Dragonhaven, by Robin McKinley
pros: well-written; well-developed idea of what if dragons were real and how it would work out realistically; details of National Park, Native Americans’ role, and legends; believable characters and situations; complete story in one book; the dragons’ names; hero has hispanic last name but is not a stereotype, it’s just his name
cons: dragged a little; ending felt rushed; conflict details felt choppy but this may be result of first-person POV; annoying little girl was a true brat; what happened to the mother remained a mystery
misc: caves; burns; fate; walkie-talkies; radios; feds; poachers; tour busses; Smokehill National Park; Jake Mendoza; Lois (the baby dragon)
ISBN 0399246754; 272pp; pub. 2007
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The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie
pros: one of best books of 2007; great characters, situations, story; Logen Ninefingers/Bloody Nine and his little sayings; Glokta; complex plot, characters, action counterbalanced with simple elements of daily life; portrayal of wizards and wizardry; cynicism; chapter titles
cons: next 2 books in series aren’t available in US yet; ends too soon; Glokta can be hard to like; not sure where he’s going with Ardee’s storyline; Jezal’s character is unlikeable, a little inconsistent; names of lords and power players in city were confusing at times
misc: you have to be realistic; pot; blanket; Shanka/Flatheads; Dogman; Logen’s opponents; Ferro; Bayaz; Malacus Quai; Councils; Inquisitors; Arch Lector
ISBN 159102594X; 531pp; pub. 2007
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Poltergeist, by Kat Richardson
pros: good writer, good series; interesting premise, well handled; same group of characters as before, but with different emphases; noirish detective novel feel; only a hint of romance; really works in the city and its quirks and personality; coffee addiction worked in as small detail, including Starbucks
cons: not a lot gets resolved; love interest was there as a plot device; Harper’s personality and circumstances could have used more details; too long since I read first book in series
misc: Greywalker Book 2; Harper Blaine; Seattle; psychokinesis; research project; fake experiment
ISBN 0451461509; 352pp; pub. 2007
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