Completed Challenge: 1st in a Series 2009

 The 1st in a Series 2009 Challenge is hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog.  The challenge was to read 12 books that were the first book in a series.  I am extremely happy to say that I have finally finished this challenge!!  This was much harder for me than I had expected.  Not because I couldn't find 12 new series to read but because once I'd read the first book in a series, I wanted to continue on with that series until I was caught up!

J. Kaye will not be hosting this challenge for 2010 but the challenge will continue over at Royal Reviews.  Although I am still debating what challenges, if any, I will be participating in for 2010 I do know this will not be one of them.  I think I have enough series started as it is without adding any more!

Here is my final list:

1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy Series Book 1)
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers Trilogy Book 1)
3. Sword Quest by Sabrina Vasta (Sword Quest Series Book 1)
4. Once Bitten by Kalayna Price (The Haven Series Book 1)
5. The Side-Yard Superhero by Rick D. Niece (Life in DeGraff Trilogy Book 1)
6. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine (Weather Warden Book 1)
7. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (The Buckshaw Chronicles Book 1)
8. Storm Front by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files Book 1)
9. The Mask of Ra by P. C. Doherty (Egyptian Mysteries Book 1)
10. Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks (The Genesis of Shannara Book 1)
11. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments Book 1)
12. Dhampir by Barb & J. C. Hendee (Noble Dead Book 1)

Dhampir by Barb & J. C. Hendee

Title:  Dhampir (Noble Dead)

Authors:  Barb & J. C. Hendee
Publisher:  Roc
Publication Date:  January 2003
Format:  Mass Market Paperback, 276 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  Noble Dead (Book 1)

Magiere travels from village to village, going where ever she is needed to hunt the dark creatures of the night.  However, she longs to settle in one place and give up the game.  She and her partner, Leesil, along with their dog, believe they have finally found such a home but peace is not to be found there.  Now Magiere and Leesil must learn more about each others' pasts and face the destiny of Magiere's heritage.

Dhampir is a very dark book.  Even when Magiere and Leesil play at destroying vampires, the fear of the villagers is so real that the act of destroying the creature must be done in the expected manner.  I was instantly caught up in the secrets kept by the characters and how their pasts influenced their current actions.  One of the things that I loved about this story was that the reader not only gets to know Magiere and Leesil but the trio of vampires as well.  The vampires have such strong personalities and histories, making them much more sympathetic than generic monsters would have been.

Dhampir took me much longer to read than it should have but that is no fault of the book.  For some reason, over the last few weeks I have simply been unable to concentrate on reading, even when enjoying the story.  I really wanted to be able to sit and enjoy Dhampir for long stretches at a time because the story did intrigue me and normally I believe it would have held my attention.  Luckily for me, the book was written in such a way that I was able to read short sections and then take breaks without losing the flow of the story.

I am very much looking forward to finding out what happens with Magiere and Leesil as their adventures continue.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones (Mortal Instruments)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: March 27, 2007
Format: Hardcover, 485 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: Mortal Instruments (Book 1)

What would you do if you witnessed a murder committed by kids no one else could see and the body simply vanishes? Clary Fray has just discovered a world within our own that she didn't know existed. Now she must learn all she can about this world and her place in it, especially since her mother is now missing.

I started out really enjoying City of Bones. Unfortunately, when I was about halfway through I realized how similar the storyline and characters are to some of the Harry Potter books. Once I noticed this similarity I could not help but compare the two series and that resulted in my picking apart City of Bones much more than I normally would have.

Here are just a few of the similarities I noticed:

Main character Clary Fray knows nothing of demons, Shadowhunters, werewolves, vampires or any other fairy creature, although they apparently live alongside us hidden by a glamor. Harry Potter knows nothing of the magical, wizarding world of Hogwarts even though it exists alongside us hidden by a glamor. Both characters also have difficult family histories that they do not fully understand and learning about their family is central to the story lines of the books.

In City of Bones the bad guy, Valentine, has loyal followers, the Circle, and is presumed dead. In the Harry Potter books, Voldemort has loyal followers, the Deatheaters, and is presumed dead.

Even some of the character names in City of Bones reminded me of names in the Harry Potter books. Of course, both series also revolve around children facing dangers and truths that the adults are not willing to face.

I think that I would have enjoyed City of Bones much more if I'd not read the Harry Potter books because then I wouldn't have been constantly comparing them after I first started picking out the similarities. However, I also feel that Cassandra Clare tried to pack a bit too much information into this first book in the series. There were too many subplots and it was easy to get distracted by them.

