Wintergirls (perhaps due to the fact I was close to Melinda's age when I read Speak and only read Wintergirls recently). (My review of Wintergirls.)
If I Stay by Gayle Forman — Tough subject featured: death. While If I Stay was not the emotional or poignant read for me that I had hoped it would be, I know that it was for many, and witnessing how drastically protagonist Mia's life is altered by one freak accident is very tragic, as is her subsequent decision on whether to stay or go with her family. (My review.)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green — Tough subject featured: Children dying from cancer. I haven't read many books dealing with cancer, because I don't tend to read many issue-driven contemporaries, and it's my personal opinion that there's enough death due to this disease in real life that I don't want to read a fictionalized account of people suffering from it as well. Nevertheless, Green's novel was touching and about so much more than cancer. (My review.)
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult — Tough subjects featured: cancer, crumbling interpersonal/family relationships. I'm sure that all of Picoult's books deal with tough subjects (she seems to be that sort of author), but this one in particular was touching and very sad. Not only does protagonist Anna have to deal with her older sister's struggle with leukemia and how that affects their family, but she also deals with the ethical issue of being treated as Kate's personal bone-marrow donor.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold — Tough subjects featured: kidnapping, rape, murder, learning to cope with grief. It's been years since I've read this one, but reading about Susie's kidnapping, rape, and subsequent murder from her perspective in the afterlife was heartbreaking, as was watching her witness her family become obsessed with finding out the truth about her disappearance.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys — Tough subject featured: death, deportation, concentration camps, war. The story of Lina, her family, and the thousands of innocent Lithuanians deported from their homeland by the Soviet Union is a difficult read, as is most World War II fiction. Knowing that people really did endure situations similar to Lina is what makes this difficult story an absolutely powerful read. (My review.) 
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers — Tough subjects featured: depression, domestic violence, death, zombie apocalypse. Summers is another author whose books seem to deal with a lot of tough issues facing teens. This is Not a Test has a post-apocalyptic bend to it, while her others seem to be more strictly contemporaries. I am currently reading Cracked Up to Be, and another interesting aspect of Summers' books appears to be suffering but still unlikable protagonists. (My review.)
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker — Tough subject featured: natural disasters. I was not a huge fan of this book, primarily due to the subject matter. In Julia's world (which is basically our own), the Earth's rotation begins to slow down and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. Julia's coming of age story is set against this completely chilling (and potentially probable) premise. I only wish I had better been able to connect with Julia throughout her trials and tribulations. (My review.)
In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters — Tough subjects featured: death, disease, war. I could attempt to explain how this novel does broach on some difficult issues, but, really, the main reason I decided to include this is because of its emphasis on the horrific death of protagonist Mary Shelley's childhood friend and love, Stephen. I read about Stephen's death scene a few days after my own grandma passed away, and it made this book's view of death that much harder for me to read. (My review.)
Native Son by Richard Wright — Tough subjects featured: racism, rape, murder. While I definitely believe Wright's novel is an incredibly powerful read, it also is incredibly difficult to read about protagonist Biggar's plight, from the fear apparent in being a minority in a racially segregated world, to the ultimate manifestation of his desire to gain power for himself. (My review.)

Please let me know what are some of your top books that deal with tough subjects.

Bout of Books 7.0

With my class now over, I now have close to two months of free evenings. To celebrate that fact, I decided to participate in my first read-a-thon ever! 

What is Bout of Books?

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.
- From the Bout of Books team

Due to a particularly busy schedule right now, lately I've only been averaging about one and a half books per week. For this read-a-thon, I'm trying to up my numbers and read four full books (we'll see how likely that really is). The books that I hope to read are:

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby 

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson 

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers 

How to Save a Life by Sarah Zarr 

And, if by some miracle I still have time:
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson 

Contemporaries are usually quicker reads for me, so that's why those are my main picks. I adore the world-building that comes with speculative fiction, but if I'm trying to get through books at a faster pace this week, then I don't want to have to worry about figuring out world-building as I read. Except for The Crown of Embers, which is a sequel so I feel as though I already have a good understanding of the world-building there. 

I also want to make a concerted effort to work on my twitter presence and interact with bloggers. There's still a little time before the event starts, so if you're interested in signing up, please go here.

Review: The Round House by Louise Erdrich

The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Published: 2012, HarperCollins
Genre: Adult Fiction
Source: Library ebook
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Now that I knew fear, I also knew it was not permanent. As powerful as it was, its grip on me would loosen. It would pass. 

