Peaches for Monsieur le Cure - Joanne Harris

The third book in Joanne Harris's Chocolat series promises another beautifully written adventure from Lanquenet-sous-Tannes.

It has been 8 years since Vianne Rocher left Lansquenet, and things have changed drastically. Les Marauds now houses a huge population of Magrebins, and the minaret of their Mosque looms above the houses. The catholic church is in disarray, and Reynaud is in trouble. And then there is Ines Bencharki, whose prescence in the village distrubs everyone - French and Muslim alike.

One of the most wonderful things about Harris's writing is the way that her characters are so realistic and compelling. Vianne Rocher is a much-loved character who we can really sympathise with, and it is brilliant that the author has once again given her legions of readers another story with her in it. The writing style is also exactly what we have come to expect from Joanne Harris. Her decriptions caress your senses and the plot is just fast enough to  keep your interest without becoming actiony.

The plot and the ending will keep you on your toes. The plot builds slowly but keeps forming questions in your head, but the cresendo is fast and keeps you turning the pages. There are a couple of lovely twists in there too; the mystery surrounding Ines Bencharki is interesting and it is only revealed at the very end of the book. You never guess who she is until she tells you, and her story is compelling, startling and emotional.

The themes of this book are interesting too. There is a lot of emphasis on religion, which is a theme she has delved into before in 'Holy Fools' and in 'Chocolat'. A theme that recurs in the series is prejudice, as the people of the village seem to have so many of these, this time against an unmarried woman with a child. Sound familiar?

However, this book was not quite as engrossing as the first two. There is not as much 'magic' and  it is not as much to do with the food as to do with the people of the village this time. Hardcore Harris fans may miss this, but for the rest of the population, this will be an excellent book full of human interest.

For the most impact, read the first two books. References to the past are plentiful, so if you havn't read them, chances are that you won't get the whole picture or why certain things are so distressing.

Even though the plot isn't quite as enchanting as the other two, this book still gets an 8 out of 10 from me. My favourite is still 'The Lollipop Shoes'.

Crossed - Ally Condie

WARNING: This is the second novel in this series. Please don't read on unless you've read the first one because I guarantee this content will ruin the first one for you.

I tried reading this after I'd read Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. It was the second in that series too and it totally put me off of this book because they are so different. My advice to you is to read the books in the same series one after the other, and to read them with different books and genres in between to differentiate better.

So anyway, the point is that I may be a little prejudiced because I was so into the other story that I wasn't ready for this one. The plot is good, but in my opinion it is a little too slow going. The first book was great, but you can definitely tell that this is the middle book - often the most difficult to write. Here, Ky and Cassia have been separated by the Society and are desperate to find each-other again.

The plus side is that we find out so much more about Ky. In this book, he has a voice and along with it comes a lot of extra information to process. We understand him so much better, and I think this is a good thing. Sometimes, though, I found that the voices got confused. I flicked back through to the beginning of each chapter a few times just to check who was speaking.

We also have a few new and exciting characters who are quite likeable, as well as some information about the Rising... and not forgetting a very interesting secret.

So overall this book wasn't particularly enthralling, and nor was it awful. Until the third book comes out, I think I'll reserve judgement on the series as a whole; the end seems promising though.

As for this book, I think it's a 5/10.

Reached is out in November 2012

Runemarks - Joanne Harris

Five Hundred years after the end of the world, and the goblins had been at the cellar again.

This is everyday life for Maddy, who was born with a strange coppery symbol on her hand, known as a runemark. It marks her out in her simple village as an outsider and someone not to be trusted. Her only friend is an old man called one-eye, who suddenly wants her to travel into Red Horse Hill, where the goblins come from. Maddy's world is soon ripped apart as secrets are revealed, enemies and allies resurface from the old world and all Hel breaks loose.

If there's one thing Joanne Harris can do and do well, it's to tell a great story. This book is no exception. But what we have to remember is that this is her first novel for Young Adults, and is therefore slightly less sophistiated than what we are used to from her. As a result, her characters are lacking a little in complexity. The protagonist, Maddy, doesn't really star as much as she should, instead making The Captain (don't worry, you'll work it out when you read it) a much more prominent character in the readers eyes. She also does what she's told most of the time, which isn't the most spunky attribute in a protagonist. However, she is so integral to the plot, I can almost forgive this minor lapse. And anyway, I've always had a soft spot for The Captain.

