‘Friends don’t let friends date vampires.’

Mel and Cathy couldn’t be more different, but they have been best friends for years. Cathy is sweet, loves books and is fascinated by vampires while Mel can be ornery, likes solving other people’s problems and feels that vampires are best kept at a distance. Despite their differences, they have only ever fought once; at least before the vampire shows up.

Francis Duvarney is a vampire with a million questions who enrols in Craunston High. He is old-fashioned and chivalrous; but Mel soon suspects that he has ulterior motives, especially where Cathy is concerned.

When she decides to solve this problem, as she has so often solved others, questions begin to pile up and she ends up finding a lot of things she hadn’t expected. Among them, a boy named Kit who can make her laugh, and has the most unusual family background she has encountered.

There is a lot to love about this self-aware, satirical novel. For me, it starts with the authors. I have adored Sarah Rees Brennan’s writing from before I even knew her as Sarah Rees Brennan. She has a fantastic blog that captures so much of her humour and passion for – well, everything, that I really think the people who don’t know about it are missing out on life. Justine Larbalestier caught and held my attention with her amazing book, Liar. Two pages in and I already knew that it would trump sleep that night. Their characters have such strong voices that it’s impossible not to listen.

Team Human is no exception. Mel’s voice is distinctive and unforgettable. She is something that Young Adult sadly lacks; a funny, witty girl who values laughter more than drama. As I mentioned earlier, she can be inclined to irritability, but even that she will turn to humour rather than sulking. Once Mel meets Kit, she only gets better. With Kit she has a kindred spirit, someone to appreciate her humour and to bounce it off of. He is still his own person though; slightly strange and while he admires her he doesn’t think that she is always right.

Something that Brennan and Larbalestier do consistently is write minorities. Whether it be ethnicity, gender or sexuality, they try to not only include them but also to give them starring roles. All of the thought that they’ve put in to the nature of discrimination really helps them out in Team Human. Humans and vampires are not legally segregated; but there is a space between them that neither party seems willing to breech. Vampires have narrow ideas of what humans are, and humans have narrower ideas about vampires. The novel is too friendly to ever get preachy, but tolerance is lauded.

Unlike Brennan’s Demon’s Lexicon and Larbalestier’s Liar, Team Human was slow to get into. Character development began straight away, and there was humour from the start right through to the end; but the plotline didn’t pick up until a several chapters in. If I had been able to love Cathy as much as Mel does, I would have enjoyed the slow start. Cathy and Francis were the only burr in the side of this otherwise incredible book. They lacked the vivacity of Mel and her other friends. Cathy’s conversations with Mel never fizzed and sparkled like Kit’s did. I found myself wondering why Mel was friends with Cathy in the first place. Ironically, I think that Cathy was deliberately written this way. To be in love with a vampire, she had to love stagnation; and Cathy does not change.

Fortunately, all of the other supporting characters were gems. Kit’s mother, Camille, and her friends and neighbours deserve their own book. Mel’s sister, too, stands out for me more than she should, given the small part she plays. In fact, all of the families were brilliantly thought out and written; they each had their own brand of crazy and their own way of loving and protecting each other.

Team Human juxtaposes the choices – human or vampire – in such a way as to make either of them valid options depending on each individual. Some readers have classed it as a parody making gentle fun of the new vampire genre out there, but it goes beyond that. The novel offers Kit’s very human attractiveness against the lure of the forbidden vampire in a manner that is far too self-aware to be regarded as anything less than satire. By the end of it though, I have to say that I’m Team Human all the way.

Team Human – Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier

Allen & Unwin (July 3, 2012)

ISBN: 9781742378398

In the terrorised Kingdom of Alban, fifteen-year-old Neryn has experienced more than her share of heart-break. Destitute and alone, she has nowhere left to turn. Even if she had money to spend, the people of Alban live in too much fear to welcome a stranger. With the dreaded Enforcers out for the Cull, burning villages and searching for the canny, Neryn must head for the one place left where she may find refuge.

Shadowfell is a place spoken of only in whispers. It harbours the last of the people who may stand against the ruthless king, but the journey will be a long and perilous one. With winter approaching, Neryn may have to risk relying on the Good Folk for help, but to do so may mean death for them both.

