The Sun Trail by Erin Hunter and Wayne McLoughlin

The Sun Trail (Warriors: Dawn of the Clans Series #1), Erin Hunter and Wayne McLoughlin. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2013. e-book, 249 pps.


     I read The Sun Trail with delight. Once again, this Erin Hunter book following the development of [fictitious] cat clans captivated me.

     A group of cats taking refuge in a cave are barely surviving due to lack of food. There is a discussion and then some more discussion. Finally, the group splits into two. One group stays in the cave. The other group sets off along the sun trail to find a new place to live that can sustain it. A young male kit sneaks off with the second group and his mother is forced to send the kit's older brother off to ensure his safety.

sapphoq reviews says: This book traces the early history of the cat clans. There is much to like about The Sun Trail. For those parents who monitor what books their kids are reading, I think this one is suitable for teens and pre-teens. The series has attracted fans which include adolescent boys. And who doesn't love cats? These cats are more rugged than adorable. Yet the magic of kittens is found in the pages along with the charm and dignity of older cats. Highly recommended for pre-teens, teens, and those adults who love cats.

Butt Ugly Dogs by Dizzy Daphne

Butt Ugly Dogs: A Photography Survey of the Top 10 Ugliest Dog Breeds in the World! (Butt Ugly Stuff, #1), Dizzy Daphne.  self-published: Butt Ugly Books, 2014. e-book, 42 pps. with pictures!

sapphoq reviews says: Butt Ugly Dogs lives up to its title. The ten breeds of dogs in this book are uh, different. The information provided by the author Dizzy Daphne is accurate and spot-on. Each breed mentions has at least one picture, a profile, history, temperament, and "Rude Comment." This book was short and sweet and free when I got it. Recommended to those canine-philics and others with a sense of humor.
     
N.B.: The pictures in this book are "Royalty free images reproduced under license from stock image repositories." (p.41). They fit well and are much appreciated.

http://ButtUglyStuff.com

Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

Into the Wild (Warriors Series #1) , Erin Hunter. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. e-book, 205 pps.


     I have seen the extensive postings from readers on the B&N site under reviews in which they pretend to be sentient felines from various clans. I didn't understand the motivation for such scribbles until I started reading Into the Wild.

    Rusty was a typical indoor outdoor house cat with stirrings of his wild nature. He was hunting mice when he was attacked by  Graypaw, a young kit in ThunderClan. There are four clans-- ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan, plus a farm cat who is clan-less-- inhabiting the forest and fields around it. The book, first in a series, deals with the adventures of Rusty and his changing fortunes. It also delves into the problem facing all four of the feline clans.

     A most interesting concept for me was how Erin Hunter used re-naming in order to indicate change in status of an individual cat in a clan. The ritual of naming and accepting membership into any community is one that is rich in tradition and narrative of homo sapiens. Who we call ourselves says something about who we are. Those folks with some forms of personality fragmentation have parts with different names and characteristics. When the associated trauma is too deep, integration may occur with one of the sub-personalities at the forefront who is known by a different name other than the one given at birth. Nicknames also may be telling. They may be a shortened or modified version of a legal name like John to Jack, an endearment such as Little Grandma, a sign of status as in Michael Junior or Chatsworth III. Rusty himself is endowed with two name changes as he transforms himself into a warrior of ThunderClan.

sapphoq reviews says: As a result of reading Into the Wild, I have stopped flagging the reviews at the B&N site that role-play being a feline in a clan. I now understand why people do this. The pull to create one's own animal story (also reflected in lycanthrophy, vampyre lore, and Otherkin) is a theme that has been written about extensively in the fantasy genre. Cats that are more than what they seem had a certain appeal to me. Into the Wild was an excellent read for this adult fan of Mercedes Lackey and her Valdemar series. The series is suitable for pre-teens and teens. Highly recommended. 

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Storm (Brigid Kemmerer's Elemental Series #1), Brigid Kemmerer. New York: K Teens/ Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2012. ebook, 295 pps.


     The book opens with Becca who is leaving self-defense class. She lives in Maryland where she is in high school but old enough to drive. She has a job at a pet shop, a best friend named Quinn, and a mom. Her dad left and hasn't been back.

She happens upon a beat down in the parking lot. The vic is the youngest of four brothers by the name of Chris. She runs the attackers off with her car.

The Merrills-- Chris, Gabriel and Nick (twins), and oldest brother Michael-- live sans parents. They are of a different sort. Storm is the first book of a series featuring Becca and family, Quinn, the Merrill brothers, and a few other people.

sapphoq reviews says: Brigid Kemmerer keeps the story line moving as she develops her characters. Storm uses the pentacle-- earth, air, fire, water, spirit-- to explain things. There are also New Age rocks on bracelets and their meanings. And a suggestion of rape and violence. Storm is not a book that I can endorse as reading material for teens whose parents are christian or otherwise object to the occult. Recommended for mature teens who are not triggered by rape and its aftermath. 