With all of that said, I do plan to read the next book in the series to see if Clare can take the series in its own direction and tighten up her writing.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks

Title: Armageddon's Children
Author: Terry Brooks
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
Format: Hardcover, 371 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: The Genesis of Shannara (Book 1)

I have so many books in my personal library to read and it seems that I will never get enough time to finish them all. I cannot believe Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks has been sitting on the shelf for so long and I just got to read it for the first time!

The first books of Terry Brooks that I ever read were the Kingdom of Landover books and from there I moved to the Shannara books. I have really enjoyed reading the various series set in Shannara over the years. Reading those stories, it was very easy to forget that Shannara takes place in the future after some catastrophic event nearly wipes out humans and technology. In the Word and the Void series and the Genesis of Shannara series, Brooks returns to the beginning of the Shannara story. When I first heard about the Word and the Void series I was actually not interested in reading it because it sounded so different from the Shannara books and I didn't realize that it was a related series. The Genesis of Shannara series bridges the gap between the Word and the Void series and the rest of the Shannara books.

Armageddon's Children is full of action from the very first sentence. Every main character is in danger and has a battle to fight just to survive much less accomplish the task they are destined to carry out. The demons and once-men control much of the world and take joy in slaughtering and enslaving humans. Much of the human population has taken refuge in compounds, although a few have taken their chances on the streets. Some have been permanently altered from exposure to unnatural toxins and radiation.

It is in this ruined world that two remaining Knights of the Word continue to fight against the Void in a futile effort to save mankind. A street kid named Hawk tries to keep his chosen family safe from the dangers that lurk around every corner even as he dreams of the day he can lead them to safety. Hidden away from the humans, the elves watch the destruction of the world and argue among themselves whether or not to even become involved in the battle.

Although it is not necessary to have read the Word and the Void series before reading Armageddon's Children, I believe it would be helpful. The events in that series lay the groundwork for the Genesis of Shannara trilogy and characters and events from that series are mentioned in this one.

Terry Brooks keeps the story moving at a fast pace and conveys the various emotions of each character strongly. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, I'm eager to start on the next book in the series, The Elves of Cintra

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: April 28, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: The Buckshaw Chronicles (Book 1)

Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce has a curious nature, desiring to understand the workings of the world through chemistry. She also has an affinity for poisons. So when a bird is found dead on the doorstep, a stranger argues with her father in the middle of the night, and she witnesses the last breath of a murder victim in the cucumber patch, Flavia is determined to solve the mystery and prove her father's innocence.

I really wanted to like this book but it just didn't hold my attention the way I had anticipated it would. Perhaps it was the setting - the English countryside, or the time period - 1950, that caused me to feel uneasy as a viewer of this tale. I found Flavia's character to be a bit over the top as she dashed here and there trying to connect all the pieces of the puzzle. Her flashes of insight seemed forced at times, although I did understand all the bits of the mystery at the end.

At times this book felt like it was more of a young adult novel, with an eleven-year-old as the narrator, yet it was a very adult book at the same time. Flavia exudes both the excitement and innocence of her age and a wisdom far beyond them.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first novel to feature Flavia but it will not be the last as Bradley has at least two more books planned for the Buckshaw chronicles. Bradley won the Debut Dagger Award in 2007 for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

While the book was enjoyable, it did not hold my interest well enough for me to continue on with the series. I have seen many favorable reviews for this book and I am sure it would fit other reading tastes better than mine.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an Advance Reading Copy of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie through the Member Givewaway Program at LibraryThing.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Title: Ill Wind
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Roc
Publication Date: December 2, 2003
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: Weather Warden (Book 1)

Joanne is running for her life. She stands accused of using her powers as a Weather Warden to commit murder but no one knows the full story or how much trouble she is truly in. As she runs away from those who would judge her toward the one man she believes can save her, Joanne discovers that even she does not fully understand the powers that are currently in play.

Ill Wind is fast paced and chaotic. The story zooms from present to past and back again as Joanne attempts to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. The writing mirrors Joanne's frantic emotional state and I could strongly feel the sense of urgency that she was facing. At the same time, Joanne seems to take time out of her flight for survival to indulge her sexual nature by fantasizing about the man she picked up by the side of the road or remembering past encounters with various men. These fantasies seem trivial considering the gravity of her current situation.

Although Joanne has some control over the weather, she believes that a storm is following her with malicious intent. Until some very specific evens occur, she is unsure if this is a natural storm or one created by another Weather Warden to end her life. I think I was expecting Joanne to have much more control over the weather than she seemed to at times based on her title of Weather Warden.