Shadowfell is different to many of the YA fantasy books that are currently popular. Although it is for a younger audience, it follows more of an epic fantasy storyline. Immediately the stakes are much higher than they are in most urban fantasy novels. Neryn is fighting for her entire world, for the fate of two very different species and to find and keep her own courage. It is a huge undertaking, and even with the help she gets along the way the burden seems too heavy for the shoulders of a fifteen-year-old. It’s hard to pick a favourite element in this beautifully crafted novel. Plot, setting, atmosphere and characters all work in harmony to bring the first book in the Shadowfell series together.

The world created in Shadowfell is a place of darkness. Nowhere is safe; and neighbour will turn on neighbour with the slightest provocation, so great is the fear installed by the ruthless King Keldec. Within the gloomy atmosphere of the novel, however, are surprisingly bright rays of hope. Neryn is one of them. At the outset of the novel she is poor, dirty and tired in both body and soul. In the first few pages, I wasn’t sure that I could handle being in her head-space for an entire novel. She was not unsympathetic, but she was pitiful. Very quickly, however, circumstances change. To my absolute delight, Neryn changes with them. Her hope rekindles, lighting a flame that shines through the darkest shadows Alban has to offer.

Characters, too, provide some of the light that is desperately needed in Shadowfell. Family is something that Marillier never fails to write with wonderful and sometimes devastating honesty. They are ties that bind, even from beyond the grave. Neryn’s courageous brother, broken father and half-forgotten mother all serve to anchor her to morality; but it is her wise, fearless grandmother who moulds her into the strong, steadfast person she becomes. Though I loved Neryn’s grandmother, the Good Folk stole the show away right from under her. They are lovely. Not all of them are gentle, but when any one of them is on page they bring a vibrancy with them that makes their scenes sparkle.

Flint is the other character that moves the story forward. His reserve combined with moments of uncertainty make him difficult not to like. Something is lacking in the scenes between him and Neryn, however. The atmosphere of fear that clouds the entire novel permeates into Flint and Neryn’s relationship and, unfortunately, Flint never manages to sparkle in the way that the Good Folk do. I have high hopes that in the next book the cool front he puts up will begin to thaw.

In an interview Juliet Marillier gave she said that the key to writing well was to find a way to fuse what the public wanted to read with she wanted to write; I have no idea if she achieved the latter but she definitely reached her goal with the former. Shadowfell reminded me of a more mature version of Rowan of Rin. I would also recommend it to anyone who has read and loved Isobelle Carmody. All that is left now is to wait for book two.

Marianne here: I launched Juliet’s book at Supanova in Perth – in the wrestling ring. That was fun! Other than finding it a beautifully written and crafted novel, I was particularly sucked in to the delicate love story unfolding between Flint and Neryn. It was handled with great reverence and respect. A welcome change from much of the shallow romance that abounds in fiction.

Shadowfell – Juliet Marillier

Pan Macmillan Australia (July 3, 2012)

ISBN: 9781742611341

The anniversary of the death of Gaby’s twin brother is drawing near. Despite living in a new town, sunny Pandanus Beach, and having her house-mate, Maggie’s friendship and support, Gaby isn’t healing. Every night she has increasingly violent dreams of fighting hell-beasts. During the day everything reminds her of her brother, Jude.

Then Rafa shows up, achingly familiar, and knowing more about Jude and Gaby than she does and Gaby begins to question everything she remembers.

Having read quite a few young adult novels dealing with angel mythology, I was worried that Paula Weston’s Shadows wouldn’t be able to break away from its predecessors. Angels have been done beautifully in Halo, tragically in Fallen and quirkily in Hush, Hush. What more could Shadows have to offer?

The answer, I’m pleased to say, is plenty. Unlike many Young Adult novels out there, Shadows doesn’t get bogged down in backstory. It moves along at a good pace, throwing some big revelations out in just the first few chapters while leaving others up its sleeve for later.

It quickly becomes apparent that Gaby’s memories aren’t real. She’s as lost in this new world of angels and demons as the reader, and going along on the book’s journey, making all of the discoveries alongside her is one of Shadows’ pleasures. I found myself measuring my reaction against Gaby’s every time a new piece of information fell into her lap, finding it amusing when our world views measured up and thinking she was wrong when they didn’t. Despite the fact that every protagonist makes discoveries with their readers, this is one of the few books where I really felt like I was there for it.