A Killing at Cotton Hill by Terry Shames

A Killing at Cotton Hill (Samuel Craddock Series #1), Terry Shames. Amherst NY: Prometheus Books, 2013. ebook, 205 pps.

https://terryshames.com/

https://twitter.com/TerryShames


     Retired police chief Samuel Craddock lives in a small town in Texas. An old friend is murdered in her kitchen. Samuel gets involves seeing as the current police chief likes to drink more than anything related to work.

sapphoq reviews says: I enjoyed the small Texas town feel of A Killing at Cotton Hill, complete with regional accents. The scenery reminded me of places in Texas where I've been. The conversations were realistic. An absence of curse words, gratuitous violence, and graphic sex scenes make this book readable for those who are sensitive to that sort of thing. There are a few secrets revealed which may trigger survivors of childhood abuse but the way those things were described was with sensitivity and respect. The mystery itself was engrossing. In short, I love this book and I will be reading more of the series in short order. Suitable for mature teens and adults. Highly recommended.

Among the Enemy by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Among the Enemy: A Shadow Children Book, Margaret Peterson Haddix. Toronto: Scholastic, Inc./Simon & Schuster, 2005. hardcover, 214 pps.


     Among the Enemy is sixth in the Shadow Children Series. The shadow children are any who are born after the first two of a family. Each family is limited to two. Thus, the shadow children are illegal. The Population Police take their job seriously.

     Three children are taken along with others to a "work camp" but the trio make an escape. They are injured, shot at, and hunted. Fortunately, one of them is able to make his way to the home of some sympathizers. The trio all live. Some other things happen too.

sapphoq reviews says: I did not read the other Shadow Children books. There is a bit of bias in Among the Enemy towards people who pray. Even so, I enjoyed this book. The pace was fast, the plot had some intrigue and twists, and the solutions to some of the problems that the trio were faced with were novel. This book is suitable for children. Recommended.

Raising Steam by Sir Terry Pratchett

Raising Steam: A Discworld® Novel, Sir Terry Pratchett. New York: Doubleday, 2013. e-book, 306 pps.

     If you've never read any of Sir Terry Pratchett's work, you've been missing out. His is the stuff of legend, both entertaining and thought-provoking. The Discworld® novels can be read in any order that you please. I tend to read them in the order that they are published in myself.

     The title Raising Steam excited me. I am an aficionado of all things train and have traveled long-distance on them. When I am older, I shall perhaps join the ranks of train-spotters. There is something about waiting at the station and then hearing the conductor shout "All aboard!" that speaks to every cell in my body.
Frequent long-distance travelers on trains tend to act very much like their counterparts on cruises: They sit down during dinner and compare which trains they have been on. They are also full of train history and a plethora of factoids. And you haven't really lived until you've seen the great train yard in Chicago. Well, perhaps you have managed to live but-- like Raising Steam-- that particular bit ought not to be missed.

     
sapphoq reviews says: Raising Steam does not disappoint. A railroad is introduced at Ankh-Morpork and becomes a worldwide sensation rather quickly. There are goblins and their fanciful names, engineers, assorted real characters, and gnomes. They are all melted into the type of story that only Sir Terry Pratchett can tell. Highly recommended.

Night School by Mari Mancusi

Night School, Mari Mancusi. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group/ Penguin Group Inc., 2011. trade paperback, 244 pps.

     Vampires have become popular in fiction. Mari Mancusi has a series of books involving teen sanguine vampires who also may be fae or vampire slayers or both. She also has a site for those who wish to role-play vampires in her fictional "Blood Coven." 

     Night School started out with promise. The McDonald twins-- Rayne and Sunshine-- were hastily relocated to their absentee dad's condo in Las Vegas. Dad had re-married. Mom and her boyfriend came from Massachusetts the following week with dire tidings. It appears that everything about the McDonald family history was made up (with the use of actors, a bit which I found particularly unbelievable). Dad wasn't such a cheating skunk after all. He had to leave because of a bit of nasty fae business. Mom, Dad, and respective partners are buddies of a surprising sort.

     It gets worse. Fairyland wants the McDonalds to come back. Instead, the twins-- who had become vampires-- are ushered into hiding at a vampire slayer school. The school itself is not friendly about any sort of immortal or otherworldly beings. The top student vampire slayers are composed of a nasty but sexy boy and his cronies. Their ambition is to be accepted into "Night School."

