Book Review | Seraphina - Rachel Hartman

It's been a while since I fell in love with a Dragon. Game of Thrones doesn't count because the book merely has dragons in it. George R R Martin makes sure that any magic is confined to the boundaries of realism which is probably why Westeros is so in denial of the ice zombies that are headed their way. Christopher Paolini's inheritance cycle was a low point for fantasy's most beloved creatures- it was the 'Bride and Prejudice' of Jane Austen movies. Robin Hobb's dragons in Dragon Haven were a little too mystical and almost disconnected. Then there was magnificent Temeraire who stole our hearts but the series catered to the fairer sex that likes a little bit of war with everything. Yes, it's been a while since I fell in love with a Dragon.

It's also been a while since I felt for a protagonist. Katniss was strong but she never really pulled at my heartstrings; she didn't need me on her side. Sophie from Hex Hall was just plain snarky and let's not even talk about Bella. The kids from  Divergent and I am number 4 are all super hero material. Ride a horse- check. Shoot things- check. Brilliant eyesight- check. Pretty- check. Essentially a counter to Bella whose insipidity single handedly led to the creation of the Super Chick.

Then comes Seraphina. At the outset, she has no super power, well apart from playing an instrument. And two, she's sweet. I know right? Sweet! She's kind and a little shy but that doesn't mean she doesn't have chutzpah, but above all she's intelligent. The book is a high fantasy novel set in the little city of Goredd which is enjoying a time a hard won peace, put in place by a treaty between humans and dragons. Only in this world,  Dragons can take human form- Sarranti.  When we meet Seraphina, there has been a murder in the Royal family and she, a court musician, finds herself, quite abruptly,  right in the middle of it. Seraphina knows a lot about dragons because of Orma, who apart from being my favourite character in the book, is also Seraphina's mentor and closest ally.  The plot revolves around her getting more and more embroiled in finding out who killed the Royal Heir and in the process realising that there is way more to her past than meets the eye.

We have a surprising set of characters which include Prince Lucian- the handsome bastard, who is about to marry the daughter of a cranky but fair Queen. His fiance channels Marie Antoinette thereby acting a the perfect foil for Seraphina. But Orma is my favourite and reminds me of the Vulcans. There's always an little bit of humour hiding behind his seriousness, waving hello.

The book starts off slow, primarily because it's such a strange world and we are dumped into it with no real context. The first three chapters take a little getting used to; the language is mature and languid.  But it's fantastic to see a protagonist who speaks well, doesn't say 'Whatever', is passionate about music and whose mind, to say in the least is, bloody complicated. Rachel Hartman uses an interesting plot device is original albeit clumsy in places and manages to elevate the novel above most other YA fare.  But plot devices aside, the book is filled to the brim with drama and story. There is chemistry and there is sacrifice of the most noble kind. By the time I got to the end I was wiping away tears and clicking on Flipkart to buy the second book in the trilogy, only to find that it's going to be released in 2015! I hate fantasy.

Verdict- Buy if you are a YA fan, you can reread it in a year or donate it to a YA book club.

Revival Review | A Wrinkle in Time : Madeleine L'Engle

It is always unsettling when you don't much care for a book that has been praised to the heavens. It obviously reflects on you because everyone else seems to have liked it. I remember a friend telling me she didn't like Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. Judgement washed over me like a ten foot wave and am sure the same happens to others when I tell them I could never get through, God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy), Fountain Head ( Ayn Rand ) and of course the most sacrilegious of all, The Catcher in the Rye.

A Wrinkle in Time is a young adult science fiction novel that was written by Madeleine L'Engle in the 1960's. It is an extremely popular american young adult novel and is a subscribed reading text for high school.  I am in the middle of a Young Adult reading phase, 'research' is what I call it. What it is is a shameless way to spend weekdays reading books- my favourite part of the novel writing process. A Wrinkle In Time was part of a 'must read' young adult list.

The book tells the story of Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace and a new friend Calvin and their search for Meg's father. The book has a rather promising start. We find Meg, her extremely intuitive brother Charles Wallace, two little twins and a beautiful mother stuck in a small town still reeling from the sudden untimely departure of their beloved father and husband. Meg is awkward, her brother far too intuitive for his own good and their mother who happens to be living in a bubble of denial. One day three old women sweep into their lives and take them on a journey to bring their father back, one that will lead them through multiple planets through the universe to fight 'The Black Thing' that is somehow connected to her father and the future of the earth. 

It is no doubt an intelligent novel that is very much a product of its time. The 1960's was a torch bearer for space exploration and also the cold war which in its heart was the fight against communism which is probably what 'The Black Thing' refers to. The main theme is about the triumph of individuality and the debilitating nature of sameness which is not similar to oneness or equality. The Black Thing seeks to remove all creativity and individuality from the universe. The argument is that sameness keeps order and leads to no disease or sadness. But without sadness there is no joy or love. And therefore love, is what sets everything free in the story. 

