Quote: from Cosmos by Carl Sagan

 

Quote: from The Stand by Stephen King

No one can tell what goes on in between the person you were and the person you become. No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell. There are no maps of the change. You just... come out the other side.

~ Quoted from The Stand by Stephen King

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness
Series: Stand Alone
Source: Personal Copy
Format: Hardback
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd— whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself— Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, and monsters both real and imagined.

There is nothing in the world that could prepare a person to face a life that has been shattered by circumstances. Let alone when that life belongs to a ten-year-old boy, Connor, whose father left to live with his new family in the States, leaving him behind with his beloved mother, who is fighting for something that may not end the way he wants it to be. There is too much that weigh on his small shoulders without having anyone there that he could really turn to. One day, The Monster that claims to be answering Connor’s call starts visiting him at the exact time, 12:07, everyday. Taking the form of a yew tree, he brings along with him three true yet unpredictable stories, which he presents to Connor one at a time. Once he is done, The Monster wants Connor to tell him a true story, one that Connor swears not to tell anyone, or else he will eat Connor alive. In the midst of this chaos in Connor’s life, is seeing this Monster the sign that Connor has actually reaches his breaking point? Or The Monster is really there for a grand purpose that Connor could only see once he is ready to see it?

A Monster Calls is truly an epic tale that is compact with concise, lyrical prose and full to the brink with mixes of emotions. Having just finished this book for the second time, I feel that I’ve just stepped off an extremely emotional roller coaster ride, witnessing a life that no ten-year-old really should have. The original idea of this book comes from the late Siobhan Dowd, the Carnegie Award winner, and the author, Patrick Ness, deserves a standing ovation for his remarkable job in turning this idea into a memorable and beautiful story that could moves anyone who reads it to tears. I strongly believe that the outstanding black and white illustrations by Jim Kay really help in accentuating the dark theme of the book and suit the sombre mood perfectly. Another one thing that truly satisfies me is when I finally figure out the significance of every metaphors and symbolisms that Ness used throughout the story. It is like everything is there for a reason and to really see the puzzle being put together, pieces by pieces, really gives me such an incredible feeling.

To be quite honest, I truly cannot list down anything that I did not like in A Monster Calls. This is not the book that you can tell whether it is good or it is bad by analysing its characters or its plots, but rather by reflecting its meaning and see how much it fits to real life. Reading A Monster Calls makes me think back about my life when I was ten, the age when I feel that future is like a sea that will give me access to everywhere without realising that there is something sinister down there that can snatch me at anytime and put my life to a sudden halt. Connor meets that sinister creature, so does many other children in this world and for some reason I really cannot stop thinking about that. Despite sounding like a middle grade novel by judging from its description and a hybrid of paranormal and fantasy genre by its cover, A Monster Calls is indeed a pure contemporary novel that speaks for people of all ages. I highly recommended this book to everyone despite its depressing and emotionally exhausting nature cause I assure you that every single tears that you shed will be totally worth it. Kudos to Patrick Ness for providing us with such a masterpiece.

The Summoner by Layton Green

Title: The Summoner
Author: Layton Green
Series: The Dominic Grey Novel #1
Source: From author for review
Format: Digital Edition
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

A United States diplomat disappears in front of hundreds of onlookers while attending a religious ceremony in the bushveld of Zimbabwe. Dominic Grey, Diplomatic Security special agent is assigned to investigate. Aiding the investigation is Professor Viktor Radek, a phenomenologist and Nya Mashumba, the local government liaison. The first work in a globe-hopping series whose protagonists investigate the world’s most bizarre and dangerous cults, The Summoner is a stylish, haunting novel of mystery and suspense that will linger long after the last page is turned.

It’s the year of 2009 in Harare, Zimbabwe. A Diplomatic Security Special Agent, Dominic Grey, is assigned to investigate a mysterious disappearance of an ex-US diplomat, William Addison, under the supervision of local authority, a government liason named Nya Mashumba. Earlier investigation showed that Addison went missing whilst attending a religious ceremony held in a Zimbabwean bush. With the help of an expert on cults, Victor Radek, they later find out that this ceremony was held by a movement derived from a traditional Yoruba religion, JuJu. This new version of JuJu has a darker side that involves evocation of evil spirits and ritual sacrifices that includes human sacrifice. As they get deeper into this investigation, they uncover more disturbing evidences that they believe to be related to this eerie movement. In this race against time, will they manage to locate Addison alive? And can they unmask the man behind this disappearance before they, too, become the victims?

