The Dying of the Light by Derek Landy

 

 Series: Skulduggery Pleasant
Author: Derek Landy
Page Count: 605
Published: August 28th, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  5 Stars ★★★★★ 

Darquesse is on the loose and is planning to end the world. Skulduggery is working to find her and stop her before it's too late. With his friends and colleagues, he searches for Darquesse with hopes to save Valkyrie as well, and to separate her from the evil that has taken over her. 

Will they find Darquesse in time? Will Skulduggery be able to save Valkyrie along with the world? Or will the world end, everybody dying with it?

I can't really talk about my feelings about this book, the ninth book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, without talking about what I think about the series itself as a whole, and all of the other books within it. Every book moves the greater story-line a bit further along, with unique and exciting situations arising within each one. I think this combination of having different issues within each book along with a progression towards the concluding events of the series itself really makes this book special. 

What else makes this book, and series, special? Everything. Literally everything. The characters are amazing! Everything from their names to their backgrounds to their powers makes for an extremely entertaining read. This is the only series where I've found characters with epic names such as Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Anton Shudder, and of course, Skulduggery Pleasant. There are evil characters, good characters, and lots of characters who fall somewhere in between. Some are serious, some are silly, and some find the perfect balance between humorous and solemn. I have liked every single character within this series, including every villain, because they are all just so interesting and entertaining!

Of course there are the personal relationships that form between these characters as well. There are business or work relationships, such as Valkyrie and Skulduggery's arrangement with the Sanctuary. Then there are friendships, such as the one that forms between Valkyrie and Skulduggery, Tanith and Valkyrie, and existing friendships such as that between Ghastly and Skulduggery. This series focuses a lot more on friendship than on romance, and as a reader I got to care about the characters in the same way that they cared about each other. This made me shed tears at times, for example times when Valkyrie thought she lost Skulduggery forever, or when various other characters found themselves in unfortunate circumstances. 

Considering this book in specific, I had put off reading it because until recently, everybody thought that it was the last book in this series. As a serious, long-time fan of this series, I really didn't want it to end. Then, Derek Landy announced that he'd be writing another book, and possibly more after that, so I finally picked this one up and read it. 

As usual with the other novels in the series, I was completely blown away. I cannot wait for the tenth book, and I really hope the author writes even more novels featuring Skulduggery and Valkyrie when he is finished that one. 

I think that everyone who loves stories about magic should read this book! If you like books with elements of horror and humor, including some emotional elements and amazing characters, this series is definitely for you. 

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Tides by Betsy Cornwell

Series: N/A
Author: Betsy Cornwell
Page Count: 304
Published: June 4th, 2013
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  4 Stars ★★★★

Noah and Lo head to their grandmother's house on an island for the summer. Noah is excited to start his internship at a center for marine biology, and Lo continues to struggle with an eating disorder. When their grandmother's friend reacts strangely to a story about selkies, Noah brushes it off. And then he meets Mara, who happens to be a real life selkie.

Becoming friends with Mara is unexpected, but a positive addition to his summer. His grandmother's friend turns out to be more than a friend, and he hopes that his mentor at the internship will give him a job other than organizing papers for his work. As the summer goes  on, relationships change, and secrets are revealed. No matter the outcome, Noah and Lo will not leave the island the same as they were before.

I knew that I was going to enjoy this book from the very start, from the prologue. The prologue sets the stage for the story, on the islands, the Isles of Shoals, and of course, in the water. The writing style immediately drew me in, with the beautiful description of the setting, that made me long to walk along a beach or lake, to experience the beauty of the water and of islands and bright summer days. This description did not lose its quality, as throughout the novel, the water and islands were once again discussed with great detail, which provided me with amazing visuals as a reader.

The third person narration was a great choice, with multiple perspectives used throughout the book. I think that the use of multiple perspectives brought a lot to the book because it gave the reader glimpses into what was going on in Mara's head, in Lo's thoughts, and in the minds of other characters. It provided insight on what they were struggling with.

Lo and Noah faced different issues, including an eating disorder and the promise of college in the future. However, it was not only the human characters who faced their own problems, as Mara's hopes to lead her "pod" provided a coming-of-age story-line, and her fears over her brother leaving reflected the fears of real people in every day life. Noah's grandmother and her friend, who turns out to be a little something more than a friend, brought up the societal issues and pressures revolving around love and sexuality, which was further explored when their pasts together were explained in detail, which provided some great back story and a background for their own sweet sub-plot.

There was a bit of romance within the book between Noah and Mara. While it seemed genuine and refrained from the addition of a love triangle, it was very predictable. I think that was one of the short comings of this book for me. It was extremely predictable, as I guessed the majority of the events and reveals correctly, which was a bit disappointing.

Overall this was a great read, with beautiful descriptions and a bittersweet ending. I recommend this to those looking for books which explore real-life issues while including paranormal or fantasy creatures. If you're interested in young adult novels that take place on islands or near beaches, this is a great pick for you.

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Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

Series: Valkyrie

Author: Ingrid Paulson
Page Count: 352
Published: October 9th, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

  5 Stars ★★★★★

Ellie goes to Norway to visit her grandmother for a part of the summer. There she learns about the rumors surrounding her grandmother and the locals' superstition. Young men have been going missing and some people believe that her grandmother may have something to do with it. 

When her older brother, Graham, and his infuriating yet irresistible friend Tuck join her, she grows closer to Tuck and finds herself caught between her attraction towards him and the impossibility that they will ever be together. After all, she is constantly being overshadowed by her seemingly perfect brother, and he is fiercely protective of her.

When her brother is kidnapped, Ellie must go on a quest of self-discovery and bravery. With the help of Tuck and Norway's Valkyrie-hunting citizens, she journeys to save the kidnapped boys before it is too late. 

I usually don't enjoy books based around mythology such as Norse, Celtic, etc, but I decided to pick this one up on the bargain table at the bookstore. I am so glad I did!  This book made me re-evaluate my attitude toward books about mythology and it completely surpassed my expectations. My main problem with books about such kinds of mythology is that some authors will assume you understand the basics of whatever mythology they are working with, and thus do not explain certain details of the story, resulting in readers such as myself being completely lost. Ingrid Paulson did the opposite of that; she explained everything in detail and I was able to keep up with the story despite my lack of familiarity with Norse mythology. If anything, this book expanded my knowledge!

Ellie is an admirable character. She is strong-willed and intelligent, yet the reader learns that she has an insecure side and has issues just like everybody else. She pushes past the barriers that the issues create and as a result, this book is sort of a coming-of-age story. She stands up to affirm her position in the world, in her case as a Valkyrie, and she OWNS it! 

The romance was sweet and touching. Yes, the author worked with some of the "mischievous boy" clichés but she did it well. Tuck was realistic and had flaws, unlike other YA male love interests, which made this book stand out for me. They had a history together because they had known each other for a long time, which eliminated any sort of "insta-love" concerns I may have had.

I am definetly looking forward to the sequel! I am hooked on Ellie and her story and I feel like I'm living out my "badass" side through her! Not to mention that I am insanely interested in Norse mythology now! 

I recommend this book to those seeking a YA novel with a strong female character, sweet romance, and themes such as mythology, self-discovery and loyalty.

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