And so, after a long journey we arrive at the final category of this year's Grunter Awards - Young Adult. Now, deciding what is and isn't a Young Adult novel can be a tricky old business. In this case I've used two criteria to decide what fits in this category. Firstly, if an author calls it a Young Adult novel, then I'm pretty much inclined to believe him/her and I will place it in this category. Secondly, if I'm reading the book and it seems to be pitched toward Young Adults, then I'll slot it in here as well.
Anyway... that's the rationale, so here we go with the Young Adult Category.
Anyway... that's the rationale, so here we go with the Young Adult Category.
category - young adult
Our first nomination is for a very sweet fantasy, love story that really entranced me. It is Fire's Love by Alex E Carey
When I first began reading Fire's Love by Alex Carey, I was taken by the simplicity of the language, but then I reminded myself that this was a Young Adult fantasy tale and I was anything but a young adult. Once I put myself fully into the genre, I really began to appreciate the story that Carey was developing here and turning into a series. I became very enamoured with her main protagonists, Kira and her two demon friends Lowell and Pyre.
The premise of the story is straightforward. Kira, a very intelligent sixteen-year-old, with a troubled past is heading off to College and ready for a new beginning. She meets Lowell and Pyre, two demons who live on Earth and have a mission. Kira, a girl who has always been fascinated by demons is excited and thrilled to finally realise that not only are demons real, but she is living amongst them.
All is not well for the trio though as they face problems from both other demons and life in general.
At its core, this book is a sweet romance that can teach us a lot about prejudice, about snap judgements and about forgiveness.
I found the young characters to be extremely well drawn and although Kira was portrayed at times as a lonely, lost, young woman, she displayed many of the characteristics of resilience, toughness and the ability to stand up for herself that we appreciate and applaud. Kira is a strong, yet sensitive girl who it is east to empathise with. I also enjoyed the two principal demon characters who were, in many ways, polar opposites, Lowell being the calming influence to Pyre's fiery temper and impetuosity.
In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which reminded me why it is imperative to read outside your normal genres from time to time and understand the full gamut of the indie novels that are out there. If you love, fantasy, romance, a bit of magic and lots of teenage angst and conflict, then you'll love Fire's Love by Alex E. Carey, whether you're a young adult or not.
Fire's Love is a winner in my book and well deserving of the five stars I've given it. Now, on to book two in the series; Earth's Embrace. I can't wait. Good job Ms. Carey
When I first began reading Fire's Love by Alex Carey, I was taken by the simplicity of the language, but then I reminded myself that this was a Young Adult fantasy tale and I was anything but a young adult. Once I put myself fully into the genre, I really began to appreciate the story that Carey was developing here and turning into a series. I became very enamoured with her main protagonists, Kira and her two demon friends Lowell and Pyre.
The premise of the story is straightforward. Kira, a very intelligent sixteen-year-old, with a troubled past is heading off to College and ready for a new beginning. She meets Lowell and Pyre, two demons who live on Earth and have a mission. Kira, a girl who has always been fascinated by demons is excited and thrilled to finally realise that not only are demons real, but she is living amongst them.
All is not well for the trio though as they face problems from both other demons and life in general.
At its core, this book is a sweet romance that can teach us a lot about prejudice, about snap judgements and about forgiveness.
I found the young characters to be extremely well drawn and although Kira was portrayed at times as a lonely, lost, young woman, she displayed many of the characteristics of resilience, toughness and the ability to stand up for herself that we appreciate and applaud. Kira is a strong, yet sensitive girl who it is east to empathise with. I also enjoyed the two principal demon characters who were, in many ways, polar opposites, Lowell being the calming influence to Pyre's fiery temper and impetuosity.
In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which reminded me why it is imperative to read outside your normal genres from time to time and understand the full gamut of the indie novels that are out there. If you love, fantasy, romance, a bit of magic and lots of teenage angst and conflict, then you'll love Fire's Love by Alex E. Carey, whether you're a young adult or not.
