The Horns of Ruin Review

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(More customer reviews)Eva Forge is the last Paladin of the God of War Morgan. The problem is he is long dead from his brother's hands Amon. This leaves only the last brother immortal Alexander as the last living god in charge of the city of Ash and its surrounding areas. As Paladin Eva is entrusted with the security and protection of the Cult of Morgan and its followers. Not an easy thing for just one person, but with sword and magicked gun she soldiers on with loose lips and a hothead attitude. While on a mission to take the leader of her order somewhere and back some craziness with zombies of a sort goes down and she must track down one of her own.
The Horns of Ruin is very different tonally from Heart of Veridon so don't expect more of the same. It has an almost animalistic and visceral feel with loads of fights and colorful language that may be more at home in a Fantasy novel. Eva Forge is one tough lady who doesn't have much of a feminine side, but that is what you get when you train a person from childhood how to kill. I was immediately taken in by Eva's brusque disposition, which is best shown in her dialogue where she verbally combats people just as much as physically. Yet outside of Eva most characters aren't given much depth or detail that would connect you better with them.
The system of magic is based off of chanting and belief of past events, which was a nice way of mixing religion and magic given the nature of their gods. There is sometimes an over abundance of the chanting magic as Eva stretches herself to keep going. The Horns of Ruin often blends magic and science that comes off very blurred at times, which made my mind want to rebel not knowing which aspect was intended. Finally I just decided to go with it and not try to read too much into how something in particular was possible. The followers of Amon's abilities are particularly intriguing being that have a mastery over technology, but can also affect power through chanting including an impressive unmaking type spell. There are some Steampunk elements to be sure such as some jet packs and monorails, but this feels like a post Steampunk world with a healthy dash of magic and gods thrown in.
You'd be hard pressed to name a faster paced book. Akers barely gives you time to contemplate all the happenings as Eva bounces from one fight to the next. The relationships between the brother/gods are left very vague for quite a longtime, but as pieces are unfurled a new mystery takes shape. I particularly enjoyed the way Akers handles his gods and how their powers originate and the deep history that is alluded to.
If anything I'd call The Horns of Ruin Swords & Science. Fans of hack and slash Fantasy just may have found the steampunky read they've been looking for. The Horns of Ruin is an energetic rollercoaster ride in a well accentuated world that needs to be further explored. The ending while satisfying does leave much left open. There has been no word yet on another Eva Forge book, but the second Jacob Burn book Dead of Veridon is schedule for June 2011 from Solaris.

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Eva Forge is the last paladin of the dead God, Morgan.
Eva, forsaken by her parents and forgotten by her family, was the last child dedicated to the Cult of Morgan. Morgan, God of battle and champion of the Fraterdom, was assassinated by his jealous brother, Amon. Over time, the Cult of Morgan has been surpassed by other Gods, his blessings ignored in favor of brighter technologies and more mechanical miracles. Now, Eva watches as her new family, her Cult, crumbles around her.
When a series of kidnappings and murders makes it clear that someone is trying to hasten the death of the Cult of Morgan, Eva must seek out unexpected allies and unwelcome answers in the city of Ash. But will she be able to save the city from a growing conspiracy, one that reaches back to her childhood, even back to the murder of her God?
As Eva wields her sword and wits in a city full of wonders, her story becomes the first perfect merger of steampunk and sword and sorcery.

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The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart Review

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(More customer reviews)The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart is a thrilling read, full of realistic, wince-inducing violence, monsters out of the darkest avenues of folklore, and a rich helping of gallows humor. The Grossbart brothers wander through darkest Europe in the wake of the Black Death, attracting deeply uncouth and disreputable henchmen as they do the right things for the wrong reasons, the wrong things for the wrong reasons, and debate theology from the orthodox to the heretical all the way around to a twisted orthodoxy. Townsmen, demons, and witches beset them, and yet they muddle their bloody way through it all (not unscathed!). You'll enjoy this book if you like fantasy that doesn't come from a cookie cutter, or grittily detailed historical fiction. The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart isn't quite like anything else I've ever read, and I couldn't put it down once I started.