With regards to science, it uses much of the modern quantum theory to support the story. The concept of pinching the folds of the universe to jump through it is quite ingenious and I think I will be using the tesseract image before long. The worlds themselves are marvellous and Madeleine L'Engle's writing is extremely compelling and never contrived, which is so much the problem with fantasy these days.  So essentially we have a beautiful story of the zeitgeist of the time. So what's wrong?

All three children were insufferable. I found Meg infuriatingly smug, Charles Wallace a young know it all and Calvin,  insipid. The only saving grace, or rather three of them came in the form of the three old women, Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Which,  and Mrs Who who act like fairy godmothers. The author has created three wonderful children's characters and I am sure they are the reason why the book was so successful.  Perhaps if Meg hadn't been such a winger the book would have a winner.

Next Week: Go Ask Alice! 

Review | Mss Peregrine's home for Peculiar Children

If 'Show don't tell' is the writers first rule, then illustration is perhaps an easy shortcut to get there. Ransom Rigg's debut novel begins with a handful of strange photographs akin to something you would see in a circus of freaks. A girl floating off the ground, a headless boy whose neck is hid by a cravat. Black and white pictures that prepare you for a gory and frightening story of Stephen King proportions.

It begins with a sixteen year old boy bearing witness to his grandfathers death and going on a journey to solve a mystery. This journey takes him to an isolated island and an abandoned orphanage which turns out to be Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children. In what way were these children peculiar? And why have they been quarantined there? And what does that mean for him and his grandfather?

In trying to find answers, he confronts the unbelievable and in the process, finds out more about himself than he could possibly want to. While the gothic nature of the storytelling is quite lovely, this would have been just another interesting fantasy/sci-fi novel without the eeriness photographs. With them, it transforms into a visual and mental treat, the images constantly filling gaps in your mind. I can't wait for the sequel, which I am sure will continue to delight teenagers, young adults and me. 

Book Review | The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick

Night time, dark, quiet and filled with mystery, is a great time to read about digging around in graveyards. But that depends entirely on what you like reading and how much you adore books with unfinished endings.

This one features Valerian, a stage magician at the Grand Theatre, who must find a book, The Book of Dead Days, before his Faustian pact with a demonic force is up. And he must do this before the clock strikes midnight on December 31, the last of the Dead Days which are said to be the days between Christmas and New Years.

He needs the name of a grave where it might be buried, but has no leads except for a music box procured from a thug called Green. But he isn’t about to go tomb hunting by himself. He has Boy, an ill treated assistant who “fell from the sky” and Willow, a clever girl with a lot of nerve. Together, they venture into graveyards, churches and underground canals in search of the fabled book that hasn’t been seen in centuries.

The fact that all the action in the book takes place between the hours between midnight and sunrise adds to its charm. The desperation of the situation also builds up every time Boy and Willow, poor mistreated minions, complain about freezing because their clothes just aren’t warm enough. You can actually feel the chill in your bones during a scene where they get on a small horse-drawn cart, usually reserved for shuttling rations between the City and the village on the outskirts.

The Book of  Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick isn’t about demons and scary ghouls. It’s about those trying to escape dark forces after proactively calling them forth. Valerian, a once-brilliant academician and scientist, took his passion for knowledge to the next level when he began to experiment with arts that others daren’t touch for fear of the consequences. It thus lands him with a bit of supernatural power, enough to make a living as a magician, but not enough to buy happiness or evade money lenders.

Boy, yes, that is actually his name, is a 15-year-old who can’t remember much of his life before Valerian found him, save for a few memories of thieving to survive. He’s also got the knack of fitting into small, cramped spaces and has no beef with the darkness, which comes in handy at several points during the book. But most of the time, you either want to wrap him in blanket or knock him over the head for letting Valerian push him around.

Willow as a character is warmer, stronger and in shot – Boy’s antithesis. She pushes Valerian for answers when Boy doesn’t have the spine to do much except follow Valerian like a lost puppy. She also asks to be fed when she’s hungry because if the self-consumed Valerian doesn’t feel the need to eat, he shouldn’t assume others feel the same. This isn’t to say that her approach gets any results. But it’s nice to have her on Boy’s side.

Sedgwick has written a novel that features a simple plot line and highlights a theory that’s both fascinating and doesn’t unnecessarily complicate. The reader stays interested because the book short and amply spaced with new nuggets of information that add to the mystery in each of the sections – aptly counting down to the Dead Days.

But even though the book falls in the Young Adult category, I wouldn’t be too strict about it. Reading fantastical novels is definitely in the ream of a child, but for adults, they work wonders when you start to lack imagination. As we get older, we either forget about or dismiss myths, magic and folklore for having no basis in reality. But that’s the thing about imaginations isn’t it? Everything within its realms is neither possible nor impossible. The Book of Dead Days nudges you towards this thought process with zest.

The Book of Dead Days is The Caterpillar Book Club’s read for October. Read it with us!

Buy Book Of Dead Days, The (HEINEMANN) from Flipkart.com. The sequel, The Dark Flight Down is also available.