Mandy: Cassel Sharpe’s family are curse workers, and he’s the only non-magical member. Which is a bonus for him, since magic (aka talent) is outlawed in the world Holly Black has created for her latest series.

Cassel’s mother is and Emotion worker, and currently spending time in jail for her confidence tricks. His grandfather is a Death worker, able to kill people with a single touch and his older brothers have special skills of their own. In this alternate world, everyone is forced to wear gloves and anyone is a potential criminal. The Mafia prizes workers, and folks like Cassel’s grandfather are highly sought. But the biggest problem for workers isn’t always the legal issues – it’s the physical blowback they get from using their talent. Cassel makes up for his lack of magic by becoming an excellent con artist and thief, skills which are admired in his family of shady crims. Cassel’s life would be easier if he shared the family gift, and he runs a full range of emotions between embarrassment of his heritage, to wanting a ‘normal’ life, to wishing he was a worker himself. Things would certainly be easier if he was – or would they?

With his home-life less than stellar, Cassel gladly attends an exclusive boarding school, Wallingford, where he acts as the school bookie, taking bets on everything from who will be cast as the lead in the school play to how many times brownies will be served that week in the cafeteria. His life is pretty good – and profitable – until the night he wakes up on the school roof after dreaming of a familiar white cat… and the girl he killed three years ago.

White Cat confused me in the beginning, and it took a while to get my bearings. The back cover blurb and cover art didn’t do a lot to give away what type of story it was, and I was expecting a high fantasy, when really, it’s anything but. White Cat is dark and gritty and once you get the hang of the world being the same as ours, but a step or three to the left of reality, it’s easier to sink into. Black’s clever meshing of the criminal world with the magical is unlike anything else out there, and having a male protagonist was a welcome, refreshing change. I loved the explanation of ‘the con’, the steps a criminal takes to convince their victim they’re the good guy, the mind games Cassel and his family plays. Cassel himself took a bit of getting used to as well, but his lack of angsty whining combined with intelligent internal dialogue kept me on my toes and looking forward to book two – Red Glove.

Kylie: I agree that White Cat was engaging enough for me to continue reading and look forward to the second instalment.

Like Mandy, I was confused at first. What is presented is a very real world view, so the “rules” of the magical world created within it were quite unclear and took me by surprise at the beginning of the book. Once my confusion had abated though, it was easy to accept this other reality.

I found that I didn’t really engage with any of the characters as much as I would have liked to. I didn’t like any of them enough to barrack for them and, equally, I didn’t dislike any enough to wish for their demise. I remained detached throughout the book which was a great disappointment.

My other major criticism of the book was that the timing seemed to be off in parts. Some of the big reveals were anything but a revelation – and I doubt that was due to any shrewd reading between the lines of the plot. Much was not only predictable but actually spelled out for the reader so that instead of a revelation, the climatic scenes were an anticlimax.

Other scenes were so unpredictable that they left me cold. There hadn’t seemed to be any warning signs or clues to lead to the author’s conclusions.

Despite my misgivings, I did actually enjoy the ride, particularly, like Mandy pointed out, the descriptions of the cons and the profiling of their con victims.

White Cat by Holly Black

Orion Publishing Group (imprint of Gollancz)

Paperback, 310 pages.

ISBN – 978 0 575 09671 4

I adored Sea Hearts. By the end of only the first few pages, I knew it would be one of those books. You know, those books that get you so immediately, that grip you and won’t let go. Those books you know will stay with you forever, those books that touch you and linger in your mind, your heart and soul.

I’ve read a few of Margo Lanagan’s short stories, but Sea Hearts was the first of her novels I’ve been brave enough to dive into. Lanagan’s writing style is unique; it’s strange and unpredictable, her use of language is, quite honestly, kind of weird and blunt in a beautiful way. I’ve never found her work to be ‘easy reading’, and I don’t think the author intends it to be that way either. Sea Hearts literally took my breath away and didn’t return it until I’d sobbed over the very last page.

From multiple points of view, Sea Hearts tells the story of the brides of remote Rollrock Island. The most intriguing voice for me was that of Misskaella Prout, the sea witch. Bullied by the townsfolk and her family for her frumpy looks that hark back to an ancestor her Mam would prefer they forgot, Misskaella discovers she has a magical connection with the seal colony who inhabit the island. An embarrassing problem at first, she later discovers she is able to draw a beautiful woman from the heart of a female seal. For a price, any man on the island is able to buy himself a bride – an irresistible sea-wife. The husbands store the wives’ seal skins away, thus trapping them in a life unnatural state of being.