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Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)Raine Benares, an elf and a Seeker, has enough trouble in her life without someone bringing more to her door, but when her friend and employee, Quentin, is hired to steal something from a powerful necromancer's house, she just can't let him handle the trouble alone.
The something that Quentin has been hired to steal is soon found to be more valuable and more important than either of them could ever have imagined. Before Quentin even escapes the necromancer's house, he finds himself with some unsavory company, who also just happen to want to lay hands on the very same amulet that Quentin has just pilfered.
With a little help from Raine and her family, Quentin narrowly escapes with his life. Raine insists that he hand over the amulet for safekeeping, and that's when things start to get a little wild!
MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND is an enchantingly engaging read. Devoid of the heavy depressing themes that seem to permeate popular fantasy novels lately, MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND will delight readers who like a good dose of humor mixed with their magical adventure. Author Lisa Shearin has done a superb job of crafting a fantasy world alive with elves, goblins and otherworldly creatures. With a fast paced plot, well-crafted characters and just a hint of romance, MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND is a book that fantasy lovers won't want to miss.


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Raine Benares is a Sorceress Seeker of average ability until she comes into possession of an amulet that amplifies her powers-and her enemies.

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Department 19 (Department Nineteen) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was lucky enough to recieve this book as an ARC from librarything.com
Everyone knows that vampires are the big trend these days. So picking up Department 19, one might be subject to believe that it is just like all the rest. But Will Hill's debut novel is far from unoriginal. He leaves no plot holes, but leaves the reader craving more. His characters feel realistic and it's not hard to get sucked up in the story.
Jamie Carpenter's life is ripped apart first when is father is killed for allegedly betraying the country, and then again when his mother is kidnapped by mysterious creatures and he is hauled off to Department 19, the government's most top secret agency. He is about to learn that he has a stronger tie to Department 19 than he knows.
One of the greatest things that the book did for me was the vampires themselves. They drank blood, they were ruthless, they burned in the sun, and they were the disturbing monsters that I would expect vampires to be. Hill reverts his vampires back to how they used to be, which is fresh and a nice change of pace from all the other vampire novels out there.
As a lover of Dracula, I found the tie-in to the classic novel in Hill's book delightful. Dracula can leave a lot of people wondering what happened next after the book was finished, and Department 19 fills this gap. Hill manages Stoker's characters well, and it is clear he did all of his research before writing his book. Even if someone has not read Dracula, it is easy to pick up on what happened in the story, and what it means for Department 19. And as for those who have, it is a nice treat to revisit Van Helsing and the rest of the gang and find out what happened to them.
I hope that Department 19 and the following books in the series really take off. The story takes a classic story, throws in some original characters, and takes the reader to a hidden war that has been going on for decades. I hope Department 19 does not get bogged down and lost in all of the other vampire books, and reaches its potential. The book is unafraid of itself and isn't afraid to go into the gory details. I would highly recommend it to anyone, even those who do not normally read vampire or fantasy stories. I for one will be picking up the next book as soon as it hits shelves.

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Pandemonium Review

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(More customer reviews)Pandemonium is fricking brilliant. Here's the plot summary version: As a child, Del was possessed by a demon, the Hellion, known for targeting young blond haired boys. There are many demons in this version of the US, archetypes from classic stories, comic books, etc. Del got better.
Except now he's an adult and beginning to realize that the demon never really left. Something inside of him is trying to break out and take over. He has to chain himself to his bed at night to prevent himself from destroying his home or hurting other people in his sleep. So, he goes on a quest to find a doctor who can help him, then one of the most messed up priests you could ever imagine. He runs into other demon possessed people. Almost gets killed multiple times... And finds out that things are much worse than he ever imagined.
Here's the gushing stream of consciousness version: Demons! Comic books! Possession! PK Dick! PK Dick as a demon! The nature of narrative! Reality/truth. Comic books! The Shug! Archetypes! Creative unconscious! Jung!
Daryl Gregory does something with Pandemonium that I forgot you could do with fiction. He talks pretty intense philosophy without ever once making it feel like that's what he's doing. The narrative is just so strong that you don't notice you're going over really intellectual and dense territory. Del is a strong main character, the events are completely improbable but you don't even notice it until after you've read the whole book and been utterly seduced by it.

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Split Infinity (Apprentice Adept) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was not much of a book reader. I found a copy of Split Infinity at the bus I was on and started reading it. I was wondering why the book cover had a picture of a unicorn and the first few chapters clearly depicted a science fiction (future world) scenario. By the end of the book, I had to get my hands on Blue Adept and Juxtaposition. I have not found a book even remotely similar to the Apprentice Adept series since. The combination and relevance of both sci-fi world and fantasy world had been excellently written and the style of magic that Piers Anthony penned in this book was clearly unique. I will definitely let my kids read this book once they are able. I have been a Fantasy genre reader ever since I found this book.

