Reporter's Review: DREAMDARK: Silksinger, by Laini Taylor

Penguin, October 2009
Overall Grade: A+


Whisper Silksinger is the last of her clan, the brave Silksingers who protected their Djinn and their city when its appointed guardians, the Mothmage, failed at their post...and her last mission is to set the Djinn once again on his throne.

Hirik is the first of a shamed clan to rise above his reputation and become a true champion...

And Magpie Windwitch is still at work, capturing devils, seeking out forgotten magic, and restoring the fraying tapestry of the world.

Evil forces work against all three...will the three of them together be able to overcome the most daunting of obstacles?

Laini Taylor is a rare find in an author: she has masterful plotting and world-building skills, she crafts every sentence with skill, fluidity, and subtlety, and her characters are unforgettable, lovable, and completely unique. Fans of epic fantasies would be more than remiss to overlook this amazing specimen; the omniscient narrative viewpoint may at times be difficult for a reader not accustomed to fantasy to follow, but it is well worth the effort it may take to "get into" the first few chapters. I can promise you that the action, intrigue, world-building and relationships will pull you into this fascinating story, whether you usually enjoy fantasy or not.

(Note: This is a sequel to DREAMDARK: Blackbringer, and will probably be more enjoyed if you have read that first book already. However, it does stand on its own as well.)

Literary Quality: A+
Plot: A
Voice: A-
Originality: A+
Descriptive Ability: A+
Humor: A
Illustrations: A
Believability of Characters: A+
Believability of Situations: A+
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A

Possibly objectionable topics*: violence; demons; a fantasy world in which there are multiple "gods" (Also, there is some slight ambivalence surrounding the world's "heaven" as everyone goes there after death and can be killed--thus unmade--there...the book's only plot weakness as far as I have seen).

Author Interview: Irene Latham

Tenner Interview Number 3 today: Irene Latham, author of LEAVING GEES BEND, due out from Putnam on January 7. Welcome, Irene!

CBR: What are ten words that best describe your book?

IL: heart-touching, historical, adventure, lyrical, southern, survival, quilts, midgrade, family, love

CBR: What is one of your favorite sentences or paragraphs from your book?

IL: "Mama always said every quilt tells a story. Every piece of cloth, every stitch and every bit of cotton stuffed between the seams tells a secret about the one who made the quilt."

CBR: Michelangelo once said, "What do you despise? By this you are truly known." What are ten things (smells, sounds, situations, etc.) you just can't stand?

IL: restaurants where the music is too loud to converse, politics, predictable movies, the fact that there's not enough time to read all the books I want to read, napkin fuzz sticking to my black pants, the way ink smears for us left-handed folks, how expensive printer ink is, nubby sheets, cockroaches, the inability (so far) to time travel

CBR: If you had to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, what fictional character would you take with you?

IL: Oh my. This is quite a commitment. But I think me and Newland Archer from Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence might have some fun.

CBR: Who are some authors that have inspired you?

IL: Katherine Paterson, Sharon Olds, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mary Oliver and so many others.

CBR: What book of the past ten years did you enjoy the most?

IL: Gosh. The MOST? Impossible to say. But for a real reading experience, I enjoyed Griffin and Sabine by Nick Bantock

CBR: When you were ten years old, what did you plan to be when you grew up?

IL: A thoroughbred horse trainer (and my sister would ride our horse to victory in the Kentucky Derby)

CBR: If you could choose anyone, living or dead, what illustrator would you choose to illustrate your book?

IL: Garth Williams (knee-jerk response -- love his work on the Little House series)

CBR: What would be your main character's theme song/some songs on the soundtrack for your book?

IL: the movie them from Forest Gump

CBR: Could you give us any hints/teasers as to what your next project might be?

IL: I've got two in the hopper: another historical fiction set during the 1902 eruption of Mt. Pelee and a contemporary midgrade about a boy who lives at a zoo.

CBR: Thank you so much, Irene! For those of you who want to learn more about Irene and her books, you can visit her at www.irenelatham.com or www.irenelatham.blogspot.com or follow her on twitter @Irene_Latham.

The Best Buy Geeks not really helping you...?

