The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff

The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff

Let me just start by saying I ended the book with a chuckle and an "Oh, that was good."

I had a hard time deciding how many stars to give it. When I started the book, I was probably around a 3, because the first scene in chapter one didn't sound like it had anything to do with the back-cover blurb. The characters weren't any of the ones named on the cover. I was expecting to start off hearing about Allie or Charlie. After all, they're the ones mentioned on the back cover. But it didn't take me all that long to figure out how Amelia Carson and her associates were involved.

Skipping the first paragraph due to library barcode covering part, and it's mostly a background on the Gale family anyway:

The Gale Aunties rule the family, or they think they do. And cousins Allie and Charlie have often found themselves beset by too many Aunties trying to control them. Now that Allie has settled down and has her own Gale circle in Calgary, the Aunties are focusing even more attention on Charlie. She wishes they'd just leave her alone. After all, she has a steady job with an up and coming country and western band and a great home in Calgary.

But the truth is Charlie Gale is a Wild Power and there's nothing wild about the life she's living. So she ditches it to join a Celtic Rock band on the summer festival circuit. All Charlie wants to do is play music and have a good time. She has no plans to get involved in a local fight against offshore drilling...fought by an extended family of Selkies against an oil company willing to employ the most horrific means to get what they want. They've hired one of the Gale Aunties to steal the Selkies' sealskins.

To return the skins to their rightful owners and stop a potential environmental disaster, Charlie will have to face off with Auntie Catherine, another Wild Power. To have any hope of winning, Charlie will have to learn what born to be Wild means in the Gale family--then teach it to Jack, a Dragon Prince trying to be a real boy--all while attempting corporate espionage with a seal-wife who won't stop crying.

Oh, Jack. Now there's a fascinating character. While he's just briefly mentioned in the synopsis, he plays more of a direct role in this book than Allie. Straddling two worlds, he is trying to learn how to be a Gale boy and fumbling because many of the Gale Aunties don't trust him. After all, he's a bit Wild Power-esque like Charlie since he's a really a dragon. And being a teenager means he doesn't have full maturity yet. (Though it buys him some leeway with the distrustful Aunties.) It's a tough situation. But his secondary arc fits well with Charlie's primary arc, and together they figure out how to deal with Auntie Catherine.

Speaking of Auntie Catherine, she kept me guessing throughout the book. Amelia is the obvious villain of the story, but even though Auntie Catherine is working with her, her goals are clearly not the same. Her motivations are hidden; even Amelia doesn't understand why Auntie Catherine is involved. Auntie Catherine goads Charlie here and there, almost like she wants Charlie to face her, but not out of malice. It's not until halfway through the last chapter that everything falls into place about Auntie Catherine's true goals. And no, I won't spoil it for you. It was a fantastic payoff.

Charlie herself was fun for me to follow, though I had this parallel to Bedlam's Bard by Lackey in the back of my head for part of the book. However, BB didn't hold my interest that well, and this one did. I loved the setting and characters, even the antagonists (well, loved how they were done, not necessarily themselves). They weren't black and white. Amelia was a real person with real-person goals I could understand, even though her methods and intents are still ones I'd oppose. She wasn't particularly nice either, but I could understand her drive.

All in all, I hope you give this book a shot. After considering everything, I gave it 4 stars, though it finished more like a 4.5. I'll also be looking for book one, The Enchanted Emporium, because I just found out this is actually a book 2, and I never noticed it by the way the story arc unfolds. It's complete by itself. Have fun, and don't mind the Selkies who've stopped by. They're just hoping you read it, too.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

If Howard Morton and Freddie the Frog Killer were trying to hold you down so that Mary Lou Hutton could kiss you, you might run as fast as Jeremy Thatcher did the day he stumbled into Mr. Elives's Magic Shop.

And if you stumbled into that strange shop, you too might be asked to make a choice. What would you buy? The Chinese rings? The Skull of Truth? Or the dragon's egg? And if you did buy the dragon's egg, what would you do when you found you were supposed to hatch it?

This wasn't the first book I'd read by Coville. That would be My Teacher Is an Alien, followed by My Teacher Glows in the Dark, My Teacher Fried My Brains, My Teacher Flunked the Planet, and Aliens Ate My Homework. As you can see, I'd already formed a fondness for his stories. This was the first for me of his fantasies though. (But not the last)

Jeremy loves to draw, but his art teacher seems to hate him. Nothing he does ever seems to be good enough. It doesn't help that Mr. Kravitz read the embarrassing note Mary Lou had left for Jeremy out loud to the class but didn't punish her in any way. Majorly unfair.

