Lowly’s Book Blog

Be warned, this is a very thick book and it will take some time and dedication to read. Not only the size will make many potential readers hesitate, but the unfamiliar language use will also make many stop before they get started. But let me encourage you to be brave, and tackle the beast.

This continuation of the Monster Blood Tattoo series picks up soon after book one finished. Rossamund is now in his final months of apprenticeship and with the rest of his prentice-watch is allowed to light the lamps on the section of road nearest the fortress of the lamplighters. But the monsters are growing in strength and determination and one night the watch is attacked at the very doors of the fortress. But evil monsters are found inside the walls of the fortress as well and when Rossamund tries to warn the others, he makes a politically powerful enemy. All is evil and evil is everywhere.

It is certainly the role of the middle book in a trilogy to be very dark and foreboding. Look at many of the classic fantasy series and you will quickly discover the truth of this statement. Lamplighter maintains that tradition. The monsters are all powerful and the Lamplighters organisation is corrupt, leaving their world without any organised force to fight back. Rossamund, a powerful monster fighter, is driven out of the Lamplighters in the very end, clearly weakening the force.

I found some light and hope in the book, however. Certainly Rossamund is growing up and starting to realise that the world is not simply black and white. He has the courage to befriend the weak and unpopular, especially Numps and Mama Lieger. He earns the respect of many including the Lamplighter-Marshall, Doctor Crispus and the Wormstool Watch. But most of all, he learns to think for himself.

This is a long read. There is no doubt about it. There are 600 pages of complex language and invented words. Personally I think it is better read aloud. I can see this series as ’story-time’ material for months and months. Especially in this second book, there is enough action to hold the interest of good readers who can cope with the big words. But it does need to be read in large doses. It takes time in each session to adapt to the author’s style.

Every now and then I need to review a book that I simply didn’t like. These reviews usually get the most response so I am ready and waiting.

Zira was raised in a temple, training to become a warrior priestess. But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday she discovers that she is actually the daughter of the country’s former ruling family. Suddenly her life changes. She must marry for a political alliance. And with the assistance of her friends she leads the fight against the usurper.

Sorry, but this book was simply too trite. All the way through I felt the author was a Tammy Pierce wannabee. And the romance was laid on just too thick for the age group that would be likely to accept this fantastical tale.

But I have to read some bad books, it helps to appreciate the good ones.

This is a very unusual book for children. Set at the end of the Aztec empire the story of the fall of Montezuma is told through the eyes of a young Aztec girl.

Itacate was born just before dawn and her mother died giving birth to her. Although her twin brother, born minutes later, survived, Itacate was determined to be cursed and the prophecy indicated that she would lead her whole family to destruction. However, she survives and even convinces her father to allow her to assist him in the workshop. Her real talent for the craft is revealed and attracts the attention of Montezuma himself, bringing her whole family into danger.

A few months ago I reviewed a book for adults that was set in this same period of history, so I was interested in how the author would portray a very violent and bloody time in a format that would prove acceptable for children and young adults. By revealing the culture through the eyes of a young woman who truly believed that the sun would not rise if blood was not shed before dawn. When her brother was chosen for the annual sacrifice, Itacate is torn between pride that he was considered worthy of ensuring their city’s survival for another year and grief at the death of her twin. I believe this is a very realistic portrayal of the family response to this practice.

I did have a problem with the ‘romance’ in the story. The whole idea that an Aztec girl would encounter a Spanish soldier is hard to accept, but that he would leave his life and escape with her to the jungle is incredible. How on earth would either of them survive? A girl born and raised in a middle class city neighborhood and a foreign soldier very obviously from the unpopular invaders?

This is one of those books that is almost impossible to put in a genre. It is set in recent history, but it is not really a historical novel. It is about a son’s fight against his father’s wishes, but it isn’t really a family relationships story. The plot is built around the discovery of a dead body, but it really isn’t a who-done-it. But it is a good book about life in small town Australia in the latter half of last century.

Eddie lives in a small town dependent on the local coal mine. He wants to leave school and go to work in the mine, but his father won’t lear of it. So Eddie drifts through life wondering what he will do when school runs out. Then one Friday night a dead body is found and every man in the town comes under suspicion. The reader follows the investigation through Eddie’s eyes, watching as Eddie discovers that people are not always as they seem.

I have always loved the way Herrick writes his verse novels. His poetry seems almost a very private expression of deep emotions, and yet even from his male characters, this ‘diary’ format works. This novel is no different.

I remember that I loved my first introduction to Ishmael. I read aloud the opening introduction to the character in Bauer’s first book to my middle school classes regularly. So I was very interested in starting the further adventures of Ishmael Laseur.

The summer holidays are over, and book two follows Ishmael and his friends through their second year of high school. He still has a crush on Kelly; Barry Bagsley is still a bully; and Razza is still Razza. But this year his father’s band is reforming and the English teacher is introducing love poetry. Can life get any worse?

Once again this book is genuinely funny. There are a few laugh-out-loud moments, and a few bittersweet smiles for the reader to enjoy. In fact, enjoyment is what this book is all about. It is a real feel-good read, and there are not enough of these books for young adult readers.

Thank you Bauer for this entertaining read.

