Written by Garth Nix
Reviewed by Professor Birdbrain
Edition Published April 2014
337 Pages
Thank you to Allen and Unwin
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★★★★★
I have died three times, and three times been reborn, though I am not yet twenty in the old earth years by which it is still the fashion to measure time. This is the story of my three deaths, and my life between. My name is Khemri.Taken from his parents as a child and equipped with biological and technological improvements, Khemri is now an enhanced human being, trained and prepared for the glory of becoming a Prince of the Empire. Not to mention the ultimate glory: should he die, and be deemed worthy, he will be reborn...Which is just as well, because no sooner has Prince Khemri graduated to full Princehood than he learns the terrible truth behind the Empire: there are ten million princes, and all of them want each other dead.
Khemri, a product of the vast empire of mankind, is amongst the realm of Princes of the Empire. The Princes have many lives of luxury, for a prince of the empire, they rarely ever die permanent death. At the time of death, a Prince's actions are weighed by the Imperial Mind. If deemed worthy, he or she will be reborn or re spawned, as I like to think of the process.
In a vast empire comprising of trillions of humans, a terrible price must be paid by all parents, when the priests come planet side to test their children for the genetic markers. Those strong enough to allow the child to survive the massive modification process, required to become super human and become a Prince of the Empire of man.
Professor Birdbrain's Thoughts
The writing style was similar to that of an autobiography, told by the main character Prince Khemri which works well on many levels. It helps alleviate the initial absence of back story, which the author Garth Nix addresses quickly, giving the reader a basic overview of the technology that is key to the empire. You'll learn more as Khemri travels along his journey of his three deaths, and three consequential lives. Parts of the story will connect with the reader and resonate strongly. I personally found a rich connection to the story, and was riveted, on the edge of my seat.
Death is not approached as a glorious event, even though the prince will likely be reborn. The feeling of loss is present, and inspires deep reflection on the events that lead up to the death. These are examined in the story. Some of the technology is incredibly confusing and I had a hard time picturing what the author had intended to convey. The explanations of the three main technologies could have benefited with slightly more explanation. I found myself having to re read some parts of the story to understand the meaning that the author was trying to deliver, but could have due to the abundance of information thrown at the reader, all at once.
I felt lost trying to pronounce and remember the the unusual names given to the majority of the characters. I appreciate the diversity, but the story could have done with a few that were easier to pronounce, a Jane or Timothy wouldn't have gone astray. It's by no means a detraction from the book and readers will still thoroughly enjoy it.
Prince Khemri's story is told in past tense and as the story progresses, so does his development and your understanding of the empire as a whole. By the middle of the book you will see gaps in his decision making, and wants filled with a yearning for something more human. Master of Assassins Haddad, is the most prominent secondary character. His role is to protect Khemri from the other princes, and saves Khemri's life on multiple occasions. He exudes a strong sense of honour and duty to the empire, and Prince Khemri. There's little explanation regarding Haddad's history, but I'm hoping the bonus story included will help clear any confusion. He is a father figure in the story, trying to help a somewhat misguided son.
A Confusion of Princes may have benefited from a more descriptive text on the three main technologies used by the Princes. They were described well, but they were all described a little too closely together and somewhat intermingling in their description. No doubt this will leave some readers in the dark. I would have also liked to have read about more space battles in greater detail, only due to a personal preference.
The storyline is written in past tense, drawing the reader in to the story, making you sit on the edge of your seat as well as being unable to put the book down. Garth Nix created a rich backdrop for the reader to imagine. I personally felt the book playing out like a movie in my head, that I could identify with. The undertones of emotion combined with the richness of the story really do make you feel like Prince Khemri was a real person, and is easy to imagine you being in his place at times.
This book is fantastic! A hardcore science fiction with a surprising love story. Deep, rich, and features plot twists that will surprise readers. Simply, this story will mentally challenge the reader, making you contemplate sacrifice and honour.
Written by Lucy Saxon
Published in Australia June 5th 2014
378 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia
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Catherine Hunter is the daughter of a senior government official on the island of Anglya. She’s one of the privileged, she has luxurious clothes, plenty to eat, and is protected from the Collections which have ravaged families throughout the land. But Catherine longs to escape the confines of her life, before her dad can marry her off to a government brat and trap her forever.
So Catherine becomes Cat, pretends to be a kid escaping the Collections, and stows away on the skyship Stormdancer. As they leave Anglya behind and brave the storms that fill the skies around the islands of Tellus, Cat’s world becomes more turbulent than she could ever have imagined, and dangerous secrets unravel her old life once and for all.
