Wild Orchid

Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey, an installment in the “Once upon a Time” series, retells “The Ballad of Mulan.” With a mother who died in childbirth and a father who hadn’t returned from the army since her death, Mulan grows up parentless and as a tomboy. Mulan’s neighbor and only close friend, Li Po, helps her balance her required work of sewing and embroidery with her desire to ride a horse, use a sword, learn archery, and write. The war with the Huns ends, and after a long absence, Mulan’s father returns home, surprised by the young woman who is his daughter. Just as Mulan is adjusting to this new life (along with a stepmother), another army is called to fight for China, and Mulan realizes she must fight in order to protect her new family even though this means she must leave home and disguise herself as a man. From there, Mulan is forced to rely on her ability as an archer, her friendship with Li Po, and the kindness of her handsome commander, Prince Jian, to save China and discover herself.

I loved Wild Orchid, yet was a bit disappointed. Having read all of the other books in the “Once upon a Time” series, I was glad that Dokey chose to write an adaptation of a non-European tale, thus broadening our horizons a bit. Still, the novel itself disappointed. The first half presented Mulan before she joined the army, developing her background in terms of interest, education, friends (well, really friend), and family history. I really appreciated this depth, but it was lost in the second half. Based on the summary and my prior familiarity with Mulan’s story (I promise it’s not just from the Disney movie!), I would have expected her time training and fighting the Huns would have been more significant to the tale. Instead, this portion of Mulan’s story was rushed.

Furthermore, the romance between Mulan and Prince Jian was not developed enough and thus not particularly satisfying to the reader. They have few interactions, let alone meaningful ones. As compared to other books in the “Once upon a Time” series, the romance in Wild Orchid just was not fleshed out enough (though if you’re not reading the book for the romance plot, you won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything). Nevertheless, Wild Orchid is a nice addition to the “Once upon a Time” collection and a great read for the beach or bedtime. I really enjoyed what was there; I only wish Dokey had expanded the second half of the story, particularly Mulan and Prince Jian’s relationship. 7 out of 10.

P.S. For a bit of background on Hua Mulan, check out this Wikipedia article.
P.P.S. Which cover do you like better? The first (the illustrated one) is the original, the second the reprint. I have to go with the first.

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update 4

One last update for the night...


10:30-10:45PM: Snack/social break
10:45PM-1:42AM: Reading The Gatecrasher - FINISHED
1:42-2:02AM: Updating here :)

New totals:

Time: 10 hours 58 minutes
Books: 4: Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, Hatter M by Frank Beddor, Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey, The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham
Pages: 969

A few words about The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham (AKA Sophie Kinsella):


As this probably isn't as popular as the other books I've read, I'll just sum the premise up as a story about Fleur, a woman who crashes memorial services and funerals in order to find vulnerable men she can take advantage of for their wealth. This time, though, the man she's found herself involved with seems to have a more complicated past, plus a more complicated present family life. This book is what I'd call chick lit with a bit of meat. It's sweet and funny, but there's underlying social commentary so you don't have to feel guilty about reading it. Fleur certainly isn't the most sympathetic protagonist (at times she'll get on your nerves), but she certainly appealed to me more than Becky from the Shopaholic series. Also, I appreciate how Wickham didn't go for a fairy tale ending, considering the subject, though the ending did seem a bit abrupt. 7 out of 10.

I think I'm going to read Fragile Eternity for a bit. And by that I mean until I pass out (I have to admit, I've been yawning constantly so I'm probably fairly close to that point). So, goodnight! Best of luck to everyone else who is participating in the challenge!

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update 3

What I've been up to:

8:35-10:15PM: Reading Wild Orchid

10:15-10:30: Blog/mini-review

Updated totals:

Time: 7 hours 41 minutes

Books: 3: Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, Hatter M by Frank Beddor, Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey

Pages: 667

My thoughts on Wild Orchid (I'm going to do a full review of this later as I feel like it needs to sit with me a little longer):

I loved Wild Orchid, yet was a bit disappointed. The first half of the novel presented Mulan pre-army, developing her background in terms of interest, education, friends (well, really friend), and family history. I really appreciated this depth, except it was partially lost in the second half. Based on the summary and my prior familiarity with Mulan’s story (I promise it’s not just from the Disney movie!), I would have expected her time training and fighting the Huns would have been more significant to the tale. However, Dokey neglected to develop this part of Mulan’s story and more or less rushed through it. Furthermore, the romance between Mulan and Prince Jian seems underdeveloped as they have few interactions throughout the story, and only two are meaningful, so this relationship wasn’t particularly satisfying. Nevertheless, a nice addition to the “Once Upon a Time” collection and a great read for the beach or bedtime. I really enjoyed what was there; I only wish Dokey had expanded the second half of the story. 7 out of 10.

