Danse Macabre (Laurell K Hamilton)

I should have listened to the Amazon reviews, and left Danse Macabre well alone. It is truly, absolutely awful. There is no plot. There is a lot of sex, and a pregnancy scare, and more sex, and more more more really terribly written sex. I was incredibly bored, and only finished it because I had read all my other library books and was mildly curious as to whether anything actually happened at the end. No. It doesn't. Avoid at all costs.

Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)

I read good reviews of Twilight on several blogs, but was put off by the fact that it was a teen love story involving a vampire - not really my type of thing. However, I found an audio book of it in the library, and thought I'd give it a listen. I hated the voice of the narrator at first, but got used to it (I think you could get used to anything after listening to it for about 12 hours), and despite my initial irritation with it, really loved the story I was hearing.

Twilight is a super-romantic over the top love story between a teenage girl and one of her classmates, who's a vampire. Naturally, their relationship abounds in tension, mostly because Bella smells so very edible to Edward. I like Meyer's vampires - they're original and attractive creatures - and although some parts of this Romeo & Juliet-like romance made me roll my eyes a little, I still really enjoyed it, and was very involved with the characters. I think if I'd read this while I was a teenager I would have become quite obsessed with it - it's just my sort of thing. Can't wait to read New Moon, the sequel.

Charmed Life (Diana Wynne Jones)

I enjoyed The Pinhoe Egg so much I immediately wanted to reread some of my favourite books by Diana Wynne Jones, one of which is Charmed Life.

Cat and his sister Gwendolyn, a talented witch, are orphaned in a terrible boating accident, and go to live at Chrestomanci Castle. Gwendolyn quickly becomes enemies with Chrestomanci's two children, and perhaps Chrestomanci himself, while Cat drifts along in her wake.

I am very fond of the character of Cat, who evolves wonderfully from a meek shy boy to someone willing to grasp his independence and his own power by the end of the book. Gwendolyn is deliciously nasty, and Chrestomanci, in his first appearance in Jones' books, is an elegantly eccentric figure who drifts around the castle in a variety of brightly coloured silk dressing gowns. While there are a few questions left unanswered in this book, and a few elements that perhaps weren't thought through quite thoroughly enough, Charmed Life is really excellent YA fantasy.

The Pinhoe Egg (Diana Wynne Jones)

While I adored Diana Wynne Jones when I was a teenager, I haven't been a big fan of her books published while I was an adult. Mixed Magics, a collection of four short stories, was OK, and Conrad's Fate was about the same. I was rather disappointed with The Merlin Conspiracy, which I didn't enjoy at all.

So I was pleasantly surprised with Jones' latest novel, The Pinhoe Egg. This may be because it has appearances by some of my most favourite characters of Jones' - Chrestomanci (the government appointed auditor of magic in Jones' world), his wife Millie, and everyone at Chrestomanci Castle. The Pinhoe Egg is the story of the Pinhoe family, a family of witches living secretly in a village near Chrestomanci Castle and concealing their misuse of magic.

I always fall in love with Jones' characters - her awkward, well meaning heroes, the adults who hide evil under a bland exterior, and the humour that winds its way through all of her stories, not detracting from the tragedies that may occur but making them more poignant. A really fabulous YA author, and I think The Pinhoe Egg is a return to some of her best form.

Going Postal (Terry Pratchett)

I've never listened to any of Pratchett's books on audio before, and wasn't sure how his brand of satire (complete with many footnotes) would work when read aloud. Thankfully, it works really well - even the footnotes make their way into the text nicely - and Pratchett's familiar characters really came alive for me in this. I've never felt a particular attachment to Going Postal (yes, it's a book I've read twice before, but I think Pratchett is worth at least several re-reads), but it really worked for me this time. Moist regularly made me giggle out loud, and I loved his very weird romance with the chain-smoking advocate for golems, Adora Belle Dearheart. The next Discworld novel that Pratchett is working on, Making Money, is also going to star Moist - can't wait.

Rebel Angels (Libba Bray)

I listened to Rebel Angels as an audio book, but not really by choice. For some unfathomable reason, my library has A Great and Terrible Beauty as a book, but they only have Rebel Angels, its sequel, as an audio book. So I didn't really have any choice, because I enjoyed Terrible Beauty a lot, and wanted to read more of the story.

I really enjoyed listening to this recording actually - the narrator had a terribly British accent, of course, and the Victorian school girls who populate these books saying all their "W" words with "H"s - so they say things like "hwhat" and "hwhere".

Rebel Angels almost has two main plots side-by-side - there are Gemma's continuing adventures within the Realms, and her search for the Temple in order to bind the magic. Then there is her life in the real world - her father who is addicted to opium and grieving her mother's death, and Simon Middleton, the wealthy young man who is courting Gemma. She is rather torn between wanting to be a normal girl, and being determined to fulfill her responsibilities in restoring order to the Realms. She's a really fabulous teenage character - she darts between feeling jealousy, anguish, remorse, grief, with sparks of a great nobility of character which I expect we will see in Gemma as an adult (if Libba Bray keeps writing about her).

