Review: Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

Sixteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured and brought before him. Eager to hide her own canny skill--a uniquely powerful ability to communicate with the fairy-like Good Folk--Neryn sets out for the legendary Shadowfell, a home and training ground for a secret rebel group determined to overthrow the evil King Keldec. 
During her dangerous journey, she receives aid from the Good Folk, who tell her she must pass a series of tests in order to recognize her full potential. She also finds help from a handsome young man, Flint, who rescues her from certain death--but whose motives in doing so remain unclear. Neryn struggles to trust her only allies. They both hint that she alone may be the key to Alban's release from Keldec's rule. Homeless, unsure of who to trust, and trapped in an empire determined to crush her, Neryn must make it to Shadowfell not only to save herself, but to save Alban.

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Juliet Marillier has been one of my go-to favorites for epic fantasy for years, but this is my first experience with her YA marketed writing. Unsurprisingly, Shadowfell is just as strong as her adult fantasy titles; setting a high bar for other YA fantasy titles. There are only a small number of YA fantasy titles that I've been truly impressed by, often causing me to wonder if perhaps the YA genre isn't built to sustain the type of world building and epic scope that I've come to prefer after years of reading adult fantasy. Shadowfell completely proves this hypothesis false, while simultaneously making it very likely that I'll be even pickier and judgmental about future YA fantasy I choose to read. I haven't decided yet if this consequence is positive or negative...

Shadowfell centers around Neryn, who has lost her entire family and her home under the reign of the dark, violent King Keldec. Like her grandmother before her, Neryn is gifted with a canny skill, or magical ability, which is outlawed any where but in King Keldec's court, where he uses  individuals with magical ability to carry out his nefarious plots and evil deeds. Constantly fearing for her life and unable to trust anyone, not even the Good Folk who are, themselves, magical and persecuted by Keldec, Neryn sets out on a journey to find Shadowfell and the secret rebel group that resides there, though she can't be sure it even exists. The journey pushes Neryn to her limits and brings unexpected people - and creatures - into her life; individuals that teach her about trust, love, friendship, and, most importantly of all, who she truly is.

Like all good epic fantasy, Shadowfell's premise centers around the universal, recurring struggle of good versus evil. Though the reader never truly meets Keldec in Shadowfell, it's clear from Neryn's scrapes with his minions that he epitomizes evil. I'm really hoping to learn more about Keldec and his past in the next Shadowfell novel. As the reader learns in this first book, Neryn is a complex, layered character and I feel it's only fitting that the reader have clear understanding of her nemesis as well.

I've always had a soft spot for the romance in epic fantasy. These romantic plot lines are usually slow building and filled with tension and complications. I honestly feel that if the romantic relationship between characters in epic fantasy develops easily, the author is doing something wrong. Marillier's romance in particular has always been a favorite of mine, so I wasn't surprised by the hurdles and difficulties placed between Neryn and Flint, who is an obviously perfect match for Neryn. 

As the first novel in the Shadowfell trilogy, readers can expect quite a bit of world building and character development. For me, epic fantasy requires trust from the reader and a willingness to embark on a multiple book journey. There are slower sections of Shadowfell, but they are not, at least in my opinion, boring. These sections that are slow in action feature heavy character development, which is just as important as a high-paced action sequence.

I cannot recommend Shadowfell highly enough. Marillier is an extremely gifted storyteller and I'm always impressed by the depth and beauty of her writing. I have a strong suspicion Neryn and her journey will become one of my lasting favorites.

Random House, September 2012, Hardcover, ISBN: 9780375869549, 410 pgs.

Review: The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not. In fact, he was quite, quite different.

When Liza's brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.

She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.

To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids . . . as well as terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers' nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests--or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.

From New York Times best-selling author Lauren Oliver comes a bewitching story about the reaches of loyalty, the meaning of love, and the enduring power of hope. 

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Though it pains me to admit it, I didn't find a lot to love about Lauren Oliver's The Spindlers. I've read a couple of her YA novels and loved them both (Before I Fall is an absolute favorite!), but I found this middle grade offering sadly lacking.

