Navratri - Day #1

Navratri begins...and as I read the related literature, I'm filled with a sense of rightness. There's something pretty awesome about our Goddesses...they are warrior women, demure consorts and the erudite guides to all things artistic, creative and knowledgable.
I scoured Google for some different artwork on the Goddesses and I came across this supremely cool piece of art done on DeviantArt.com by the artist *Araniel*. Stated below, are her descriptions of each goddess.

~ First is *KALI*, who came of Durga (Mahadevi) when she was in a rage. Kali is the Goddess of time and a fierce warrior who vanquished the demon Raktabija to protect her devotees who regard her as a Mother Goddess.

~Secondly is *MAHADEVI*, the Mother Goddess who became the wife of Shiva, Parvati and finally as the ultimate Warrior Goddess, Durga and Kali.

~ Thirdly, there is *SARASWATI* who is the Goddess of Knowledge and the Arts and it is said to be believed that Artists, writers, musicians and students are part of her family and protected by her.

Each aspect of the divine Goddess appealed to me : Warrior....Writer...Consort.

HAPPY NAVRATRI, beautiful people. :)

UNTAMED (House of Night, #4)

UNTAMED is a vast improvement on the previous three instalments. Finally there’s some “save-the-world-from-dire-distress” happening.

There’s a new powerful fledgling in The House of Night: James Stark who Zoey Redbird immediately forms a connection with. He reveals the affinity given to him by The Goddess Nyx and the two seem to share an instinctive understanding about the respective crosses that they must bear. Sadly, like all the other crappy things going on in her life, Stark dies before going through the "CHANGE".

With the brutal murders of two important vampyre teachers, The House of Night has upped it’s security. The vigilant warriors called The Sons of Erebus are stationed all over the school and Shekinah, the High Priestess of all vampyres has made an entry into the school.

But dark evil is slowly raising it’s head. Suddenly, Zoey begins to fear the friendly night as things get murkier. Neferet is playing a dangerous game and has decided to raise an ancient demon that will make all the problems that Zoey has faced up till now look like playground politics.

This was a good instalment...much, much better than the Gossip-Girl prattle of the preceding books. One of my favourite characters, Grandma Redbird is finally playing a chunkier and more involved role. The introduction of unbiased nun, Sister Mary Angela promises to be a surprising but convincing choice. Zoey displays a growing maturity and this worked for me because frankly all the “boyfriend-drama” was getting a tad contrived.

The writing was good enough to ignore the tedious repetitions. Truly, an episode that would have made Buffy and her Scooby Gang proud.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)
See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)
See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)
See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)
See also : Burned (House of Night, #7)
See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

CHOSEN (House of Night, #3)

CHOSEN was a long-drawn out account of Zoey Redbird dealing with (in her own words) ho-ish existence.

All we read about is Zoey’s hormones getting pulled every which way with:
a) Human imprinted partner, Heath (who she intends breaking up with but instead has a hot ‘n’ heavy make-out session with)
b) Erik, her handsome fledgling boyfriend (who she wants to come clean with about her roaming eye but instead ends up having hot ‘n’ heavy make-out sessions with)
c) Loren Blake, temporary teacher (who she wants to break up with but as he apparently makes her "feel like a woman", she inevitably ends up...yep...you got it...having hot 'n' heavy make-out sessions with)

So in the midst of all this mind-numbing drama, Zoey is also trying to find a way to restore some semblance of normality into the life of her friend Stevie Rae, who died and changed into a snarling, undead creature. Along the way she has to keep secrets from her nerd-herd and rely on the reluctant assistance of foe-turned-friend, Aphrodite.

A Series-filler with minimal truly gripping moments.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)
See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)
See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)
See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)
See also : Burned (House of Night, #7)
See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

BETRAYED (House of Night, #2)

In Book 2 of the 'House of Night' series, Zoey Redbird, the fledgling vampyre is coming to terms with her ascending powers. Along with her friends Stevie Rae, Damien, Shaunee and Erin; she hopes to bring about better changes as the new leader of The Daughters of the Dark.

She is also juggling her romantic alliances with Erik (fellow fledgling), Heath (her wholly human, not really ex-boyfriend who she has accidentally imprinted with) and Loren Black (a young Vampyre Poet Laureate and teacher who plays out a haiku-inspired flirtation with Zoey).

