Geist

Paperback, 304 pages

Published January 27th 2011 by ACE

Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off the malevolent haunting of the geists...

Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha, now thrust into partnership with the novice Deacon, Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aide the Priory with a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse.

But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows.

And if she makes it out of Ulrich alive, what in Hell is she returning to?

I'm really disappointed I could not find a hardcover or simply bigger version of this book. I'm also surprised the two bookstores I went to only had one or two copies of Geist and Spectyr, because these books should definitively be found in a larger number.

It only took me three days to go through Geist, and I can't wait to purchase the follow up. This novel offers one of the most original and inspiring fantasy universe that I have seen in a long, long time. It's fresh, loaded with action and strong characters and because the book can be relatively considered as an 'Adult book', it's devoid of the sappy, mindless drama that you drown in while reading YA novels.

I loved every single one of the characters. Sorcha with her blunt, strong attitude, Merick with his intelligent but young naivety, Raed and his pirate-ish, cool-headed mannerism. I enjoyed the fact they all brought something to the story and that the plot's fate didn't rest on only one character's shoulders. I loved the fact they all have both weaknesses and strengths. The world Ballantine created is also fantastic and refreshing, and I can't wait to read more. It's been a while since I've looked forward to a sequel like this.

Ballantine is very good at creating a stable, suspenseful plot. Just like with any other fantasy story, there may be a lot of elements to take in, the magic system can seem complicated at first, but I admired the fact all this universe was layered out one bit at the time in a very precise manner, and without some kind of major dumping of information on the reader, or on the contrary, none at all.

Having read other reviews, I observed that a lot of readers stated that the first few chapters were really 'boring and hard to pull through'. I personally disagree. The first chapter of Geist is already hooking the reader to the core of the action, and albeit one or two introductory chapters about the characters themselves and the world, Geist is action-packed till the end. I may even say that that's something to beware of; too much constant rolling action can get very tiresome and ridiculous, but Geist treated everything perfectly. I hope though that in the following sequels there will be less fighting and more interactions, more passive drama and also more deepening of the character's pasts and future.

In any case, I recommend this book to all those fantasy readers out there. Great, great novel and I hope it keeps being great.

Originality: 9.5
Plot: 8,5
Characters: 10
Writing: 8
Cliffhangers: 8.5

Geist by Phillipa Ballantine
Rating: 8,9/10

-Beryl

And we're back on a roll.

It's really impossible for me to stay away from books for too long, and I'm glad to say I'll be posting up some new, fresh reviews soon. I don't know about Aithen, but I've been spending some of my money on some sweet deals lately, and I'm just dying to share my thoughts online. Look forward to reviews of

'Geist' by Phillipa Ballantine
'So Silver Bright' by Lisa Mantchev
'Annabel' by Kathleen Winter
'The way of Shadows' by Brent Weeks

and many more to come. :)

-Beryl

It has been a while now...

... since we've reviewed a book! And it may take some time before we update again.

See, it's not that we've fallen out of love for books, it's just that this summer Aithen and I have been concentrating a lot on simply writing! We've been writing our own stories, short and long, roleplaying and also getting ready for NaNoWriMo. We plan on participating this November, and thus we have to get mentally ready to write down 50 000 words in only one month. In September we're also entering College / 'Cegep' / 'Pre-Uni', which is a big change and will assure us a busy schedule.

This goes without saying that we haven't been reading much... It is really just a phase where we enjoy working with our fingers rather than with our eyes, but fear not! Pepper Ink is not dying and we're thankful for the attention we've been given till now! We'll continue on posting reviews whenever we finish a read.

We hope everyone had a great summer till now, and that the greatness continues till the end!

-Beryl

Before I Fall

472 pages
Published March 2nd 2010 by HarperCollins
Genre: YA Fiction

"What if you had only one day to live?
What would you do?
Who would you kiss?
And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing."

It has been over two months since the site's last review! Gasp! We're awfully sorry, but school has been nipping at our heels. Here's a book I just finished reading a few days ago, and hopefully this review can make up for the lack of any recent ones... and the sparse that are to come until the end of the school year.

Before I Fall! A not so bad read. Telling the story of how a girl lives the same day through an entire week and how she comes to change herself and the people around her, it is an interesting book that is both realistic and relatable to. Samantha Kingston, your vain, simple-minded and bitchy teenage girl who sees the amount of roses you get on Valentine's day as important, suddenly dies on said Valentine day, in a car accident after your generic teen party. The next morning, she wakes up in her bed, on the same exact day. Fun stuff!

In Before I Fall, Oliver makes her protagonist go through the same day seven times, causing her to evolve into a better, nicer person as she realizes that popularity, sex and social power aren't the only things that matter, and that there are better things to concentrate upon. For a novel of 472 pages, there's enough space to clearly witness Samantha's evolution and for the reader to end up liking her. The story itself is gripping and holds some jolting twists at the end. It was my personal pleasure to see the story and mystery behind Sam's death and quest unfold so well.

The same day, seven times? Might be a bit repetitive. It was, on day 3 or 4, but the events vary. Even if I did approach the ending of the book with certain relief and impatience, Before I Fall offers many versions of the same day, and doesn't drag on the details that were already presented earlier. Character-wise, I think the cast is very realistic. All of Samantha's friends are the type of girls that one can classify as 'classical school bitch', and are presented such as that; bitching, being mean and vile, horny and self-centered. Lauren Oliver does, though, show their better side, a deepness to them that the reader doesn't realize at first. The character development is drastic and entirely believable.