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online bookshops, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course eBooks. Hosted by Tyngas Reviews.
News
● To say thanks to the wider book blogger community, I'm giving away a book up to the value of $15.00 from The Book Depository. Winners choice. As long as The Book depository ships to your country, then this one is for you.
● My fellow Aussies, you've still got time to enter to win a copy of Rebel, book two in the Reboot duology by Amy Tintera. With thanks to Allen and Unwin.
● I'm taking a break from Pimpin' Y'all Out this week, and will be back with a new feature next week, where I hide in your bushes and tell the world what you're up to. No, really.
When I first started blogging around seventeen months ago, not only was I surprised that I could do it, but that I was slowly amassing an audience as well. Since then, my audience is mostly comprised of fellow Aussie bloggers, but A HUGE shout out to the incredible international book blogger community, especially my friends and supporters in the Philippines. They've been instrumental in bringing the Aussie community together with their comments and support of our young adult blogs. My fellow Aussies, Americans, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canadian visitors, thank you for your support. As I usually offer Aussie only giveaways, it's about time I said thank you to my wider audience as well. So wherever you're from and as long as The Book Depository ships to your country, then this one is for you. Thank you all for your support.
Chasing Stars (After Eden: Book Two)
Written by Helen Douglas
Published June 5th 2014
352 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia
The boy Eden loves just saved her life. Now she must save his. To do so she must make a huge sacrifice. Eden can never see her friends or family again, as she travels a hundred years into the future. But the dangerous risk Ryan took to rescue Eden has been uncovered, and now Ryan faces an exile... Which will leave Eden separated from him. the one person she can't live without, and stuck in the future. She must fight to save both of them
Written by Diana Sweeney
Published in Australia May 28th 2014
256 Pages
Thank you to Text Publishing
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★★★☆
Tom survived a devastating flood that claimed the lives of her sister and parents. Now she lives with Bill in his old shed by the lake. But it’s time to move out, Tom is pregnant with Bill's baby. Jonah lets her move in with him. Mrs Peck gives her the Fishmaster Super Series tackle box. Nana is full of gentle good advice and useful sayings.And in her longing for what is lost, Tom talks to fish: Oscar the carp in the pet shop, little Sarah catfish who might be her sister, an unhelpful turtle in a tank at the maternity ward. And the minnow.The Minnow is a moving and powerful coming of age story with a whimsical element that belies the heartbreaking truth of grief and loss. Tom is a character you will never forget.
Fourteen year old Tom has is lost. Her family was swept away in a flood that devastated the tiny town of Jessops Creek. With her only living relative, her grandmother in the Mavis Ornstein Home for the Elderly, Tom had no option than to live in the old shed with Bill, who assumed she had been a boy. Bill is incredibly secretive, he fools around with a married woman and when he discovers that Tom is only a nickname and she is in fact a girl, Tom finds herself pregnant and homeless. Until best friend Jonah takes her in.
Tom may have lost everything, but she's never alone. Her grandfather who passed before she was born, resides at her grandmother's nursing home, offering advice and keeping watch over the woman he devoted his life to. She feels her mother's presence, although she cannot see her, but she's almost certain her younger sister Sarah is the little Catfish that often keeps her company while she fishes at the local inlet. As The Minnow grows inside her, Tom's life becomes more complicated. Bill still wants to go fishing, new teacher James Wo convinces her to further her studies, her grandmother is being courted again... And then the police come knocking. It all becomes too much for Tom. Fifteen, pregnant and searching for closure.
Kelly's Thoughts
The Minnow is a story of grief, loss and one young girl learning to heal. Tom, who's nickname is all she's known by, is an incredible character. Although her short life so far has been ravaged by incredible sadness, she lives with a fairytale type, whimsical outlook. She talks to the spirit of those around her who have passed, she speaks with fish in the pet shop and inlet, and of course The Minnow, which is what she's decided to call her unborn child. I'm sure it's not uncommon for those experiencing such sadness, to talk to the deceased, but Tom often describes their conversations and being able to physically touch the dead. I felt incredibly sad for Tom and her unborn child, although she now lives with her best friend Jonah, who is a huge support, she's a young girl without her mother who is potentially facing life as a single parent at only fifteen years old.
Throughout The Minnow, Tom shares her love of words plucked from her dictionary. It was incredibly endearing. But as much as I loved Tom's character, the storyline left me confused at times. I needed to reread passages to find a hidden meaning to unravel the story, constantly feeling as though I was missing something. It jumped from what was the present, to Tom recalling incidents that I wasn't sure had happened, or like talking to the dead, were a figment of her imagination. I have a theory on what the storyline was alluding to, but sadly it's never quite confirmed.My only main gripe was that so many in town knew who fathered The Minnow, but so many adults had let her down.