I thought, occasionally, that Gemma and friends almost seemed a little too obtuse about the clues and signs that were spread before them throughout the book. I became a little tired of them being in incredible danger because of their own mistakes. But they are teenagers, after all, and they do manage to resolve things very well.

I think Libba Bray does a really wonderful job at combining the seemingly very different genres of fantasy, historical fiction, and teenage adventure into one story - I can't wait for the third book to be published. I'll just have to wait and see what format the library acquires it in this time.

Angel of Ruin (Kim Wilkins)

I have mixed feelings about Kim Wilkins' books, but I usually pick them up if I see them in the library. She writes a good YA series about a teenage psychic, and while I've enjoyed one or two of her novels for adults, others didn't grab me at all.

Angel of Ruin (also published as Fallen Angel) is a little confusing. It seems to begin as a story-within-a-story type of thing, but the part I initially thought was the main story is merely a bookend to the tale that takes up the majority of the book. John Milton's daughters call upon a guardian angel, and an angel appears - but is he their guardian? Perhaps, Deborah Milton thinks, he doesn't mean them any good at all.

I enjoyed the character of the angel, and the idea that some otherworldly being was whispering in Milton's ear while he dictated Paradise Lost to his daughters, who act as his scribes. I think the story descends into not entirely convincing melodrama towards the end, to an extent, but I was still relatively enthralled with it - as much as I become enthralled with gothic fantasy/drama, anyway. It's an easy read, and if you're into gothic-style fiction, it's probably just your cup of tea.

The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova)

I read a lot about The Historian on various book blogs, but was a bit unsure about it. I saw it described as the Da Vinci Code with vampires, which didn't really seem like my sort of thing, but I ended up giving it a try.

I can see why it's a little Da Vinci Code-ish - lots of history, lots of information, often narrated to you by various characters. People chasing each other around Europe frantically researching things in libraries. Kostova's characters, however, are much more like people than Brown's info-dumping mechanisms, and her writing is vastly superior. It's a tremendously exciting book - I was quite enthralled in their chase, despite the occasionally clumsy mechanism of letters telling much of the story.

Unfortunately, Kostova's characters suffer a little from the sheer scale of this book - a teenage girl, who is perhaps intended to be the "main" character, simply reads her father's letters to us, and barely becomes a person in her own right. I think that it's very difficult to combine the two though - if you're going to have a novel on an enormous scale and essentially educate your readers about a lot of Eastern European history, it's almost imposssible to create nuanced realistic characters at the same time. Regardless, The Historian is a very enjoyable read, but it's definitely an adventure story rather than a character study.

Broken (Kelley Armstrong)

I quite enjoy Armstrong's series of fantasy/horror books, set in a world where witches, vampires and werewolves live undercover among humans. Broken is a book set in the werewolf family we've met before. I really like Elena and the pack of werewolves, and Elena's pregnancy storyline runs concurrently with a little problem of a time hole and Jack the Ripper. I wasn't heavily involved with what was probably intended to be the main storyline, involving a rogue wizard, but I really enjoyed Elena's storyline - I love her relationship with Clay. A fun read.

The Oracle's Queen (Lynn Flewelling)

I've been waiting for this book, the conclusion of the Tamir Trilogy for ages. Flewelling is an excellent fantasy author, and this final book doesn't disappoint (thought I wish there were going to be more.)

Tamir, now revealed to everyone in her true form, claims the crown and begins the difficult task of learning how to rule. I think Flewelling does a great job writing a young woman dealing not only with a completely changed body, but the usual emotional turmoil that we all deal with during our teenage years.

The conflict between Tamir and her cousin, Korin (whose holed up at one end of the country with his own army) is done really well, as is the beautifully realistic relationship between Tamir and her squire, Ki. A wonderful story - I can't wait until Flewelling's next book.)

Magic Lessons (Justine Larbalestier)

This YA fantasy novel is a sequel to Magic or Madness, which I read earlier in the year. Magic Lessons continues the stories of Reason, Tom and Jay-Tee, as is more fast paced than Magic or Madness, I think. There are a few quiet moments, when Reason talks about her childhood, for example, but mostly we charge frenetically through the story as a strange creature attacks the door between New York and Sydney, trying to get through to the other side. What is it and what does it want? These are the questions that Reason and her friends try to answer.

I felt a little lost at points within this book, trying to figure out what was happening, who to trust, and who the hell the good guys were - but this is how we're supposed to feel, I think. The characters are equally lost, and there are a couple of great instances of 'good' characters doing terrible things that they regret. Larbalestier's characters are very human - sometimes they make terribly bad decisions - and I really enjoyed that aspect of it.

