Review of The Reluctant Assasin by Eoin Colfer (W.A.R.P.)

Disney-Hyperion;

The Reluctant Assassin (W.A.R.P.)
by Eoin Colfer
4 Scribbles

I’ve always enjoyed the action that Colfer’s books offer; my two favorites of his are The Supernaturalist and The Wishlist, and this newest series promises to match Colfer’s previous novels explosion for explosion!

Albert Garrick is an assassin who has scored a time key from his latest victim. He uses the key to travel from Victorian-era London to modern-day London where he plans, with the modern knowledge he has gleaned from his latest victim, a present-day scientist, to rule the world. However, his vendetta to capture the street urchin and his former apprentice, Riley, may just foil all of his plans, especially if 19-year-old FBI agent Chevron Savano has anything to do with it. Together, Riley and Chevron go on a race through time to defeat the villain Garrick and save the world.

What a marvelous idea to hide witnesses in another time rather than another place! Thus, the Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (W.A.R.P.).  The benefit of this time-travel element is that it gives the reader a modern-day adventure while learning about the past in an exciting way. Clearly, the street kids of Victorian England are tough, just like Riley, a clever scrapper with a great sense of humor. It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like living in poverty in those times, but Colfer drives it home with vivid descriptive details about the smells, the extreme temperatures, and the diseases these people faced. I shuddered every time I was introduced to a new yellow-toothed street-kid. And the villains! Make no mistake, this is Colfer at his bloody best. There are some pretty gruesome scenes with the time machine, which has the habit of merging the inhabitants as they travel within its confines, the various murders committed by Garrick, and the general nastiness of the Thames. Anyone who has romantic notions about the Victorian era need only read this novel to be grateful they live in modern times. Perhaps most pleasing is the character of Chevron, a Native American whose only dream is to be an FBI agent. Despite a botched undercover job and begin swept under the carpet to a boring gig in London, Chevron never loses hope for her dream and keeps her body and mind honed for the next challenge. The chemistry between Riley and Chevron is awesome, but not in any way romantic. Chevron becomes big-sister to Riley, even if Riley may have just as many, if not more street smarts than Chevron. This is a fun and easy read after the fashion of works like Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series and the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman.

Review of Throne of Glass by Sara J. Maas

Bloomsbury USA
Childrens

Throne of Glass

By Sarah J. Maas

5 Scribbles

To be released, August 7, 2012

Celaena Sardothien knows she will live out the rest of her days as a slave in the salt mines of Endovier, days that are numbered—that is until the son of the King of Adarlan, Prince Dorian, approaches her with a deal. Win a contest against the most ferocious assassins in the combined kingdoms and win her freedom. Not an easy task for most teenaged girls, but Celaena isn’t your average teenager; Celaena is a trained assassin, and she’s eager to win her freedom, even when she discovers she is fighting not just against earthly powers, but against the powers of a dark and supernatural otherworld that are hell-bent upon her destruction. Celaena is a strong female protagonist, the likes of which haven’t been seen since Graceling’s Katsa and Divergent’s Tris. Readers will love watching Celaena face off with brutes three times her size and at the same time keep her feminine edge. In fact, key male characters fall for Celaena, but what makes this read phenomenal is that the squeaky-clean romance supplements the story and does not dominate it. Celaena has a heart and a brain, and she comes off as surprisingly moral and compassionate for someone who has been defined as an "assassin." In fact, I hope to see another installment in this series so that Celaena’s background may be revealed. Secondary characters are equally interesting, and the chapters move at a rapid-fire pace that keeps readers riveted. After this work, readers will demand more from Sarah Maas!

Review of Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers



Houghton Mifflin
Books for Children

Grave Mercy His Fair Assassin, Book I (His Fair Assassin Trilogy)by Robin LaFevers

3 Scribbles

This is no average Cinderella story, although Ismae does rise up from the ashes. Sold into marital slavery by her father, she manages to escape with the clandestine help of furtive holy men who deliver her to the convent of Saint Mortain—a.k.a.— Brittany’s god of death.  There, Ismae becomes a nun who serves death.  And how does she do this? She’s an assassin who is charged with killing anyone who comes in the way of her country’s independence.  The novel begins with heart-stopping action. Ismae faces the consummation of her marriage to the filthy, pot-bellied drunk her father sells her to and immediately engages the reader’s sympathy. Prepared to love Ismae, the reader will follow her through her training in the convent and yearn for that first assignment. However, when Ismae makes her first kill, a great deal is lacking from the description. First, Ismae’s reaction to the kill seems nonchalant at best, making it difficult for the average reader to relate, even if the convent has trained her for this mission. Wouldn’t even the most calloused assassin feel something powerful after their first kill? From this point, Ismae is faced with infiltrating the Duchess’s castle as a noblewoman, becoming a spy, and murdering traitors along the way (which she does quite well). It isn’t until later in the novel, after several kills, that Ismae begins to question her task as a killer, and not entirely for the reasons one might expect. Furthermore, the romance that blossoms in the story is a stretch given Ismae’s hardened nature. Some writers can take a hate-hate relationship and turn it on its head in 200 short pages, not so in this case, not even with 400+ pages. I really, really tried to connect with Ismae, to feel those flutters with her when she finally opened her heart to love, but her distant affectation was perhaps written too well. That being said, the plotting of the novel is quite solid. The mysterious traitor is not easy to spot, several plot twists and skirmishes create interest along the way, and the setting is authentic. I am planning to read LaFevers’ second novel, featuring Ismae’s fellow sister-in-death, Sybella, because I felt that even in the brief time readers knew her, Sybella’s character was quite well-developed. I sense that Sybella has a magnificent story to tell! Overall, this is a valiant effort at a new series with an intriguing concept.