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On the technological, decadent world of Proton, someone was trying to destroy Stile, serf and master Gamesman. His only escape lay in Phaze, a world totally ruled by magic. Soon he learned that his alternate self had already been murdered, and that he was next. On Proton, his fate depended on winning the great Games. On Phaze, he must master magic to survive. And if he used any magic at all, his friends were determined to kill him at once!THE APPRENTICE ADEPTBook OneSPLIT INFINITYBookTwoBLUE ADEPTBook ThreeJUXTAPOSITION

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Lonely Werewolf Girl Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the best books I've read this year. It's also the book with the worst editing I have ever seen.
The plot is wild and funny. The daughter of a werewolf Thane is being hunted by both her family (she tried to kill her father and quite nearly succeeded) and a guild of werewolf hunters. Worse, she battles her anxiety. Lonely Werewolf Girl has many, many characters. Sometimes it's difficult to keep track of them all. I enjoyed this book on many levels. I didn't finish this book quickly, not because it wasn't good, but the short chapters which jumped from character and place and did all sorts of funny acrobats which taxed my poor concentration. This was a good thing. I dragged the pleasure on for three days as opposed to finishing it in one swallow.
Millar, being at least as talented as Gaiman and Pratchett, would do himself well to find another editor. Or maybe the editor would do him or herself well by hiring a high school student to proof read the final draft before sending it to print. Obviously no human read the final draft, and any reasonably literary high schooler could do better than Microsoft Word at spelling and grammar. The sloppy editing did this writing wrong.
Regardless, I give this book a five. Reviews are generally seen as a reflection of the writer and not the editor. The writing was excellent.

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Tempest Rising Review

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(More customer reviews)Tempest Rising was on my highly anticipated list and I was lucky enough to get a hold of an ARC (advance reader copy) before the release date even though I am late in writing my review. One of the reasons why I was excited about reading this book is because of its subject manner. Mermaids! Stories about mermaids are still fresh and new whereas, books on vampires, werewolves, and even angels are starting to get old and redundant. It's getting increasingly harder to find that diamond in the rough.
An interesting thing I found out AFTER I had read Tempest Rising is that this author goes by 2 other pseudonym names--Tracy Wolff and Tessa Adams. Here is the connection--I have read the first book in Tessa Adam's adult "Dragon Heat" series--Dark Embers-- and my rating/review of the book is nn one of my earlier posts. I remember giving Dark Embers a 5 star rating for its unique dragon mythology, sexy alpha hero, and sizzling romance.
That being said, while Tempest Rising had all the pieces to make a great first young adult book for Tracy Deebs about a teenage girl who on her 17th birthday would have to make a crucial decision whether to stay on land or follow in her mother's footsteps and become a mermaid, somehow it falls a little short. While this book is supposed to be a little more serious in tone, I actually enjoyed Tera Lynn Child's Forgive My Fins way better, which sort of has the same premise but more comical.
So starting with what I enjoyed...I liked how the book was split into 5 parts and how the chapters were short. Not that I have anything against long chapters; I just think that shorter chapters tend to make you want to read more. It is definitely a nice tool to keep readers interested.
At first I really liked Tempest. She was sort of like a tomboy--enjoyed surfing, hung around a bunch of guys, had a great boyfriend that any girl would be lucky to have. The whole on again, off again relationship with Mark was believable since the story is centered around teenagers and we all know that their emotions can run hot and cold. I also enjoyed Kai's character--at first he is very mysterious and sounds exotic with his darker skin, long hair, and sexy name. I can see why Tempest would have a sudden attraction to him.
However, it doesn't take long for Tempest to get on my nerves. She treats her boyfriend Mark like crap. At one point I was hoping that the author was going to reveal some major flaw of Mark's; like maybe he hits her, or cheats on her, or finds out that she is part mermaid and sees her as a freak, something to justify her mean behavior towards him. Unfortunately none of those things happen. He truly does care for her, puts up with her mood swings, and buys her a beautiful birthday gift. Despite her coldness towards him, I do commend Tempest for finally acting like an adult towards the end (won't spoil it for you).
I also got tired of Tempest always wanting to "run away". Almost every chapter she is either trying to get away from her boyfriend to avoid having a serious conversation with him or she is running away from her father who wants her to confide in him or she is running away from Kai, etc.
It felt like the author was just skimming over everything. She never really gives us background details other than how Tempest feels betrayed by her mother. Why did the tattoos/symbols form on her skin? What are their significance? How did her parents meet? Why does Tempest have so much more power than even her mother when she is only half mermaid? What's the relationship between selkies and mermaids? Why does Tempest feel such a strong connection to Kai? Why didn't the Queen of the mer people offer to help train Tempest so she can better understand her powers? Why didn't her mother keep her promise and return to her to help her daughter through this crucial transition? And if she couldn't, why didn't she at least send someone to inform her husband? It's not like her husband (Tempest's human father) is in the dark. He knows his wife is a mermaid. I know Tempest's mother sends Kai to keep an eye on her, but I guess I don't buy all this secrecy and wondering why her mother has been absent so long. Yes I know that her mother was busy trying to keep her people safe from the sea witch. But if she could send someone to keep an eye on her daughter then why she couldn't even send a letter to her devoted husband through Kai is beyond me. It seems pretty darn heartless.
The only reason I could think of for the author to only write on the surface is because she has plans to turn this book into a series. I could see that happening since there are things left unresolved as you can tell by my long list of questions. If this is her goal, then she definitely needs to work on her mythology and focus on story development. Hopefully Tempest will be less annoying in the future. While I am in love with the adult romance series that she has written under her pseudonym name Tessa Adams, Tracy Deeps has some work to do in the Young Adult universe.


