*Recommended for older readers: explicit scenes

Life in the Wolf Clan is never easy; for fifteen year old Teia it is even harder. As the concubine of the late chief, she finds herself in a perilous political position. Should she be with child, the sadistic new chief, Drwyn, may take measures to keep the child from ever having a claim to leadership. Her only choice, one that will estrange her from her family, is to become his concubine. This step puts her right into the terrifying and powerful clan Speaker’s sights. Although untrained, Teia has powers that she must keep a secret at all costs. Visions of death haunt her, though, and it seems as though Drwyn and the Speaker are leading her clan down a path of destruction.

Meanwhile, Gair is mourning the loss of his lover. He longs for revenge or oblivion, but his mentor, Alderan, has other plans. Together they search the libraries in the southern deserts in the hopes of finding information that may help them in the coming war. Violence is broiling there too, and all of Gair and Alderan’s skills will not be enough to keep it from spilling over.

Trinity Rising is the second book in the Wild Hunt series. Despite this, it holds together near perfectly on its own. There are enough mentions of the past to catch newcomers up to speed, but not so many that it would bother people who have read the first novel.

While Gair was the central character in the first book, Songs of the Earth, Trinity Rising introduces Teia and much of the story centres on her. It’s a brave decision to give readers a new major protagonist partway through a trilogy, though also a necessary one here. Evidently Cooper wasn’t willing to sacrifice the emotions that Gair would feel at the death of someone that he loved deeply, and his story here deals with grief, rage and listlessness. Without Teia, Gair would be unbearable to read. He is hung up on Aysha’s death, both physically and emotionally. It cripples him to a point that he cannot think of anything but vengeance. Teia provides the balance of action and contemplation, though her own circumstances are dire.

While there are several well-developed female characters in Trinity Rising, I found that I had the same problem here as I have with many fantasy novels. The women are consistently undermined by men. And yes, this is set in a fantasy realm based on historical human civilisation, but even so. I love adventure. Adding fantasy to my adventure only makes things more amazingly shiny. Sort of rubs the shine right off when a girl’s agency narrows down based on what the guys around them want, especially when it’s not always shown to be a bad thing.

This isn’t to say that women in Trinity Rising aren’t strong. Teia is smart and proactive and basically carries this novel. She is put into a terrible situation, but from the outset uses all of her resources to find out more about what’s happening and the best course of action. When the time comes to act, she does not hesitate. Another character, Tanith, is similar in her ability make decisions and stick to them without second-guessing herself. Both her father and former lover, however, doubt her ability enough to impose their will over hers.

While Trinity Rising is remarkably well-written, towards the end is where it really begins picking up. As most second novels in a trilogy go, much of the journey here is setting up for the finale. Alliances are made on either side, battle techniques planned and the enemy assessed. It will be interesting to see how all of the pieces come together in the final novel.

Trinity Rising – Elspeth Cooper

Orion (July 26, 2012)

ISBN: 9780575096196

For 264 days Juliette has been locked away from the world; forced to glean what little she can of it through the small window in her cold cell. In that time she has seen and spoken to no one. That is about to change. She is to receive a cell-mate.

Adam is terrifying to Juliette. He has not been isolated for 264 days; he is perfectly comfortable talking to people. And he expects her to answer. Juliette’s social skills have dried up more with every day that she has been alone and finding them again feels beyond her capabilities. But Adam has the same eyes as a boy she once knew and she slowly begins to trust him.

Mafi is a brilliant writer. Her descriptions drag you into the story and hold you there. She does drift across into monumental hyperbole, but it suits the story. Juliette has been stuck in a cold, concrete cage with minimum amounts of food for 264 days; everything that happens to her is infinitely larger in her mind than in reality. In isolation, Juliette’s mind and imagination are the only things she has to keep herself sane. The exaggerated description emphasises this mindset perfectly.

The main supporting characters, Adam and Warner, are both written as perfectly as Juliette. In Adam, readers can see all the sweetness that Juliette can see, and the vulnerability that she probably can’t. Warner can’t be faulted. I want him to die, painfully, and that is all that is really needed to count a villain a success. Though it goes further than that. Warner’s existence, the very fact that he is alive, threatens Juliette and, because I like Juliette, it threatens me (or my reading pleasure, which is basically the same thing).