So how do you review a book that you didn't quite understand? Easy. It was beautiful, and a worthy winner of the Text Prize. I'm going with the premise that we're never quite meant to understand, and that's what the wonder of The Minnow is. It's supposed to provoke thought and for the reader to draw their on conclusions, It was simply lovely. It allows the reader to see the beauty of our world though the eyes of a girl who has a second chance, and a new life to live for. And it goes without saying, that cover is simply divine.
The Truth About Alice
Written by Jennifer Mathiew
Published in Australia June 1st 2014
199 Pages
Thank you to Hardie Grant Egmont
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Published in Australia June 1st 2014
199 Pages
Thank you to Hardie Grant Egmont
Add To Goodreads
There are a lot of rumours about Alice Franklin, and it's stopped mattering whether any of them are true.
It all started at a party, when Alice was supposedly with two guys in one night.
Soon everyone at Healy High has picked a side in this game of he said, she said. Do they believe Brandon Fitzsimmons, the most popular guy at school and the football hero of Healy? Or do they believe Alice, the girl who wears too tight shirts and was caught kissing Brandon in a closet a couple years before?
When Brandon dies in a car crash, there are serious allegations that his death was Alice's fault. As the rumour mill spins into overdrive, Alice's small town becomes suffocating. And when the truth becomes a matter of opinion, something's got to give.
Written by Clare Strahan
Published in Australia June 1st 2014
320 Pages
Thank you to Allen and Unwin
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★★★★
A wonderful debut novel that captures the essence of real, messy teenage lives: of action and consequence, of poor choices and fragile friendships, of standing up for what is right, and the attempt to make sense of a world when everything feels like it's falling apart.At fifteen, Clover is finding the going tougher than she expected. Her life is close to being derailed on the rocky terrain of family, friendship, first love, acts of defiance and a planet on the brink of environmental disaster. So when Keek breaks his promise to her, and school sucks, and her mother is impossible, and her beloved old dog is dying, and her dad is in the wind, and the girls at school are awful and the footy-boys are bullies and she's arrested for vandalism, well, what else can she be but a little bit broken? Can Clover pull herself together, or will she spiral further out of control?When life feels like it's fracturing, how do you find a way to feel whole?
Fifteen year old Clover had never lived a normal existence, according to her peers at Fernwood Secondary College, she's never quite fit in. So when a classroom altercation leaves Clover at the mercy of the principal, she never expected to be sharing the wrath with Philip McKenzie. Philip represents Clover's childhood memories, when everything seemed so easy and carefree. When she and best friend Allison would climb trees, when Lucille was still a boisterous dog and when she didn't feel like an outsider. Now she just feels like an anomaly, sharing her mother's Steiner lifestyle, offsetting the radiation from watching television with crystal healing and in high school, your own brand means the difference between being accepted and labelled an outcast.
Only his parents call him Philip, now he's simply known as Keek. They've never been friends, but both teens find their lives slowly entwining through a gentle friendship that neither were expecting. While Keek has his beloved skate park, Clover dabbles in creating street art with an environmental message. But not everyone is supportive of her work, mainly that of the authorities who don't take kindly to graffiti artists vandalising the community. But this isn't just a protest to save the creek where Clover spent her summers, it's a way to take control of her life that seems to be just out of reach. Keek isn't without his own problems, but being the incredibly loyal friend that he is, he joins Clover in her protest about life, being different and marching to the beat of your own drum. But even the best of intentions can sometimes prove to be the worse decisions of all.
Kelly's Thoughts
Cracked was a brilliant take on living life as an Australian teen, but teens all around the world can relate to the plight of Clover, and losing her way while finding her own feet. I think we've all felt like the odd one out at some point in our lives, popularity, sex, background, religion or even personal choices in how we express ourselves. But Clover takes it all in her stride. She stands up for herself and delivers with conviction. I loved her character, she's a gentle soul who's feisty and even through making a few wrong turns, she's intelligent. Together with Keek, the two just clicked. There wasn't any instant love, or romance, just a beautiful friendship of support and, on occasion, vandalism.
The only downside is that it felt as thought it needed to build towards a more monumental event. Regardless, the storyline flowed beautifully. I really enjoyed Clover's quiet moments of reflection. She wasn't an overly complex character, but she's real. Throughout our suburbs, you'll find a Clover. She's the quiet girl who carries the world on her shoulders until the weight becomes too much. She represents the different and the quirky and delivers one of the most positive messages in young adult. Live for yourself.
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