I was a bit stunned by the ending - I probably should have seen it coming, but was shortsighted in that regard. I was confused by what these developments mean for Reason, and everyone else - confused in a good "come on, what happens next?" way, that is - and am consequently greatly looking forward to the third and final novel in the series.

Black Powder War (Naomi Novik)

I raced through Black Powder War almost too fast - I was so excited to have it in my hands and so eager to find out what Temeraire and Lawrence did next. I had to remind myself to slow down. (When will the fourth book be released? Can it be twenty times as long, please?)

Basic plot - Temeraire and Lawrence receive orders and make their way from China to Turkey to retrieve dragon eggs purchased by Britain. They then detour to Prussia and take part in battles there against Napoleon's army.

I think this is the darkest of the three volumes so far - there are a couple of devastating battles, and Temeraire and Lawrence constantly encounter setbacks. Novik brings to life a terrible war and a sense of impending doom very well, I thought. Right at the end, they receive terrible news from England, which didn't really sink in until I closed the book and thought, "Oh my GOD. Where the hell is she going to take all this in the fourth book?" Terribly frustrating having to wait.

Dreamhunter (Elizabeth Knox)

I picked up this YA novel while browsing in the library - the cover with the woman languidly reclining appealed to me, and so did the brief synopsis - a world where dreams are performed for the masses, who pay for the privilege. Dreamhunters travel into The Place, where they catch dreams - some are healing, some soothing, some erotic, some dangerous - and perform them for different audiences. It reminded me a little of Roald Dahl's The BFG, although I discovered that the dreamhunting in this novel is quite different.

Dreamhunter is actually an excellent YA fantasy novel, and I'm glad I discovered it. The story is wonderfully original - I loved the Victorian-style society, the world of The Place, and the mysteries set out for our heroines, Laura and Rose, to discover. The political and societal ramifications of dreamhunting are convincingly and intriguingly explored, without too much of a heavy hand. When Laura's father disappears, and Laura seems to make some rather irrational decisions, the story gets quite tense.

Dreamhunter is first in a "duet" and the story ends frustratingly, right in the middle it seems. I do wish they'd put out one big volume - now I have to wait until the second is published. It's an excellent story though, very exciting, and I'm eager to read the second book.

Silver's Bane (Anne Kelleher)

I got this out of the library because I'd read the book before it, Silver's Edge, and was impressed - it seemed like a decent Celtic-style fantasy without too many of the usual cliches, and decent writing for a change.

Perhaps there was too big a gap between reading Silver's Edge and Silver's Bane. I was confused, at first, as to who all these characters were and what the hell they were doing, particularly the faery characters. I got the hang of it again after a while, but was never as enthralled with this book as I recall being with Silver's Edge. There were conspiracies and love affairs and I just didn't care very much about any of it.

I think, when the third book of the series is published, I might wait a while and then re-read all three one after the other - they are decent fantasies, and I might enjoy them more if I could remember who people were. Definitely don't start Silver's Bane without having read Edge. You won't understand a thing.

Throne of Jade (Naomi Novik)

Just like the book that came before it, Throne of Jade made me sigh, and smile, and wish I had a dragon of my very own. Thankfully, it did not make me cry, much to Prince Valiant's relief. He didn't know he was signing up for a fiance who cried over fictional dragons.

In my defence (I always have something to say in my defence), Naomi Novik's characters - and yes, the dragons are very definite characters of their own - practically tap-dance their way into your brain, they're so real. I think, if anything, I enjoyed Throne of Jade more than Temeraire. We need no introduction into the world of dragons, or the air corps - we can relax and enjoy the many characters and political intrigues that litter Throne of Jade.

In this novel (and I realised when reading an interview with Novik that it's not just a trilogy, but a never-ending series! Well, a very lengthy one, anyway. Joy, happiness, etc), Laurence and Temeraire make their way to China, after a lengthy voyage, where they discover that dragons there lead very different lives to those in Britain. Temeraire meets his mother, and Laurence tries to deal with various plots to entice Temeraire away from him.

I thought Novik's writing really improved in this book - there were no moments of clunkiness, and I didn't feel that I was reading a YA novel, as I occasionally did while reading Temeraire. It's a smoother, cleaner production. I will be reading Black Powder War as soon as I can get my hands on it, and then will be psychically urging Novik to write faster, please, because there are some of us who need a Temeraire fix quite regularly. (There's a short story on the Temeraire website, for those who need more.)

Forest Mage (Robin Hobb)

I love Robin Hobb's books, and after thoroughly enjoying Shaman's Crossing was looking forward to the second book in the series, Forest Mage. Unfortunately, although I liked the book, I was also disappointed in it.

