Book Review: Black Heart

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

I’ve been a fan of Holly Black’s since I read Tithe in 2007. And her Curse Workers series is by far my favorite thing she’s written. So imagine my excitement when I got my hands on an arc of Black Heart.

Sadly, Black Heart is the final book in this series. And I needed this book to be great. However, considering how much I’ve loved Holly Black’s other books, I had hope that it would reach my high expectations. And it did! I read this book in two days and didn't want to put it down.

This will be a short review because I don't want to spoil anyone. But trust me when I say you want to read this series. Cassel and Lila are amazing characters. And I really enjoyed Daneca, Sam, and the rest of the supporting cast. The curse work and the mob is new, fresh, and interesting. And something different in YA is so great. Because so often I feel like I'm rereading because so many books are so similar. It tied up all the loose ends left over from books one and two and wrapped up the series very nicely.

I can't wait for Holly's next book: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.

Book Review: Red Glove

Curses and Cons

Magic and the Mob

In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Holly Black’s latest novel, Red Glove, is even more amazing than White Cat, (book one in The Curse Workers series). Cassel Sharpe is back at Wallingford Preparatory for his senior year with his best friend Sam, and Sam’s girlfriend, Daneca. Lila Zacharov, the mob boss’ daughter, has also enrolled. The harder Cassel tries to stay away from her, the harder it gets.

Red Glove dives right into the story, back into the world I fell in love with in White Cat. A place where people are born with the ability to curse, but since no one knows who’s a curse worker and who isn’t, everyone is forced to wear gloves. A bare hand elicits terror from those who fear being cursed… which seems to be pretty much everyone.

Cassel Sharpe is one of my favorite male characters in any YA series. He’s also the narrator. That’s another thing I love about this series: first person, male point of view. It’s something we don’t get a lot of in young adult literature. Personally, I like most of the characters in this series. The characters all interact and respond in a way that is completely believable. They stay true to themselves. Despite this being a world where magic exists, it feels very real. It’s a world I’m glad I don’t live in, to be honest.

The curse working makes this book stand out against the other young adult urban fantasy, where we get a lot of vampires, witches, faeries, etc… It’s a nice way to shake things up, read something different. And another thing I love about this series is the “blowback”. Blowback is what happens to a curse worker after working a curse. It’s retribution for what they’ve done… Karma… And I love that it’s worked in here because I think it doesn’t happen often enough that people have direct consequences for their actions.

Amazing novel, Holly! I seriously can’t wait until book three, Black Heart, hits shelves.

Be sure to check out The Curse Worker’s site for a short story called Lila Zacharov in 13 Pieces, a fantastic book trailer, and extras!

FaerieCon 2010! (and winners)

Every year I go to FaerieCon. It is my favorite event of the year. Between the costumes, the shopping, the music, and everything else, it is amazing. If you ever get the chance to go, take it. It's every November in Baltimore, MD.

One of the first things we saw, after we got our passes, was this guy. Mr. Troll. He was wearing about one foot stilts, so when he passed by everyone felt short. He played the part well. He was wonderful, though, stopping for pictures for anyone who asked. I even witnessed his action shot where he pretended to kidnap a helpless maiden.

This is the front hallway. There's probably 40 vendors down this way. But this is nothing, really... downstairs there is an entire hall filled with vendors, at least ten times what you see here.

So... after taking a picture of Mr. Troll, the first place I go to look is Wendy Froud's table. She's there every year with handmade dolls. For those who don't know Wendy Froud is the wife of faery artist Brian Froud. If you've seen The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, then you've seen their work. Brian does the concept art, while Wendy creates the puppets. In fact, their son Toby was baby Toby in Labyrinth. If you aren't familiar with those movies, 1. Go check them out ASAP and 2. You still probably know Wendy's work. She created Yoda for the original Star Wars movies.

I have two wonderful Wendy Froud dolls at home from FaerieCon 1 and 2. Sadly, she missed 3, so... no doll for me. But I did snag a new one this time around. I was really torn between the two smaller guys on the left and the set of green-haired faeries. If I'd had the money, the troll would've been mine. He almost the exact figure as a troll in one of my favorite Brian Froud paintings from the late 70's. In the end...

He's related to Sneezle. Don't know who Sneezle is? He's a character in a trilogy of books that Wendy co-wrote with Terri Windling. They're out of print, so if you get a chance to pick them up, do it. In the end, the green-haired faeries did not go together. I specifically asked. And when I said I was sad they didn't go together, Wendy said "Oh, don't say that. It'll make me even more sad." :(

On day one, FAE Magazine had one of their people dressed as a silver faery. Unfortunately, I was unable to pick up copies of this wonderful magazine. They're out of the UK and their stuff was held up in customs.

Some fun little hats is just one type of item that was sold at FaerieCon. The past two years there have been an overabundance of steampunk wares.

