Even Lord Alderscroft was a young man once.

Any good series starts somewhere in the middle.  It's impossible to go into everyone's backstory right from the beginning.  So while enough information is given to understand what's going on, there will always be a few questions as to how the characters got started.  Mercedes Lackey goes back to before the beginning and shows us how Lord Alderscroft became the leader of the Magician's Circle in The Wizard of London.

While this is the 5th book in the Elemental Masters series, it is certainly accessible to first time readers of the series.  While there are no real spoilers that I could tell, or anything beyond basic 'fantasy world magic' to know, there may be some that I missed, so be warned.  Otherwise, read on

Manga Monday: The beauty of Mongolia reaches beyond Asia

Mr. Smith embarks on his own - and gets himself into all sorts of trouble - in A Bride's Story Volume 3.

Note:  A Bride's Story Volume 3 is, of course, the sequel to A Bride's Story Volume 1.  The review of A Bride's Story Volume 1 is here, and the review of A Bride's Story Volume 2 is here.  Otherwise, read on! 

A young man's childhood stories come alive in a most peculiar way

Everyone grows up hearing little fantasy tales that we eventually learn aren't true.  Whether it's Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny or house hobs and brownies, the world gets a little bit less magical as we age.  But what if these stories come back, with a vengeance, in your teens?

This is Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, and for Jacob, these stories hold more magic, and more horror, than his five-year-old self could ever have believed.



Jacob was raised on his grandfather's stories of the children's home he grew up in.  Abe told Jacob fantastical stories of the monsters he escaped by arriving at the home, the wonderful woman who raised them, and the amazing feats that his fellow children could perform.  The ability to create fire, to levitate, to lift boulders, invisibility.  He even hand black and white photos that supported his stories.


But as all children do, Jacob eventually grew up.  "Logic" began to displace "fantasy," and Jacob stopped believing his grandfather's stories.  Abe had a hard life, he reasoned.  Born in Poland, he was sent to the children's home to escape the Nazi's, and lost his entire family back in Europe.  Of course the children's home would seem like a magical place to him.  The monsters he told of had any number of possible real-life counterparts.  Perhaps, after losing so much, it was simply easier to tell these stories instead.



When Jacob finds his grandfather dying in the forest behind his house, after what seemed like an especially bad bout of dementia-induced disorientation, Jacob's world is turned upside-down.  Officially the death was blamed on wild dogs, Abe's death was a violent attack.  In his dying moments, Abe was able to give Jacob a few cryptic clues to his past.  Paired with a glimpse of what actually attacked Abe, a series of events is set in motion that only a youngster listening to his grandfather's stories might believe.


Chasing these monsters leads Jacob across the pond to Britain and the bombed-out remains of the home that Abe grew up in.  And while exploring the remains of the U-Boat attack, Jacob runs into a very peculiar group of children, indeed.


This book is in turns a ghost story, a time-travelling adventure and a coming-of-age story.  Jacob very quickly grows from a poor-little-rich-kid working at this family's pharmacy chain to a young man fighting to defend a band of children against monsters literally straight out of his nightmares.  He learns that some things are worth fighting for, and is betrayed in the most under-handed of ways.



Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is another piece of young adult fiction that is worth reading for people of all ages.  The photos within are all found material from photo collectors who loving scavenge piles for the most peculiar and strange images of a bygone era.  For the art alone, this would be a book to check out, but paired with a lovely story this is one that would be a shame to miss.



Highs:  The contrast between war-torn Europe and the idyllic country home makes for beautiful, haunting imagery.



Lows:  There are several side characters with talents and personalities what desperately need more exploration.



Verdict:  Yet another excellent addition to the young adult genre.



Further Reading:  The Midnight Palace, Dingo

Manga Monday: Oh no, is Chi trapped?

Chi finds out if she has what it takes to be an outdoor cat, and also learns hwo special it is to have a home to return to in Chi's Sweet Home Volume 8.

Note: Chi's Sweet Home Volume 8 is, of course, the sequel to Chi's Sweet Home Volume 7. The review of Chi's Sweet Home Volume 1 is here, and the review of Chi's Sweet Home Volume 7 is here. Otherwise, read on!

A boy's quest through a fantasy land to change his life in the real world

When a video game is based off of a book, or vice versa, usually one or the other suffers for it.  Either the player can't tell what's really going on in the characters' heads, or or the book is paced so much like a game that it becomes distracting.

Thankfully, Miyuki Miyabe created an amazing story that has survived many retellings in Brave Story.