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Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

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Dragon's Breath: Book Two in the Tales of the Frog Princess Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the best books I've read in the past year, and since I work in a bookstore I read a lot. I think Emma is the perfect example of what a good female character can be, and it's a story that I think girls everywhere will love. I'm sure boys will like it too, with all the dragons and giant spiders.
This book has so many great things going for it, my favorite thing being that Emma never uses violence to solve a problem unless she needs to, and always gives humans and animals the benefit of the doubt and lets them prove themselves before thinking badly of them.
The paperback is also very sturdy, and will hold up to repeated readings. And trust me, you'll read it repeatedly.

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Emma and Eadric have no sooner turned back into humans (from being frogs) than Emma's mother is in a panic, Aunt Grassina is distracted because she's found her true love turned into an otter, and Emma's magic is so out of control she sends herself to the dungeon by mistake. The neighboring kingdom has chosen this moment to attack, and if Emma can't get Grassina's mind back on protecting the kingdom, life as they know it in Greater Greensward will be in peril. From underwater sea monsters to fire-breathing dragons, this witty pair of young friends manages to sweet-talk, cajole, and race their way to victory. But when it looks as if everything will finally work out, disaster strikes, and Emma finds that magic is not enough-it takes real bravery and a strong, new friendship to succeed.

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Martial Power 2: A 4th Edition D&D Supplement Review

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(More customer reviews)I actually liked this one a bit more than the initial Martial Power entry, but I can chalk that up more to finding specific builds and options contained inside more interesting on a personal level than the last.
Aside from the inclusion of the usual additional content (build options, feats, paragon paths, epic destinies) I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of the Martial Practices, which is an analog to the Rituals contained in the base handbook, but with an availability to all classes.
So why 4 stars and not 5? I'm picky. Simple as that. It was a good book, clearly written, well illustrated as usual and contained everything in it I'd expected and a bit more... but I generally reserve 5 stars for things I consider to be absolute "must haves." It didn't change my life, rearrange my world view, or even significantly alter the way I view gaming. But it was worth every dime I spent on it, and it's certainly made my gameplay more interesting.

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New options for fighters, rangers, rogues, and warlords...Sharpen your sword and tighten your bow! This must-have book is the latest in a line of player-friendly game supplements offering hundreds of new options for D&D® characters, specifically focusing on martial heroes. It provides new archetypal builds for fighters, rangers, rogues, and warlords, as well as new character powers, feats, paragon paths, and epic destinies.

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X'ed Out Review

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(More customer reviews)Sensitive stoner poets should enjoy this a lot. Complaints about length seem irrelevant given the amount of time Burns must have spent on this. I'd pay up to $30 for the amazing artwork here. Sure the story's a bit out there, but it has heart where it counts. Burns might throw a gruesome image of a human-faced worm at you, but he'll make sure the worm is crying so you feel weird about it. I don't doubt that we have a masterpiece in the making here.

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Dreaming Anastasia: A Novel of Love, Magic, and the Power of Dreams Review

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(More customer reviews)I didn't really know what to expect from this book. I'm drawn to books about the Romanovs, so I thought I'd like this story.
Unfortunately, this is a badly edited book that uses the currently popular YA theme of the very-old-but-smokin'-hot man lusting after a teenage girl. The plot had promise, but the characters were so one-dimensional that they all but killed my interest in the story.
I liked the inclusion of the Baba Yaga element, but that sort of fell flat for me, too. For a much better novel that incorporates this folk tale, try Orson Scott Card's Enchantment.
After reading this book, I'm left with a fairly sour taste in my mouth. But at least I know that Ethan's eyes are blue. How could I forget that fact, after Anne mentions it more than 30 times?