I love the description of this novel, but, after reading it, I don't find it particularly fitting to the text itself. It isn't the content itself that isn't fitting, but the fact that the summary makes the The Spindlers sound much more exciting than it actually is. First off, the summary mentions literally everything readers will find within the covers of the novel - where's the fun in that!? Secondly, the "evil queen" and her "series of deadly tests" are mentioned and made to sound, in addition to sinister, pretty darn exciting. Alas, this didn't turn out to be true. 

Yes, this novel is clearly intended for a middle grade audience, but I found myself entirely too bored as Liza encountered, and easily defeated, each obstacle that stood between herself and her brother, and I can't help but worry the intended audience will feel the same. I felt like the novel was  good start, but that much more could have been added. It almost felt like it was too tame... I just wanted more.

Though I did find some of the inhabitants of Below rather interesting, I was unfavorably distracted by the rat that serves as Liza guide on her quest to rescue Patrick. This rat tries very hard to be human-like, as this is what she regards as attractive, but Liza is constantly thinking of how horrible the creature looks. In the end, the rat embraces her natural form and sheds her makeup and clothes, prompting Liza to remark on how great she looks. I assume this character's purpose is to send the message that being natural and true to yourself is beautiful, but I wasn't a fan of how the message was executed. Liza's frequent negative remarks were off-putting and sometimes felt like she was being a bit of mean.

The Spindlers wasn't my favorite middle grade novel, but it definitely won't stop me from reading more YA and MG offerings from Lauren Oliver. I had some definite issues with this particular book, but Oliver is a strong writer and it's entirely possible this one just wasn't for me.

HarperCollins, September 2012, Hardcover, ISBN: 9780061978081, 256 pages.

Review: Joshua Dread by Lee Bacon

For Joshua Dread, middle school is proving to be, well, awkward. Not only do bullies pick on him, but do you see those supervillains over there trying to flood the world? The ones that everyone, including his best friend Milton, are rooting for Captain Justice to take down? They're the Dread Duo, and they just happen to be his parents. As if trying to hide his identity wasn't hard enough, Joshua has started leaving a trail of exploding pencils and scorched handprints in his wake, and only Sophie, the new girl in town with a mysterious past, seems unsurprised. When a violent attack at the Vile Fair makes it clear someone is abducting supervillains, and that his parents may very well be next, Joshua must enlist both Sophie and Milton's help to save them. Well-written, fast-paced, and remarkably funny, Joshua Dread is the first in a series that will appeal far beyond its target audience. 

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Joshua Dread just can't catch a break... he's not exactly popular at school and to top it off his home life is top secret. After all, his parents are supervillains and are hardly loved by the public. If kids at school knew his parents were the Dread Duo, he'd be even more unpopular. Even his best friend Milton is in the dark about who Joshua really is, but of that starts to change when a new student, Sophie, moves to town.

I love that Joshua Dread has the potential to appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Though it has been marketed as middle grade, and is sure to appeal to boys who love superheros and comics and girls who love adventure, its laugh-0ut-loud humor and clever details are sure to appeal to teens and adults as well. 

Though the actual plot of Joshua Dread may not always be entirely unique or surprising, the details give the novel a fresh feel. I especially loved Joshua's mother's experiments. Readers won't soon forget her tofu-eating zombies and mutant ficus, Micus. 

Overall, Joshua Dread was a fun start to a new series that is sure to gain a quick following. 

Delacorte Books for Young Readers, September 2012, Hardcover, ISBN: 9780375990274, 272 pages.

Review: Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

It's picture day at Thompson Brook, but the students are plagued by a freak acne epidemic. While the Breakfast Bunch scrambles to put their best faces forward, their hifalutin photographer raises Lunch Lady's eyebrows. She suspects the photographer may have an underhanded plan to break into the world of high fashion that puts the students in danger! Will Lunch Lady be able to storm the runway and stop the vogue rogue without blowing her cover? 

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Holy jalapenos! How have I never heard of Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Lunch Lady graphic novel series before?!? After all, Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril  is already #8 in the series. I've seriously been missing out, but I can only hope that the rest of you MG readers, parents, and educators out there weren't as ignorant!

I've never been much for comics and graphic novels centered around superheroes, but Lunch Lady is a whole different story. I have very fond memories of my own childhood lunch ladies and I had fun imagining them as Lunch Lady and her sidekick, Betty, routinely rushing to the aid of students and solving silly mysteries. I definitely would have had fun reading about this superhero as a kid. On a side note, I found Betty's weakness for gossip magazines hilarious!