Without giving anything away, I will say that the ending confused me a bit because I am unclear how it is going to lead the story into a series.

Overall, I found Ill Wind to be an enjoyable read, although not one of my favorites. I am interested in continuing the series to see where it is going.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

The Side-Yard Superhero by Rick D. Niece

Title: The Side-Yard Superhero
Author: Rick D. Niece
Publisher: Synergy Books
Publication Date: March 1, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
Age Group: Adult, non-fiction
Series: Life in DeGraff: An Automythography (book 1)

Rick D. Niece recounts his time growing up in DeGraff, Ohio in The Side-Yard Superhero. In this first book of a trilogy, readers are introduced to some of the colorful characters of Niece's childhood, including a young man named Bernie Jones who is wheelchair bound due to cerebral palsy. Rick and Bernie become friends when Rick takes time on his paper route to really get to know Bernie.

I very much enjoyed getting to know the people of DeGraff through Rick Niece's memories. Each of the people that the reader meets along the way had some sort of impact on Niece's life and helped shape him into the man he is today. The stories flow easily, as if the reader is actually listening to Niece remember. He easily conveys the warm feelings that he continues to carry for these people and this town.

Interspersed with the stories are poems. These poems demonstrate strongly how large of an impact these people had on Niece's life as he searches for some universal truths or meanings in the experiences they shared.

The Side-Yard Superhero is a wonderfully written memoir and a fantastic beginning to a trilogy. I am looking forward to the next two installments and learning more about the folks in DeGraff.

Thank you to Elizabeth at Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists for sending me The Side-Yard Superhero.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge

Once Bitten by Kalayna Price

Title: Once Bitten
Author: Kalayna Price
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Publication Date: January 9, 2009
Format: Paperback, 272 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: The Haven (Book 1)

Kalayna Price's debut novel, Once Bitten, brings a new twist to urban fantasy. Kita Nekai is a shapeshifter, heir to her clan, and on the run. Initially, her only problem is evading the Hunters that her father has sent to bring her back home. However, things just get worse as she is accidentally turned into a vampire and finds out she may be responsible for creating a rogue shifter who is murdering women. She is given two days to bring the rogue to justice or her life is forfeit.

I love reading urban fantasy. The bookshelves in my home are absolutely bursting with it. I've read books about shapeshifters, vampires, witches, elves, wizards, demons, and so on. I have not read anything like Once Bitten. Price combines vampires and shapeshifters in a way that I've never read before and she does it with nonstop action. Kita is full of nervous energy, anger, and fear as her situation ventures into uncharted territory. Nathanial, the vampire, also displays a wide range of emotions, though his are often hidden behind a stoic mask. Together they must attempt to understand how becoming a vampire will affect Kita's natural form as a shapeshifter. Will her ability to shift return as she adapts to her new life?

Another difference in this book compared to other urban fantasy books I've been reading is the setting. The majority of the books I've been reading take place in a world very much like our own where the humans simply do not know the supernatural community exists. In Once Bitten all of the action takes place in our world but Kita is originally from Firth and Gil, the scholar, is from Sabin. The vampires seem to exist in our world without having another home. The supernatural community still conceals its existence from humans but not all the supernatural beings live among us on a permanent basis.

Price keeps the action going from the very first sentence of her novel. Kita must come to grips with the changes that her new lifestyle requires of her while taking action to find the rogue and keep her companions in check. All of the situations also take a heavy emotional toll as she struggles with the idea that she may have caused the rogue situation.

I would highly recommend Once Bitten to urban fantasy readers. I am looking forward to finding out what happens with Kita and Nathanial in future books in the series.

Thank you to Deborah at Bell Bridge Books for sending me a review copy of Once Bitten.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge

Sword Quest by Sabrina Vasta

Title: Sword Quest
Author: Sabrina Vasta
Publisher: self-published via Lulu.com
Publication Date: 2008
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Age Group: Adult
Series: Sword Quest (Book 1)

Sword Quest is an epic fantasy novel featuring an unlikely group of traveling companions. On Aryn, a number of races manage an uneasy coexistence. The adventure begins when an elderly and powerful Pon sends a varied group of six on a journey to obtain a steel sword. Each member of the group hides their own secrets and each has their own motives for accepting the journey.

