The Lost King by Ursula Jones

The Lost King (Lost King Trilogy)
by Ursula Jones
Inside Pocket Publishing (UK)
September 2012


I know it's cliche, but Harry Potter fans--this one's for you.

OK, no Hogwarts or muggles, but Jones' kids are scrappy, on their own, and there's a certain kind of magic afoot in a maze-like castle.

After that, the novel is completely different--with a bit of a steampunk feel.  However, the romping story, the quirky, over-the-top characters, the real danger, the cast of intrepid kids, the murdered parents, the fast paced writing and action--all very compatible with the Potter readers' tastes.  And no wonder--British author Jones has already been a winner of the UK Smartie Award, an award Rowling herself won early in her career.

The main character is Watt, a prince-in-hiding who's real name is Avtar. Watt's personal journey takes him from frightened to resolved...and the result is a page-turner.  Jones does a stellar job of the slow reveal--we only learn bits of the situation at first, go down the wrong path when Watt goes down the wrong path, and have aha! moments then Watt has them.  By the end of the novel, readers have discovered a more complete, twisty story.  I personally love this in a novel.

I did read the ARC, however.  Some editing issues, but these are likely resolved in the print edition.

Two thumbs way up!  An enjoyable read--can't wait for the rest of the trilogy!

Find of the Week

First off, I'd like to make a shout-out to fellow librarian Nancy Pearl (of Book Lust fame) and her 50 page rule. 

"If you're 50 years old or younger, give every book about 50 pages before you decide to commit yourself to reading it, or give it up."

As a busy professional, I'm a firm believer in the rule of 50. 

What "find of the week" caught my eye and got me to read more than 50 pages?    Surprise--not a big six title...and a children's fantasy novel--for 4th grade up.

The Lost King  by Ursula Jones, Inside Pocket Publishing (UK) Released this week!

The story has sucked me in--it's one of those intriguing reads that I can't stop thinking about.  Great voice and pacing, and enough tension to keep me turning the pages.

Basically, the story question is: What if a young prince survived the slaughter of his royal family and has found refuge by becoming a baker's boy--a "ghostie boy" perpetually covered in flour--in his own castle kitchens?  Can he remain anonymous and alive?  Will his true identity be discovered?  Will he ever challenge the usurpers and retake his true place?

My first impression was that the writing style is very similar to J.K. Rowling's style (though the story is nowhere near the same.)  And for good reason--author Ursula Jones, like Rowling, has been the recipient of Britain's Smartie Award (although for a picture book rather than children's fiction.)

This book is *just* out in the US--released September 2012.  Available now!

Other ARC's on deck:

The Moonstone and Miss Jones by Jillian Stone, release date 9/25/12
Cover has a Gail Carriger look...new Phaeton Black, paranormal investigator novel. What catches my attention is the hint at Indiana Jones-esque action.  Evil Professor Lovecraft is tinkering with body parts and needs the power of the fabled Moonstone--and wants Phaeton Black to help find it.  Phaeton would rather investigate the stunning America Jones. 

Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher, release date 10/30/12

I'm always on the hunt for good, true Science Fiction--and just got this one.  What if humankind discovered a new world populated by ghosts who manifest in the form of dead loved ones?  Would you accept a job there?  City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte, release date 11/27/12 What if you were a young musicologist who went to Prague to study Beethoven manuscripts, but instead found yourself caught up in a murder and the secrets of a 16th century alchemist toying with time travel?  Promise of romance, suspense, paranormal, and intrigue.  Author is pseudonym for a two person writing team. The Constantine Affliction by T. Aaron Payton, released 8/7/12 More steampunk, this time set in 1864 London. What if there was a case of science-gone-wrong, resulting in a mysterious affliction that physically transforms victims into the opposite sex?  A woman journalist and male amateur sleuth team up to investigate...making me wonder who will be which by the story's end.  Getting good reviews.

ARCs on Deck this Monday

Just an update regarding the digital Advanced Reader's Copies I have at the moment.

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke.  Release date 10/2/12

Just started this one, and so far, so good.  First person fantasy told from the point of view of Ananna of the Tanarau, a pirate girl evading a marriage arranged by her pirate parents. Not because she doesn't like her intended--he's not so bad...it's the whole idea of the thing.  She gives her young intended the slip and escapes into a bazaar on a camel...and the adventure begins!


