Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

eARC received from Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date:  5-7-2013

Reveiwed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Amazing new idea, but needs more world building

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England.

“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness.

When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.

Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…

Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.

I was so happy to be approved to read an early copy of Chantress!  I’m always looking for something new in the ya paranormal genre, and women who wield magic through song is definitely something different.  I’m a music lover—I love how a melody or a chorus can take hold of your heart and embed itself into your world.  I love how it can flow around you melding your moods and your desires, and mostly, I love how it is music that can so thoroughly describe the nature of man.  So, it only seems fitting that music could contain hidden power.  I loved how Amy Butler Greenfield gave everything a song in her world, and how those songs could be used to wield unimaginable power.

This story starts off with a bang when Lucy unknowingly sings herself across the seas to London.  She is immediately thrust into a dangerous and duplicitous world where everyone and everything can betray you.  The intensity of Amy’s story held me tight, and I could feel the treachery flying on the wind.  But it wasn’t just the tension and danger that made Amy’s world unique and beautiful; I loved that it was set in the late 1600s when the fear or witchcraft was already rampant.  It felt fitting that this story was set so long ago instead of in modern times, and it really added to the fear that controlled the people in London in Amy’s world.  I just wish there would have been more focus on the world building, as we truthfully didn’t get to see much of it.

For the most part the action was well placed, although somewhere in the middle the action did start to lull.  When Lucy starts to practice the magic of a Chantress, she is locked up underground for months, and it was here that I began to want the plotline to move along.  I felt like we saw too many of the basic lessons, when just a few paragraphs about her struggle would have sufficed.  I wanted to see more happen outside, and we didn’t see any of this because the story is written in Lucy’s pov.  I wish there would have been dual perspectives or something done so we could see through another’s eyes out into the word that is ravaged by the dangerous Shadowgrims (magical ravens who can read minds and destroy you from the inside out).

I like Nat, the scientist who eventually becomes Lucy’s relationship interest (although nothing really happens at all).  However, he didn’t really blow me away, but again, if we could have seen his perspective, I think I might have been more drawn to him.  He holds horrible secrets about his past, and seeing glimpses into this would have informed his character more, and would have added to the desperate tone of the book.

I wish we could have seen more of the evil characters, too.  I felt like most of the story, the evil and dangers were just described, not experienced.  I wanted more close calls and out of breath moments as a result of living on the edge of danger.  Unfortunately, these only came at the beginning and at the end.  This might have added to the lulls in action I was frustrated with in the middle.  The evil characters had such potential, and I just wish they would have been explored more.

Overall, Chantress was a great read, and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next one.  I loved the musical aspect that the power was centered around, and I love that everything in the world has its own unique song, and it is just floating on the wind, waiting to be discovered.  I’m excited to see what new magic awaits Lucy in the future.

Venom by Fiona Paul

Venom by Fiona Paul

ARC received from Penguin at ALA

On Shelves Now

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Vivacious, Virulent, and Vicious

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself.

Fiona Paul’s Venom is dazzling!  Set amongst the foggy streets of Venice, Venom will ensnare you in a web of deceit, where passion and purity are pushed to their limits, and where the wrong move might land you in the hands of a psychopath.

I enjoy historical romances, but it is not really one of my favorite genres.  That is perhaps why I have had this ARC for months but just now read it.  Boy, do I regret letting it sit on my shelf!  Venom sucked me straight into Renaissance Venice—the gorgeous dresses, the forbidden trysts, the dangerous streets---I could go on and on about the amazing history that Fiona brought to life.  I really think the historical aspect was my favorite part of this book, and Fiona did such a great job of integrating the past and the city into her story.  I loved reading about the marriage customs and the expectations of nobles versus commoners.  I had heard all these things before, but having them brought forth within a storyline was enchanting.

I actually really enjoyed Cassandra as the female main character.  Before I read this, I assumed she would be the typical snobbish, dull noblewoman that we think of from the Renaissance; and at first, Cass follows these very rules.  However, soon, her true nature shows; and we see her start to push back against what society expects of her.  It wasn’t long before I got the rush of excitement like I was the one sneaking out in the middle of the night to consort with a handsome artist instead of Cass.  I loved seeing her break free of her confines and start to question everything she has been told.  She became a strong female lead who was determined to find the truth, no matter the danger; and I found myself cheering her along. 

For all you teachers or English majors or anyone else who finds themselves picking out themes and motifs—I loved the caged bird motif!  Falco’s nickname for Cass is “Starling,” and on more than one occasion, he mentions how she is a bird beating her wings against her noble cage.

Oh Falco, Falco!  He’s an artist (I say this with the pronunciation of ‘are-teest’ because it just feels like its how Falco would say it), and a commoner, but he doesn’t let that stop him from going after the girl.  I like his resilience and tenacity—and I love how he doesn’t hesitate to put Cass in her place when she’s being a spoiled little rich girl.  At the same time, he’s sensitive and sweet, caring for Cass and her safety.  I immediately fell for Falco, even though I knew he was hiding something.  Full of charm and charisma, Falco definitely adds some spice to this story.  I loved the scenes with him, and when he wasn’t there, I felt myself missing him!  I can’t wait to find out what’s next in Belladonna (book 2).

The only downfall for this book was that it started out a little slow.  I think I was 100 pages in before I really was taken with the characters.  BUT, at that point, I couldn’t put it down.  I had to know what was going to happen next, and I just couldn’t wait to discover the identity of the killer.  This book was not predictable in any way for me.  I kept trying to guess who the stranger at the masquerade ball was—I was wrong.  I tried to guess who the killer was—I was wrong.  So, Fiona did a great job of throwing in red herrings and what not to throw me off my track.  It was great to be kept guessing up until the very end.

Venom was brilliantly written, full of breath-taking imagery and poetic motifs.  Fiona knows how to take you from merely reading a book to living it.  Full of seduction, secrets, and sinister violence, Venom will challenge everything you know about Renaissance Italy.  I will say, Fiona knows how to bring history to life.

Content Warning:  Sexual content.  There is a scene where Cass witnesses sexual acts while in a brothel.  I would recommend this for high school age or higher.

Teaser Tuesday: Venom by Fiona Paul

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

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Venom by Fiona Paul
Published by Philomel/Penguin
On Shelves Now!

 

"Falco shook his head. 'How terrible it must be to be a member of the noble class.  So many rules.  Such restraint.  You must feel like a caged bird, battering its wings against the sides of its golden prison."  ARC, pg 71

 

"Falco turned around and gave Cass a look that chilled her.  'Don't ask questions,' he said, 'and I'll tell you no lies.'" ARC, pg 151

 

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First off, I love this cover!!!  The purple mask is gorgeous, and I love it against the gold script.  I just finished this book two days ago, and I am so ready for the next book (Belladonna) to come out!  This one started off a little slow, I will admit; but once I was about 100 pages into it, I couldn't put it down!!  I really enjoyed Falco, and his witty and cavalier attitude.

 

I would definitely recommend this to fans of historical romance!