The Gods of Amyrantha by Jennifer Fallon

And the plot thickens... like mash potato gravy and just as yummy. Did I also mention that Jennifer Fallon herself has seen the review of The Immortal Prince? All us people at All Books Great and Small feel very honored to have had it featured in her blog. Check out her website! It's awesome!

We last left the story at the point Cayal saves Arkady from certain death. The second book starts off with a prologue giving the us readers a taste of the Immortals' cruelty and a stark look at the nature of their ability to heal unconditionally adding urgency to the fact that the Immortals must be killed. What was ironic was that in this same prologue, one can see the cruelty that humans possess.

Arkady and her husband Stellan are exiled to the capital of Torlenia ironically, for helping the crown prince get out of trouble. In the meantime, Jaxyn Aranville, Stellan's lover, is making plans to move in on the throne which are not going as smoothly as he would like it because Diala, another immortal posing as Stellan's niece, is one up on him because of her marriage to the crown prince. As they both make their move to dispose of any other heir to the throne, Stellan and Arkady suddenly find themselves under arrest for high treason. The millenia old question then remains... will mere mortals be able to find a way to rid themselves of the machinations of the Immortals?

Another sleepless night worth spending. The Gods of Amyrantha keeps you on the edge of your seat, breathless in anticipation of what will happen next. This is a series that is worth following closely. The Immortal Prince was captivating and this second instalment has yet to disappoint! A beautifully woven tapestry of words!

Naked by David Sedaris

Finished this one last month. I finally have a little time to write about it. I'll be blunt. It was twisted, cynical and utterly mind boggling. That being said, I think it was a pretty good read! Naked is a collection of short stories detailing parts of Sedaris's life. Though some of the incidents he talks about are fairly mundane, his take on them creates this bizarre twist. He takes you through his world of constant hitch-hiking (he refuses to drive in Chicago), kids and X-rated reading material, making friends with the physically challenged, the harmless white lies that all parents (especially dads) tell their kids, and... wait for it... nudist colonies. Reliving his life was quite the experience. Though his brand of humor doesn't quite suit my taste (as I only found one of his stories particularly humorous), those who enjoy cynicism and sarcasm at its twisted best would do well to pick up this book. Our latest addition to the team, (Bagus) would be a great example.

Feature: The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

This week All Books Great and Small will be featuring a very special book review written by Bagus Wibadsu Sosroseno. It's also our first review of a trilogy! Enjoy...

When it comes to the high-fantasy genre, there are only a few books that dare to break the boundary set by the late J.R.R. Tolkien; that is to say, most fantasy books somewhat adhere to some unwritten rules when it comes to the storyline and the characters; and can be quite clichéd.

And The Farseer Trilogy is one fine example of a story that broke that boundary. Set in a fantasy region of the Six Duchies, enter Fitz Chivalry, a bastard son of Prince Chivalry, who was supposed to inherit the throne to keep the Duchies united. Raised as both an embarrassment of the royal bloodline and a threat to the throne, Fitz is thrown right in the middle of an uncomfortable political situation. On top of that, The Six Duchies, throughout the whole story arc, is being raided by the mysterious Outislanders, whose sole purpose seems to be the destruction of all the Duchies.

The most intriguing part in the book is reading about Fitz, the main character, trying to grow up amidst all the drama and politics surrounding him since his childhood. And, like normal people, Fitz underwent plenty of painful moments, and we are not spared by the author when it comes to tear-inducing dramatics. At times the story can be really painful and depressing, and you can’t help but feel sorry for Fitz, and you’ll find yourself silently saying, “You can do it Fitz!” In the end, Fitz emerges as a hero that is scarred both mentally and physically, and his ultimate triumph is sacrifice.

The supporting characters in the story are a marvel to look at, too. Each and every character in the story has a big role to play. What seems like a minor character in the first book, Assassin’s Apprentice, may turn out to be a really major character in the second, or the third.

This trilogy (Assasin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin’s Quest) is a great read. It is way up there in terms of character development (which is really rare in the realm of high-fantasy), and the author leaves nothing, nothing, undone. The ending, though I won’t spoil it, is also different, if not a bit on the tragic side. Go and buy it, if you haven’t already.