And now, moving along to Madeleine Wickham's The Gatecrasher.

Terribly Twisted Tales

Approaching famous fairy tales from a different direction, the eighteen stories in Terribly Twisted Tales will challenge the reader’s preconceived notion of a fairy tale. This anthology edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg includes stories by Dennis L. McKiernan, Annie Jones, Chris Pierson, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Mary Louis Eklund, Robert E. Vardeman, Kathleen Watness, Jody Lynn Nye, Jim C. Hines, Steven D. Sullivan, Brendan DuBois, Paul Genesse, Ramsey Lundock, Skip & Penny Williams, Elizabeth A. Vaughn, Janet Deaver-Pack, Kelly Swails, and Michael A. Stackpole.

From Grimm to Andersen, classic fairy tales are taken from new angles and sometimes transformed so much that the reader can hardly recognize the original. These stories range from funny to heartbreaking to slightly disturbing, each one distinct from the stories preceding and following it. Some of the best stories include the tale of Snow White’s falling out with the seven dwarfs, another of Rumpelstiltskin as the victim, and of Red-Riding Hood challenging a suffocating religious force.

Anthologies in general are often hit or miss. Terribly Twisted Tales falls somewhere in between, with quite a few absolutely fascinating stories that are scattered among mediocre tales along with a couple that are so complex they aren’t at all enjoyable. Nevertheless, it is worth picking up this anthology just for those great twists on your everyday fairy tales. In particular, McKiernan’s “Waifs,” Pierson’s “Once They Were Seven,” and Swails’ “Three Wishes” are not to be missed as they are very well-developed despite being short stories and are absolutely captivating. Also, fans of Jim C. Hines’ The Stepsister Scheme will appreciate a glimpse of Red who will be central to the third installment of this Princess series. Terribly Twisted Tales is a great read for those who only have short increments of time to read as the varying lengths of the stories and their independence makes the book one that is easy to pick up and put down. 7 out of 10.

Seaborn

Yay for returning now that exams are done! Sorry I've been gone for such a long time. Anyway...

In Seaborn, Chris Howard explores a new dimension of urban fantasy. Rather than keeping to the city as the genre would imply, Howard delves into an undersea world. Seaborn weaves the tales of Kassandra, an exiled Seaborn royal desiring revenge while trying to free herself from her ancestry, Corina, a college student struggling to survive a Seaborn sorcerer’s possession, and Aleximor, the sorcerer working to possess Corina in order to enact revenge on Seaborn’s royalty. It is no surprise, then, that their worlds would collide, integrating pursuits of revenge, multiple fronts of war, and power struggles while splitting time on shore and under the water. Of the three narrators, Seaborn focuses on the heroines Lady Kassandra and Corina and their efforts to (re)gain control of their own lives.

Chris Howard’s first installation of this epic fantasy takes fantasy readers in a new direction. His passages are densely packed with detail and each chapter reads smoothly. His characters appeal to all readers, whether they are familiar with the genre or not. In particular, despite her inhuman characteristics, Kassandra is every bit as real as Corina, the Californian student whose main preoccupation until her possession was her latest break-up. My main complaint with this novel was the amount of names. With so many, Howard should have more gradually introduced each character, to make understanding the complex history an easier task for the reader. I would strongly suggest that fantasy lovers who are tired of vampire novels check this book out. One warning, though: the novel is quite graphic, so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with a weak stomach. 7 out of 10.