     Rayne finds a library book and she releases her fae heritage along with budding feathered wings. Not necessarily a smart move, considering that she is supposed to be keeping a low profile. Things turn nasty, people get zombified or imprisoned and then released, or not. Fairyland has turned into a refuge for storybook characters. And so on.

sapphoq reviews says: I was willing to forgive the bit about actors playing a granny and an aunt for the twins. But classic fairytale creatures showing up in Fairyland was a bit much. [Shrek did that well, Mari Mancusi's attempt turned out silly and annoying]. A few curses and a brief description of fairy infidelity may cause some parents hesitation in allowing their tweens to read this book. The descent into silliness caused me to chuck it across the room. Verdict: Skip this. There are other books about fictional teen vampires which do much better.

Leave No Stone Unturned (A Lexie Starr Mystery, Book 1) by Jeanne Glidewell

Leave No Stone Unturned (A Lexie Starr Mystery, Book 1), Jeanne Glidewell.  New Freedom, PA.: ABN Leadership Group, Inc, dba ePublishing Works!, 2013.  224 pps.

Very fast-paced. Lexie Starr and Stone Van Patten are likeable enough characters. Harriet rocked! 

A few small mistakes:
1. People not using an Adirondack trail or even animal path or footpath due to stinging nettles is not realistic. Folks around here are far more rugged than that. Better reason not to use a trail much might be because the ADKers have convinced people that trails not leading up to one of the high peaks aren't worthwhile. Another might be that only or mostly locals hike there.

2. Schizophrenia the word is derived from a word meaning "split brain" however schizophrenia the condition is entirely separate from having "multiple personalities".

3. The best social engineering would not get a stranger in to see Wanda.

4. If it was described as intensive supportive apartments with staff on-site (with their own apartment 'office') that would have been more believable and in line with the residential services available "10 miles south of Schenectady" than a "home for the mentally ill."

5. Said intensive supportive apartments could have been placed in Albany and been realistic there (as the first Albany exit is approximately 10 miles from the Schenectady exit on 90 South.

6. Wanda's actions could also have been those of a schizophrenic woman who was elderly AND now also suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's. Her placement in an apartment for the elderly with on-site staff supervision would have fit then. Think: Kingsway Arms off of the Crosstown (route 7 east in Schenectady) would have been believable.

7. NYS is full of democratic politicians who prefer the labels "mental health challenges" or " behavioral disorders/health" to the more direct words "mentally ill". Services in NYS have not referenced the words "mentally ill" here in several decades.

8. I'm fairly sure that New York State hasn't had a death penalty in years.

9. Schenectady has been a dirty city for many years. This holds true of the Upper Union Street area as well as the slummier sections of town. Actually, I was amused at Schenectady being described as a clean city. The resident insect is the cockroach.

Not a mistake but an observation: Lexie uses some 12 step specific jargon throughout the book along with a few Christian phrases. Since the useage is marked, it would be believable for Lexie to be an out of the closet Christian in recovery from alcoholism. She could be a member of either AA or Overcomers Anonymous in good standing. Stone, being a Christian southern gentleman would either not drink because of his religious beliefs or in solidarity with Lexie's desire to stay sober.

If the author didn't mean for Lexie or Stone to be Christian, then the recovery jargon and religious expressions should be omitted in future books.

Good points: 
*Very little cursing.
*Suitable for use by adults in literacy programs.
*If a teen or a child get a hold of this book, their parents don't have to shudder in horror.
*No poorly written sex scenes in this book-- no sex scenes at all.
*An absence of zombies, the paranormal, and dark urban atmosphere.
*The characters were interesting and seemed like folks I've met.

A personal note of thanks to the author for promoting organ donation. I am glad you have survived your ordeal and are now thriving.

sapphoq reviews says: If you like urban fantasy and dark stuff, then this one is not for you. But if you want a wholesome mystery book with some laughs and surprises, then yeah, get this book. But don't rely on it to tell you anything real about Schenectady New York or even about the Adirondacks for that matter. Recommended with a few reservations.

Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake

Angel's Ink: The Asylum Tales, Jocelynn Drake.  New York: HarperCollins Publishers: 2012.  ebook, 310 pps.

Angel's Ink is the first of a trilogy written by Jocelynn Drake.  It is urban fantasy at it's best.  In the techno world where some magic works, Gage makes his living as a tattoo artist who gives a bit of a zing along with the body art.  An elven beauty by the name of Trixie and the troll Bronx are his employees.  Gideon is his watcher from the Towers and his nemesis.

The trouble starts with a tattoo of angel wings-- with a bit of a zing-- done on the back of a female patron.  The trouble doesn't end there.  Along the way are complainers, snobs, an old woman and a talking cat, werewolves, an ex-mentor, and some good old fashioned hullabaloo.  

sapphoq reviews says:  I enjoyed Angel's Ink.  I was quickly immersed into the world that Jocelynn Drake created with an urban buzz and equally quickly involved with the serpentine plot.  Angel's Ink is the first of a trilogy subtitled The Asylum Tales.  There are also two short stories available which contribute nicely to the series.  For those who like a bit of gritty with their fantasy, highly recommended.