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Tomorrow Girls: Behind the Gates Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the opening book in a 4 book series. Each is told from the point of view of one of the characters. This book does a great job of setting up the premise and the characters. It takes place in a future society where everyone is given a bracelet at birth and tracked by the state. This book is told from the perspective of Louisa. She and her best friend Maddie go to the school together (pretending to be twins). At the school they meet the other 2 characters, Rosie and Evelyn. Each girl has a distinctive personality and the bonds of friendship are tested as they face the struggles of dealing with adolescence and the real purpose of their attendance at the school. They are just being kept there for safety reasons, right? The answer to that question is the main plot of the book and as the girls search for answers, they must face their own and each other's problems and insecurities. This was a good read and would probably be a good choice for girls in the 8-14 range depending on their reading and comprehension levels. When I finished it I let my 10 year old neighbor read it. She completed it in one day and now she wants the remainder of the series!!!

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In a terrifying future world, four girls must depend on each other if they want to survive.
Louisa is nervous about being sent away to a boarding school -- but she's excited, too. And she has her best friend, Maddie, to keep her company. The girls have to pretend to be twin sisters, which Louisa thinks just adds to the adventure!
Country Manor School isn't all excitement, though. Louisa isn't sure how she feels about her new roommates: athletic but snobby Rosie and everything's-a-conspiracy Evelyn. Even Maddie seems different away from home, quiet and worried all the time.
Still, Louisa loves CMS -- the survival skills classes, the fresh air. She doesn't even miss not having a TV, or the internet, or any contact with home. It's for their own safety, after all.
Or is it?

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The Dark City #1 (Relic Master) Review

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(More customer reviews)Catherine Fisher is one of those authors who, even if a story isn't the best, still creates a unique, hauntingly vivid world. "The Dark City" is a pretty good example of what she can do -- she crafts a grim, rainy sci-fi/fantasy story with a startling twist, set on a world that is slowly dissolving into darkness.
Long ago, the powerful Makers made the world, except for the Sekoi (who existed before that). Their powerful relics are still strewn around, and the Order of keepers has devoted itself to finding those relics and keeping them safe. Unfortunately, the evil totalitarian Watch has almost wiped out the Order.
Raffi and his master Galen have been living in hiding for years, only coming out to find relics. But then a small-time warlord steals a relic from them, and declares that he will only give it back if Raffi and Galen bring back a Sekoi storyteller from the cursed dark city of Tasceron.
Galen is fine with this, especially when they learn that the legendary Crow is in Tasceron. Since his powers have been crippled, he hopes the Crow can restore it. However, the two keepers have no idea that their travel companion Carys is a secret spy for the Watch -- and that the Dark City holds shocking secrets about their world's past.
The world of "The Dark City" is a pretty grim one -- Fisher crafts a gritty, rainy world, which has decayed into a sort of totalitarian Dark Ages. And while I won't mention what the twist involving this world is, Fisher carefully weaves in countless hints about the Makers, their relics, the Sekoi and the nature of this world.
The biggest problem is the magical powers shown by Galen and Raffi. Given what is revealed about their world, I'm not sure what these powers are or where they come from.
However, Fisher's writing is in top form here. Her prose is richly evocative, filling her story with mud, rain, misty green seas and nightmarish cities clouded with darkness. And while most of the story is devoted to the journey to find the Crow, the story still feels lean and uncluttered with filler or side-stories.
It also has a fairly interesting trio of characters -- there is Galen, a man obsessed by the loss of his powers, and desperate to somehow regain them. Carys is a rather cold-blooded spy, but one who slowly discovers the truth about the Watch as she travels. Raffi is the weakest of the three characters; he's just sort of THERE, trailing after Galen like a wet puppy.
"The Dark City" is a richly-imagined, cleverly-written sci-fantasy story, and the big "to be continued" ending promises that there will be more.

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Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a secret relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be tested beyond their limits. For there are monsters-some human, some not-that also want the relic's power and will stop at nothing to get it.