But what are the consequences for the men, women, children and compliant seal-wives of Rollrock? Can thoseborne of the sea truly be content with a life on land? It seems not, and the wives, though loving of their husbands and sons, mourn their lost lives, wrapped in blankets knitted of seaweed.

Margo Lanagan has taken the Selkie folktale and expanded, enriched and made it her own. Sea Hearts is lush and disturbing in its commentary on society; on the bitterness, love, loss and need for revenge we feel. Rollrock Island itself was, for me, a character of its own, looming over and bewitching all that lived there. As someone who has lived her entire life by the ocean (and a number of seal colonies…), I really felt the author nailed the power and enchantment of the sea. Lanagan’s unique storytelling drips with salt-spray, you can literally taste the ocean and its magic as you glide through this book.

Sea Hearts is technically a Young Adult novel, and I’d recommend it for readers over fourteen to one hundred and fourteen. Many of the themes covered are mature, but that’s not to say younger readers won’t be lost in Lanagan’s magical world as well. Titled as ‘The Brides of Rollrock Island’ overseas, it also has a number of different covers, each of them stunning in their own right.

If you love mythology, fairytales, folklore or the sea, you’ll lose yourself in Sea Hearts. I rate it as one of my top five reads – ever.

Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan

Published by Allen & Unwin

Paperback 343 pages.

ISBN – 978 1 74237 505 2

Clockwork Prince is the second book in Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices, a prequel series to The Mortal Instruments. Set in an alternate, steampunked London about 130 years ago, it centres around the young American Tessa as she sets out to find the truth of who or what she really is, and the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.

Straight up, I have to say it’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Cassandra Clare, and I’ve blogged and reviewed about both series right here at Burn Bright on a number of occasions. Her books are luscious works of art, both in cover design, language and the stories they keep. And as much as I enjoyed Clockwork Prince, unfortunately, it just didn’t quite hit the mark of her other books.

Clockwork Angel, the first book of the Infernal Devices, introduced a brilliantly conceived world of old London: gritty, grey and full of dark magic invisible to Mundanes (us mere mortals), with interesting, believable and funny characters – many of which shared surnames with those from the future stories of The Mortal Instruments. Reading it was a bit like taking a backwards walk through time, connecting the dots and the links to characters we already knew well. Big, bad evil was lurking around every corner, and the awesome steampunkery of zombie-demonbots kept the reader guessing in an ‘anything goes’ kind of way. But this time around? Hmm.

Clockwork Prince is a more ‘internal’ sort of story. Charlotte, the Head of the London Institute is in danger of losing her position due to events at the end of the last book. She’s challenged by another high-ranking Shadowhunter who’d like the Institute for himself and sons. If Charlotte and the others who make the Institute their home aren’t able to discover what The Magister (cue evil genius violin music here) is up to, and hopefully capture him – well, it’s all over for our heroes. Charlotte, her husband – the eccentric Henry, and their wards: Jem, Jessamine, Will and Tessa will all be out on the streets. Or at least sent back to Idris, their home country. When the group start poking around in The Magister’s background, they come against more secrets than they bargained for, and while some are exposed, so are the true loyalties of the Institute members.

In the midst of the political goings on of the Shadowhunters is the love triangle between Tessa, Jem and Will. And this is where things got a little tedious for me and where the ‘internal’ stuff comes in. The language used is, I’m sure, spot on for the time period, but to be honest it felt stilted, without much difference between characters, even though they’re different nationalities. Tessa, who was so cool in Clockwork Angel, fell into the ‘Mary Sue’ category – that is, she was a bit too perfect, and a bit too helpless for my liking. The love triangle is predictable, though there are some complications given the unique relationship between Will and Jem. The real problem is the angst and confusion each character feels. There’s just soo much of it, and not enough of the scary stuff.

Will this put me off the next instalment in The Infernal Devices? No way. I’ll be there on release day, ready to soak up more Shadowhunting love. Cassandra Clare has an insane publishing schedule over the next few years, and, to be honest, this book feels like it was a bit of a filler; a bit rushed. I’ve enjoyed far more of her books than not, and I’d suggest you would too. So even though Clockwork Prince isn’t quite up to the standard of her other novels, it’s still worth giving a go – if only to keep up with the rest of the series.

Published by Walker Books

Paperback, 496 pages.

ISBN – 978-1-4063-3037-3

One of the best parts of being an avid reader is finding that book. You know, the one you’ve never heard of; you don’t know the author; you haven’t read the internet buzz so you’re not hanging out for release day – but it’s that book that completely and utterly blows you away.