Shatter Me reads like two different novels melded together. The genre, writing style and characters all undergo a shift as the book progresses. What starts out as wonderfully written dystopian sci-fi becomes much more paranormal romance. Both Adam and Juliette change too quickly in pursuing their relationship. Despite the strong characters and engaging plot-line, Mafi does not seem yet have enough confidence in her writing to allow them to stand on their own. Adam and Juliette gravitate toward each other, not needing stereotypically romantic moments to show readers how strong their bond is. Theirs is a sympathetic, believable relationship and would have been stronger had the writing of it been pruned back.

What I do love about Shatter Me, is that it is wholly Juliette’s story. It is told in her voice, the writing steeped in her personality and emotions. Further than this, she is forced to play a part in the action. There isn’t someone waiting in the wings to keep her safe. If she doesn’t act, she and others may die. Though she doesn’t grow drastically in the first book, there is plenty of room for her to progress in later books.

As a young adult dystopian novel, Shatter Me stands out from the crowd. It has found its own voice and pace, trail-blazing a new path rather than following one that already exists. Because of this, the characters and situations feel real and it’s harder to predict where their path is leading. I’m looking forward to continuing the journey with Unravel Me.

Shatter Me – Tahereh Mafi

Allen & Unwin (November 15, 2011)

ISBN: 9781743315248

Joelene Pynnonen reviews Lara Croft – Tomb Raider 2013.

The origins of Lara Croft are finally revealed in the latest game in the franchise. Starting out on her first archaeological expedition, she and her team are trying to locate the lost island of Yamatai off the coast of Japan. A storm strikes the ship they are on, and Lara finds herself on an island, separated from her friends and surrounded by danger.

Storyline: The story here is simple but solid. Stuck on an unwelcoming island and forced to fend for herself, a young Lara Croft must find the means to survive.

The lack of strong female characters in gaming has been much lamented and greatly documented. As such, I went into the game with some scepticism that the female action hero would be handled well. It quickly became apparent that my doubts were misplaced. Tomb Raider has undergone a much needed transformation in the latest instalment. Lara has always been strong, resourceful, and independent, but previously she has lacked humanity. In Tomb Raider 2013, her character gains nuances that rely more on her personality than her appearance. Though the game is violent in nature, Croft’s first kill is handled with the respect and sensitivity it needs.

Although she is young, Lara has a strongly developed sense of duty, choosing to risk her life for others even against the advice of her friends. She’s stubborn and likable, giving gamers someone that they can identify with.

Gameplay: As always, Tomb Raider is a great adventure. The island of Yamatai is full of dangers that make for some pretty intense action scenes. Murderous cultists, wild animals, harsh weather, and evil spirits are all obstacles Lara must overcome to get away from the island safely. With predatory animals roaming the forests while enemies scout the buildings, there is more than enough danger to keep the game interesting.

The survival and exploration aspects, too, lend their own flavours to the game. Hunting and salvage earn Lara skills points while there are tombs to be explored and puzzles to be solved for weapons parts.

The settings are varied and often gorgeous. Lara goes from tumultuous oceans and panoramic mountaintops to dingy cave systems and spine-tingling tombs. Atmosphere resonates here, supported marvellously by the musical score.

Gameplay is smooth and the mix-up of survival, exploration, shooting and fighting keeps Tomb Raider fresh and exciting.

Qualms: Quite a few of the movie scenes would have been more entertaining as gameplay scenes. In the initial scene, for instance, there is a great deal of action but none of it is playable.

Overall: I’m partial to action-adventure stories, so Tomb Raider is right up my alley. Lara Croft is self-sufficient and likable, as are the supporting characters. While I think that the gameplay could have been taken further, this was an exhilarating adventure that is definitely worth playing again.

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, Nixxes Software (PC)

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Despite attending the same school, Jeane Smith and Michael Lee are worlds apart. She’s prickly, refuses to submit to or even acknowledge convention, and spends more time with her online friends than anyone at school. He’s captain of the football team and keeping on top of his grades at school while being a perfect son and older brother at home.

They have never had a proper conversation before but when Michael suspects that his girlfriend might be cheating with Jeane’s boyfriend, things change. Suddenly Jeane is meeting Michael’s family, Michael is following her online and they can’t seem to stop kissing one another.

Adorkable does not look like the kind of book that I would ever in a million years pick up, let alone buy. The picking up was not my fault; I work in a bookstore and on occasion I have to pick up all manner of odious books. The buying, however, was voluntary; and due largely to the fact that I wanted something super-fluffy for a trip to the coast.