In trying to get away from Mary Lou after school, Jeremy ends up in a strange magic shop he doesn't remember ever seeing before. While wandering around, he notices several curious objects, including a multi-colored ball with changing hues. Mr. Elives allows him to buy it for a quarter, saying that it had chosen him. Whatever that means.

When he gets home and reads the folded paper Mr. Elives had given him with it, he finds out. It's instructions for hatching an egg. That is only the beginning of it all, too. He's expected to care for it. It isn't easy to hide a baby dragon in his house, even with a multitude of pets around since his dad is the town vet. And what is he going to do when it gets bigger? How big can it grow?

One of the things I find so appealing about this story is that Jeremy's issues are anchored in the real world. He's an ordinary 6th grader who has to balance his normal issues with that of dragon caretaker. Any of us could have found ourselves in Jeremy's shoes. And let me tell you, I'd wanted a dragon like his so bad even though I would've had to go through the same heartache he did when the dragon was old enough to go her home world.

It's well worth reading.

H is for The Hobbit

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo--alone and unaided--who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside!

I've known the story of Bilbo for years. Even before I picked up the novel, I had the picture book and read along cassette of his meeting with the goblins and Gollum, not to mention my dad playing the record album (yes, that nearly forgotten disc of black vinyl) featuring the section dealing with Smaug. I can still vaguely remember the sound of the dragon's voice and Bilbo doing his best to be brave.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien is such a classic. I think I would have still been a fan of fantasy without it, but it has enriched me in so many ways. Even the smallest of persons can make a difference in the world. It doesn't matter if others believe in you. It doesn't even matter if you believe in you at first. When you step out your door and do something you've never done, you'll learn so much more about what you're capable of than you would have ever thought. Bilbo was completely unprepared for anything; he even forgot his handkerchief. But along the way, he proves his worth to the dwarves and himself.

I also finally watched part one of the new movie (since it hit DVD). And while there are some changes, it was still well done. I was worried that there was going to be a bunch of padding just to draw things out in order to justify breaking the story into 3 parts. LotR was three books, three movies. The Hobbit as 1 book, three movies? Really? But considering how much of the tone of The Hobbit (and LotR) is the travel aspect, the scenery and so forth, that I didn't mind any of the sweeping camera views that technically weren't needed for plot. They helped carry the feel of the book.

I didn't even mind the dwarves being made a little more sympathetic than they were in the book. (Ahhh, Thorin *swoon*) They still didn't think Bilbo was going to be much use. So when my husband and I got to the part when they flee into the trees to escape the orcs and wargs, I was on the edge of my seat. And what Thorin said to Bilbo after they'd been rescued by the eagles made me cry. All the changes I might have muttered about in mild annoyance paid off right there. I didn't care anymore at that point. So now I'm really looking forward to part 2 in a way I hadn't had for part 1 after so long a wait since LotR.

I'm dropping the A-to-Z challenge with this post. Too many things going on, and this one has to go before I get overly stressed. I'll try to keep up with reading other people's posts, though. After all, with not having to read and then write about quite so many books all at once, that will be easier. I'll still be posting this month, but only 2-3 times a week. Best wishes to those of you still doing the challenge. I'll see you around.

G is for Goblin Secrets

Goblin Secrets by William Alexander

Rownie is the youngest in a hodgepodge household of stray children collected by Graba the witch. His older brother, Rowan, has vanished after performing in a secret play, and Rownie feels lost without him. Acting is illegal in the city of Zombay. No one may wear a mask and pretend to be someone else. Only goblins may legally perform, for they are the Changed--neither human nor other, belonging nowhere.

Rownie meets a traveling troupe of goblins who promise to teach him the secrets of mask-craft and entice him with the hope of finding Rowan. But Graba does not give up her own easily and hunts for them both. As Rownie searches for his brother, the true power of the masks--and those who wear them--is revealed. Are the goblins what they seem to be? What fateful magic lies hidden in the heart of Zombay?

Mystery and adventure are woven through with charm and humor in this beguiling exploration of family, love, identity, and the power of words to shape what is real.