The Summoner is a plot-driven, well paced novel that is full with intrigues that will keep readers questioning and guessing till the very last page. While reading this novel, it is very obvious to me that Layton Green has done an extensive research in the subject of Yoruba religion, its derivatives and also the life in Zimbabwe itself. He filled his novel with articulate, summarised version of this vast information in such concise yet detail way, which makes it easier for someone with little to zero knowledge about these subjects to truly understand the important part of this novel, imagine the situation that shrouded the country and how depressing it really is. Besides that, Green also managed to maintain the suspence elements throughout The Summoner by carefully organised the mystery, spice it up with multiple interesting twists that readers could hardly expect. All these make this book such an engrossing read.

Like many other plot-driven book, The Summoner also comes a little flat when it comes to character development. It is true that there are some descriptions about the characters, for example Dominic and Nya’s backgrounds, but they are often spelled out rather than revealed. This makes me feels detached from the characters to the point that I do not really feel much when something happen to them. There is not much that has been revealed about the third important character in The Summoner, Victor, so I really hope that readers will find out more about this interesting, intelligent man in the next instalment. Other than that, there is also a brief romantic relationship that occurs unexpectedly in this book that I find too rush and little bit unbelievable. I understand the author’s intention in not turning this book into love story but I think it would be nice if there are some explanations on their relationship.

In the nutshell, The Summoner is a gripping, gruesome and disturbing story that is packed with action and information. For those who are squirmish, there are some parts of this book that will surely make you squirm (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!). The pace, the unexpected twists and shocking revelations surely make this book one engrossing read.

Favourite Quote: Juju was not just born out of fear – Juju thrived on fear. Juju was fear - Victor Radek

Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks

Author: Brent Weeks
Source: Personal Copies
Format: Paperback
Genre: Speculative Fiction - Fantasy
Books in this series:
(1) The Way of Shadows
(2) Shadow's Edge
(3) Beyond the Shadows

The Night Angel Trilogy is a fantasy series written by Brent Weeks. The story follows the life of Azoth (later Kylar Stern) as he struggles as a guild rat to become the ultimate wetboy (an assassin with magical talent, such as the ability to muffle sound or to block an attack), but then tries to leave it all behind and finally becomes the avatar of retribution: the Night Angel.

The City of Cenaria is in an upheaval state as a new King is settling in the throne while The Sa’Kagé, the criminal underworld, who controls everything from smuggling to prostitution ring in the city is getting more powerful day after day. Life is even more challenging for children like Azoth and his two best friends, Jarl and Doll Girl, who scrounge to survive on the vilest part of Cenaria known as “The Warren”. As members of a guild, these kids’ main job is to stealing money to buy food and to pay for their dues. Failing to do so will caused them to be beaten by the sadistic Guild Fist, Rat. As the hatred between Rat and Azoth steaming further, Azoth knows that the only way to be something better is by running away from Rat’s claws. Azoth’s plan of escape comes in the form of one Durzo Blint, the famous “Wetboy”, Cenaria City’s most feared professional assassin.

The plan quickly turns into revenge once Rat finds out about his intention and do unthinkable things to both Jarl and Doll Girl.Azoth begs to be Durzo’s apprentice, but to be one, sacrifices need to be made and one person has to be killed. The going continues to get tough for Azoth, but he never falters and keeps on going. With Durzo as his Master, Azoth learns the way of being a skilled killer, the way of living in the shadows and eventually finds out his real purpose of being Durzo’s apprentice. Once he aces the art of assassination, Azoth is given a new identity as a minor noble, Kylar Stern, a name that means “Undying Dier”. Despite learning everything from his Master, there is still something that Durzo hides from Kylar, a secret that plays crucial role in the continuation of the series. As the Land of Cenaria continues to struggle, Kylar is torn between embracing the monster that he has become or be the greater good that he always wanted to be. Is that decision truly is in Kylar’s hand or circumstances will bare its ugly teeth and make the decision for him?

The Night Angel Trilogy is indeed a series that amazed me in so many levels. I didn’t put any expectation when I first picked up these books as they are not the kinds that I normally read but I’m pleasantly surprised to see how they are able to blow me away with mind blowing plots, unique characters and impressive world building. The trilogy is definitely a series that has it all: from story about adventure full of action, magic and violence to story about love packed with laughter, affections and heartbreaks. The beginning of the first instalment, The Way of Shadows, maybe a little confusing initially because it starts off from multiple angles and many loose ends are left open. However, as the story goes on, the author – Brent Weeks – expertly weaves each separated stories and slowly reveal the bigger picture, one that I honestly never sees coming. This totally proves that he is one of those extraordinary writers that have an incredible talent in writing and holding the suspense from the beginning to the end.

