Twilight The Graphic Novel Volume 1 – Stephenie Meyer, Art and Adaptation by Young Kim
Hachette Yen, 2010
224 pages
RRP: AU$19.99
ISBN: 9781907411526

Reviewed by Kate Williams

I have never seen the appeal of graphic novels and this one hasn’t done anything to convert me, however it is possible to respect the amount of passion and effort that has gone into bringing the first half of Twilight to life.  Young Kim’s background in animation is clear in this incredibly detailed interpretation of the popular novel as is Stephenie Meyer’s guiding hand.

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The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo – Adam Roberts
Hachette Gollancz, 2010
320 pages
RRP: AU$17.99
ISBN: 9780575103726

Review by Kate Smith

Firstly I must admit ignorance of the story of which the title is based.  I did consider reading the book in question however this did not occur.  This means that I cannot comment on the cleverness or accuracy of any parody that may exist in term of that text.  What I can say is that The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo is a smooth and amusing read, perfect for a lazy afternoon in the sunshine.

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The Twilight Saga:  The Official Illustrated Guide, A Companion to the #1 Bestseller – Stephenie Meyer
Hachette Little Brown, 2011
560 pages
RRP: AU$32.99
ISBN: 9781905654437

Review by Kate Williams

The title of this book is about as long and detailed as its contents.  Having milked the series for all it is worth, bringing out four increasingly lengthy novels starting with the manageable Twilight and ending with the doorstop that is Breaking Dawn, Meyer has excelled herself with this companion guide.  It is 543 pages of lavishly illustrated, lovingly typeset reworkings, retellings and reinventions of the Twilight universe including the less well known novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

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The Quantum Thief – Hannu Rajaniemi
Hachette Gollancz, 2010
336 pages
RRP: AU$32.99
ISBN: 9780575088887

Reviewed by Kate Smith

This was an interesting choice for me as I don’t usually go for science fiction.  Intrigued enough to give it a go, I was not disappointed.  The first thirty pages or so needed to be slogged through as the story was given its foundation but hang in there as the tale definitely gets more engaging.

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The Traitor’s Gate – Sarah Silverwood (Nowhere Chronicles #2)
Hachette Gollancz, 2011
352 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780575095809

Reviewed by Kate Smith

I was very happy to have this book offered to me as I enjoyed the first part to The Nowhere Chronicles in The Double-Edged Sword.  However, The Traitor’s Gate is a much darker story, and it gets darker very quickly.  In fact it is a very typical second part of a three part story – the introduction with hope, the darkest hour, and (one hopes) the dawn and resolution.  This particular darkest hour is very dark indeed, with everything that can go badly for the hero, going totally badly.  This does not make it the easy and happy read that the first part of the tale was, but it does allow for character and plot development.  Silverwood constructs her story well with pieces of the unknown past coming together smoothly but the twists and turns of the tale are not entirely unexpected.  The fact that there are no true surprises or shocks with developing events does not, however, detract from the enjoyment of the tale.

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The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss
Hachette Gollancz, 2008
672 pages
RRP: AU$24.99
ISBN: 9780575081406

Reviewed by Kate Smith

It was the back of the second book in this series, The Wise Man’s Fear, that caught my attention to begin with: a blurb on the basis of which I tracked down the first part of the tale so I could get the full story (as I always prefer to do).  As a frequent reader of this genre, I was interested but not desperately as I have often been let down by a blurb before.  Not desperately interested, that is, until I started reading.

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Heartless – Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate #4)
Hachette Orbit, 2011
336 pages
RRP:AU$19.99
ISBN: 9780356500096

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

The whole of the Parasol Protectorate series so far has been a delightful romp, and Heartless is no exception. Carrying on from the previous novel, Alexia must deal with her “inconvenience” whilst solving mysteries, averting dastardly plans and most importantly, drinking enough tea. Thankfully, Alexia is back in England where she can indulge in her favourite beverage to her heart’s content.

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From Nalini's webpage at http://www.nalinisingh.com

Nalini Singh is the New York Times bestselling author of the Psy/Changeling and Guild Hunter series. She is an Antipodean, born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. Nalini recently won the Favourite Paranormal Romance, Favourite Fantasy, Sci-Fi or Futuristic Romance, and Favourite Continuing Romance awards at the 2010 Australian Romance Readers Association Awards. In Australia, Nalini’s novels are published through Gollancz.

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The Double-Edged Sword – Sarah Silverwood (Nowhere Chronicles #1)
Hachette Gollancz, 2010
352 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780575095793

Reviewed by Kate Smith

I have never been one to avoid books because of their targeted age range. I have come across both shockers and brilliant stories in all ages ranges, and The Double-Edged Sword lies far closer to the positive end of the spectrum, despite not being primarily targeted to an adult audience.

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Blameless – Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate #3)
Hachette Grand Central, 2010
400 pages
RRP: AU$15.99
ISBN: 9780316074155

Reviewed by Kate Smith

Too often it seems with series of books that authors are not able to sustain the vivid flash of inspiration that captivates the reader in initial works.  Happily with Blameless Carriger does not fall into that particular hole.  While I did not enjoy Blameless quite so much as her previous two novels, this was due to the path of the storyline rather than any inherent deficits in the writing.  Carriger does a lovely job of unfolding a more intricate world around her heroine, a world far more complex than the lady in question had been aware of, and she does this without unnecessary and lengthy detailed paragraphs that can slow down the reader and the bounce of the story.  In unfolding this larger world Carriger brings new characters to life and develops existing ones further.

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