And as always, there were plenty of amazing masks. I picked up a mask a few years back, and while I love it, I just can't wear it for long periods of time. But it makes a fabulous wall-hanging.

These adorable little nose goblins come out every year in the hopes of being adopted by a loving home. One that could use a little extra mischief.

It just wouldn't be FaerieCon without the Greenmen. They march throughout the convention, chanting and blessing shops that they bring in the green and sell all of their wares.

Despite this being my fourth year (it was the fourth annual event) attending, this was my first year attending the Balls. The Gypsy Nomads normally kick off The Bad Faeries Ball, but this year they were bad at The Good Faeries Ball. "Dark Carnivale" is my favorite song of theirs. Unfortunately, the sound quality isn't so great.

Another band I love, Woodland, closed the show. Emilio and Kelly Miller-Lopez, the leads in this group are the people who head up this event and their even larger event, Faerieworlds, on the west coast. Emilio is on the left with the guitar and Kelly is beside the harp, playing the drums. They played Will O' The Wisp and Rose Red, my two favorites.

Another amazing performer, that has not been before is Adam Hurst. He was incredible.

This next picture is one of our greenmen. He is not the head of the group, but if you go you'll see him around the most. And pictured with him is The Master of Ceremonies...

On evening two, The Bad Faeries Ball was held. It was an even bigger event than the night before.

Cecile Corbel was a new artist to me as well. I looked up her when I heard she'd be attending. She is phenomenal. She didn't play any of my three favorite songs, but she was still fabulous. She kicked off The Bad Faeries Ball. It was kind of a last minute change, but she and The Gypsy Nomads switched nights.

And probably the best performance of the weekend was Faun. The floor was shaking as we danced. The clip is of "Satyros", my favorite Faun song, which they did not perform, but there were plenty of other wonderful tunes.

Faun and The Gypsy Nomads are good on CD, but amazing in person. Their stage presence if phenomenal.

Below is pictured an adorable faun. He was advertising Chela's Body paint and, like the troll, was happy to post for pictures.

And he wanted to make sure I got his backside to. Note: I did not request this picture. Apparently, he likes showing off his tail.

So, the lovely Marina (sweet 10-year-old daughter of a friend) whom I kidnapped fr Sunday's event got her arm painted. Chela painted this faery on her arm in less than two minutes. Amazing, right?

Closing the show was Kelly, Emilio, and Adam. All-in-all, it was an fantastic event. I'll definitely be going back next year. And I hope many of you can make it, too. You won't regret it.

Oh, and I suppose you want me to announce the winners of the FaerieCon giveaway!

Cynthia M won a copy of BALLAD and THE IRON KING.

Orchid F won a copy of TROLL BRIDGE and FRAGILE ETERNITY

Raelena P won a copy of FABLEHAVEN and BLACKBRINGER

In addition to the books, you'll find a small prize coming straight to you from FaerieCon. Congrats!

Ren Con 2010

So this year was the first annual Ren Con in Baltimore, MD. It was put on by the same people who do Faerie Con. It was small, but it was fun. I met Brian and Wendy Froud again. They are very lovely. And Brian is so funny.

The first panel I sat in on was led by Steve Winnick, Brian and Wendy Froud, Cailtin Matthews, and one of the Greenmen. It's interesting how prominent this figure has been in lore from all over the world. You can find them in cathedrals over most of Europe. If you've been there and haven't seen them, it might be because you didn't look up. They were always hid up high. They are also found all over the big cities in my country. New York has a lot of greenmen, but not so much DC. In recent times the greenman has been shown with horns. Possibly an influence from Herne or Cernunnos.

The second panel was love triangles. Caitlin started the panel with the story of Blodeuwedd, a Welsh flower woman who was created to marry Lleu Llaw Gyffes, but she fell in love with Gronw Pebr. She was created to marry, but not to love. She made a choice, and went after the man she loves. Another tale she told was of the Arthurian legend of the Cornish knight Tristan and the Irish princess Isolde. Tristan brings Isolde to his uncle, King Mark, to marry, but he falls in love. But most of the time was spent on Guinevere. She was in a triangle with Arthur and Lancelot, but those weren't the only two men she was between. In all the stories of Guinevere, she was abducted sixteen times.

The third panel I saw was Renaissance Songs and Ballads with Caitlin Matthews. She has an incredible voice. I love listening to her speak, but when she sings it's simply amazing... She and Steve talked about how ballads were long because they told stories. Some of the ballads they sang were "The Death of Queen Jane", "Riddles Wisely Expounded", and "The Prickly Bush".

After that, I was at the Heart of Faerie Oracle panel. Brian Froud said that what he paints is invisible, but he paints it so that it embodies truth. He says you can't pin them down, but only capture them for a moment. He says that's why you see things you hadn't noticed before, even if you've seen the image many times before.

