"Cobweb Empire" by Vera Nazarian

The Recommender was so excited about the sequel to Vera Nazarian's The Cobweb Bride that when I saw there was an indigogo campaign  to get it published, I had to kick something in (wish it was more!) and now I have just finished Cobweb Empire and it is epic! Ms. Nazarian is a truly magical writer. We pick up where Cobweb Bride ended and Percy, the smart and brave peasant girl, has become (sorry, spoilers for any who haven't read the first book!) Death's Champion and one of her first acts is to give her beloved grandmother the gift of final rest by uniting her death shadow with her body. She also ends the suffering of a pig who had been unsuccessfully butchered. Now, she is on a quest to find Death's intended along with a last few Cobweb Brides, the dead Infanta of the Realm, Grand Princess Claere Liguon and her murderer Vlau Fiomarre. They are accompanied by Lord Beltain Chidair, the dashing Black Knight and son of the nasty, undead ruler the Duke Ian Chidair (or Hoarfrost, as he's known). We also get an inside look at a kingdom, or, perhaps Queendom is a better description... which is ruled by a woman, Rumanar Avalais, who is so all powerful and so beautiful she is called by her subjects "Your Brilliance"! Is she as benevolent as she seems? And, she has taken Vlau Fiomarre's disgraced brother and father under her protection. To what end? We also get the POV of two aristocrats who had gone on a lark to Death's Kingdom along with their so called friend who, when they've been captured by Duke Hoarfrost's undead soldiers and thrown into a dungeon, seems to have allied herself with the dead duke! These are just a few of the events and characters you'll encounter on Percy's journey to find Death's lost love (and...perhaps find one of her own!). This is just a beautifully written and detailed series and highly recommended! I, for one, will be ready to join another indigogo campaign to get Cobweb Forest finished!

Dragonheart: "Made of Stars" by Kelley York

The Recommender is pretty picky. Usually, if a book doesn't grab me in the first couple of sentences... I move on. There are a LOT of books out there that do grab me... and I'll find myself wanting to keep reading even though there are cartoons to write and draw and working at the library and making Phantom jewelry and numerous other things, so, when I was approved by NetGalley for a recent title, I thought I'd check out the first couple of sentences. Next thing...I was half finished!  Made of Stars by Kelley York is a book that grabs you! It's the intriguing story of a half brother and sister whose father, a policeman, was basically involved with two women, one a long time girlfriend he had sort of broken up with, and the other, the woman he saw briefly after that. As Hunter says, their Dad ended up with neither woman and had two kids, instead.  From the time Ashlin and  Hunter were kids they've both spent the summer with each other at their father's home. They are very close and their alternating voices tell the story of their lives and of their friendship with Chance, a kid from the neighborhood in the Maine town where their father lives, who is around their age when they first meet him and seems like a cross between Huckleberry Finn and Peter Pan. He is charming and funny and insightful and a bit mysterious. He never seems to want to go home and they've never met his parents who are supposed to travel a lot. As a result, he becomes part of their family. Year after year, every summer,  the three are inseparable. Then, their dad is shot in the line of duty and needs time to recover. Two years go by before Hunter and Ashlin, now high school graduates, finally make it back to  spend time with their Dad and also to take a year off and decide what to do about college and ... they both want to reconnect with Chance. It's winter, now, instead of summer, and Chance doesn't just show up at the front door like in the past, seemingly psychically knowing when they've arrived. Too much time has gone by, and finding Chance isn't going to be easy. When they do finally find him...they realize there is something about their best friend that isn't quite right. As the story comes together, we learn about Chance's past along with Ash and Hunter. There are other secrets to uncover, things Hunter may have to face that he's been avoiding. Things even Ash doesn't suspect. Or does she? I won't give away any more of this moving coming-of-age story. Ms. York creates real characters you'll care about and Chance, himself, will break your heart. The Recommender says "Check this one out!" Try the first couple of sentences...