However her plot is, as always, beautifully thought through. The action is in place from the beginning, which gets you right int the plot. Her descriptions perfectly capture imagination and the imagery puts you right in the middle of the story. Fantasy teen fiction is usually to do with education, groups, a selfish streak and almost always has a love interest. 'Twilight' is a nice example of this, as is the likes of 'Matched' or 'Divergent'. 'Runemarks', like the popular 'Hunger Games' trilogy, is so much more than a simple teen story. It turns away from angst and romance, and into the fray instead. It talks about religion, mythology, family, betrayal and a battle of wills. Maddy has so much more on her shoulders than your usual teen heroine - ie: the end of the universe.

Finally, I have to comment on the subject matter. Norse mythology is something that I haven't really taken a great interest in compared to the likes of Greek and Roman myth. When 'Thor' came out, I took a bit more interest in the matter, but now I think I definitely need to read up. I commend Joanne Harris for choosing this mythology as her basis. Not a lot of people are educated in the liked of the World Tree and Ragnarok, but I certainly hope that this book helps with that.

Oh, and one more thing.. this is no Percy Jackson.

8 out of 10. Only because I wasn't quite prepared for the amazing contrast to her other works and the change to her style because of the teen genre.

Runelight, the sequel, is out now.

Mistborn Trilogy - Brandon Sanderson

Unless you've been living under a fantasy rock for the past couple of years, you'll know that Brandon Sanderson is well on the map for fantasy fiction. His work is articulate, complex and intriguing, and his writing style is excellent. He's even ghost writing the rest of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.

I was mesmerised by the covers of these books, and the story sounded equally compelling, so I borrowed this particular set from my boyfriend and I was not disappointed.

What if the Dark Lord won?
(If that isn't an interesting first sentence to a blurb then I don't know what is.)

Vin is a lonely, abandoned girl working in a thieving crew when Kelsier strolls into her life. After learning that she is actually a very gifted Allomancer, he takes her in and gives her a life she had never dreamt of before - one where you trust others and laugh, and eat enough food. But Kelsier is about to turn everything on it's head. He is planning to overthrow the oppressive and cruel Lord Ruler, and with Vin's help, they may just succeed.

So that's just the premise of the first book. After that, the plot grows into a twisting mass of story, each book more detailed and grander than the last. Never mind trying to defeat a tyrant, there are bigger things in store.

The Mistborn trilogy is and engaging read, set in a world where mists always come at night, where people ingest metals to wield powers we could only dream about, where strange creatures roam and terrible things happen. It is full of suspense, action and mystery - in others words, it is every fantasy-lovers paradise.

The writing is perfect. There is a touch of humour, which balances the slightly gruelling subject matter. There is a level of detail that is very well thought through. Sometimes you wonder how someone can think of a world where everything makes perfect sense according to the laws there - the balance of forces, the explanations for everything that goes on in the plot. The history, the religions, the species. It amazes me how beautifully they all combine to create these books.

I like the characterisation, though it did take some time for me to warm towards Vin. But overall, every character was very different, and given different drives. It always disappoints me to see similar characters whose voices or feelings you can't recognise straight away. But here you know who is talking without having to read the name.

I can't actually say too much without giving the plots away for each of the books, so I will leave you with this: You need to read these books. 10 out of 10.

PS: I can't wait to get on and read the other Mistborn novel, The Alloy of Law

Fever - Lauren DeStefano

I was casually walking around an Oxfam bookshop, not really wanting to buy anything in particular, when I saw this little beauty. The first one was great, and I was waiting for the oppurtune moment to pick this one up on the cheap from Amazon. But at a meagre £2.00, I just had to snap it up. It was so much cheaper than anything else I would ever find.

In my experience, trilogies always have one downfall: The second book is never quite as thrilling as the other two. The first one tends to be a story in itsself, and the third one is the huge climax. The second, therefore, is the build-up. There are only a few exceptions, and I'm sad to say that Fever is not one of them.

While the storyline was very good, I found that it lacked the goal that we had in Wither. Although I absolutely loved the characters, I found it harder to sympathise with them in this book.

However, the plot was very good. It has intrigue, love, loss, and it always keeps us wondering what is going to heppen to our beloved characters. Their time is running out, and their mortality is more pronounced. This time, you really can't see where it is going to lead you. I thought the ending in Wither was rather obvious, but here there's a twist that you don't see coming. Again, the cover perfectly encapsulates the story, though you don't see it at first.

A little review, this one. As there's not so much more to say about the writing, the characters or the themes that I didn't already say in my review for Wither.

7 out of 10 this time. But I have more hope for the final book, Sever, which should be out early in 2013.