I loved that the kids in the novel were both proactive and smart. They often chimed in with witty remarks and interesting ideas. For me, the children were quite realistic. They made mistakes (sometimes big ones) and were sometimes clique-y, but they always set aside their differences when it mattered. 

One of my favorite characteristics of the Lunch Lady series is how seriously clever and funny it is. Lunch Lady's conversation is always peppered with references to cooking and her gadgets are linked to the culinary as well. You may very well have a Whisk Whacker and Fish Stick Nunchucks in your very own kitchen! 

I've only read one book in the Lunch Lady series and I'm already in love. I sincerely hope school libraries are carrying Krosoczka's fantastic series and kids are falling for Lunch Lady, Betty, and their students as well!

Knopf, September 2012, Paperback, ISBN: 9780375970351, 96 pages.

Reasons to Read: The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle + Giveaway

Reasons to Read (R2R) is a new feature at The Hiding Spot. This weekly post will give readers reasons to read (or pre-order, if the case may be) a specific title I've read and loved.   A giveaway of the weekly title may also occur.

The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

September 25, 2012/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

1. The Hallowed Ones features a look at Amish life. I haven't read any other YA books that focus on this, so it was entirely new to me.
2. There is discussion of religion and individual beliefs, but it's not overbearing. I actually enjoyed it a lot, which was unexpected.
3. Katie, the MC, is a bit of a rebel, but maybe not in the way you might think. She's actually a "good girl,", but she's a very free thinker. She questions things instead of blindly accepting them, something not exactly encouraged in her community.
4. There's a touch of romance. I love that Katie and her love interest are very different in many ways, but similar at their core.
5. The monsters in the novel were unique. I've heard them referred to as vampires, and I suppose that they are a version of vamps, but I feel like they need their own name.
6. This book is intense. The themes, the gory murder scenes, the decisions made by the characters. Whoa.
7. There's a woman from the outside world that ends up taking shelter with the Amish as all hell breaks loose outside. The comparison of how she reacts to the situation and her views about life in general versus the way Katie's community reacts and thinks is fascinating. 

More about The Hallowed Ones:

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

Win an ARC of The Hallowed Ones by filling out the form below! 

Don't forget to comment and let me know whether I should keep Reasons to Read as a weekly feature!

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Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head. 

But all that changes when the Lynburns return. 

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

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I haven't a clue why I've never read anything by Sarah Rees Brennan before Unspoken. From the first pages I was hooked on this newest offering from Brennan, causing me to wonder just what I've been missing all this time!


Kami quickly shaped up to be a  fantastic main characters... and perhaps a new favorite. Right from the start it was obvious she was a funny and whip smart... and she only grew on me as the story progressed. Even though she often takes risks, I never saw Kami as irresponsible or naive. Instead, she sees what needs to be done then goes out and does it.


Readers know from the description that Kami's long time "imaginary friend," that she's talked to in her head for years, turns out to be a real flesh and blood boy, but uncovering why Kami and Jared can communicate telepathically - and all the complications their bond causes - turns out to be a rather delicious treat. I seriously loved that things aren't easy for Kami and Jared, even though they've, in a way, talked and known each other for years. Having your imaginary friend end up being a real person might not be realistic, but the feelings and challenges these two characters experience ring true.


Another aspect of Unspoken that I particularly enjoyed was the relationship between Kami and her best friend. Too often, I find the best friend to be either a pain in the ass or a horrible influence, but Kami has a really kickass best friend. Actually, all Kami's friends are really supportive and awesome. It is so, so nice to see a main character get the support she deserves. *happy dance*


I feel that I can't go into much of a discussion of the actual plot without becoming spoilery, but I loved every twist and turn and, honestly, didn't find Unspoken to be at all predictable. The mystery is pretty neatly wrapped up by the end of the novel, but there were enough loose ends left that there's reason for a next book... which is awesome because I'm rather attached to these characters! 

Random House BFYR, September 2012, Hardcover, ISBN: 9780375870415, 370 pages.

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I was able to meet and chat with Sarah Rees Brennan (and Jennifer Lynn Barnes) at this year's RT Convention in Chicago!