Matters get murkier when Stevie-Rae dies as she is unable to undergo the "CHANGE". But is Stevie-Rae really dead or has she morphed into one of the gaunt, undead creatures that Zoey had previously witnessed?

New enemies come to the fore and old foes come forward to assist Zoey.

These and many issues pepper the pages of BETRAYED. Reading the series is akin to watching a long-running afternoon soap. The plot is predictable and filled with tiresome repetitions. You know where the characters are heading but you still plonk down to get your daily dosage.

See also : Marked (House of Night, #1)
See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)
See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)
See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)
See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)
See also : Burned (House of Night, #7
See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

MARKED (House of Night, #1)

INGREDIENTS
~ One troubled (but attractive and quick-witted) teen heroine.

~ A new school/college/university/ random place of learning which plays backdrop to the “fitting-in” saga of aforementioned teen heroine.

~ One super-beautiful, super-snotty, super- all-things-HAGalistic teen queen and her equally stuck-up clique.

~ A handful of likeable waiting-to-bloom sidekicks.

~ An extremely handsome boy-wonder who craves new teen heroine but has also done the nasty with previously mentioned HAG-Queen.

RECIPE
Blend all the ingredients together and you have your run-of-the-mill Ya-Lit.

RECIPE WITH A PARANORMAL TWIST
Throw in the exotic element of Vampires and what you have is Ya-Lit with bloodlust, some cool undead action and the umpteenth attempt to correct the damage done by Edward Cullen and the rest of his sparkling-brigade.

MARKED is one such tale. Zoey Redbird is a 16-year old who gets ‘marked’ by a tracker. Being marked doesn’t mean that someone goes nuts on you with a Sharpie-Pen. It means that Zoey has become a fledgling who will soon CHANGE into a full-blown vampyre. In order to deal with the changes (read: not die), Zoey must leave behind her old school and enrol herself into the "House of Night" (a sort of finishing school for vampyres). What follows are the above-spouted clichés in varying but predictable degrees.

The book could have been loads better without the authors’ gratuitous sermonising and the clear demarcation between what is morally right and what is sluttishly wrong. Popular references were OTT and jarred the smooth flow of the text. Zoey could have been the perfect heroine without the unnecessary attempt to etch her character as the most mentally well-balanced teen possible. The supporting cast of characters are fun in varying degrees.

It’s always interesting to see an author’s representation of the Vampire world. The Cast mother-daughter duo does a good job on it. I especially like the whole concept of a fledgling resisting the “CHANGE”. It adds a degree of vulnerability to the self-assuredness of the immortals and makes for interesting reading. These points and a few other minute details laid down some good groundwork for future plotlines.

Not astounding vamp-lit, but a tad better than the Twilight series. Engaging enough to make me pick up the next two books.

See also : Betrayed (House of Night, #2)

See also : Chosen (House of Night, #3)

See also : Untamed (House of Night, #4)

See also : Hunted (House of Night, #5)

See also : Tempted (House of Night, #6)

See also : Burned (House of Night, #7)

See also : Awakened (House of Night, #8)

See also : Destined (House of Night, #9)

Silver Borne (The Mercedes Thompson Series, # 5)

Silver Borne is the fifth instalment of The Mercy Thompson series. Sadly, I haven’t read the previous four and so here’s a quick summary.

Mercedes Thompson(Mercy) is a mechanic and more importantly, a Native-American shapeshifter who can morph into a coyote. She can see the spirits of the dead and is resistant to most kinds of magic. She is the mate of her neighbour Adam Hauptman. Adam is the alpha of the Tri-Cities werewolves. Another key character is Samuel Cornick, a dominant yet kind werewolf who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Mercy. He has now become one of her closest friends (and roommate).

Silver Borne begins when Mercy receives a call regarding the whereabouts of a book-store owner; Phin who had given her a book on the fae. Besides the investigation, Mercy is also working on her tenuous relationship with Adam and providing support to a dejected Samuel who has just made a failed suicide attempt.

