Wednesday is Library Day!

I haven't read much lately... I'm too busy with jewelry and Farmer's Market and swimming lessons.

*****
The Shadow Sorceress by L.E. Modessit, Jr.
From Modessit's website: Anna, the heroine of The Spellsong War (Tor, 1999) was a singer from Earth who brought a new level of magic to the world of Erde through her knowledge of music and singing. Considered to be the power behind the throne, Anna was able to protect her young king for years. But when Anna dies unexpectedly, her successor, Secca, is thrust into a position of power before her training is complete. The kingdom of Defaulk is in a state of unrest and a possible war is on the horizon. To make matters worse, the Sea Priests have laid a naval siege on Nordwei using their new drumming magic. Now Secca must gather her resources and put her still-developing magical powers to the test to continue Anna’s work and set things right again.


I enjoyed the continuation of the Spellsong Saga, and have thorougly enjoyed the return to Defaulk. However, Secca's tale is honestly not as rich as Anna's... Anna's experiences and wisdom changed her world so much, and Secca just doesn't have them. Which is the point of the book- it's a coming of age story. I care about Secca and the world that's been created, but haven't enjoyed this one as much as the others. I'm overwhelmed by the odds that she must face and really do not see how she can possibly defeat the horrible evil that has grown around her. I will be going on to read the next book. But not with as much enthusiasm as I dove into Anna's stories.


Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

From the cover: One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from Inkheart, and an evil ruler named Capricorn escapes the boundaries of the book, landing in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie's in the middle of the kind of adventure she thought only took place in fairy tales. Somehow she must master the magic that has conjured up this nightmare. Can she change the course of the story that has changed her life forever?


I thoroughly enjoyed Inkheart, and am looking forward to reading the others in the series. Beth rented the movie before I had an opportunity to read the book, and I got an inkling of how much I might enjoy the book and I was right. Not only is the book MUCH better than the movie, it was a good story. A book-lover's story.... I love the quotes from all the well-known books: from The Borribles to The Hobbit.
It's not Harry Potter. Don't get me wrong... It's gonna be a long time before we see another story with the depth, creativity and intrigue of Rowling's world. But it was excellent and well-told YA fiction. I was drawn in immediately and wanted to know what was going to happen. I cared about the characters and was interested in their story. Well worth the time.