Oh my. This book is now on my to-buy list. It's not a high intensity action book, but there's something very endearing about Rownie's search for his brother and finding his place. There's danger from Graba as she tries very hard to get him back in her control, especially to keep him away from the goblin acting troupe. There's also the danger to him if the Guard catches him, an unChanged boy performing with masks, highly illegal. But the goblins are not what everyone has said about them.

I can't really say any more than that about the story, but I give it 5 stars. I should also mention that as far as Zombay itself goes, think gears and mechanicals in a medieval fantasy with witchcraft. That is all; carry on and find yourself a copy of the book. Well worth reading with kids you know. Words are very important.

F is for Floors

Floors by Patrick Carman

There's no other place on Earth quite like the Whippet Hotel. Each and every floor has its own wacky design -- and its own wacky secrets. The guests are either mad or mysterious. And ducks are everywhere.

Leo Fillmore should know everything there is to know about the Whippet Hotel -- he is the janitor's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when four cryptic boxes are left for him...boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and an unexpected friend or two.

Join Leo as he takes the ride of his life, without ever having to step outside. As the hotel starts falling apart and the mystery thickens, there's only one thing Leo can know for sure: The future of the Whippet Hotel depends on him.

It's hard to think of how to describe this book. It was delightfully zany. The Whippet Hotel has room such as the Robot Room, the Pinball Room, and the Cake Room. Leo's adventure started on the hundredth day after Mr. Merganzer W. Whippet had gone missing. During the regular task of duck herding Leo found a purple box in the duck elevator addressed to him. Upon opening it, he found that he was given a mission to find 3 more boxes in just two days with the help of a duck and a friend in order to save the hotel and all it stands for. A pretty big mission to lay on a ten year old, but Leo had been friends with Merganzer and would do anything for the hotel he loved.

If you combine Wonka's factory with Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium with the mystery of The Westing Game (by Ellen Raskin), you might come close to the fun that is Floors. It's wacky and zany and trying to solve the puzzle left behind by the inventive and mysterious Mr. Whippet will take you all over and through the hotel to figure out what is going on.

E is for Erratum

Erratum by Walter Sorrells

Erratum. n. a writer's or publisher's error in a publication; pl. such errors or a list of them with corrections.

Jessica Sternhagen is not like other kids. She's taller, faster, and...well, weirder. Turns out, Jessica has a destiny, with a capital D. When she walks into an antiquarian bookstore and finds a strange book entitled Her Lif waiting for her, she thinks it's some kind of joke. Who left the book for her? And shouldn't the title be Her Life? What seems like a small printer's error, or erratum, turns out to be the first in a series of bizarre happenings. Her Lif tells the story of Jessica's life, ending with her murder only seconds after she finishes reading the book. Jessica narrowly escapes the predicted murder only to find that the book itself has now changed. The new ending? Jessica has to save the universe. What she discovers is that Her Lif is a word machine, a powerful device which can be used to change reality--only this book happens to have some minor printer's errors in it. And if the book falls into the wrong hands, it could be used to destroy the universe.

This book stuck with me for a couple days after I finished it. The story itself is well written and involves parallel time streams, though only one is supposedly the true and correct universe. In all the twists and turns of the story, people telling her she has to save the world or to leave it be. In the end, it will come down to a single choice she makes. And it's just as they told her, too, though neither she nor I paid those hints much attention.

Jessica is a fun girl. I would've loved to have had her as a friend when I was 11. She loves books, possibly even more than me. And she doesn't like bullies. Her friendship with Dale started when he was being tormented because his dad had lost a hand during an accident at the nearby sausage factory. Even though his home life is rough and Jessica has such loving (if boring) parents, they stick together.

If you enjoy parallel time stream stories, bizarre happenings, and/or stories revolving around books that can change the world, this might be right for you. And I'll have to track down his other books. Sorrells is far cleverer than I thought in the beginning with the parallel between what I was reading with what Jessica read when she first opened Her Lif. Well done.

D is for Dragon's Keep and Dragonswood

So I took a walk down the aisles on dragons here in the dragon's library. (Not surprisingly, Azuranna has the ultimate collection of dragon books.) I strolled around not really looking for anything specific, but just to see what sparked my interest. These two books caught my attention: Dragon's Keep and Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey. She's a new-to-me author, and now that I've read the books, I'm keeping her on my fairy wand's spot list.