Vasta has created an enormous world in this book. The characters and landscapes are rich and varied. The action is non-stop yet there are many moments of personal reflection by the characters as well. While the characters must work together for a common goal, it is often clear that they are also at odds. Vasta manages to reveal pieces of each character's history to the reader without revealing it to the other characters. The characters' emotions run high throughout the entire novel as they face new and uncertain situations. Their uneasy truce seems to be very fragile, as if everything could fall apart at any moment.

Overall, this was a very good book and I would be interested in continuing on with the series.

Update: Sword Quest is now available at Amazon.com. It can also be purchased directly through Lulu.com as either a paperback book or a download.

Learn more at the author's website http://www.getthesword.com

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Summoning
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: July 2008
Format: Hardcover, 390 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: Darkest Powers (Book 1)

Chloe Saunders sees dead people. After a terrifying encounter with a dead janitor at her school, Cloe is sent to a group home for troubled teens. She soon finds out that things at the home aren't exactly what they seem. As she learns more about the other residents, Chloe realizes that they each have unique abilities and begins to believe that it is no coincidence that they all were sent to the same place.

Many of my favorite authors of adult novels are trying their hand at writing young adult novels lately. I was very interested in seeing how The Summoning compared to Kelley Armstrong's adult fiction. Overall, I think Armstrong did a fantastic job transitioning into the world of young adult fiction. The voice used in this book is very different from the voice used in her adult novels and is extremely well-suited to her young adult audience. This is also noteworthy because Chloe's universe is the same one that Armstrong uses in her Otherworld novels.

Chloe feels alone and scared as she tries to understand what is happening to her and why. While there are times when Chloe wants to pretend that none of what is happening is real, she chooses to investigate her circumstances and to take action based on her findings. Unfortunately, Chloe doesn't know who she can really trust. Armstrong writes Chloe with strong emotions that the reader can relate to.

I was excited to find that I liked Armstrong's young adult novel as much, if not more than, her adult novels. I can't wait for the second book in the series, The Awakening, to come out in May. For more info on Chloe Saunders and the Darkest Powers trilogy check out http://www.chloesaunders.com/

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: August 2007
Format: Paperback, 332 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: Vampire Academy (Book 1)

Lissa is Moroi, vampire royalty. Her best friend and Guardian, Rose, is Dhampir, a human and vampire mix. Together they ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy two years ago but now they have been found and taken back. Now they must navigate the treacherous social scene, protect Lissa from danger coming from an unknown source, and try to figure out what is going on with Lissa's growing powers.

Vampire Academy begins with a lot of action. The reader doesn't know why Lissa and Rose are on the run or who is after them but can sense their fear of being caught and taken back. This sets the tone for the entire book. Mead does a great job of giving the reader bits of information about the past as it relates to the current events of the book. The reader is then able to put those bits of information together with the current information to understand the situation in the same way that the characters are beginning to understand it.

For the most part, dialogue, description, and action are all well-written. The only confusion that I had was with the first use of the terms Moroi and Strigoi as I did not find them to be clearly defined. The same was initially true of the term Dhampir, although I did know that term from other vampire stories. Of the three terms Dhampir was the one eventually given the most thorough explanation. My understanding of Moroi was that it was a term for vampire royalty, although it may encompass more than that. Strigoi seemed to mean a vampire who was truly undead. The unfamiliar terms did not hinder my understanding of the main events in the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to continuing the series.

2009 Reading Challenges

1st in a Series Challenge
2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

1st in Series Challenge 2009

J. Kaye is hosting the 1st in a Series Challenge for 2009 on her blog. The rules for this challenge are pretty simple:

* Anyone can join

* Read 12 books that are the first in a series between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.

You can sign up for the challenge here.

I think this challenge will overlap very nicely with the 2009 Support Your Library Challenge since I'm anticipating a lot of my 'first in a series' books will be checked out from the library. I would love some suggestions for new series!

Here is my list:

1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy Series Book 1)
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers Trilogy Book 1)
3. Sword Quest by Sabrina Vasta (Sword Quest Series Book 1)
4. Once Bitten by Kalayna Price (The Haven Series Book 1)
5. The Side-Yard Superhero by Rick D. Niece (Life in DeGraff Trilogy Book 1)
6. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine (Weather Warden Book 1)
7. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (The Buckshaw Chronicles Book 1)
8. Storm Front by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files Book 1)
9. The Mask of Ra by P. C. Doherty (Egyptian Mysteries Book 1)
10. Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks (The Genesis of Shannara Book 1)
11. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments Book 1)
12. Dhampir by Barb & J. C. Hendee (Noble Dead Book 1)