Book Review: "Keeping the Castle"

Keeping the Castle

by Patrice Kindl

At the age of seventeen, beautiful Althea Crawley must marry well in order to support her mother and her little brother.  Her home, a crumbling castle, is in complete disarray, and her stepsisters refuse to help with the repairs or upkeep.  When Lord Boring arrives in their town, Althea devises a way to ensnare him in marriage.  The only hiccup in the plan is Mr. Fredericks, Lord Boring's clumsy cousin, who manages to get in Althea's way at every turn.  Althea herself never fails to remind us about how beautiful she is; while she may have good intentions, she comes off as manipulative and selfish throughout most of the book without ever really redeeming herself.  There are a few gems in the book, especially when Althea demands to know why it is acceptable that men marry for beauty, but women can't marry for wealth.  Althea's own stepsisters were also amusing in their wickedness.  Kindl works hard to imitate the wit and irony that Austen managed so capably, and fans of Regency romances may also enjoy this book.  I may have to read more of Austen novels and Regency romances to compare, but personally, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped.

Rating: ★★

Book Review: "Wicked Business"

Wicked Business  

by Janet Evanovich  

When a man is murdered and thrown off of his balcony, cupcake baker Lizzy Tucker is once again thrown into the race to find a second SALGIA stone before the forces of evil.  This time, Lizzy must help her partner, Diesel, find the Luxuria stone (the stone that embodies lust) before the forces of evil do - mainly Wulf, Diesel's cousin, and Anarchy, a mysterious new villain.  Lizzy and Diesel must use all resources on hand, including Carl the monkey, to decipher the clues and find the stone before Wulf and Anarchy.  Hilarity ensues as they leave behind mayhem and disorder, all while trying to battle their attraction for each other.  Evanovich once again has the reader giggling throughout the book as they try to puzzle out the mystery of the stone along with the characters.  Lizzy and Diesel make a great team, and while the book won't win any literary awards, it's still a lot of fun to read.

Rating: ★★★

Book Review: "Seraphina"

Seraphina

by Rachel Hartman

Goodreads Summary: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Review: Not many books immerse me to the point where I feel as if I'm in the world along with the characters; Seraphina is one of the lucky few.  The world was highly imaginative and incredibly detailed, complete with full rituals and customs and religion.  Seraphina herself was a plucky and prickly heroine, with a core of strength, intelligence, and kindness.  Her garden of grotesques were fascinating, another detailed world within a world, and one that I want to know more about.  All the other characters were also wonderful in their own right: Orma, the cold and unfeeling dragon closest to Seraphina; Kiggs, the intelligent but slightly mischievous prince; Glisselda, the seemingly ditzy yet perceptive heir to the throne.  It might be too slowly paced for some people, but I enjoyed the intricate world and character building.  I'm looking forward to the next book.
 

Rating: ★★★★

This book was obtained as an eGalley from Random House Children's Books.  It's expected publication date is July 10, 2012.