Book Review: THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI

Author: Helene Wecker
Publisher: Harper
Pub Date: April 23, 2013

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master-the husband who commissioned her-dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899.

Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Though he is no longer imprisoned, Ahmad is not entirely free-an unbreakable band of iron around his wrist binds him to the physical world.

Meeting by chance, Chava and Ahmad become unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing nature-until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful threat will soon bring the Golem and the Jinni together again, challenging their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 It's been a long time since I've opened a book and devoured huge chunks of it at a time. The Golem and the Jinni was captivating.

There wasn't a lot of action, which I normally demand in a book; The Golem and the Jinni is just plain good storytelling. Wecker delves into what it would be like to be a supernatural creature living among humans, trying to hide. She masterfully weaves magical fantasy and historical fiction in this tale, combining the stories of characters and showing how their lives intertwine.

The characters are fleshed out and believable. Chava, the golem, is passive and afraid of herself and others, yet she stubbornly holds on to her life. She is also gentle and aware of others' feelings. The Jinni is outgoing and selfish with a temper to boot, yet somehow the two end up becoming friends. Some of the best dialogue in the story is after they meet and commence to arguing with each other.

I love how Wecker portrays them as fugitives, not as superheroes. These are creatures that would be destroyed if they are found out, and they know it. They also have to deal with the loneliness of being one of a kind.

At over 500 pages, I thought this book might be a tedious read, but it didn't feel too long and the pages flew by. The Golem and the Jinni is stunningly written and will take you to an enthralling world of magic and 19th century New York. Highly recommended.

 

This post was part of a TLC Book Tour for The Golem and the Jinni. Go here for a list of the rest of the tour stops, and to read more reviews of the book. Also, check out the book trailer!

 

Book Review: THE FOREVER KNIGHT

Author: John Marco
Publisher: DAW Hardcover
Pub Date: April 2, 2013

Lukien is the Bronze Knight, beloved by his kingdom and renowned in battle throughout his world. After betraying his king and losing his beloved, he wishes only for death, but rather than die, Lukien is given a chance for redemption: to be the protector of the Inhumans—those fragile mortals who live deep in the desert, far from the prying eyes of their world. These remarkable individuals have been granted magical powers in exchange for the hardships and handicaps life has handed them. And Lukien, now immortal himself, must be their champion. But how can one man, even an immortal warrior, protect hundreds from a world of potential enemies? (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Though it was the fourth book in a series, I didn't have trouble following Lukien's journey in this book. His back story was made clear without slowing down the narrative (in fact, I'd be interested to go back and read the first books), and the plot clipped along with the adventure and some heart-wrenching events.

The thing that drew me in from the beginning was Lukien's spirit protector, Malator, who resides in Lukien's sword. Lukien seems to be close to immortal because of Malator, and this is something that the knight struggles with. At points, he just wants to give up and die--or he thinks he does, until he is brought face to face with that option.

One thing I didn't buy was Lukien's choice to bring a little girl, Cricket, along with him to a dangerous land to act as his squire. Lukien is brave and honourable, and clearly struggles with things like right and wrong, and life and death. I feel like a knight like him would never, ever bring a young girl to certain danger like that, no matter how much she begged to come along.

However, Cricket's involvement in the story is key, so I have to overlook that fact. She is my favourite character in the book, bringing cheer to Lukien's darkened heart. And the fact that she can't remember her past keeps me curious throughout their journey.

The Forever Knight was an entertaining read, well written with a tragic twist. It could be read as a stand alone, but I'd suggest starting at the beginning of the series if you are interested in following Lukien's transformational journey.

This post was part of a TLC Book Tour for The Forever Knight. Go here for a list of the rest of the tour stops, and to read more reviews of the book.

Book Review: WHITE RAVEN

Author: Irina Lopatina
Publisher: Light Messages
Pub Date: July 30, 2012

Terrifying creatures are invading the kingdom of Areya, and no one knows where they are coming from. Grand Duke Vlady believes he can fend them off with the help of the magical sword, Urart, but his nephew Prince Vraigo knows better. Endowed with magical abilities, Vraigo believes they must find the source of these evil creatures in order to defeat them, and sets off on a quest to discover answers to his questions. When Urart is stolen from the Duke's armory, the kingdom is in even greater peril and Vraigo must find it, along with the terrible being who is behind the appearance of the monsters. On his journey, he allies himself with magical creatures like werewolves and drevalyankas, and discovers a strange world he never knew existed.

I was struck by how nicely White Raven translated from Russian into English while still preserving a unique voice. I loved how the writing reminded me of J.R.R. Tolkien and fairy tales. Lopatina has created a wonderfully rich world full of enchanting creatures like drevalyankas, pikshas, and yagas--a world full of wonder and magic that is everyday life for Vraigo, the main character.

The story itself is your typical fantasy plot of young man trying to fight back against evil and journeying on a quest to find a lost object, but the writing style and rich world building make it well worth the read. I especially enjoyed learning about the fantasy beings that Vraigo comes across; he is best friends with two druids, he makes friends with a she-werewolf who I am most interested in learning more about, and is joined on his quest by a drevalyanka (which the character from our world mistakes for a green dog) who sits on his shoulder or inside his shirt most of the time and helps him on his journey.

I guess I didn't completely read the synopsis, because I was surprised when halfway into the story, Vraigo finds himself in our world in the twenty-first century. I generally prefer stories that take place in fantasy lands and stay there, but I enjoyed the change of pace here and watching Vraigo try to make sense of this strange new world.

I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to the next in the series.

Note: There is a special promotion going on extended for this blog tour! Orders placed through the Light Messages site will be $12.00 per book instead of $16.95, and you will receive a personalized, signed postcard from the author, Irina Lopatina. These postcards feature landscapes from Altai, Siberia--the inspiration for Areya (how cool is that!). Go here to place an order. You can also receive a personalized, signed book plate for the front of your book by submitting a photo of yourself and your book here.

It is also my pleasure to have the author herself stop by with a few answers to some questions I asked her!

Q & A with the Author

1. I know Russian landscape helped inspire White Raven. Can you tell us more?
I would rather say that these were Siberian landscapes and Altai Mountains, the region where I live. Huge, modern cities coexist here with centuries-old impenetrable forests, mighty rivers and mountains. All this beauty of nature exists in the kingdom which is depicted in White Raven. The beauty of this region is a little otherworldly, so it was a small leap from my home to Areya.

2. Is there a particular message you want your readers to take out of your book?
I think that the world around us is not only beautiful but also incredibly complex. So someone--even someone with special abilities (such as magical abilities)--has to put significant efforts to show one's worth. Heroes of White Raven meet a challenge sent by the koschei and manifest themselves in full in the struggle against him. Facing challenge with a fight is the natural state of man in our world.

3. What authors and/or books have influenced you in your writing?
In my writing, I am not guided by someone else's works. I write as I think. But, of course, I read a great number of novels by many excellent writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula Le Guin, Andre Alice Norton, Stanislaw Lem, the Russian authors Nick Perumov and Svyatoslav Loginov, as well as the wonderfully charming Russian fairy tales.

4. What are you working on now?
I have a rule not to reveal the secrets of a book that is not yet completed. The only thing I can say right now is that I am working on my fifth novel.

This post was part of a TLC Book Tour for White Raven. Go here for a list of the rest of the tour stops, and to read more reviews of the book.