In order to curb Samuel, his own “wolf”: Sam takes over. A werewolf has less control when it is in it’s wolf form and the shifting could prove to be a dangerous thing for the people surrounding Sam. Meanwhile, someone in Adam’s Pack who has never been too chuffed about Mercy’s intrusion, uses the pack-bond to enter her mind and cause rifts in the Adam-Mercy relationship.

Adding spice to the proceedings is a Fairy Queen who wants to lay her hands on the book that Mercy possesses. When the queen kidnaps Gabriel, (Mercy’s fully human friend and employee), Mercy is forced to step into the dangerous world of the fae.

Mercy Thompson is a wonderfully empowered female lead. She reminds you of the b**-kicking, smart-talking Buffy Summers. After sinking in the swamp of pathetic fantasy-leads like Bella Swan, Mercy is a breath of fresh air. She ups the cool-factor with her job (a VW mechanic), is fighting-fit and is ultimately a charming blend of common-sense and rash implemention.

Patricia Briggs weaves in the legends of the fae, werewolves, shape-shifters and an assortment of other supernatural creatures without ever losing a grip on reality. The back-stories are enticing and the plot is well-woven.

The series is a must-read for all fantasy fans who don’t want a sappy, dripping, *I-need-Mr.Sparkle* heroine at the helm.

Girl Meets Cake

Ya-Lit authors are getting sparkier and cheekier.

Girl Meets Cake is a classic example of an author who got it just right. Be it an endearing heroine, a crazy ensemble cast or a free-flowing plot-line...the book has it all.

Heidi Ryder is a plaited teen geek/fangirl. Constantly shuffled around by her parents, she has finally found her stomping ground at the posh Goldfinch Private School. Sadly, she’s not exactly at the top of the food-chain since her mother is school PE instructor and her dad is the caretaker/ handyman.

Not that any of this deters Heidi. She has spent a happy summer in fandom, watching reruns of the time-traveling detective show *Mycroft Christie Investigates* and having a crush on the lead actor, a debonair twenty-third century Posh Brit: Mycroft. She makes a bit of moolah working for the quirky tea-shop called “The Little Leaf” and is firm friends with it’s motherly owner Betsy and her lazily charming son, Teddy. On the friend front, she has her aptly named “Leftover Squad”. There's Fili:the obligatory Goth, Dai:the big hulking gay friend and Ludo:the frothy, cheery, get-on-your-nerves pretty girl.

As the new year begins, Heidi looks forward to spending a lot of time doing a lot of nothing with her mates. But when she suddenly finds Fili, Dai and Ludo all paired up and hand-clutchy with their newly acquired boyfriends, Heidi feels like the proverbial gooseberry. A series of confusing cross-connections (and a niggling sense of self-pity) lead Heidi to create a boyfriend. He’s angsty-hot, wears a leather jacket, drives a motorbike and spouts poetry at the drop of an emotion. Sadly, he’s also non-existent. Heidi’s plot thickens when she fleshes out Ed Hartley's (Mr. Figment of Heidi’s imagination) personality by creating a Social Networking profile for him and thereby opening up a whole new can of worms. Suddenly her friends are connecting with Ed, pouring their hearts out and generally have a happy gossip with him on matters undisclosed to Heidi itself.

Things bubble and boil as new dramas come to the fore. Secrets are being kept, love is being betrayed and actual 3Dimensional mysterious boys are suddenly showing an interest in Heidi.

A classic comedy of errors, Girl Meets Cake hits all the right spots. Heidi is a delightful heroine with her mutterings and imaginary conversations with Mycroft and her ability to weave a boyfriend out of thin air. The book is chatty and littered with e-mails and IMs and sufficient teenese to stay true to it’s genre. Somewhere in the long ramble is a lesson, but you appreciate it without doing an eye-roll.

Many of the reviewers had a grouse about Susie Day’s writing style as it bounces back-and-forth and leaves you a tad winded. This might be so, but I would like to think that it perfectly captures a teen’s mindset. They are legendary ( as was I!) for their low-boredom threshold and this was adequately captured by the author's oscillation between here-now-in-HappyLand ----and----burning-next-in-AngstHell.