Stranger in Paradise: "The Sultan's Favorite" by Anne Burnside

Romance, intrigue, murder... when you start with a hero like Erik you are bringing a lot of baggage to the table. There are a lot of loyal Phantom Phans out there who want authors to stay true to Erik's character and I want to say The Sultan's Favorite, by Anne Burnside, delivers! Erik is back working for an Eastern ruler, (remember the shah of Persia and those rosy hours of Mazenderan?),  this time a sultan , the ruler of the Ottoman empire. Erik has distanced himself from Paris and his loss of Christine to Raoul, though he still feels angry and hurt, and throws himself into his passion for architecture by designing the sultan a magnificent palace.
This sultan appreciates Erik, and accepts his quirks, and the mask he always wears and even his bad tempers, because he sees the genius behind it. Though their cultures clash, the sultan often tries to show his appreciation by offering Erik select girls from his harem. Which Erik disdainfully declines, often to the relief of the girls who cringe from his mask.
Things seem to be going smoothly, Erik getting along particularly well with the sultan's first wife, not so well with wife # 2. Then, surprise! The sultan is taking on a new wife, # 3! This is Alexandria, the widow of a friend whose kingdom he will now be ruling, and taking on this young woman will secure his place with the subjects of that kingdom.
Alexandria was the ruler's only wife and he adored her and educated her and never resorted to a harem or concubine, as he wanted only her by his side. The sultan develops a fondness for Alexandria, who then becomes the Sultan's Favorite!
Erik is tasked with working with Alexandria to design her suite at the new palace, something Erik does not relish. Or...does he? She is smart and lovely and... well read. She is also lonely and in need of a friend, someone who will appreciate her for her mind and not just her gorgeous body.
Ms. Burnside has created a world you can lose yourself in . I adored her Erik and the many sides of him she portrays in this lavish and sensual  novel. And Alexandria is every bit as captivating as Christine. There are alliances you never expected and surprises along the way. The Sultan's Favorite is a great addition for any Phan to add to their library, and one that might become one of your own favorites!

Skulduggery Pleasant, the Author, the Artist and the Very, Very Good Narrator

Working at the library I've checked probably thousands of things in and out and standing out amidst all those books and movies and magazines and what not... there were a series of books that grabbed me. The covers said "read me". The covers were delightfully animated looking and nicely designed and featured a rather dapper skeleton. This was Skulduggery Pleasant. But taking on a new series seemed daunting! My co-worker, Emily, suggested John and I listen to the audio-books. She said the narrator was amazing. We were going on a road trip and listening to a book seemed like a good idea to pass the time, something John normally doesn't agree to as he says it makes him drive off the road.

On our way to our destination we started listening and let me say, the narrator IS amazing!!!  His Skulduggery was exactly perfect! As was his Stephanie / Valkyrie and all the numerous other characters that make up the world created by fabulous Irish author Derek Landy. John and I were so addicted that we have been inter-library loaning (Thanks, Donna!) any of the series on audio we can get. I had to buy # 4, Dark Days...as no other library around seemed to have it. And WHO was this brilliant narrator? His name is Rupert Degas and he and his voice have been all over the place from acting, to voice overs, to  winning awards for his audiobook narrations! Here, listen to this snippet from Youtube (credit below) and see/hear for yourself!

(Rupert Degas reading from book 2 from Youtube: uploaded by DontGivinGaDanm )      
For some reason, there is a change in the narration of Skulduggery with some of the later books, but we aren't there yet, so, we'll see how that goes.
Back to the covers, they are the brilliant creations of illustrator Tom Percival. 
I am completely in love with his interpretation of Skulduggery (and with Rupert Degas's Skulduggery voice!). I have only one question... no t-shirts? No prints? I would love a Skulduggery shirt or even a watch! There's a market out here, guys!
Mr. Percival is SO good... it was a bit intimidating to add an illustration to this review, but since that is what I do with books I LOVE, below is my interpretation of Skulduggery, Tanith, Stephanie (perfect name for a super heroine!) and China Sorrows.

"Streaks of Blue" by Jack Chaucer

"Streaks of Blue" by Jack Chaucer is an intriguing take on one of the darker aspects of our society. School shootings. It's sub-title is  How the Angels of Newtown Inspired One Girl to Save Her School. Nicole Janicek is 17. Her long, dark hair is highlighted with streaks of blue dye that is one of her distinguishing features. She loves hiking in the New Hampshire White Mountains with her best friend, Candace. They revere Cheryl Strayed , author of the memoir "Wild". On their last hike before the start of their senior year at High School, Nikki longs to camp out at the Lakes of the Clouds above the tree line even though it's not allowed. When a hut crew member shows up to warn them about what they're doing, Candace makes a deal with him to let Nikki stay if she spends the night in the hikers hut. He agrees, as it's hard to say no to the 6 foot tall, gorgeous girl.
Nikki spends the night looking up at the stars. That night...she has an odd dream. A little girl appears in her tent... the girl tells her that her name is Star. She asks Nikki to accompany her to her classroom which is outdoors under the stars. She notices an older boy, the girl tells him his name is Adam. Adam Upton. Nikki remembers him from elementary school where they used to be friends. Then the teacher turns to Nikki and asks her for her help. They tell her Adam is planning something bad. The teacher writes a figure on the chalkboard. 12:14. They tell her to bring Adam back before it's too late. Nikki asks for the address and is told Star will give her a note, so she'll remember. It's a blue sticky note with stars on it. It says 14th & Stardust.
She wakes up in her tent. What could the dream mean? She searches in her pack to find her notebook...and finds a baggie she doesn't remember. Cookies from her mom, with a note. Contained in her mother's note are the date 14th, and the word stardust.
 Was it just a dream? Or a premonition? Adam is a boy often referred to by other students as trailer-trash. His best friend is Thomas "Lee" Harvey an angry, sneering loser who identifies with the original Lee Harvey (Oswald). Are they planning something? Will she reach out to Adam? Despite  Candace's objections?
I won't give away too much of the story. While the subject matter might have been trite or exploitive in other hands, Mr. Chaucer treats it with sensitivity and his characters sympathetically. It's tense, moving and thought-provoking. Nikki is an amazingly strong, smart and brave young woman. She's a great, realistic role model for girls (or anyone!). Give this one a try!  Plus, this is just up on the author's website: "And remember, no matter how or where you buy “Streaks of Blue,” I’ll be donating half of the proceeds to the Newtown Memorial Fund. So here’s a chance to read my best novel yet AND help a worthy cause all at the same time!"