The Immortal Prince by Jennifer Fallon

Okay, okay can't tell a lie...

This book is awesome! Character driven, an elegantly complex plot and a unique concept - learning about immortals. You couldn't ask for more! Jennifer Fallon is one of the greatest fantasy authors of this age. The Immortal Prince is the first book in The Tide Lords, her first four book series.

The story begins with an immortal, Cayal, looking for a way to die. He murders seven people for that sole purpose and is sentenced to death, to his utmost disappointment, by hanging.... The executioner who beheads people was on vacation. Arkady, the Duchess of Lebec and historian, is then sent in to prove that he is lying about being immortal. Things start to get messy and she helps him escape from prison. It is then she discovers Cayal is telling the truth and is forced to confront it. When she does, she discovers the complexities of being immortal and their ruthless ambitions to rule Amyrantha through a religion or an existing government - it's more effective and a lot less of a hassle.

This is a great book for all fans of adult fantasy. the characters are complex an intriguing and drive the plot to unexpected twists and turns. Expect to empathize, pity and hate these seemingly inhuman immortals. Oh... expect to stay up late reading this book...

And stay tuned for the review of her second book: Gods of Amyrantha

Blood Sinister by Celia Rees

This book would be alright for those of you who have never read a vampire story in your life. If you have read lots, then I think you'll be a little unimpressed by the whole thing. I initially thought that it'd be hard for Rees to make any kind of impact with this book as it contains your run-of-the-mill immortal vampire that's allergic to crosses, stakes and of course the pungent spice that is garlic. Turns out I was right. The storyline is pretty generic. The heroine of our story, Ellen Forrest, finds herself feeling sick and pale. She's not getting any explanations from the countless doctors and specialists her mother has taken her to as they too have no idea what the problem is (don't they always?). Then one day she discovers a set of diaries in her grandmother's attic and the truth is revealed.

I also thought that Rees wrote this after the Twilight series was published because of the new cover. However it turns out that she wrote this in 1996 so she definitely gets credit for the originality of her book. The story wasn't riveting. As it's for teens, it contained small elements of romance. What was good about the book was how she took a little folklore from both Transylvanian (I presume) and Chinese culture. The Chinese have their own version of a vampire and remedies to fight them off and I think she did enough research to make it believable. However, this cross-culture element only surfaced in the last fifth of the story. It's a shame that she didn't capitalize on it more. It could have made this a one of a kind vampire tale.

Great title though.

Lord Loss by Darren Shan

A highly thrilling and fun read. The story line makes the book really difficult to wrench from a person's hands. It ain't scary regardless of all the warnings you see on the back of the book but it is gruesome and bloody at the right parts. Enter Grubbs Grady, an average adolescent who changed his name TO Grubbs (?). He finds himself dealing with mundane issues like peer pressure and getting back at his bossy older sister. However he eventually gets a nagging feeling that all is not as it should be when his family starts doing things that are completely out of character. A suspicious invitation to a fluffy ballet performance (which he violently rejects as any self respecting guy does) that ensures that his absence from home causes him to hang it all and try to figure out what on earth is going on. When he gets home and opens the door, all hell breaks loose... literally.

This book is a good starter into the darker side of fantasy and hell. Good fun. It's the first book in the 10 volume Demonata series.

The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven

In addition to being attracted by really cool book covers, I happened to be attracted by tattoo designs as well. Not that I'll ever get one in this lifetime. I think I'll leave the permanent skin marking thing to the brave souls out there clamoring for one.

That said, this book was particularly intriguing. You'd think that with a title like that the story line would go along the lines of the protagonist being born with this tattoo which gives away the fact that he is of noble birth or has some super fantastical power and how he has to deal with the responsibilities or consequences for having such a mark.

Wrong! You will be pleasantly surprised by the unusual plot of the story. I mean, it's still a good versus evil theme ultimately, but I guess conceptually and character-wise, this book wins my vote.

The story is set in London of the future. The villain: The Scourge. Three young heroes must set out to destroy The Scourge or the world risks being annihilated. Sounds cliched I know, but I wouldn't want to give a good story away.

Young adult readers would enjoy this book very much, especially if you're into supernatural powers and stories about demons.