This year, for me that book is Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Roth’s world is dystopian Chicago. Long after society has self-destructed, it has been rebuilt and divided into five ‘factions’, each dedicated to a particular virtue. There’s Candor, dedicated to honesty, who provide trustworthy and sound leaders in law; Eurdite, dedicated to intelligence who supply society with brilliant teachers and researchers; Amity, the peaceful, provide understanding counsellors and caretakers; Abnegation, the selfless, fulfil the need for selfless leaders in government and finally – Dauntless, the brave who provide safety from threats, both within and without.

Protagonist Beatrice Prior was born into an Abnegation family, but like all 16 year olds, must choose whether she’ll stay with them and lead a life dedicated to serving others; or follow her heart into another faction. At the choosing ceremony, she surprises everyone – herself included – when she decides to leave her parents and all she knows and trusts for a dangerous new beginning.

Fans of The Hunger Games will be right at home within the pages of Divergent, however, unlike THG, the monsters in this world aren’t man-made mutants, but the humans themselves. Roth has created a society which functions well on the surface, but deep under the ideal infrastructure lies greed, hate and plenty of violence. War between the factions is brewing, and it can only end one way. This isn’t a story for those who like their future pretty and peaceful. It’s tough and distressing and Roth hasn’t shied away from using gory scenes to get her point across.

The growth in Beatrice (who becomes known as Tris) is believable and heartbreaking, and at the same time makes you want to cheer out loud for such a gutsy character. Inch by inch throughout the story, she learns to trust in herself, her own values, and most of all her own heart – and that’s where things get really interesting. On the first day at her new faction, she meets the enigmatic Four, her instructor while she’s in training. The chemistry between Tris and Four is so subtle, it’s perfect. At first Four seems to be ruthless, an explosive character to be wary of. But there’s so much more to him than that. Tris manages to scrape away the layers bit by bit, and finds a kindred soul not much different to herself. Theirs is a love story with zero gross-factor, there’s no room for soppiness in a world where only the toughest survive.

Divergent is the first of a planned trilogy, with the second book, Insurgent due in May 2012. If you’re a fan of gritty dystopian fantasy, I can’t recommend getting your hands on it fast enough. This is an incredibly fast paced story that will horrify and surprise you – and leave you begging for just one more chapter after the last page is turned.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Published by Harper Collins.

ISBN – 978-0-00-742041-4

Paperback, 487 pages.

The Dark and Hollow Places is the second companion book to Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth. That story was told from Mary’s point of view, and the follow-up companion, The Dead Tossed Waves from that of her daughter, Gabry. This time around, we get to go inside the mind of Annah – Gabry’s long lost twin sister.

Many years ago, a too-young-to-know-better Annah and Elias left her sister alone in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, not realising they’d be lost never find her again. We already know from the second book what the outcome for Gabry was; but what happened to Annah? Well, she never got over it. The Dark and Hollow Places picks up with a grown Annah, alone in the Dark City for three years after Elias joins the Protectorate, hoping to secure a better future for both of them. The guilt of leaving her twin to the mobs of the Unconsecrated, alone and unprotected has taken its toll on her, to the point where her self-loathing is tangible.  Every moment in the City is life threatening; the constant moans of the undead never far away, and lawlessness prevails for those still living. Due to her street smarts and the scars from a childhood accident, Annah manages to keep her head down, surviving alone, not speaking to anyone and with no friends or acquaintances. Only survival matters… and the hope that Elias will one day come home.

One day, tired of her non-existence, Annah decides to leave the city. It’s only on her way out that she sees a girl in the distance with her own face – a face free from scars. She knows there’s only one person it could possibly be – her long-lost sister.

This series has got better and better with each instalment. I’ve mentioned before (in my review of Dead Tossed Waves) that I didn’t enjoy The Forest of Hands and Teeth at all, though the second book really grabbed me. This time around, the story did more than that. Annah’s voice is so crisp and clear, that her skewed view of the world around her is perfectly understandable, and that’s without the zombie-factor. This is a story about a person who is broken, both inside and out, and the strength she manages to dig from deep inside. The Dark and Hollow Places is certainly the darkest of the three books, but in many ways also the most enlightening. It addresses the heartbreak of rejection, love and loss from a completely honest point of view, as well as the guilt that comes from one of the most destructive emotions of all – jealousy. Annah could be so easy to dislike, yet her ability and tenacity and sheer will to learn to love again makes her a very special character who will stay with you for a very long time.

Admittedly, I felt there were some pacing problems with this book, it could get a little frustrating and slow in places, but it’s absolutely worth preserving. Carrie Ryan wraps up this series very neatly with a knock-out finale that leaves you contemplating what if? long after the final page is turned.

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Published by Gollanz

ISBN – 978 0 575 09484 0

Paperback, 376 pages.