Wataru Mitani really is just a normal boy going through normal boy problems.  As is sadly too common in Japan, his father is fairly absent from his life, due to the demands of being a salaryman.  At the outset of the story, though, his father announces that he is leaving the family.  Wataru's life continues to crumble around him as his mother tries to kill herself and is left in a coma.

Desperate to change his situation, he ends up in the land of Vision and discovers that if he can complete his quest, he can change his life in the real world as well.  But he has competition on this quest.

The best part of YA Japanese books is that they don't talk down to their readers.  In a nation where children meet their salaryman parents at work to make sure the come home at a reasonable hour, lest they succumb to the national plague of karoshi, kids understand a lot more than some adults give them credit for.  In the US, the surge in YA books like The Hunger Games and The Midnight Palace are starting to draw up this market, but even these books keep things relatively simple for the reader.  There's a clear bad guy or something to struggle against.  Even if there is some inner turmoil for the main character, there's still a clear path to be taken.

There is much more introspection in Brave Story.  Wataru truly grows as a person throughout the book, and is fundamentally changed by the end.  And he changes in a way that one would expect of a boy in this situation.  There's no logic gap in why he's behaving in the manner he is.

Beyond that, though, this certainly is an adventure story.  Laid out rather like a standard RPG, there's a quest to gather the five gemstones.  There's side missions along the way that help further the plot and character development.  There's helpful natives that tag along, seemingly just to see what the Traveler is up to next.  And there's an antagonist, though not precisely and enemy, that Wataru needs to interact with and defeat.

Now, I don't mean to oversimplify the book.  Just because parts of the structure are formulaic doesn't diminish the story as a whole.  On the contrary; it makes perfect sense that the imaginings of a boy whose primary entertainment is video games would draw heavily from those themes.  And readers who have played and loved their stories in that format should be comfortable and enjoy this immensely as well.

Highs:  Miyuki Miyabe, though not so well-known in the US, has written quite a few books in Japan and it shows in the pacing and character development

Lows:  A reader not familiar with RPGs might be a bit confused with the plot design

Verdict:  A grand adventure, and a good selection for reluctant readers

Further Reading:  Book of Many Ways, The Midnight Palace

Manga Monday: Can someone raised as both a boy and a girl ever be comfortable in her own skin?

Princess Sapphire comes up against pirates, goddesses, and even Satan himself in Princess Knight Volume 2.

Note: Princess Knight Volume 2 takes places after the events in Princess Knight Volume 1. The review for Princess Knight Volume 1 is here.  Otherwise, read on!

A wandering spirit finds a new kind of vessel to inhabit

Poor Edwin could never have imagined the consequences building himself a clockwork friend would bring when he created one in Cherie Priest's first Clockwork Century story 'Tanglefoot.'  Edwin is an orphan in the year 1880, who lives in the basement of an asylum with the brilliant but addled Doctor Smeeks.  His parents died a year ago, and while the doctor may not always remember who he is, living in the laboratory is much better than living upstairs with the other children.


One of the biggest perks of living in the basement is that he can use the pieces of machinery that Dr. Smeeks doesn't need for his own attempts at invention.  After a few childish yet successful creations, he's finally completing his most ambitious project yet.  Named Ted for his younger brother who died in infancy, he's created a mechanical friend.  When wound, his jaw moves a bit and he walks forward with a stiff, soldier-like gait.


As time goes on though, Ted seems to be...advancing.  He moves when Edwin is certain that he turned him off.  His jaw moves as if to answer the questions asked of him.  He learns to turn around obstacles instead of walking into them until he topples.


The residents of the asylum don't trust him, either.  After initial delight at Edwin creating a automaton, Dr. Smeeks threatens to dismantle Ted if he gets near him again.  Edwin and Ted also come across a patient named Madeline.  She takes a close look at Ted, and before the orderlies can haul her back to her room warns Edwin that Ted has no soul of his own, and that Edwin needs to dismantle him before someone else takes up residence.


Everyone has read stories about malevolent spirits.  Oftentimes, these spirits will take over a body, evicting the rightful owner.  In the burgeoning world of Steampunk, these spirits are being introduced to a while new type of vessel.  While many authors eschew the fantastic, perhaps there will be other forays combining the mystical with the scientific.  'Tanglefoot' is a nice first taste of the genre, and is available for free on the Subterranean Press website.


Highs:  Edwin's a very likable boy who is easy to emphasize with



Lows:  Not the most realistic 19th century insane asylum



Verdict:  A nice foray into the genre, and a great beginning to the Clockwork Century universe



Further Reading:  Boneshaker, Soulless