Fire's Love is a winner in my book and well deserving of the five stars I've given it. Now, on to book two in the series; Earth's Embrace. I can't wait. Good job Ms. Carey
Second Young Adult novel up today is The Du Lac Devil: Book 2 by Mary Anne Yarde, an Arthurian-timed tale of angry, young men and beautiful young women.
I read the first Du Lac Chronicle some time ago and loved it, so was eager to renew my acquaintance with the Du Lac brothers Alden, Budic and Merton. The action in book two takes place several years since book one. We find Alden attending the funeral of his sister-in-law, at Budic's castle in Brittany. Merton, who these days is a mercenary, is passing through Brittany trying to escape the wrath of several Kings he has upset over the years when he learns also of Budic's wife's death. The three brothers are together again and anything can happen. Filial relationships are still strained, but there is worse to worry about, with a plot to overthrow Budic, in the works. I won't give away any more of the plot, but needless to say, as in book one, the action, the romance, the scheming and the violence are all ratcheted up a level.
I think I enjoyed this book even more than the first. I liked that the primary focus in this one was on Merton, the younger, wayward son and not so much on Alden. Merton, as a character, was complex and yet simple. Despite all that was said and rumoured about him, his heart was always in the right place and his heart was always for his brother Alden.
There is no doubt Yarde has this genre down to a tee and I did appreciate her explaining, at the end of the book, the research that went into the books. Arthur, of course, is mere legend, and much has been written celebrating that legend, but it is great to read something in the post-Arthurian period that explores a little-known time in British history. The "Dark Ages" as we term them are an integral part of what made Britain and Yarde's fiction, incorporating that period gives us a wonderful feel for the savagery and brutality, but also the humanity of the period.
For me, The Du Lac Devil stands very high in the list of books I have read in recent years and within its genre, it stands right at the top. I suspect the target market for this book was Y/A, however it is a fantastic read for adults of any age. If you love history, if you want to feel the recreation of a crucial time in British history, then you could do much worse than Yarde's fictionalised account of the Du Lac's.
My final comment, without giving anything away is that I always knew, what happened at the end of book two, was always going to happen, but what possibilities that makes for book three, which I am now hanging out for. I hope it is not too long in the coming.
I read the first Du Lac Chronicle some time ago and loved it, so was eager to renew my acquaintance with the Du Lac brothers Alden, Budic and Merton. The action in book two takes place several years since book one. We find Alden attending the funeral of his sister-in-law, at Budic's castle in Brittany. Merton, who these days is a mercenary, is passing through Brittany trying to escape the wrath of several Kings he has upset over the years when he learns also of Budic's wife's death. The three brothers are together again and anything can happen. Filial relationships are still strained, but there is worse to worry about, with a plot to overthrow Budic, in the works. I won't give away any more of the plot, but needless to say, as in book one, the action, the romance, the scheming and the violence are all ratcheted up a level.
I think I enjoyed this book even more than the first. I liked that the primary focus in this one was on Merton, the younger, wayward son and not so much on Alden. Merton, as a character, was complex and yet simple. Despite all that was said and rumoured about him, his heart was always in the right place and his heart was always for his brother Alden.
There is no doubt Yarde has this genre down to a tee and I did appreciate her explaining, at the end of the book, the research that went into the books. Arthur, of course, is mere legend, and much has been written celebrating that legend, but it is great to read something in the post-Arthurian period that explores a little-known time in British history. The "Dark Ages" as we term them are an integral part of what made Britain and Yarde's fiction, incorporating that period gives us a wonderful feel for the savagery and brutality, but also the humanity of the period.
For me, The Du Lac Devil stands very high in the list of books I have read in recent years and within its genre, it stands right at the top. I suspect the target market for this book was Y/A, however it is a fantastic read for adults of any age. If you love history, if you want to feel the recreation of a crucial time in British history, then you could do much worse than Yarde's fictionalised account of the Du Lac's.
My final comment, without giving anything away is that I always knew, what happened at the end of book two, was always going to happen, but what possibilities that makes for book three, which I am now hanging out for. I hope it is not too long in the coming.