It's taken me months to formulate my thoughts enough to write a review. Months. Not because I don't have anything to say, but because, despite the critical acclaim, The Round House and I really did not go well together. While I have no problem with the subject matter or plot overall, but it is primarily in its execution that I found The Round House to be sorely lacking.

During the spring of 1988, thirteen-year-old Joe Coutts' world gets turned upside-down when his mother Geraldine is violently raped. Joe's father, a tribal judge, and many family members try to get Joe's mother to recount what has happened to her so that they can seek justice. But Joe's mother will not recount anything, instead staying in her bed and slipping deeper and deeper into depression. 

All anyone knows for sure is that the crime took place near the tribal round house, which presents a difficulty in and of itself. The land around the round house is under three different jurisdictions, so without proof of exactly where the crime was committed it will be difficult to enact any justice for Joe's mother. While the adults try to figure out how to help Geraldine, Joe also searches for answers with his friends. For Joe this is a summer of discovery as much as a summer of tragedy, as he comes to realize what matters most in his life and the measures he's willing to take for those he loves.

All of the issues I have with this book stem from one central complaint: I feel as though Erdrich is trying to cover far too many aspects in this one small book. At its most basic level, The Round House can be read as Joe's coming of age story. It is this summer where he loses his innocence: his naive beliefs that his parents have a perfect relationship, that the governing systems will always promote justice, and, perhaps most painfully, that all the adults in his life have their fair share of flaws and cannot solve all problems. The Joe at the end of the novel is hardened and a little less hopeful, yet because the story is recounted by an older Joe, readers at least know that he survives through all of these trials. 

Intermixed with Joe's coming of age tale is a mystery-style story about his mother's rape and questions surrounding the identity of the perpetrator. As if the rape and the effect it has on Geraldine and her family isn't enough of a tragedy, the crime's location near the round house adds another layer of complication. The land surrounding the round house is broken apart into three different jurisdictions: tribal, state, and federal. Without knowing the exact spot the rape occurred, one law enforcement force cannot take over the case.

Erdrich's book can also be seen as a commentary on Objibwe culture and the place that it has within (relatively) modern-day America. It is this aspect that I found most interesting. Not only has Erdrich clearly done her research, but she is herself of Objibwe descent. It does not seem like a stretch of the imagination to assume the authenticity of this culture's portrayal in Erdrich's story. Through the novel the readers can begin to understand a little about the rituals and stories that make up the Objibwe culture, as well as the clashes that this Native American culture (and, I'm sure, many others) faces from white cultures and their religions. Although I felt that Erdrich's keen attention to detail works to the benefit of The Round House overall, I also found it to hinder my reading experience. Erdrich tends to overwhelm certain parts of the narrative with long explanations and stories that better help readers understand the Objibwe culture. While it's never a bad thing to better understand a culture, Erdrich's narrative choices made this feel too much like information-dumping for me to quite appreciate these bits of knowledge.

My issue about Erdich's choice to portray Objibwe culture through lots of information-dumping relates to my overall experience of reading this book. I like the premise of the novel, but I found the book to be a little long, Erdrich's desire to focus on all the aspects possible more than a little frustrating. And the information on the political issues inherent in any Native American culture was interesting but at times felt too in-depth. The book is less than 400 pages, yet it dragged on and on. Readers are given new subplots to focus on, introduced to yet more new characters. Although Erdrich does try to tie some plot points together, I ultimately felt as though the scope of this novel was far too wide.

For a first-person narrated story, I found Joe to be a very distant protagonist. He was sympathetic enough — who would not sympathize with a young boy in his position? — but in comparison with the rest of his family, Joe comes off as a little bland. Joe may be the narrator, but it is the other characters who make the story come alive, from the hilarious Mooshum, to Linda, who struggles to find her place as a white woman adopted by the tribe, to ex-military priest Father Travis, to poor Cappy, who is simply looking for love.

I'll admit that my knowledge of American literature focused on Native American tribes is pretty limited. I am sure that there are other stories out there with similar messages that have the potential to really resonate with me, but The Round House was not it. I had much better luck reading Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian or even Forrest Carter's The Education of Little Tree (and, yes, I am well-aware of the issues the latter one has). Both of them are coming-of-age stories that focus on the trials of young Native American boys trying to find their place in the world.