There’s action, romance and mysticism, but ultimately, it doesn’t seem to lead anywhere.
Emma was having enough trouble with high school—and then she discovered she was destined to save the world.
Debut novelist Ashley provides more YA grist for the mill of contemporary American adolescence in the first volume of a planned trilogy. Emma thought she was just a typical alienated high school student. Now she’s suddenly going into trances, magically deflecting the unwanted attention of teachers asking questions she can’t answer, and fomenting cafeteria food fights with her mind. And there’s the cute new guy in school, Connor, whose flattering attentions lead to attempted murder. Emma, it turns out, is the descendant of a race of vaguely angelic beings called El-ahren; after a schism, four of the ruling Eidolon underwent a ritual transition to human form, called Chimeran. Emma has been born and reborn for millennia, waiting for the time, which is now, when she will Awaken, so she can find the Chimeran and prevent their ancient enemy, Malum, from overwhelming the world with his evil. Emma is guarded and trained by a small cadre—the motherly Kiana; the wise Sebastian; her ex, Jordan; the class grump, Griffin; and, to Emma’s surprise, her best friend, Sarah. Emma’s Awakening alerts the opposing Sicarians to her existence, and the group must go on the run while simultaneously searching for the hidden Chimeran. Emma’s first-person narration sounds authentically adolescent, with her obsessions about her appearance and burgeoning sexuality. This does, however, lead to some narrative dissonance; the death of Emma’s aunt in a Sicarian-set house fire, the reactions of her girlfriends to seeing Emma back together with Jordan, and the discovery that she is meant to save the world all rouse her to the same level of sullen despair. The specific mythic underpinning of the plot and the identities and loyalties of the various factions are difficult to follow—what matters is that Emma is chosen and has powers, whether she likes it or not. It becomes difficult to decide whether sentences like “As quickly as the bubonic plague spread through Europe, goosebumps broke out across my arms as I started literally freaking out” are accurate evocations of teenage hyperbole or just awkward writing. Sadly, the consistent misuse of “don” for “dawn” and the fact that everything happens “immediately” or “suddenly” leads one to suspect the latter.
There’s action, romance and mysticism, but ultimately, it doesn’t seem to lead anywhere.Pub Date: May 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1478350071
Page Count: 518
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
For readers seeking an introduction to classical music, an easy, entertaining alternative to searching online.
A personable if anachronistic beginner’s guide to classical music.
Selecting over 125 of his favorite pieces of music from the baroque, classical and romantic periods, as well as his favorite recordings of them, music enthusiast Nielsen (Warriors, 2009) has compiled an encyclopedic resource for people looking to expand their music collections. Each one-to-two–page entry, in addition to introducing the composition and recording, offers some biographical information about the composer, conductor and musicians, interspersed with Nielsen’s corny but affable humor (he can’t pass on a good “Baroque”/”broke” pun). Nielsen describes his musical “cup of tea” as “light, lively, and very melodic,” which does influence the tenor of his recommendations; ardent appreciators of contemporary classical, for instance, are likely to differ in opinion on what constitutes “the best,” though Nielsen is always forthcoming with his personal biases. While greats such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven deservedly have quite a few works featured, Nielsen also includes music by Albinoni, Fesca and the lesser-known Haydn brother, all refreshing suggestions from the canon. In an attempt to be comprehensive, Nielsen provides information in each entry about the manufacturer, price and online purchasing of each recommended CD—but recognizes in his introduction that these can change quickly, and some may already be out of date. For that reason, in addition to the sometimes repetitious nature of the blurbs, the guide feels as though it might be better suited to a searchable online format. Its structure, too, doesn’t seem to necessitate book form: Primarily comprising alphabetical entries on instrumental music, it concludes with three much shorter and more lackluster sections on vocal music, Christmas music and some comic composer biographies. That said, for readers who are less comfortable navigating the Internet, or just overwhelmed by the sheer volume of recordings and reviews to be found there, Nielsen’s guide will be a helpful starting point. As his music criticism tends a bit toward the superficial, neophytes stand to gain some basic knowledge, but experts should probably pass.
For readers seeking an introduction to classical music, an easy, entertaining alternative to searching online.Pub Date: March 7, 2012
ISBN: 978-1467958394
Page Count: 310
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Despite minor shortcomings, this daring tale will find its audience among fans of fantasy and adventure.
In the same vein as Lewis Carroll, debut novelist Pumphrey creates a fantastical world full of magic, mayhem and mystery.
In this first installment of a four-book series, 13-year-old Drake seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time—an explosion lights up the woods in front of him, leaving a strange, shimmering stone at the base of the damaged trees. Colorful, bright and hot to the touch, the stone captures Drake’s curiosity and causes him to see strange visions. Intrigued, he carefully brings the stone home and places it underneath one of his most beloved books, Luke of Kropite. Drake soon discovers that both the book and the stone are missing—the most likely culprit is his little sister, Bailey. In a flash, Drake spins in midair (not unlike Alice’s fall down the rabbit hole or Harry’s travel via the Floo Network) and lands in a giant field that smells like lavender and popcorn. An oversized bug named Sponke and a gentle giant named Groger help Drake adjust to his new surroundings. The three travel over mountains and into danger, but Drake still has no idea where he is or why he’s there. As he meets hide-a-binds, mezorks, rock benders, kreetons, foreadors and more, he discovers that he may be more familiar with this strange land than he realizes…and he may possess abilities that could make him just as powerful as his favorite fictional character, Luke. Pumphrey does well in her creation of Kropite, a unique and thrilling alternate universe, and she keeps the pace brisk. Less successful, however, is the novel’s introduction. One of the first characters we meet is Reigan, who is set up to be a major character but then disappears from view until the conclusion of the story. Conversely, Bailey is rarely mentioned until we discover that she’s missing. Lastly, Pumphrey dreams up a huge team of characters, many irrelevant to the plot. This may be a setup for successive books, but readers may feel inundated with too many players.
Despite minor shortcomings, this daring tale will find its audience among fans of fantasy and adventure.Pub Date: May 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-1468183641
Page Count: 308
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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