Decatur Book Festival 2011

This past weekend was the Decatur Book Festival! This year, I went to see Lisa McMann and Libba Bray on Saturday! After hearing Lisa speak, I couldn’t resist grabbing a copy of Cryer’s Cross, which I am now currently reading. Both she and Libba were really great, and I loved meeting them. I can’t wait to see who’ll be there next year!

^^Lisa McMann and I. I took my copies of WAKE and FADE for her to sign, along with my newly bought copy of Cryer’s Cross.

 

^^ Libba Bray and I. I took my set of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy to get signed.

Rebel Angels, by Libba Bray

I’m getting tired of writing summaries as well as the review, so I’m going to a cheat a little here and there.

Summary from Borders.com (Edited slightly for length)-

Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy -- spending time with her friends in the city, attending balls in fancy gowns with plunging necklines, and dallying with the handsome Lord Denby. Yet amid these distractions, her visions intensify -- visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened that only the realms can explain.

But all is not well in the realms -- or out. Kartik is back, desperately insisting to Gemma that she must bind the magic, lest colossal disaster befall her. Gemma is willing to comply, for this would bring her face-to-face with her late mother's greatest friend, now Gemma's foe -- Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task. . . .

 

Rhia’s Review – Rebel Angels is a fantastic follow up to A Great and Terrible Beauty. This is one of those sequels where nothing is lost in between books; none of the characters have sudden differences that weren’t brought on by the plot of the previous book, etc.  Gemma’s voice is still as strong as it was in the first book, and Libba Bray really blends Gemma’s experiences in London society and her  abilities and experiences in the realms and together well. She does a great job of showing how Gemma’s sudden vision are a danger to her social standing, and how that affects her family. Very well written.

 

The Recommendation – I’d recommend this book to pretty much anyone, though I’d suggest you read A Great and Terrible Beauty first. If you have read said book, and enjoyed it, pick up a copy of Rebel Angels. You won’t be disappointed.

The Other Books – The Sweet Far Thing is the third and final book in the trilogy. I already have my copy, but I haven’t gotten very far yet. What I’ve read so far, though, is great. I knew as soon as I finished Rebel Angels that I wanted the third book.

The Vitals* – Rebel Angels is available in both hardback ($16.95) and paperback ($9.99).

The Links – The Official Website of the series ; Libba Bray's Official Website

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Book One)

Gemma Doyle is determined to leave her home in British India and seek out a proper education at a boarding school in England. After a brief meeting with a mysterious man with an odd message about a woman named Circe, Gemma’s mother dies. in the light of this, and her father’s growing addiction to laudanum, Gemma is sent to the foreboding Spence Academy for young ladies. There she meets new friends and enemies, and learns that she has a special power to enter a magical place called the realms. With her own powers and the help of her friends, she discovers the dark history of the school, as well as he own heritage and the power she possesses.

 

This book really captured me, and it didn’t take me long to finish it and begin longing for the others. I really how Libba Bray is really able to blend Victorian England with fantasy that really suits the time. Although the magical elements aren’t as bold as, say, Harry Potter, which I usually prefer, it simply suits the story and era so well, that it really melds together. Plus, I really like historical fiction.

Now, when I had originally read about the books, and it mentioned  ‘popular girl’ (Those may not have been the exact words, but that’s essentially the meaning) I was a bit put off because I thought it would be another of the usual YA fantasies filling the shelves, only set back in time a bit. I wrongly assumed that the new girl would be jealous and trying to fit in with the popular crowd. However, Gemma isn’t like that, and the way the relationships develop between all the characters is definitely not the norm.

Gemma has a strong voice, the setting seems accurate (I haven’t done an extraordinary amount of research to know), and all the characters are real and easily imagined. You can easily compare this book to everyday life, which means that the author has done their job of creating a believable story

 

The Recommendation – This book is great for anyone, especially fans of fantasy, YA lit, and historical stories.

The Other Books – Well, I’ve already bought them. So that should tell you something. :) Their reviews are coming up.

The Vitals* – A Great and Terrible Beauty can be purchase in either hardcover($16.95) or paperback ($9.99). Also available in audio for $44.00, and other bindings as well.

The Links - The Official Website of the series ; Libba Bray's Official Website

*=All prices are form Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.