Other digital ARCs in the hopper:

Katyas World by Jonathan L. Howard, release date 11/6/12
Science Fiction, main character is Katya Kuriakova, novice navigator for a space transport.  Not sure about the plot yet, but it involves the world named Rusalka, a water world.  What caught my interest is speculation about life on a water world, reminding me of seasteading and the real-world principality of Sealand.  What if mankind had to colonize a world with no dry land?

The Future We Left Behind by Mike A. Lancaster, release date 11/13/12
NetGalley blurb says, "What if we knew that the very way we live was about to be changed in an instant, and we could stop it? And what if everything we are sure we know is entirely wrong?" 

The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost, release date 9/25/12
Frost has an impressive list of superhero creds...in this new work, he introduces Will West.  From the NetGalley blurb:  "At his parents' insistence, [Will's] made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam."  I sense a new super-hero in the making!

Ironskin by Tina Connelly, release date 10/2/12
A great war has left many victims scarred and cursed, doomed to wearing iron masks.  But what if an enigmatic artist had discovered a way for the victims to become beautiful again?  Would you take the risk?  How far will young Jane Eliot go to become whole again?

The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

The Sweetest Dark
by Shana Abe
Bantam Books
August 2012?  or April 2013 (Amazon.)

If you're a Libba Bray fan, keep an eye out for this one.

16 year old Victorian-era London orphan gets a chance to attend a remote, prestigious private academy for girls...and meets two very different boys along the way, both of whom are important to her journey toward understanding her own magic. 

Questions to think about: what if you learned that you could do something unusual and dangerous...would you dare to try?  What if you had to learn it anyway in order to save the ones you care about? 

Dark, gothic, rich in the telling.  Magic, historical setting, and romance all in one.  I particularly like that the main character, Eleanore Jones, is clearly in charge of her journey.  She definitely decides which steps she will take and acts on her own--no "blown along by events" or "pulled in a certain direction" action here.  She may be in unfamiliar territory, but she's there under her own power and makes leaps based on her own thoughts and feelings.  I appreciate that in a heroine...!

Good read for teens and adults who like teen fiction.

Thumbs up!

Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

Shadowfell
Juliet Marillier
Knopf
Pub Date: September 11, 2012

Veteran writer Marillier begins a new series with Shadowfell, being released as children's fiction.  While the narrator's voice tilts toward children, the story is perfectly acceptable as teen or adult reading.  Good crossover novel.

What if you were an orphan hunted for a skill you were born with?  What if you had to stay on the run in order to survive?  What if you discovered you were being tested without knowing whether you would really measure up?  And what if you found a friend in the unlikliest of places?  Would you ever be able to trust that person?  And what if your skills could both save an entire land but harm the most fragile who live there? 

These are the questions faced by our narrator, Neryn, a young girl struggling to reach a far-off place named Shadowfell, a place rumored to help her kind.  It's a journey that keeps us moving through a rough, agrarian land followed by a bit of a cliffhanger ending that will leave the reader wondering how soon the sequel will follow.  Has a little bit of a "Snow White and the Huntsman" vibe.

A thumbs up read. 

(And a thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC!)  NetGalley rocks!

Prodigy: A Legend Novel by Marie Lu

Prodigy
Marie Lu
Putnam
Pub Date: Jan. 2013




Picked up this ARC at the American Library Conference in Anaheim this past June.

If you liked Legend, Marie Lu's first book, Prodigy won't disappoint.  Same rockin' pace with the same alternating storylines between characters June and Day.

In this book, Lu plays with the concepts of good and evil with more depth.  People and nations all have elements of good and evil within them...is the evil you know safer than the evil you don't know?  Are our mortal enemies what they seem?  What if you had to save an enemy in order to save yourself?  In an age (and season) where we see our own politics so polarized, these are important ideas to think about.

A great read for:  teens, reluctant readers, gamers, and adults who read YA crossover fiction.

Highly recommend you read Legend first.

Verdict: Definitely watch for this one.  Could be movie fodder in the future.

Age of Miracles...A Retro Post

Here's the proto-post for this blog, originally posted on the Marin County Free Library site on Feb. 17, 2012.  Enjoy!

http://www.marinlibrary.org/all-things-social-media/books-blog/26346