Another one aspect that I really appreciate in The Night Angel Trilogy is that it never really lost its stride. In every books, there are continuous heart pounding actions interweave with some tender moments that tend to occur during unexpected circumstances. The characters that Weeks created for this series are all complex, multi-layered and fit within the dark, unforgiving world that he created. Each and every one of them is complete with their own strengths, weaknesses and also secrets that are slowly unfold throughout the series. However, like many other epic fantasy books, this trilogy also contains so many characters, plot twists and in depth storylines. These maybe drawbacks for some readers as they may cause major confusion and difficulties in understanding everything that the author tries to convey. Though believe me, the more you read, the more you’ll discover and Weeks definitely did an excellent job in unravelling every single knots and confusions that readers have once they start reading his books. Do trust me when I said the wait and anticipation are totally worth it.

Without any doubt, The Night Angel Trilogy is definitely one of the best series that I completed in 2011. The author introduced readers to a world so awful and so devoid of any ethical sense. A world where people are willing to kill one another to gain power, willing to eat one another just to survive. This is the kind of series that will scare you with its gruesome details and also fill you with hopes and despairs. A remarkable read that I recommend to all.

Favourite Quote: "Life is empty. Life is meaningless. When we take a life, we aren't taking anything of value. Wetboys are killers. That's all we do. That's all we are. There are no poets in the bitter business" - The Wetboys' Vow

Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

Title: Human Blend
Author: Lori Pescatore
Series: Human Blend #1 
Source: From author
Format: Digital Edition
Genre: Speculative Fiction

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Marion, Virginia seemed like a nice place to live a normal life, but she is not a normal girl. Laney has special abilities that keep her looking over her shoulder as she makes her escape from the men who had kidnapped her. A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her ability. Laney's budding relationship with a local boy puts both of them in danger when the men she was hiding from find her. All of their lives will change forever as ancient secrets become unearthed.

A runaway with special abilities. A young girl with a difficult life. An unfortunate child with a dark, mysterious past. This is a story of a girl named Laney, who arrives at a small town in Virginia, bearing a new identity as “Julie Miller”, in hope that she will stand a chance to start a brand new life and experience some levels of normalcy. Despite her own fear that everything she feels will just be temporary, she cannot help being attracted to a local college student, Austin Dorsett, and their relationship blooms almost instantly. Her new job as a volunteer in a local hospital attracts the attention of Dr. Eli Elsworth, a doctor who bears huge secrets of his own and also the only one who witnessed the thing that Julie is capable of doing. As Julie starts enjoying her new life, troubles seek her again, though with them come several revelations that may shatter her own beliefs. Can she handle the truth, knowing that she is not the person she always thinks she is?

Human Blend may seem like many other paranormal books out there but there is a little something about this book that makes it unique. The author, Lori Pescatore, has brought forward new types of paranormal and mysterious species, adding on something rather refreshing into the paranormal world that she created. However, I do believe that readers would benefit more if she explains in a much greater detail about these creatures and the mythology in this book rather than making us wait for the next chapter in the series. Nonetheless, the special abilities possess by each of them are indeed intriguing and I find myself being quite curious as to what else that they are capable of doing.

The characters that the author introduced in this book all come with distinct personalities. I have to admit that I did not feel much towards Julie despite every hardship that she had went through. She is described as a strong-willed, independent person but the way she reacts tells me otherwise. While I can understand that she was badly affected by her past, I cannot fathom the way she suddenly gets panicked and has the desire to runaway a few times and then can be immediately calm down after a word or two from the guys she is with. This shows that she actually needs others to hold her through the ordeals that she is dealing with or else she is going to break. The supporting characters seem to capture my interest more in this book like Eli, the protective doctor, and a mysterious, manipulative character named Percone. Hope that these two characters will be explored even more in the next instalment in the series.

All in all, Human Blend is a good enough read that it keeps me reading till the final page. However, I have to say that I did not feel really attach to the characters nor the storyline of this book and I strongly feel that more concrete explanation and details are needed to make it interesting. There are also some technical and editing issues that I came across while reading the book like typos and the transition from one character's viewpoint to the next that is not being done swiftly. Though if you are not picky about these, I don’t think it’ll prohibit you from enjoying the book. Like I said earlier on, Human Blend does have a unique and interesting concept. So as a new author, Lori Pescatore deserves a round of applause for her effort in bringing something new to the community.