Before I Fall captures the narcissistic emotions and feelings of high school very well. I think a lot of people can relate to the book and it's characters, and even if sometimes the repetition threatened to be overwhelming, the book satisfied me. The writing is engaging and flowing. A book I recommend.

-Beryl

Originality: 9
Plot: 8,5
Characters: 9
Writing: 8
Cliffhangers: 7,5

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Rating: 8,4/10

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Joke's on you. :P

This was, actually, Beryl's final high school thesis. She wrote a YA literature guide for teens ad this is the result. XD And it is no where near worth 999 bucks.
But, admit it. You were already taking out your wallet. Yes, yes you were.

House Rules

532 pages
Genre; Fiction
Published March 2nd 2010 by Atria

When your son can’t look you in the eye . . . does that mean he’s guilty?

Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject—forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he’s always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he’s usually right.

But when Jacob’s small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob’s behaviors are hallmark Asperger’s, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob’s mother, Emma, it’s a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it’s another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.

And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

I found House Rules a very enlightening read. I often like to take a break from fantasy and science fiction in order to grab a book from which I can learn something new. House Rules explores the many facets of a kid with Asperger's, who has a kick on forensic science, and Picoult does a great job into weaving a fascinating story around him and his family. Picoult has a simple, clear writing style that made it simple to understand everything that was going on, and she made the plot even more interesting by offering different point of views (of the cop in charge of the case, the lawyer, Jacob's brother...). She made me curious about forensic science, too, and I'm probably going to recommend this book too all my friends and relatives who are in criminology.

Yet, sometimes I felt like I was reading Wikipedia. This was the case often; from when Emma, Jacob's mother explained how life with her son worked, to when all the various doctors and psychologies testified at the trial, I had the impression of reading a Wikipedia article. Yes, I did learn a lot, and I do give credit to Picoult for the extensive amount of research she did on Asperger's, but this is a novel, after all. It goes without saying that these walls of text became repetitive, to the point where I felt comfortable in skipping a few paragraphs of testimony (that blabbered about what the reader already knew about Jacob) just to get to the part where the plot advanced.

I also didn't get attached to the characters, except for Jacob. I consider the other characters as too representative of the generic family members struggling with a handicapped child; in this case a young adult with Asperger's syndrome (such as Emma, by example, who was your typical brave mom who loves her child no matter what or Theo, your typical normal brother who his annoyed by all the hardships that come with a 'defective' sibling, and who just wants a normal life). I didn't see them as characters that stood strongly by themselves. Of course, I consider House Rules more like a book that wants to bring a point across than a poetic tale that you enjoy reading over and over again.

It was definitively an interesting read. Slightly predictable too, but very bright and smart.

-Beryl

Originality: 9
Plot: 8,5
Characters: 7,5
Writing: 8
Cliffhangers: 7,5

House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 8,1/10

The Paper Girl

376 pages
Published March 31st 2010 by XO Editions

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Originally written in French, translation in English not yet available

"Soaked to the bone and completely naked, she appeared on my lawn in the middle of a stormy night.
'Where do you come from?'
'I fell.'
'Fell from where?'
'I fell from your book. I fell from your story, geez!'"

Tom Boyd, a popular author undergoing a writer's block watches as the protagonist from his
novels arrives in his life. She is pretty, desperate, and she's going to die if he stops writing. Impossible? And yet..

Together, Tom and Billie will experience an extraordinary adventure where reality and fiction become intertwined in order to deliver a seductive but dangerous game.

Musso has a simple yet fluid writing style and offers us here a quick novel that is good when you're on a vacation or in the need of a break. Even if he doesn't stand out as an exceptional author, I must say I enjoyed this novel (the first I read by him) quite a lot. Actually, when thinking of this novel, one word pops out in my mind: Lovely.

This is a funny and romantic road story about an author who struggles with his loss of inspiration and heartbreak, about friends overcoming hardships together and of course, about all kinds of love. Musso weaved together a curious plot that kept me hooked till the very last page and surprised me with a twist I honestly hadn't expected.

His characters are all unique and interesting; Billie, the head strong but troubled woman, Tom the depressed but inspiring author, Milo the foolish yet caring friend and Carole, the sturdy cop that started with nothing but rose to the top. Each of the main characters play an important part of the story, from when they are trying to pull Tom out of his depression to dealing with their own troubles from the past. They reach the reader's heart with their many strengths and faults, and I was slightly reluctant in letting them go.

I found the whole book very touching. It's a wonderful story about how books can change people's lives, and not only those of Tom, Billie, etc. It's an easy quick read that takes you all around the world; from the USA to Mexico, France and Italy. It hasn't yet been translated in English, and I don't know when it will be, but I recommend this book for those who want a cute love story with a bit of mystery and true feelings.

I don't acknowledge Musso as a brilliant author and consider his writing style as bit too simplistic, but he sure knows how to plot.

-Beryl

Originality: 8
Plot: 8,5
Characters: 9,5
Writing: 7
Cliffhangers: 8

The Paper Girl by Guillaume Musso
Rating: 8,2/10