The last panel I enjoyed was the Robin Hood. Is he historical or mythological? No one is sure. They are continually finding more and more references, and it's believed that it's an alias. All robbers were called Robin Hood. He is a very important figure in the May Day festivities. hile he is the hero of peasants, many people don't want to see him as a peasant, and he was believed to be an earl. Marian comes into the story quite late. In a lot of the ballads, he loses the fight, but because he's surrounded by his band, he isn't killed, and the guy who defeats them is offered a chance to join. His patron saint was Mary. In all his stories, he treats women reverntly, and even though he was killed by a woman, just before he passes, he insists they not take revenge upon her. There are some similarities between Robin Hood and Robin Goodfellow/Puck, and he seems to be part greenman. Both John and Steve recommend the old series "Robin of Sherwood" if you want to watch a good version.



Below is a purse that I got from CK FootWorks. It's made out of leather and handsewn. The front green piece is what sold it for me. It's crocodile. I'm not usually a big fan of leather, but it reminded me of dragon wings. So this is my latest accessory for festival!



http://www.ckfootworks.com/




And now I need to fawn over one of the artists there. Kimberley of The Goblin Bazaar. http://www.etsy.com/shop/thegoblinbazaar I had seen her stuff before, but was unable to purchase one. This time, I bought two. So far she has made only one troll doll, though she hopes to make more soon. It's done in the same fashion as Wendy Froud's stuff. You can see it in the picture below. It's the white one with the blue face, hands, and feet. She looks wonderful in my troll case, but sadly, the picture just doesn't do it justice.


I also got a Stray Sod. Most of her creatures look more like the one below. A faery creature that she "caught". The stray sod obviously looks like a small patch of grass. Be careful when walking through fields, because if you step on one, you'll likely be lost for hours. I've only seen or read about the stray sods twice before. One in the Spiderwick series and before that in a Brian Froud book.

Another wonderful artist I discovered is Mystic Swan jewelry. Check out Sharon's stuff here: http://www.mysticswan.biz/ Her stuff is beautiful. This is the piece I bought. I love the faeries... and the face on the tree.

FaerieCon 2009!

The third annual Faerie Con happened last weekend. I've been each year, and each year seems to get better. As sad as it was the Brian and Wendy Froud weren't able to make it, and that Melissa Marr and Lesley Livingston were both out with the flu, Charles de Lint was there. He was so funny. He made several interesting little quips. Some things he shared that fellow writers may find interesting and/or helpful...

1. Write everyday.
2. Stop in the middle of a scene. At least you'll have something to pick up with next day.
3. Read a lot, even if it is not in the same genre that you are writing

He and his wife, Maryann Harris, performed. He has written music that goes along with his books. The first song he sang was called "Medicine Road" which is for the book of the same name. Though, I haven't read the book, I thoroughly enjoyed the song. And all his songs. He plays the guitar, and they have a folk sound. I asked him when he was going to put a record out. Jokingly, of course. And he said he'd love to do that one day. He also said he'd love a television series for his characters and the town of Newford.

I blogged recently about SJ Tucker and Tricky Pixie. I was thrilled to get to meet SJ Tucker and Betsy Tinney (of Tricky Pixie, and previously Gaia Consort). They were amazing. We sat in the front row. The performance was only 45 minutes long, but it felt like much less. I could have listened to them for hours. SJ played the guitar and Betsy plays the cello. Her cello was black and was named Raven. It had a long "tailpiece" as she plays standing up. I wish I had gotten a pic of them on stage. SJ is in the funny hat and Betsy is in green.



I also got to meet Toby Froud... again. I love his puppets. They are so incredible, and he moves them so life-like. A little girl came up to him right after the picture, and he made the puppet talk to her. She stood in front of him with her mouth hanging open for about 30 seconds.


I got a new baby from Jennifer Carson. This is Greta, a hobbit. I found a chair for her at an antique mall.

A pic of all my babies.

Wow... I haven't posted in a long time...

I have been very busy, but I needed to post this picture. The little goblin is Thetford... Braleigh's little brother.


I finally got him his own seat.

Newest Edition to my Family

So, I realized I haven't blogged for a while. I've been busy. I wanted to share pictures of Braleigh (like Bailey, with an 'r') with you, though. She is a one-of-a-kind original doll, handmade by Jen. I picked her up at this year's Spoutwood Faery Festival. Braleigh is extra special as she was the proto-type for this pattern. You can buy patterns, patterns with the fabric, or the dolls already made at the site below. Braleigh is all over the site.

http://www.thedragoncharmer.com

And as she is my baby, she loves bling. She is wearing the "Tink" necklace given to me by my good friend, Tonya. And some Tinkerbell bracelets. I picked up the teeter tot at a antique mall in Frederick. It was the best way I could think of to display her. And I think she looks comfortable in it. What do you think>=?