Here are my Christmas gift picks (with a much smaller pricetag):

For the hopeless romantic: Catching Fire; The Espressologist

For the geek: The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading

For the reluctant boy reader: Bobby vs. Girls, Accidentally; Crows and Cards

For the early reader: Bobby vs Girls, Accidentally

For the adventure lover: Catching Fire; Dreamdark: Silksinger

For the fairy tale afficianado: Forest Born; Fortune's Folly; The Amaranth Enchantment

For the historical fiction buff: When the Whistle Blows; Winnie's War; A Season of Gifts; Al Capone Shines My Shoes; Carolina Harmony

For adults who think kid books aren't as great as adult books: Catching Fire; Forest Born; A Season of Gifts; When the Whistle Blows; Marcelo in the Real World

For anyone who just loves great books: Heart of a Shepherd, When the Whistle Blows; The Year the Swallows Came Early; Umbrella Summer

Any other ideas?

Wisdom of the Week

I'm about halfway through (and loving) Laini Taylor's DREAMDARK: Silksinger, where I found this nugget of profundity:

"New ages don't just dawn all by themselves. They're not sunrises. If you want a new age, you don't wait for it--you make it."

Author Interview: Lindsay Eland, author of Scones and Sensibility

Today we welcome the second of our Tenner authors, Lindsay Eland, author of the middle grade title SCONES AND SENSIBILITY, due in stores December 22.

CBR:What are ten words that best describe your book?

LE: Funny, heartwarming, utterly romantic, soaring on the wings of elation, drowning in the depths of despair, bosom friends, scrumptious baking, matchmaking, books, and family dynamics

CBR: What is one of your favorite sentences or paragraphs from your book?

LE: Oh dear! One of them is in the first thirty or so pages of Scones and Sensibility, when Polly, my overdramtic, over romantic main character is meeting up with her neighbors dog on one of her first deliveries. "Jack the Nipper stared viciously at me with his blackened eyes, but I lifted my nose to him unwilling to fall under his spell of intimidation. Still, I felt it unwise to enter the gate lest my dainty ankles be punctured by his pointed blood-thirsty teeth."

CBR: Michelangelo once said, "What do you despise? By this you are truly known." What are ten things (smells, sounds, situations, etc.) you just can't stand?

LE: The smell of syrup and cold spaghetti, the sound of a banana being eaten and macaroni and cheese being stirred which are sounds that are pretty much equal on the "despise" scale, I don't like waiting though I'm quite good at it now, the smell and the sound and the situation of throw-up is always just a horrible thing, I hate icy sidewalks, and the back of my hair when it gets too long, and I don't like long lines which kind of goes along with waiting, I guess, and I can't stand high-pitched screams

CBR: If you had to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, what fictional character would you take with you?

LE: Why, most definitely, Anne Shirley

CBR: Who are some authors that have inspired you?

LE: Kate Dicamillo, Richard Peck, Polly Horvath, Gary Schmidt, Laura Tarshis, LM Montgomery, and so, so many more

CBR: What book of the past ten years did you enjoy the most?

LE: Only one?! I guess it would have to be The Tale of Desperaux by Kate Dicamillo...I love it so very much

CBR: When you were ten years old, what did you plan to be when you grew up?

LE: A writer, actually!

CBR: If you could choose anyone, living or dead, what illustrator would you choose to illustrate your book?

LE: I adore Marla Frazee as well as David Small and Matt Phelan!

CBR: What would be your main character's theme song/some songs on the soundtrack for your book?

LE: It would an all instrumental soundtrack with lot's of tinkling piano keys and romantic melodies that whisk you away

CBR: Could you give us any hints/teasers as to what your next project might be?

LE: I'll give you the titles of two new projects!

1. The Culinary Year of Gloria Cubbins

2. My Life As An Omelet

CBR: Thanks so much, Lindsay, and best of luck with everything!

LE: Thanks so much for having me!

To learn more about Lindsay and her books, you can visit her website at www.lindsayeland.com

Magic Under Glass Book Trailer

Check out Jaclyn Dolamore's trailer for MAGIC UNDER GLASS, in stores December 22!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFvAq2lgrZ4