If you're interested to read some more positive reviews on this book, you may check these reviews: Review by Kit from Reading Teen and Donna from The Happy Booker.

Favourite Quote: Sure you can take care of yourself. That's why we all spent the last two days chasing after you and that crazy-ass thug with a death wish. Face it, Julie, your life screams 'damsel in distress' - Marcus

This book was a good read for me but it didn't totally absorb me in. I seriously wish that there are more mythological details being explain regarding the two species being introduced in this series.. However, I have no doubt that paranormal readers will love this book as there are quite a few unique stuffs to be looked forward to.

The Haunted E-Book by JL Bryan

Title: The Haunted E-Book
Author: JL Bryan
Series: Stand Alone 
Source: From author
Format: Digital Edition
Genre: Speculative Fiction

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Dee escapes her dreary librarian job and unfaithful boyfriend by reading romance and fantasy on her Kindle. She tries The Haunted E-book, the story of a 19th century tramp printer whose ghost awakens whenever someone reads a book he created. The ghost stalks his readers and threatens them with death if they stop reading the book. Though she doesn’t usually like ghost stories, Dee can’t stop herself from reading it.

Reading is the finest route that someone can take to briefly escape from the nagging sound of reality. A journey that an avid readers willingly walk through in order to get to another world where he or she no longer needs to be the player but settle for a role as a mere observer. Though what if this supposedly short journey morphs into a winding nightmare that one cannot disembark from? What if during that journey, you unleash something that could torment your life and those that you love?

That is what happens to Dee, a young librarian from a very small town, whose life has not been the one that she once hoped for. She hardly gets lucky with her career and even with her romantic relationship but things start to go down further ever since she stumbles upon a book called “The Haunted E-Book”, written by an unknown author. Without realising it, her life is now controlled by this unknown spirit that threatens to kill her if she ever stops reading the book. There is no stepping down from this heart-pounding rollercoaster ride, where the reader has now become part of the pawns played by this sinister anonymous author. Will Dee be able to uncover the truth behind this mysterious book and comes out of this creepy, nightmarish journey alive?

There is no doubt that that JL Bryan is one versatile author. He did a remarkable job with his previous book, Jenny Pox (click title to see my review), and despite moving on to something completely different, he managed to nail it yet again. When I first skimmed through The Haunted E-Book, I thought I would be confused by its multitier plots, where there is story within story, but once I start reading, everything just flowed smoothly. This proved that Bryan has an outstanding talent in manoeuvring the story skilfully and also developing and arranging the plot neatly that it makes it much easier for readers to follow. Another thing that I truly appreciate is that the author tied every single lose ends together at the ending. I understand the purpose of each character in the book better and also learn the secret that revolves around the book and also its writer.

The strength of The Haunted E-Book definitely lies in its mystifying villain and also its creepy plots. I like that the author does not overload the readers with all information at once but rather reveal things little by little and this surely increase the level of suspense in the book. The thing that I like most in The Haunted E-Book is actually the history of the villain himself, his job as a tramp printer and also the person he really was when he was still alive. I seriously wish that this history part is written in a much greater length because I feel that this is the most crucial part as it gives more dimensions to the book. Nonetheless, it still provides readers with some great details that are needed to answer some of the questions that they might have whilst reading. Bryan also portrays the main character in the book, Dee, in a very interesting way. She seems broken on the surface but her tenacity and will to keep going is truly inspiring. What fate that befell her in the end? Well, that is for me to know and for you to find out!

In the nutshell, The Haunted E-Book is one interesting book that will keep readers turning the page until they find the answers to all of their questions. This book is indeed not for one with a faint heart and I don’t think it is suitable for young readers either due to its graphical nature as well as some of its mature contents. Though if you are one that is looking for something different and will creeps you out, this is definitely for you. Last but not least, to all readers – beware while reading – cause you don’t know what you’re going to unleash and let roaming the world after this... *evil laugh*

Favourite Quote: A weave of words, when woven well. Captures souls in a devil's spell. The heart I hunt, the mind's my prey, and you will believe all I say. Open my book, let me in, and I never shall leave you again - The Unknown Author

Definitely a creepy book that is full with heart-pounding scenes that will make you glance over your shoulders every once in awhile and make you wonder "Am I being watched?" at all time. If you are the fan of horror books, I don't think you'll regret reading this.

*This review is taking part in Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday