Sepulchre

Oops...I should have put this one before Nadi Amura..I forgot all about reading it, it's been so long...

The book is by Kate Mosse, the same author as Labyrinth, a book I also read in the last year or two (check old posts). Here's a synopsis I copied off the author's website :

"In 1891, young Léonie Vernier and her brother Anatole arrive in the beautiful town of Rennes-les-Bains, in southwest France. They’ve come at the invitation of their widowed aunt, whose mountain estate, Domain de la Cade, is famous in the region. But it soon becomes clear that their aunt Isolde—and the Domain—are not what Léonie had imagined. The villagers claim that Isolde’s late husband died after summoning a demon from the old Visigoth sepulchre high on the mountainside. A book from the Domain’s cavernous library describes the strange tarot pack that mysteriously disappeared following the uncle’s death. But while Léonie delves deeper into the ancient mysteries of the Domain, a different evil stalks her family—one which may explain why Léonie and Anatole were invited to the sinister Domain in the first place.

More than a century later, Meredith Martin, an American graduate student, arrives in France to study the life of Claude Debussy, the nineteenth century French composer. In Rennes-les-Bains, Meredith checks into a grand old hotel—the Domain de la Cade. Something about the hotel feels eerily familiar, and strange dreams and visions begin to haunt Meredith’s waking hours. A chance encounter leads her to a pack of tarot cards painted by Léonie Vernier, which may hold the key to this twenty-first century American’s fate . . . just as they did to the fate of Léonie Vernier more than a century earlier."

I loved this book. I think it was amazingly written. A mix of history, fiction and a touch of horror. I imagine it would make a really good movie. Kate Mosse mentioned in her website that it's the second in her Languedoc Trilogy, a sequence of three novels set in - and inspired by - the landscape and history of the south of France. So there'll be another book by her that I'm anticipating..hopefully to come in the near future.

Nadi Amura

It's been over a year since I last reviewed a book..gosh..I'm getting really slack..

Well, it's been a really busy year for me, a big event at work and my 2 kids always wanting my undivided attention..

So that's why I haven't had much time to read at all..The latest book I read was given by my friend, Alexandra. She happens to be the author too, so I was really lucky.

It's titled Nadi Amura, written in our mother tongue, Indonesian. It's a fantasy about 2 characters in 2 different dimensions (worlds) with the same intention in life..searching for balance between themselves and the universe in order to save their worlds. I had a lot of fun reading it. I think she did a really good job with her first novel..my advise is probably just to shorten some of the descriptions, as sometimes they got a bit too long.

Overall, I really enjoyed it....and can't wait for the next book in the sequel!

Author : Terry Brooks

A sequel to : Armageddon's Children

Synopsis

Across the ruined landscape that is America—hopelessly poisoned, plague-ridden, burned, and besieged by demon armies bent on exterminating all mortal life—two pilgrims have been summoned to serve the embattled cause of good. Logan Tom has journeyed to desolate Seattle to protect a ragged band of street urchins and the being known as "the gypsy morph," who is both mortal and magical, and destined to save mankind unless he is destroyed. Likewise, Angel Perez has her own quest, one that will take her from the wreckage of Los Angeles to a distant, secret place untouched by the horrors of the nationwide blight—a place where the race of Elves has dwelled since before man existed. But close behind these lone Knights of the Word swarm the ravening forces of the Void.
As the menacing thunder of war drums heralds the arrival of the demons and their brutal minions in Seattle, the young survivors who call themselves the Ghosts are forced to brave the dangerous world of gangs, mutants, and worse to escape the invasion. And Logan Tom must infiltrate a refugee compound to rescue Hawk, the leader of the street urchins, who has yet to learn the truth about who and what he is. Meanwhile, Angel Perez has joined an equally urgent mission: to find the Ellcrys, a fabled talisman crucial to protecting the Elven realm against an influx of unspeakable evil from the dread dimension known as the Forbidding. But Angel and her Elf allies must beware—for a demon spy, with a monstrous creature at its command, walks among them.
As the legions of darkness draw the noose tighter, and the time of confrontation draws near, those chosen to defend the soul of the world must draw their battle lines and prepare to fight with, and for, their lives. If they fail, humanity falls.

My Thoughts

The story gets more exciting in this second book, it took me less than 2 days to finish it :-). Some sad and some happy moments here, I can't wait to read the third book - The Gypsy Morph - that will be delivered to me soon :-))

ABHORSEN

Title : Abhorsen
Author : Garth Nix









Synopsis
The long-buried secrets of the Old Kingdom and the Ninth Gate are revealed in the sequel to Sabriel and Lirael. Orannis, the Destroyer, has been freed from its subterranean prison and now seeks to unleash its terrible powers. Only Lirael, Abhorsen-in-Waiting, has any chance of stopping this enemy of all Life. As she and her companions - Sameth, the Disreputable Dog and Mogget - set out on their fated journey, Lirael has no idea of what lies ahead. Only days earlier, Lirael was merely a Second Assistant Librarian. Now, with only a vision from the Clayr to guide her and without the experience of Abhorsen Sabriel and King Touchstone, she must search both Life and Death for some means to defeat the Destroyer. Before it is too late...

My Thoughts
This last book was full of suspense, more so than the other two before it, and I think I finished reading it really fast cause I just simply couldn't put it away. I was quite happy with the ending and I look forward to reading more from Garth Nix.

LIRAEL

Title : Lirael
Author : Garth Nix










Synopsis
Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Abandoned by her mother and ignorant of her father's identity, Lirael resembles no one else in her large, extended family living in the Clayr's Glacier. She doesn't even have the Sight - the ability to See into the present and possible futures - that is the very birthright of the Clayr.

Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies. She must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil - one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clayr, and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death itself. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, to help her, Lirael must find the courage to seek her own hidden destiny.

My Thoughts
In this second book, we discover an entirely different family. Lirael is a mysterious character and surprisingly has a very important role in the whole trilogy. A lot of puzzles were answered at the end of this book..I really enjoyed it

SABRIEL

Title : Sabriel
Author : Garth Nix









Synopsis

SABRIEL is the first book in The Old Kingdom Trilogy
Sabriel is the daughter of the Mage Abhorsen. Ever since she was a tiny child, she has lived outside the Wall of the Old Kingdom - far away from the uncontrolled power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won't stay dead. But now her father is missing and Sabriel is called upon to cross back into that world to find him. Leaving the safety of the school she has known as home, Sabriel embarks upon a quest fraught with supernatural dangers, with companions she is unsure of - for nothing is as it seems within the boundary of the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life, and comes face to face with her hidden destiny...

My Thoughts
This trilogy was actually quite exciting. I'd never read any books by Garth Nix before and when I came across this trilogy, I didn't know what to expect. I think it's quite original, this first book was a page turner for me and I couldn't wait to read the other 2 in the set.

Kafka on the Shore

Title : Kafka On The Shore
Author : Haruki Murakami
Pages : 615



Synopsis
Joining the rich literature of runaways, Kafka On The Shore follows the solitary, self-disciplined schoolboy Kafka Tamura as he hops a bus from Tokyo to the randomly chosen town of Takamatsu, reminding himself at each step that he has to be "the world's toughest fifteen-year-old." He runs away from home, both to escape his father's oedipal prophecy and to find his long-lost mother and sister. He finds a secluded private library in which to spend his days--continuing his impressive self-education--and is befriended by a clerk and the mysteriously remote head librarian, Miss Saeki, whom he fantasizes may be his long-lost mother. Meanwhile, as Kafka flees, so too does Nakata, an elderly simpleton whose quiet life has been upset by a gruesome murder. (A wonderfully endearing character, Nakata has never recovered from the effects of a mysterious World War II incident that left him unable to read or comprehend much, but did give him the power to speak with cats.) What follows is a kind of double odyssey, as Kafka and Nakata are drawn inexorably along their separate but somehow linked paths, groping to understand the roles fate has in store for them. Murakami likes to blur the boundary between the real and the surreal—we are treated to such oddities as fish raining from the sky; a forest-dwelling pair of Imperial Army soldiers who haven't aged since WWII; and a hilarious cameo by fried chicken king Colonel Sanders—but he also writes touchingly about love, loneliness and friendship. Occasionally, the writing drifts too far into metaphysical musings—mind-bending talk of parallel worlds, events occurring outside of time—and things swirl a bit at the end as the author tries, perhaps too hard, to make sense of things. But by this point, his readers, like his characters, will go just about anywhere Murakami wants them to, whether they "get" it or not.

My Thoughts
I took so long to read this book...mainly cause of the things that were happening around me during the last 3 months..moving house etc.. Anyway, the book turned out quite different than what I've ever read before. I'm not sure if I'm right in saying that it's a fantasy novel, but I thought it was the best description due to all the weird and unnatural things that happened in the book, like leeches falling from the sky, a world beyond the living, talking to cats, and stuff like that..I thought it was pretty freaky at times too..but quite original, just like a lot of the Japanese :-) I would definitely recommend it to those who like to try different story lines.

The Lollipop Shoes

Title : The Lollipop Shoes
Author : Joanne Harris

Synopsis :

Five years have passed since Chocolat, the story of a woman (or is she a witch?) who, with her six-year-old daughter, Anouk, blows into the stuffy little village of Lansquenet and opens her chocolate shop at just the wrong time – and in just the wrong place – incurring the wrath of the local priest and pitting Church against Chocolate.

Since then, things have changed. Vianne has another daughter, Rosette; Anouk has started secondary school; and the three of them are living in a rented chocolaterie in the Montmartre district of Paris. On the surface, life seems good; Anouk goes to school; Vianne has finally found a niche for herself. She is accepted within the community. She has learnt to conform; to blend in. The wind has stopped blowing – for a while.

But security has a high price, and Vianne has made some heavy sacrifices. She has given up her mother’s ways; the magic that she and her daughters shared. She has given up her identity, living now under the name of Yanne Charbonneau. She has even given up making chocolates – the demands of motherhood are just too much – and now orders her stock, just like everyone else. Most importantly, she has given up true love – in the person of Rosette’s father, Roux – and is considering marriage to her reassuringly conventional landlord Thierry, who promises her financial security and a home for her children.

Meanwhile, Anouk (now called Annie) is on the cusp of adolescence. A misfit and a loner at school, she hates Paris, resents the “new” Vianne, and desperately misses the intimacy they once had together. Rosette is nearly four years old, with physical and behavioural problems that are only exacerbated by her uncanny and disturbing Accidents…

Onto this stage comes Zozie de l’Alba, blowing into town on the Day of the Dead. Beautiful, passionate, bohemian and fabulously indifferent to convention, she befriends Anouk, moves into the shop, seduces half the neighbourhood with her effortless charm and little by little, helps Vianne regain, not only her skills, but her life –

But Zozie is not without an agenda. Little by little her influence grows - over Vianne, the shop, the customers, but most of all over Anouk, who sees in her an echo of her own mother, without all the fears that inhibit her. And as Christmas approaches and Zozie’s “help” becomes increasingly more questionable, it becomes clear that behind the charismatic façade there hides a cold and malevolent being, her power immense; her greed insatiable; her ultimate goal – Possession.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book! I finally finished reading it after probably a month or so..I was so busy I didn't have the time. But anyway, it was really surprising about the magic, cause I don't remember too much of magic mentioned in Chocolat (then again, I only saw the movie & didn't read the book). I think it was really exciting, lots of twists and turns and ended really nicely too. As her other books, this also made me hungry for chocolates..I would definitely read it over again someday..

The Genesis of Shannara - Armageddon's Children

Title : Armageddon's Children (The Genesis of Shannara - Book 1)

Author : Terry Brooks

Pages : 416 (mass market paperback)

Synopsis :

Logan Tom is doomed to remember the past and determined to rescue the future. Far behind him lies a boyhood cut violently short by his family’s slaughter, when the forces of madness and hate swept our world after decadent excesses led to civilization’s downfall. Somewhere ahead of him rests the only chance to beat back the minions of evil that are systematically killing and enslaving the last remnants of humanity. Navigating the scarred and poisoned landscape that once was America and guided by a powerful talisman, Logan has sworn an oath to seek out a remarkable being born of magic, possessed of untold abilities, and destined to lead the final fight against darkness.

Across the country, Angel Perez, herself a survivor of the malevolent, death-dealing forces combing the land, has also been chosen for an uncanny mission in the name of her ruined world’s salvation. From the devastated streets of Los Angeles, she will journey to find a place–and a people–shrouded in mystery, celebrated in legend, and vital to the cause of humankind . . . even as a relentless foe follows close behind, bent on her extermination. While in the nearly forsaken city of Seattle, a makeshift family of refugees has carved out a tenuous existence among the street gangs, mutants, and marauders fighting to stay alive against mounting odds–and something unspeakable that has come from the shadows in search of prey.

In time, all their paths will cross. Their common purpose will draw them together. Their courage and convictions will be tested and their fates will be decided, as their singular crusade begins: to take back, or lose forever, the only world they have.