The supporting characters made Shadows for me. Gaby had her morals in the right place, but I couldn’t warm up to her. There were suggestions that she was an incredibly strong fighter, but I felt she lacked that strength in her character. The events in Shadows unfold because of Gaby but she is not behind any of the decisions necessary to drive this book. The one major decision she does make does nothing towards helping her meet her goals. There’s a lot of room for her character development and I’ll definitely be looking for that in the next book, but for this book, the characters around her propelled the story along. One thing that I loved about Shadows is that Weston wrote in some amazing female friendships around Gaby, making them complicated and real rather than something to force the story forward.

While this book is aimed at young adults, it is certainly not for the tweens and young teens. The characters in Shadows fall into the legal-age demographic and the writing reflects it. Swearing is used sparsely and there are more sexual references than an average teen novel. For an adult who likes YA, this was refreshing. It adds maturity to the actions and ideas in Shadows without jumping straight into the adult reading pool.

With a steady pace and an entirely new approach to fallen angel mythology, Shadows is a great new read with a conclusion that will leave you hungry for more. Given the way it is written and the overall atmosphere, I’d recommend it to any Cassandra Clare enthusiast out there.

Shadows – Paula Weston

Text Publishing (July 2, 2012)

ISBN: 9781921922503

N.B. Marianne’s launched Paula’s book at Riverbend bookshop recently. It was a wonderful evening and Paula sold bucket loads of books. Paula will be appearing at the Logan Library SciFi finale day on a panel with Marianne, Cory Daniells, Trent Jamieon, Louise Cusack and Kev Webb. Come along an meet this exciting new author.

Having glanced over the blurb of this book, I was expecting to be gently coaxed into a world where angels and demons battle it out for the spoils of Earth. Boy, was I wrong! This book started out fast and only slowed down once – I was well and truly hooked. Yes, we’re dealing with an incredibly complicated premise; post-apocalyptic society based around the mythology of a 2000 year old religion that still dominates much of Western thought, but Simpson doesn’t let that slow the pace of this novel.

Five weeks after the Rapture has taken the faithful to heaven, a teenage boy leaves his home to fulfil the destiny he has been trained for. The Earth has been transformed into a second hell. A thick layer of ash covers everything and demons swarm the towns at night, searching for victims. As a half-demon, Sam finds more comfort in his swords than in the people around him, but he must overcome that if he is to help the innocents left on Earth. Separated from the only family he has ever known, all that he has left is the path that his foster father, Hikari, has prepared for him.

Switching between past and present, Sam’s personality really shines through. He is torn between his human and demon heritage; tethered somewhat precariously to the human side only through the love of his adoptive family. Without Hikari and, his daughter, Aimi’s calming presence, it seems as though nothing will keep Sam grounded. This is a bittersweet read, the past is idyllic and loving while the present cuts out any hope of things remaining that way.

As always, this human side to a worldwide catastrophe is what anchors me to Rapture. Rather than focus on the action, Simpson really works on his characters. Don’t get me wrong, there is action and it is incredibly well-written, but the entire book comes together around Sam. His interactions with characters post-Rapture are appealing, as he’s never had extensive contact with people outside of his family unit and his uncertainty in his new friends is endearing. His attachment to his family too, is interesting, and gives dimension to the internal struggle that plagues Sam.

Unfortunately, Hikari and Aimi’s characters were not as well-rounded as I would have liked them to be, considering the pivotal role they play in Sam’s development and personality. Both of them are far too perfect, excelling in anything they try. Sam is clearly devoted to them however, and, as much of this book is in his perspective, it’s easy to see how the descriptions could be rose-coloured.

A fast pace combine with compelling characters to make Rapture a great addition to the post-apocalyptic genre. There is a possibility that hard-core Atheists or devout Catholics might be offended by some of the themes but, taken as a flight of fantasy into the Christian mythology, it’s a good, fun ride well-suited to fans of the Percy Jackson series.

Rapture – Phillip W. Simpson

Pear Jam Books Ltd. (October 1, 2011)

ISBN: 9781927182512