Mostly my problem is with the main character, Nevare. He is filled with self-hatred and despair throughout this book - he hasn't lived up to his destiny as a soldier son, he feels he has betrayed his people and country, he feels damaged by the effects of magic on him. He is, at times, difficult to sympathise with - he is convinced that what would make him happy would be to go back to the Acadamy, study to be a soldier, fulfill all the expectations his family and society have for him. We see in this book, if we haven't done so before, that Nevare's family and society are filled with problems, and perhaps their expectations for him are not the best thing for him - but no matter how much this point is pushed throughout the book, Nevare refuses to accept it, which is very frustrating. There should be dichotomies and struggles within every character, of course, but I think Nevare should have come to terms with his struggle some time ago - it makes the plot drag miserably.

The world Hobb has created in this Soldier Son Trilogy is fascinating, as usual, and what kept me reading this book was my desire to learn more about it, and about Nevare's destiny. Nevare is just so frustrating though - I felt perhaps Spink and Epiny's story would have been a more interesting focal point for this book, simply because they both have very definite personalities and Nevare is much more blank. To be fair, I think he did improve as a main character towards the end of this book - he actually made a decision (glory be!) and did something. Then, of course, the story ends, and we have to wait until the release of the third volume to see it continue.

I'm probably being a little harsh on this book - if it weren't for the previous books of Hobb's that I've read and loved, I'd be much more positive - but I've seen what she can do with amazing main characters, and it's a pity that I don't see Nevare as one of those. Overall, an enthralling world, with some frustrating aspects in both the character and plot departments, and I look forward to seeing where Hobb takes it in the third volume.

The Family Tree (Sheri S Tepper)

The Family Tree has some of the elements you expect from Tepper - a woman married to a cold, controlling man, strange things happening in the world around her, a mystery to unravel. Thankfully, this novel doesn't have some of the more graphic violence against women that pops up in Tepper's work The elements of this mystery become so enormously large and complicated - in fact, a little too enormously complicated, perhaps? I don't know - I don't become as involved in this novel as I do in some of Tepper's other work, for some reason, although I find some aspects of the story lovely, and very aesthetically pleasing.

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Libba Bray)

Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty is a wonderfully lush Gothic/horror/fantasy tale set in a Victorian girl's boarding school. A boarding school! Naturally, I enjoyed it enormously.

Gemma is sent to school in England after her mother's mysterious death in India. She tries to find her feet in the hierarchical boarding school society, and at the same time is warned by a young man to ward off strange visions that have been plaguing her. There is a wonderfully creepy sense of menace that grows as the story progresses, and I became enormously fond of Gemma's friends, three somewhat unprepossessing girls whom she leads into danger, and temptation.

Enormously fun, and there's a sequel, which the library has not acquired yet. I'll definitely be reading anything else of Libba Bray's that I can get my hands on. Oh, wait, this was her first novel. Damn.

Vengeance of Dragons; Courage of Falcons (Holly Lisle)

After reading Diplomacy of Wolves, I polished off the remaining two novels in the series very quickly - I guess I was more into the story than I thought.

Vengeance of Dragons picks up at Diplomacy's cliffhanger ending, and we follow Kait, her companions and the Mirror of Souls back to Calimekka. Kait and Ry dance around their attraction to each other, but in a very genuine way. There's plenty of plot, and the storyline jumps around various characters throughout the book, but it's not overly confusing. Tightly plotted, lots of action and adventure - a very enjoyable read, despite another cliffhanger ending.

Courage of Falcons is the last book in the Secret Texts series, and again, it immediately picks up the story. (I should mention that both Vengeance and Courage have rather lengthy summaries of the previous books, but I don't think that would be enough to compensate if you hadn't read the previous books in the trilogy. They're definitely not the sort of books you can plunge into without a knowledge of the backstory.) I'm incapable of going very far into the plot without spoiling moments from the previous two books, but suffice to say that the adventure continues, and as per the previous books, it's immensely enjoyable fun, without being life changing or (unfortunately) sticking around in my head too long.

Monstrous Regiment (Terry Pratchett)

The first time I read Monstrous Regiment (yes, this is a re-read), I was a little disappointed with it. I gulped it down with my usual new-Pratchett haste, which does occasionally end in disappointment as I simply don't spend enough time with the book. Which doesn't really matter, as I always end up re-reading (and re-reading) them at some point.

Anyway, I was hoping for another City Guard book, and didn't really get into Monstrous Regiment the first time around. The second time around I enjoyed it much more, although I still find that I love the earlier Discworld books more so than the later ones. Monstrous Regiment might be a good place to start if you've never read a Discworld book before (although if I was Queen of All the World I'd order people to begin their Pratchett appreciation on novels earlier in the series) - and if you've read Discworld novels before, you know exactly what you're in for.