Both Sides Now: "Hyde" by Laura DeLuca

This is the third (but we hope NOT last) of the theatre themed Dark Musicals books featuring everyone's favorite Goth hero, Justyn , make that LORD Justyn, Patko. This story begins with Justyn and Rebecca once again portraying the roles that brought them together...the Phantom and Christine. This time they are college students. After the final performance... Justyn, still in costume, surprises Becca with a proposal, which she, of course, accepts. Who wouldn't?
In order to save money for their off-campus apartment for their senior year at college, Becca and Justyn accept summer jobs starring in the musical "Hyde" at a dinner theatre in Cape May, New Jersey. Also along for the fun, and part of the cast, are their high school friends Carmen and Tom. Besides acting, they will also be earning extra income as wait-staff at local restaurants. With so much on their plate will the friends survive the summer?
As the leads in the play, and new to the cast, Justyn and Becca feel resentment from the more experienced, adult cast regulars. A couple of them are downright nasty. And, if that wasn't enough to deal with, there's also a theatre ghost, Grace Hamilton, the murdered bride of a doctor who originally owned the theatre. Plus, as they throw themselves into their roles and get ready for opening night, Justyn seems to be slowly identifying with the role he's taken on. There are also secrets and surprises, mysteries to solve, crimes committed and family issues to deal with. Will all this stress get to them? Grab a copy, or download one and follow our favorite couple as the curtain comes down on this addicting series!

The Tell Tale Heart: "Mrs. Poe" by Lynn Cullen

Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen is a dark and sweepingly romantic fictionalized account of the life of Edger Allan Poe, his young wife, Virginia, and a woman poet, Frances Osgood, who may have meant more to Poe than just being a colleague.
As a kid, the Recommender read all of Edger Allan Poe's works I could get my hands on. Those stories stay with you, as do his poems of loss and longing. I didn't know much about his personal life... but thanks to this  gorgeously written and imagined book he comes alive as a grand, romantic and troubled genius. A man who married his 13 year old cousin when he was 26. The book is primarily about Frances Osgood, called Fanny,  who besides being a gifted poet and famous for her translation of "Puss in Boots", is also the mother of two girls who has been abandoned by her portrait painter husband and taken in by her friends, the Bartletts (the husband of this couple, John Bartlett, will go on to become the author of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations). Fanny is in dire need of earning her own income after her husband's desertion. As the book begins, she is making the rounds of publishers hoping to sell some of her poetry, but a new fad is taking the New York literary scene by storm. Everyone, it seems, is mad for Mr. Poe's "The Raven". Fanny is advised by a publisher to write a scary story or verse geared toward the ladies.
As for Poe, he is the rock star of 1840s New York and everyone who's anyone wants him at their event or salon.  As it happens, Fanny is invited to attend a salon where all the literary notables gather (including Horace Greeley, Walt Whitman, John James Audubon and many others) and where Poe is to make an appearance. Which he does...with the now 23 year old Virginia. We will learn more about the Poes as Edger and Fanny become acquainted and realize they may have much in common, and then Virginia seemingly reaches out to befriend Fanny as well. What can it all mean? I won't give away any of the pleasure or mystery of reading this addicting story for yourself.
The author vividly recreates the New York of the 1840s with all its sights and sounds and smells. In that, it reminds me of my all time favorite 1800s New York book, Time and Again, by Jack Finney, although that book is pure fantasy and Mrs. Poe is filled with all the riches, and gossip and celebrities of that bygone era and also depicts the poverty and illness that caused so many early deaths and in the author's afterward, you will learn what became of all our leading players. I found this book unforgettably haunting and one that stayed with me for days after reading it. If you want to lose yourself in another time and place and become wrapped up in the drama of the life of literary New York and the characters who populated it  then look no further. Mrs. Poe is a treasure and one you'll want to reread and research and remember.

(from mactubesteak's channel on Youtube: Jeff Buckley performing Poe's "Ulalume")