Dragon's Keep

Far away on Wilde Island lives a princess born with a dragon claw.

No one, save her mother, knows her terrible secret. And the queen has forced her to wear gloves at all times until a cure can be found. Rosalind is a princess, so she must be perfect--how else can she fulfill Merlin's six-hundred-year-old prophesy that will restore her banished royal family to its rightful throne?

But Rosalind's flaw cannot be separated from her fate. And soon the bloodthirsty dragon that plagues Wilde Island carries her off. The dragon sees beauty where her mother sees only shame. And on Dragon's Keep, Rosalind comes to understand the truth behind the prophesy that has haunted her since birth.

Is Rosie a princess? Or the spawn of a dragon? Which part of her blood holds the secret to who she really is?

So I have a little thing for stories with a reference to Merlin. It was my first hint of the setting, that it is our world. Dragon's Keep begins in the year 1145 when Stephen and Maud are fighting for control over England. Rosalind only knows what her mother hopes, that she will be the 21st queen of Wilde Island who will "redeem the name Pendragon. End war with a wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island."

Merlin's 600 year old prophesy seems to have little to do with her though. Rosie doesn't feel like she could possibly have the power to do this. She just has this ugly lizard claw where her left ring finger should be, her wedding finger. What man would want a bride with such a deformation? Her mother is determined to make it happen though and pins her hopes on Prince Henry from over the sea marrying Rosie, because then she'd be in a position to end the civil war in England. After all, they are the long-banished line of Pendragons, waiting to return. Who better to end the conflict, right?

Obviously things get more complicated than that, but I enjoyed the story Janet Lee Carey spun out. Despite the tropes, it was a fun story, one I'd read again. I especially enjoyed the dragons, first the she-dragon, then Lord Faul, the dragon who carried her off, and also the dragon hatchlings Lord Faul makes her tend. The story was a bit slow going at first, but it picks up speed and builds to a rewarding end. Readers who prefer fast paced stories may not appreciate the slower tempo of this one. But it's well worth the time. The atmosphere and characters illustrate a different time period as Rosalind discovers who she really is inside. Her determination to keep going even when she's overwhelmed, her loyalty to those she cares for, and her adherence to her sworn word make her someone worth knowing. And those qualities are ultimately what gives her the ability to make both Merlin's and the dragons' prophesies come true.

Dragonswood

Wilde Island is in an uproar over the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying and the royal witch hunter begins a vengeful quest to hunt down girls with fire in their hearts and sparks in their soul.

Strong-willed Tess, a blacksmith's daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, wants more for herself than a husband and a house to keep. But in times like these, wanting more can be dangerous.

Accused of witchcraft, Tess and her two friends are forced to flee the violent witch hunter. The journey is bleaker than they ever imagined and they have no choice but to accept when an enigmatic huntsman offers them shelter in the dangerous Dragonswood. Staying with him poses risks of its own: Tess has no idea how to handle the attraction she feels for him--or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood.

This story begins in 1192, two generations after Dragon's Keep. I admit to being mildly disoriented at first. The year clue helped to determine when this book happened, but I was still expecting something more immediately after as a sequel, not this longer time span. It didn't help that Tess was used as a character name in the prior book. However, it didn't take long before I was absorbed in the story. In some ways I enjoyed this one more than Dragon's Keep. It doesn't take as long for the driving action to kick off, and even though this is still Tess's story, she has more characters for her personality to play off of. Rosalind was isolated in many ways even from the people around her. Tess, on the other hand, has two best friends, so we see her interacting more on a familiar level with people her age. And she is also close to her mother, a significant difference from Rosalind's relationship with hers.

More people are involved in this story with their various motivations, and the stakes are bigger. Another prophesy is involved, but like in the first book, it isn't answered in the obvious way. I was kept guessing, and even when I correctly guessed parts of things, some twist would still surprise me as to the rest. The right thing to do isn't always clear, nor is is easy, but Tess does her best to make up for the danger she put her friends and their families into, which puts them in the path of making quite a few things right she hadn't been responsible for. Tess's precogs also give just enough to tantalize but not adequately predict what was actually going to happen.


I recommend checking out both of these stories and exploring their historical period charm and satisfying stories. They won't appeal to everyone, but they are worth reading at least once for the style. So I hope you'll find a cozy nook and check these out. I'll send the fairies around with refreshments. Tea? Coffee?