Fun read...passing references to Cake ( which is always good!)...and a story that makes you want to finish it in one long, uninterrupted lap!

p.s. The book also goes by the title "My Invisible Boyfriend"

Allie Finkle's Rules For Girls - Moving Day

Meg Cabot is the undisputed Queen of Ya-Lit. She has churned out feisty teens who have *attitude-to-burn* and steady-heads on their troubled shoulders. Her plot-lines entwine urban culture with witty comebacks and situations which actually make you snort with glee.

I have found that her books make fantastic gifts for preteens, teens and the odd discerning adult female friend. The Allie Finkle series has been out for quite some time now, but I never picked it up because somewhere I clung to the vain belief that pre-teen literature was a tad "childish" for a 30 year old to wade into.

And then, I met my best friend's five-year old daughter. She was articulate, had a keen sense of fashion and a manner of deduction that would put an adult to shame. I had been reading fleeting reviews on Allie Finkle and the líl charmer was a living replica of the sassy protagonist.

I picked up the first book and found it to be quite endearing. The tale of 9-year old Allie Finkle as she goes through the pangs of moving to a new (and possibly haunted) home, starting in a new school and making new friends is something that most on-the-move tweens could associate with.

Cabot's writing is spot-on, never condescending and always peppered with wry humour and unfortunately funny incidents. If any of you guys are wondering as to what to pick up for your surprisingly mature preteen, I would happily recommend this series with nary a doubt.

Nina Jones and The Temple of Gloom

First of all…Brilliant Title. I love stuff that does a smack-dab job of wordplay. You got to get itchy fingers to pick up a chick-lit titled “Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom”. Ol’Indy would be right proud.

Nina Jones is a tall, blonde PA to one of the hottest chefs in London: Edmund Jett. Efficient, hardworking and devoted to a lifestyle of making Edmund’s fast-paced life easier, Nina is content. And she’s also in love with her handsome, charismatic boss. But said handsome, charismatic is boss is married…no, make that….HAPPILY MARRIED. And we have…

~ Roadblock #1~
Leading a life of unrequited love is fast growing old for Nina. So, when a handsome (and slightly cheesy) Spaniard chef called Juan starts dishing out a lot of attention, Nina decides to allow herself to be swept away on a wave of cloying romanticism. In an uncharacteristic move; she sells her flat, gathers up her savings, gives up her high-flying job (and a suddenly interested Edmund) and moves to Spain with Juan. She decides to plunge herself into the Spanish way of life while helping Juan renovate a derelict restaurant called El Flor Anaranjado. But true-blue Lothario, Juan does a runner with Nina’s cash, leaving her literally and emotionally bankrupt.

~Roadblock #2~
Ashamed to return as a failure to her old life, Nina decides to take up in residence in her deceased uncle; Arval’s flat. The flat is located in a dark mausoleum which she scornfully refers to as “The Temple of Gloom”. As she battles with her depression, Nina has to deal with sinister gargoyles, inquisitive (and yet kindly neighbours) and a possible (and extremely hot- looking) vampire called Viktor. Is she destined to end up as Hors d’oeuvres for the grim-looking vampire or does she pull through and find her*HAPPILY-EVER AFTER*?

The book was loads of fun. Nina is a typical chick-lit heroine with her obsession for material things like the clichéd Jimmy Choos. She’s also burdened by a family history that is bound to leave her cautious and dissatisfied. However she displays sparks of cheekiness and resilience that makes her wholly likeable.

Viktor the (possible)vampire is…in one word…*scrumptious*. He’s the kind of male-lead that makes you happy that knights-in-shining-armours (or dark capes as the case may be) do exist.

The host of supporting characters are endearing, with Evangeline (Nina’s next door neighbour) deserving special mention. She’s batty, wears crazy wigs, has a latent mother-hen instinct and makes you hope that if you ever end up in a mess (God Forbid!!!) like Nina….you do get the delightful Evangeline as your bolster.

I would highly recommend this book to all chick-lit fans. It’s fun, with tinges of darkness and generous splashings of witty dialogue.

Breaking Dawn

“The Addams Family” OR “The Cullen Coven”, which would I prefer as a next-door paranormal neighbour?

Without a doubt, I would go for the deliciously macabre Addams. They put the G in Goth; were fun, flawed and had morbid fun in their gory pursuits.The Cullens on the other hand continue in their irritatingly perfect ways. I had hoped that the title “Breaking Dawn” signified a new dawn for the hidden facets of the Cullen Clan, but sadly (and teeth-grindingly), they played true to form.