Good book, good cover. When is the last time that I said that! But this book from Scholastic Press is a funny book about a serious issue that is genuinely entertaining.

Theodore is branded on his first day of high school. He is lining up with all the other year 7s, not knowing a soul. When his name is called, he shuffles forward. A foot appears from nowhere and suddenly Theodore finds himself on top of the teacher who has landed on the ground. Someone from the crowd calls out Theo-dork and the nickname sticks.

From there the story goes through Danno’s first year of high school. He is bullied and absolutely miserable. His parents only make the situation worse. So Danno struggles to find his own niche. On the way he discovers talents and skills that he never suspected.

What I particularly liked about the story is the scene late in the book where Danno is given the opportunity for revenge on those who have made him so miserable. Realistically, he takes up the opportunity, but quickly regrets the pain and embarrassment that was caused.

Many books about school life deal with the issue of bullying, but this is one of the best because victim is empowered by his own strength of character and personal growth.

What an unusual book! This shortlisted book for younger readers is amazing and very, very different.

Iluak is a young man living in a polar community. When I was a child we called this culture Eskimo, now I believe the term is Inuit. At first the setting in time is unclear. But in these old unchanging societies, history is calculated differently. Iluak is frightened of everything. But his Nana claims that he is the bear caller and will face a bear to save his family. As this story unfolds, Nana’s predictions come true and eventually the final bear is faced. 

I found the writing riveting. One of the early chapters sees Iluak fall through the ice while on a seal hunt. The tension in that chapter simply caught my interest and held it until I finished the book in one sitting. 

Once again, I don’t think the publishers did the right thing in the cover of the book. In many ways this is a coming of age novel about a young man finding the road he will take in maturity. Unfortunately the front cover shows a very young boy, certainly not representative of the image I have of Iluak.

In spite of the cover, this is a worthy inclusion in this years CBC short list.

I love Simon Higgins adventure stories. And although I am a full year behind on my reading list, I was in the mood for a light adventure with a delicious sense of humour. Unfortunately, this was not it.

Daniel Marlowe is a young English aristocrat who is traveling with his father on a diplomatic mission from Tudor England to the Japans. He is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan and found by a young samurai. Together these two set off to change the world, or at least parts of it. 

Medieval Japan is a wonderful setting for an adventure story. Hearn did an amazing job with the Otori series. However Higgins is firmly attached to realistic historical settings rather than the slightly fantastic world of the Otori. Daniel is quickly involved in a feud between warlords, fighting off bandits and rescuing young maidens. Classic medieval adventure.

But I am afraid this book did not make the grade. There was no sense of completion at the end of the story. It is really only the opening chapter of a much longer tale, and frankly I didn’t care enough about Daniel to be bothered reading any more.

The blurb promotes this as a ‘ripping yarn which is sure to appeal to boys’. Sorry, but I found it shallow, and boring. The boys I know will want a lot more if they are going to follow Daniel through his further adventures.

A few weeks ago I overheard a couple of students recommending books to each other with the comment, ‘You have to read this, it is so good.’ At about the same time it surfaced at the top of my reading list. A happy coincidence.

Cybele’s Secret is set in medieval Istanbul. Paula, a merchant’s daughter, has travelled with her father to the east to try to purchase an ancient statue for a buyer in Europe. Once there, Paula is determined to experience this foreign culture, in spite of the fact that as a woman she is not allowed to leave her ‘home’. But with the protection of her bodyguard, Paula befriends an older Greek woman, Irene, also strongly independent and unwilling to be restricted by the Muslim laws. Paula takes advantage of the Irene’s library of ancient writings to investigate the history of the statue of Cybele that is the whole purpose of her father’s trip. 

But then those interested in purchasing the statue start dying. Some beaten to death, others killed in the street. And a Portuguese pirate is showing a great deal of interest in both Paula and the statue. When Paula’s father is found alive, but beaten, Paula assumes her pirate friend is at fault and she thoughtlessly rushes off to confront him. From there the story launches into the most fantastic adventure.

I will admit that it took me ages to get started in this book. The early passages about life in Istanbul were nicely historical, but slow going. But once the adventure started the book took off. I was up until the early hours of the morning finishing, simply because I could not put it down.

A little investigation has shown me that this is the second book in a series. It certainly stood very well by itself, but maybe someday I will find the time to read book one.

Anger management. This is a phrase we hear all the time in the media. Sportspeople, film stars, and even children are sent to psychologists to learn these important skills. Blobel has made her own contribution to this discussion with this unusual new novel.

Mara has endured times of uncontrollable rage since she was ten years old. She copes with these fits by running, as far and as fast as she can, in order to avoid destroying something. Her life is out of control, and she can see nothing positive on the horizon, that is until she meets Tibor on the late bus home. Through Tibor she finds something worth struggling for. He is friendly, positive and seems interested in getting to know her. That is until she sees him with another girl.

I found this book very disturbing. The story is told from Mara’s point of view, and in her mind her anger is not something to be concerned about. Everything is considered normal. The author doesn’t make an effort to inform the reader that the narrator is unreliable until the very last episode and it’s disastrous consequences. Perhaps it would have been better to indicate to the reader that this anger was a bad thing before Mara went over the edge.

However, I did appreciate the fact that the apology did not immediately restore all to rights.