Stepsister Scheme

The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines revisits the classic fairy tales Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White as the first installment of the Princess series. In Hines’ fantasy, these “happily ever after” fairy tales come to us with a twist. Cinderella’s (known to her stepsisters as Cinderwench) real name is Danielle Whiteshore, Sleeping Beauty is actually a martial arts master who goes by Talia and hates fairies despite their blessings, and Snow is a sorceress who changed her name to hide her royal roots. After Danielle’s stepsister attempts to take her life and her husband, Prince Armand, is kidnapped, these three princesses head out to Fairyland on a mission to find the evil stepsisters and rescue the prince. On the way, the princesses are forced to revisit their pasts, outthink riddles, conquer magical beings, and, most importantly, trust each other.

This princess trio is certainly one to admire, full of courage, wit, beauty, and fun. As a great lover of fairy tales, I enjoyed how Hines combined the traditional fairy tales with the Disney ones in his own retelling, empowering the female characters as they went to rescue the prince. These strong heroines were well-developed and relatable, and their unique abilities and personalities balanced each other well. The Stepsister Scheme is full of action, moving the plot along while helping to attract a male audience in addition to the obvious female one. After being introduced to Danielle, Talia, and Snow in The Stepsister Scheme, I can’t wait until The Mermaid’s Madness is released to see how Hines merges these tough princesses into the tale of The Little Mermaid. 7 out of 10.

GoldenGirl: A Bradford Novel

Micol Ostow begins the Bradford series with GoldenGirl, told primarily from the perspective of Spencer. Spencer is essentially an it-girl, along with her best friends Paige and Madison. Even as juniors, the trio rules Bradford Prep, getting everything they want all the time. That is, until California beauty Regan shows up. It turns out that Regan and Paige have a history (one that truly tests Paige’s limits) and it looks like Regan and Spencer’s ex (whose return to Bradford was a surprise in and of itself) have a future. A novel told through the internet, Spencer’s story is one of scandal and secrets that keep the reader plowing through the book.

The Bradford series is complete with a wide selection of web content. From character profiles on myspace and twitter to webpages for the school and hangout places, the realm of Bradford is extended impressively in through this assortment of websites (check out http://www.bradfordnovels.com/ for links). These make the characters come to life in a way they simply couldn’t in the book due to its entirely blog-driven nature. GoldenGirl certainly delves into today’s internet obsession.

For a light read, Ostow’s latest is fun and fast-paced. Rather than taking place in “the city” whether it is NYC or LA, GoldenGirl is set in the suburbs of Philadelphia, specifically the upper-crust Main Line. This helped the book stand out in my mind as compared to other novels. Still, probably because of the title, I immediately made a comparison between GoldenGirl and the Gossip Girl series. GoldenGirl is like a second tier Gossip Girl installment combined with Pretty Little Liars with lighter content for a slightly younger audience. 7 out of 10.

The King's Rose

A new and different approach to the Tudors and Henry VIII, Alisa Libby’s The King’s Rose tells the story of Henry’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard. Cousin to Anne Boleyn, Catherine’s story reveals her concerns with the marriage even before the king’s proposal. Free from any glaring historical anomalies (though of course Libby took some liberties with the plot), The King’s Rose builds upon real letters and testimonies to develop a love plot between Catherine and her cousin Thomas.

The King’s Rose is structured around the contradictions of court life. Even though outsiders to the situation may see her as greedy, this portrayal of Catherine focuses on her young age and responsibility, especially as her marriage is presented as a duty. In this way, Libby’s novel tells the story of a teenage girl who perhaps isn’t ready to become Queen, but who is thrown into the position regardless in order to protect her family interests and then must struggle to balance King Henry’s interests with her own.

Considering my interest in history, I truly enjoyed reading The King’s Rose. To my knowledge, the setting is accurate and well developed, though liberty was clearly taken with the romantic plot. I was pleased to note Libby’s emphasis on the importance of family in early English society, between Henry’s nightmares over his heir and Catherine’s rise to Queen as it was critical to social status of the Howard lineage. Though I knew how the novel would end, I appreciated how Libby led into it. Like Catherine herself, the reader feels helpless to the control of the council and upon finishing will likely contemplate Catherine’s decisions as I couldn’t help but do. In addition to young adults, this novel is certainly accessible to an older crowd with an interest in the Tudor era and the many wives of Henry VIII. 7 out of 10.