My final nomination this year is for a heart-rending tale that truly spoke to me. It is called Charge of an Angel by Linda Diane Wattley
Charge of an Angel, by Linda Diane Wattley is a story that needs to be told. Leona Tillard is a young, African-American girl, growing up in a dysfunctional family in Akron, Ohio. Living in a house torn apart by domestic violence, Leona first loses her mother and elder brother when neither returned from hospital treatments. Leona’s Dad assures Leona that she is loved and wanted, but she feels lost, alone, and unsure of her place in the world. As she approached puberty, Leona’s life is thrown into turmoil again, when her father marries Priscilla and three more children are added to their blended family. Leona’s biggest wish in life is to see her mother and brother again and to try to understand what love is. She feels she is special, but she is unsure of what God wants for her in this life.
Domestic violence, incest, paedophilia, and child abuse are all topics we don’t want to think about, let alone talk about, so any author who addresses these issues is taking a risk. Nevertheless, these are topics that must be aired and discussed. Linda Diane Wattley handles this difficult topic with love, care and a deep understanding of the victim’s feelings. Her characterisation of Leona allows us, as readers, inside the mind and the strangely twisted beliefs of a victim. We understand the pain, anguish and simple lack of understanding that Leona feels. Writing the story in first-person certainly allows the reader to connect deeply with Leona. This is a beautifully and simply told story of family love and where that can sometimes go horribly wrong. Charge of an Angel is the first in a trilogy and I’m sure most readers will be aching to read the next two books and see where it takes Leona.
Charge of an Angel, by Linda Diane Wattley is a story that needs to be told. Leona Tillard is a young, African-American girl, growing up in a dysfunctional family in Akron, Ohio. Living in a house torn apart by domestic violence, Leona first loses her mother and elder brother when neither returned from hospital treatments. Leona’s Dad assures Leona that she is loved and wanted, but she feels lost, alone, and unsure of her place in the world. As she approached puberty, Leona’s life is thrown into turmoil again, when her father marries Priscilla and three more children are added to their blended family. Leona’s biggest wish in life is to see her mother and brother again and to try to understand what love is. She feels she is special, but she is unsure of what God wants for her in this life.
Domestic violence, incest, paedophilia, and child abuse are all topics we don’t want to think about, let alone talk about, so any author who addresses these issues is taking a risk. Nevertheless, these are topics that must be aired and discussed. Linda Diane Wattley handles this difficult topic with love, care and a deep understanding of the victim’s feelings. Her characterisation of Leona allows us, as readers, inside the mind and the strangely twisted beliefs of a victim. We understand the pain, anguish and simple lack of understanding that Leona feels. Writing the story in first-person certainly allows the reader to connect deeply with Leona. This is a beautifully and simply told story of family love and where that can sometimes go horribly wrong. Charge of an Angel is the first in a trilogy and I’m sure most readers will be aching to read the next two books and see where it takes Leona.
...and the winner is:
This category was a toughie, with three superb, yet totally different stories. In the end, I gave the Grunter to Mary Anne Yarde for her thrilling adventure tale, The Du Lac Devil: Book 2 of the Du Lac Chroinicles. Congratulations to Mary Anne.
So, there we have it - all the individual category winners have been decided and all the remains is the big decision of which one of the category winners will receive this year's Supreme Grunter Award for Excellence in Indie Authors and Publishing.
You won't want to miss that, so tune in next time - same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel.
You won't want to miss that, so tune in next time - same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel.
Till next time, have a wonderful, peace-filled day.
CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!
EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITIES LIFE PRESENTS TO YOU AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!
HAVE A GREAT LIFE AND SPREAD THE LOVE!
CHANGING THE WORLD – ONE READER AT A TIME
EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITIES LIFE PRESENTS TO YOU AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!
HAVE A GREAT LIFE AND SPREAD THE LOVE!
CHANGING THE WORLD – ONE READER AT A TIME
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