My Thoughts :

I'm a big fan of Terry Brooks's Shannara series and that's what drew me to this book. The setting is of the new world (I still prefer the old world like in the previous Shannara series). I didn't really enjoy the beginning, but gradually it got more exciting and halfway through I couldn't put the book down.

The Chronicles of Narnia

Synopsis :

Book 1 : The Magician’s Nephew

Digory and Polly discover a secret passage that links their houses, and are tricked into vanishing out of this world and into the World of Charn, where they wake up the evil Queen Jadis. There, they witness the creation of the Land of Narnia, as it is sung into being by the Great Lion, Aslan.

Book 2 : The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy find their way through an old wardrobe into the world of Narnia. There, they unite with Aslan to fight the White Witch and save Narnia from perpetual Darkness.

Book 3 : The Horse and His Boy

Shasta escapes from the land of Calormen with a Narnian warhorse, Bree. Along with Aravis and her horse Hwin, they uncover a Calormene plot to conquer Narnia and must find a way to save Narnia and its people.

Book 4 : Prince Caspian

Troubled times have come to Narnia as it is gripped by civil war. Prince Caspian is forced to blow The Great Horn of Narnia, summoning the help of past heroes, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Now they must overthrow Caspian's uncle, King Miraz, to restore peace to Narnia.

Book 5 : The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Lucy, Edmund, and their cousin Eustace, are magically transported onto the ship, Dawn Treader, where King Caspian is searching for the seven lost friends of his father. On the voyage, the children meet many fantastical creatures, including the great Aslan himself.

Book 6 : The Silver Chair

King Caspian's beloved son Prince Rilian has disappeared. Aslan sends Eustace and his school friend Jill to Narnia on a quest to search for the young prince and defeat the evil Witch.

Book 7 : The Last Battle

A false Aslan is roaming Narnia, commanding everyone to work for the cruel Calormemes. Can Eustace and Jill find the true Aslan and restore peace to the land? The last battle is the greatest of all and the final struggle between good and evil.

My Thoughts :
I read the series a few years ago and I think I must reread it. I remember I couldn't stop reading when I started because it was so exciting and full of fantastic imagination. My favourites are The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, but the whole series is magnificent.

The Lord of The Rings

Synopsis - The Fellowship of the Ring :

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his uncle Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

Synopsis - The Two Towers :

THE TWO TOWERS, the second part of Tolkien's LOTR trilogy, takes the reader on a remarkable, almost breathless journey: chasing orcs who have captured Merry and Pippen; galloping across the plains of Rohan with Riders of the Rohirrim; the bloody battle of Helm's Deep; the vast wasteland of Isengard; the perilous journey of Frodo and Sam to the borders of Mordor, accompanied by a most unlikely ally. Unlike "The Fellowship of the Ring," Tolkien's first installment, which at times was compelled to slow to a snail's pace to patiently set up the story, THE TWO TOWERS moves the reader along at a rapid clip, from the first page to the last.
Here we are also introduced to a rich variety of new characters: Eomer, King Theoden, the evil Wormtongue, Treebeard the Ent, Faramir of Gondor, and a nasty assortment of snarling orcs. Tolkien's mastery of the written word brings these characters, and the places of Middle-earth they inhabit--to colorful life.

Synopsis - Return of the King :

While the evil might of the Dark Lord Sauron swarmed out to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggled deep into Mordor, seat of Sauron's power. To defeat the Dark Lord, the accursed Ring of Power had to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way was impossibly hard, and Frodo was weakening. Weighed down by the compulsion of the Ring he began finally to despair.

My Thoughts :

I just realised I haven't said anything about this masterpiece. I'm glad I read the book before watching the movie. The movie was really good too, but there are always things that they leave out from the movie that's actually interesting in the book. This book has been around for decades and it's a classic. I really enjoyed The Hobbit and The Silmarillion also by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Title : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author : J.K. Rowling
Cover : Hardback

Synopsis:

"Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him"

My Thoughts :

This is by far my most favourite book right now. I stayed up all night reading it last night and it was well worth it! Out of all the Potter books, I think this book is the most exciting. It's full of suspense and surprises and ends really nicely too. A lot of things that seemed mysterious to us in the previous books are answered here. If you haven't done so already, make sure you pick up your copy today!! Previous books in the series :

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

His Dark Materials

Synopsis - The Northern Lights (part 1):

The Northern Lights forms the first part of a story in three volumes. The first volume is set in a world like ours, but different in many ways. The second volume is set partly in the world we know. The third moves between many worlds.
In The Northern Lights, readers meet for the first time 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of Jordan College in Oxford, England. It quickly becomes clear that Lyra's Oxford is not precisely like our own - nor is her world. In Lyra's world, everyone has a personal dæmon, a lifelong animal familiar. This is a world in which science, theology and magic are closely intertwined.