I sort of got it; but also I sort of didn’t. Adorkable is an adorkably fluffy read with some seriously wonderful ideals underlying it. When Jeane calls herself a feminist on page ten, I realised that the novel probably wouldn’t make it down to the coast with me. And it didn’t; I read it before I went.

Though Adorkable mostly pivots around the two main characters, these characters are strong and dynamic enough to support the plot without the whole premise disintegrating around them. They are also surprisingly and refreshingly different; and chapters alternately written from both Michael and Jeane’s perspectives play up the contrast. Jeane is sarcastic, witty and used to fighting for everything she has; while Michael is even-tempered and used to things coming easily to him. Compelling back-stories make both characters easy to relate to and, when they fight, they both do and say some terrible things but it’s impossible to side with either of them.

Therein lies the magic of Manning’s writing. She doesn’t simplify things by showing only one facet of situations. She shows them as they are; messy, convoluted and complex. Where Michael and Jeane’s ex’s could have been written off as malicious plot-devices; Manning humanises them. Jeane still wants to be friends with her ex because she genuinely likes him as a person and, while Michael probably won’t be close friends with his, it’s more because they have little in common than anything else. Similarly, Jeane’s neglectful parents are humanised to a point where you feel more sympathy for them than anger towards them.

Adorkable is a larger than life and laugh out loud YA romance. What makes it stand out so superbly is that the characters push this story along; not the events around them. Don’t judge this book by its cover; the cover undersells what is actually a genuinely moving story.

Adorkable – Sarra Manning

Atom Books (May 24, 2012)

ISBN: 9781907411007

After years of trying her poor mother’s patience, Sophronia Temminnick is being sent to finishing school. Mrs Temminnick is sure that an education in refinement will cure Sophronia’s habit of climbing, fraternising with technology and befriending lowly stable boys. Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality appears to be the perfect solution.

Appearances, however, can be deceiving. With the carriage being attacked before the party reach the school and the school itself being attacked soon after, Sophronia soon realises that Mademoiselle Geraldine’s may well be what she has been looking for. As promised, she will learn how to dress, converse, dance and charm; but only if she also applies herself to poisons, knives, diversion and lying.

Etiquette and Espionage is the first book in the Finishing School series. Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate series, Etiquette and Espionage is aimed at a slightly younger readership. In this case, however, I think that age recommendations should be summarily dismissed. Adults and teens alike will love this clever, irreverent Victorian-era steam-punk novel.

The writing style has been compared, with good reason, to Wodehouse. As in his works, Carriger’s voice is almost like another character in the book; quirky, witty and delightful. From the opening page it draws you in, imbuing everyday objects with motives and making the most tedious events into adventures.

Not to be outdone by the narration, Sophronia and her friends are amazing. For a group consisting primarily of girls they all have distinctive characters that aren’t bogged down in stereotype. Sidheag, with her rough manners and nonchalance about how the others see her, is my favourite, but the others are just as compelling. Dimity with her wish to be evil, even though she can’t help being lovely, and Vieve are both loyal and clever. Sophronia is the perfect lead character. She is complex and interesting; but her personality is the glue that holds this novel together. Her dynamic with other characters, her natural curiosity and her taste for adventure all meld together to keep the story moving forward.

Of the Victorian-era teen books I’ve read, this one strikes me as most historically accurate. Sorry, Cassandra Clare, and I love you, Libba Bray; but here it is. While the supernatural and steam-punk aspects would seem to counter any historical reality; the language, manners and values of the characters have something to them that just exudes old-fashioned sentiment. Characters, even the good ones, have no notion of political correctness when it comes to meeting other races. Even at the risk of blowing an operation, Sophronia point-blank refuses to wear trousers because she does not want to be a boy. The edges of the sharp bits of history have been blunted, but there’s still enough to hint at the unsavoury things that were, once upon a time, and I really liked that Carriger didn’t shy away from those things.

Etiquette and Espionage is a wonderfully funny start to what looks to be a great new series. I have seen Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series around, but had dismissed it because I haven’t read a steam-punk novel that I’ve enjoyed before. I am happy to say that this is no longer the case. I’ll be reading Carriger’s other books while waiting for the second Finishing School novel.

Etiquette and Espionage – (Gail Carriger)

Little, Brown (February 5, 2013)

ISBN: 9781907411588