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The Neon Court: Or, the Betrayal of Matthew Swift Review

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(More customer reviews)Premise: Matthew Swift, Midnight Mayor of London (that's a sort of magical enforcer/leader/diplomat) has just a couple of problems. First, two of the larger magical factions, the Neon Court and the Tribe, are on the brink of war over a murder. Second, an sometime friend of his seems to have a nasty case of should-be-dead-but-somehow-isn't. Somewhere in all this is a prophecy, a conspiracy, and an encroaching evil dangerous enough to give the most powerful beings in London nightmares. Can he save the city, his friends, and himself?
I hadn't read the two books that come before this one, and through much of the book that wasn't a problem. A few times, though, complicated consequences from the earlier volumes came up, and I think I could have followed the minor characters more easily if I had more context.
I especially liked the details of this book; the writing was strong in tactile imagery. The imagination and originality of the setting was fantastic, but it fell apart for me a little in the big picture. The plot hangs together well, I just at some point found it less compelling than I did when it started, although I couldn't put my finger on why.
I did really like it, I just wanted slightly more, perhaps a more satisfying climax.
The main character, Matthew Swift, was wonderful. There was a touch of modern noir here between the darkness of the setting and Swift's habit of getting himself beaten up. He means well, but doesn't always know the right thing to do, and has a propensity to just bull ahead into a dangerous situation and make it up as he goes. I admire that.
I liked Penny the wiseass sidekick, and I liked the completely realized, complex flavors of the different factions warring in the city. The magic is really cool, this specifically urban magic bound up in public transit and electricity and litter.
One bit of the plot which I loved was a nice twist where Griffin put enough subtle information in so that as the reader, I realized something was wrong before the characters did.
Overall it's a very inventive world with well drawn characters, although something in the plot, maybe the tension, didn't entirely coalesce for me. I'll look for the previous volumes, though, and look forward to more work from this author.

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War is coming to London.A daimyo of the Neon Court is dead and all fingers point towards their ancient enemy - The Tribe.And when magicians go to war, everyone loses.But Matthew Swift has his own concerns.He has been summoned abruptly, body and soul, to a burning tower and to the dead body of Oda, warrior of The Order and known associate of Swift.There's a hole in her heart and the symbol of the Midnight Mayor drawn in her own blood.Except, she is still walking and talking and has a nasty habit of saying 'we' when she means 'I.'Now, Swift faces the longest night of his life.Lady Neon herself is coming to London and the Tribe is ready to fight.Strange things stalk this night: a rumored 'chosen one,' a monster that burns out the eyes of its enemies, and a walking dead woman.Swift must stop a war, protect his city, and save his friend - if she'll stop trying to kill him long enough for him to try.

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Return of the Dapper Men Review

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(More customer reviews)The art in this book is breathtakingly gorgeous! There are so many pages I wish I could frame and hang on my wall. The book is slightly larger than most graphic novels, which showcases the art nicely.
The story is great as well. I'm a fan of Jim McCann's work at Marvel, but I didn't know what to expect from an all ages book. This work is a bit of a steampunk fairytale. I loved the characters and the world. I will definitely be rereading this.

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Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Let me just begin by saying that I am not a young adult and I don't have kids but this book is great! I only recently heard about it from an article on Yahoo (or maybe aol). Once I looked up Katy Towell and saw the drawings and animations (which are great fun) I decided to download a sample of the book. I read straight through the sample and had to download to keep going! The story is quirky, spooky, sad, and funny and I found it really engaging. The drawings are totally cool and don't overwhelm the story. I read until 4 a.m. and had to stop only because I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. It is totally set to be a series and I can't wait to read more! (I also really want a print of her adorable little gorgon with the stone kitty from her website!) I know that I would have totally dug this book at 12 years old and I am no where near that age now - except, perhaps young at heart. A great read.

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Twelve years ago, for 12 days straight, the town of Widowsbury suffered a terrible storm, which tore open a gate through which escaped all sorts of foul, rotten things. Strange things and strange people were no longer welcomed in Widowsbury, for one could never be sure of what secrets waited under the surface . . . Adelaide Foss, Maggie Borland, and Beatrice Alfred are known by their classmates at Widowsbury's Madame Gertrude's School for Girls as "scary children." Unfairly targeted because of their peculiarities—Adelaide has an uncanny resemblance to a werewolf, Maggie is abnormally strong, and Beatrice claims to be able to see ghosts—the girls spend a good deal of time isolated in the school's inhospitable library facing detention. But when a number of people mysteriously begin to disappear in Widowsbury, the girls work together, along with Steffen Weller, son of the cook at Rudyard School for Boys, to find out who is behind the abductions. Will they be able to save Widowsbury from a 12-year-old curse?

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