Synopsis - The Subtle Knife (part 2):

The Subtle Knife is the second part of the trilogy that began with The Golden Compass. That first book was set in a world like ours, but different. This book begins in our own world.
In The Subtle Knife, readers are introduced to Will Parry, a young boy living in modern-day Oxford, England. Will is only twelve years old, but he bears the responsibilities of an adult. Following the disappearance of his explorer-father, John Parry, during an expedition in the North, Will became parent, provider and protector to his frail, confused mother. And it's in protecting her that he becomes a murderer, too: he accidentally kills a man who breaks into their home to steal valuable letters written by John Parry. After placing his mother in the care of a kind friend, Will takes those letters and sets off to discover the truth about his father.

Synopsis - The Amber Spyglass (part 3) :

The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife to a heartstopping close, marking the third and final volume as the most powerful of the trilogy. Along with the return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone, and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear, The Amber Spyglass introduces a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spy-master to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel. And this final volume brings startling revelations, too: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live - and who will die - for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that - in its shocking outcome - will reveal the secret of Dust.

My Thoughts :

I found out about this trilogy from a friend of mine and luckily got a really good deal buying it. The first book is called Northern Lights, which I really enjoyed. The second book, the Subtle Knife was good too and the strangest and most extreme is the third book, the Amber Spyglass..there's a lot of anti-religious stuff in this third book, so it might not really appeal to you if you're very religious.. I think the most brilliant idea in the trilogy is the fact that everyone has a daemon..your soul in the form of an animal..I heard that they're making a movie of this..it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.. Angels, talking animals, scientific experiments..you have to read it!

The Sword of Shannara & related books

Synopsis :
Long ago the world of Shea Ohmsford was ruined by the wars of ancient Evil. Now mankind must compete for the Earth with many other races-- gnomes, trolls, dwarfs and elves. But Shea, the half-human, half-elven adopted son of an innkeeper, knows little of such troubles. Shady Vale, where he grew to manhood, seems a haven for peace.

Then into Shady Vale comes the giant, forbidding figure of Allanon, possessed of strange knowledge and even stranger Druidic powers. To Shea, he reveals that the evil Warlock Lord, supposedly long dead, is once again plotting to destroy the world. Against this Power of Darkness the sole effective weapon is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a true descendant of Jerle Shannara. Shea is the last living heir: on him rests the hope of all races! When Shea protests that he is no hero, the Druid states that he must reclaim the Sword. In the morning Allanon is gone, leaving behind a mysterious warning note.

Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of the Warlock Lord, flies to the Vale, seeking to destroy the last heir of Shannara. Rather than risk destruction for the Vale, Shea and his skeptical half-brother Flick flee, drawing the Skull Bearer after them. Allanon's cryptic orders have directed them to Culhaven, home of the dwarfs. Somehow they must go there to await him, despite the Skull Bearers and other unknown, dire perils. And beyond Culhaven, they must enter the ravaged Northland, where the Warlock Lord holds total dominion.

Thus begins the seemingly hopeless quest of a simple man against the greatest power of evil the world has known. Valiant comrades join him against a host of foes and soul-wrenching dangers. Terrors and wonders increase as the overwhelming armies of the Warlock Lord move toward war. But in the end, Shea alone must confront the Lord of Evil without knowledge or hope to guide him.

My Thoughts :

When I first grabbed this book from the shelf, I imagined something like the Lord of the Rings.. I wasn't wrong, but not entirely right either. The magic and adventures are similar, but there are a lot of different ideas in these stories by Terry Brooks. There's actually a book that came before The Sword of Shannara, which is called First King of Shannara (that's how it all began). Stories that came after The Sword are also just as exciting. This series is one of my personal favourites. In the Sword of Shannara Trilogy there are : The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, & The Wishsong of Shannara. The following series called the Heritage of Shannara consist of 4 books : The Scions of Shannara, The Druid of Shannara, The Elf Queen of Shannara, & The Talismans of Shannara. After that came the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy which include : Ilse Witch, Antrax & Morgawr. The last trilogy so far is the High Druid of Shannara, with the titles Jaarka Ruus, Tanequil, & Straken.