My particular peeves:
a) Perfect patriarch Carlisle could have ditched his eternally compassionate stand and have a moment of self-doubt. Should he support his family or play-nice with the Volturi? But no, he “furrowed his brows” and “clenched his jaw” and basically played Donald Trump of the newly-risen.
b) Esme could have been assigned some kind of pivotal role besides being relegated to interior-designer for the self-absorbed undead honeymooners.
c) Emmett, Mr. My-massive-biceps-are-rusting-with-disuse didn’t get one measly opportunity to display his insane strength and fighting prowess. He deserved at least one hands-on combat with the Volturi vanguard. Losing to newly-turned obnoxious vamp Bella in a bout of arm-wrestling was the straw that broke this buff-vampire’s back.
d) Rosalie, who uncharacteristically helped Bella through her pregnancy with the sole purpose of letting the fledgling immortal live, could have displayed a grey area by being overtly possessive of Renesmee and resenting the bond that birth-mother and daughter share. But no, she was relegated to guessing the punch lines of Jacob’s lame blonde-jokes.
e) Alice, the Tinkerbell of the undead, fulfilled her wedding-planner aspirations, and played a pivotal role of saving Renesmee’s undead butt (for which, the perennially ungrateful Bella whined some more).
f) Silent assassin, Jasper didn’t get a flicker of action. What’s the point of having a rich and scarred history of brutally fighting undead newborns if all he did in the ultimate book is play supportive metrosexual mate to Alice?
g) Renesmee frankly freaked me out. A vampire baby that matures at an alarming rate and transcends thoughts by touching your cheek?!? This is one baby that scared the living daylights out of me!
h) And finally,

*reluctant drumroll*

i) Edward and Bella : How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.
The nauseating couple stoop to new levels of self-absorption, selfishness and pure disregard for anything outside their hallowed circle. They have no compulsions about messing with also-ran Wolf boy, Jacob’s emotions. Whole covens can be decimated so that their precious offspring can survive. A sizeable (and regrettable) chunk of the book was devoted to their combined yuckiness. Yep, real charming protagonists…NOT!!!

Moving on to the likeable factors:
a) Jacob Black: I feel for ol’wolf-breath. Renesmee as a future love-interest didn’t go down well with me. It was downright creepy and a poor ending for a cocky, charming second-lead. Leah Clearwater, the temperamental but spiky she-werewolf would have made such an ideal match for Jacob. She was strong, had a pained history but a newly developed staunch loyalty towards Jacob and above all, she had gumption (something which Madame Blah-Bella could use a transfusion of). It didn’t help that the “blood-drinkers” kept oscillating between treating him like an untouchable and then relying on his loyalty to save the day. Despite all that, he is the most endearing character in the series (with Seth Clearwater coming a close second).
b) Garrett: the Nomadic vampire with a spirit of reckless adventure. His monologue at the end of the book had the right touch of revolutionary fervour and his eventual pairing up with the fiery Kate was something that appealed to me. c) The steady build-up of tension to the moment when the Volturi finally makes it’s sinister appearance. Very well-written. You could almost taste the metallic hint of oncoming evil.

I read the book because I wanted to know how it all ended. I didn’t want to read it enough that I went out and bought the book. I waited a good two years and picked it up from the library.

I wish that all the pots of ink that were wasted on Edward and Bella’s wedding, their honeymoon and the birth of Renesmee could have instead been devoted to a healthy offering of back stories on the various Covens. Their histories, their agonies of leading a damned life and an elaboration of their individual powers would have made for engrossing reading. The Volturi and their sinister army should have got an adequate chance to exhibit their individual shades of wicked-nasty. No such luck.

The majority of the book was all about the “perfection of Edward” and the newly discovered mightiness of Super Powerful Bella (which grew real tedious, real quick).

USA Today (which I believe was put under Jasper’s mood-enhancing spell) smugly stated on the blurb at the back : “Move over, Harry Potter”.

No, Potter….stay right there. Hop onto the Nimbus 2000, join hands with the Dementors and show the Cullens what epic-making Fantasy Action is all about!