Bloodline by James Rollins

Let me start this review with two confessions. 1) James Rollins is my favourite author, so I'm not exactly impartial (though I think my adoration is well-deserved). 2) I love Da Vinci Code-esque books. Let me be more clear. Dan Brown can't write and what he does write is obviously fiction. However, I will sacrifice writing quality for a good story, and because of that I enjoyed Da Vinci Code. And that sub-genre has become my favourite: full of action and adventure, conspiracies, mysteries and ancient secrets (usually of a religious bent) that will change the world if revealed all wrapped up in a gripping story. I can usually tell by the cover of a book if I'll enjoy it, though I have been wrong occasionally.

And that's how I picked up my first James Rollins book. I started with the third one in the series, Black Order. I picked it up in an airport and while I loved the story and finished it to find out what happened, I couldn't stand the protagonist, Gray Pierce. Something about him rubbed me the wrong way and I found myself unable to relate to him and couldn't find him sympathetic--I couldn't root for him to win. While I enjoyed the story and the action, my dislike of the main character prompted me to put James Rollins on my list of "Authors to Avoid." I need this list because cover art tends to rope me in and I'm usually a few chapters in before I look at the author's name. I avoided his books for a few years, but eventually forgot his name and ended up picking up Map of Bones. To this day, that book remains my favourite. I consumed it within a day and went searching for the next book in the series--Black Order. A few pages in, I started getting deja vu. It took me a while to remember that I had in fact read this book, and that I disliked it. And even though I didn't like Gray at first, I found myself falling a bit more in love with him with each book. I think I caught up with the series by The Doomsday Key and have spent every year looking forward to the next release. I've read every book he's written, including his stand alone action books, both novelettes and his "children's" series (which is way better than Rick Riordan or Michael Scott and really need more recognition). I have yet to start the fantasy series he wrote (under the name James Clemens), but they're on my list. His writing is consistently wonderful, even when his stories don't grab me (Altar of Eden wasn't my favourite, sorry). The 8th (and latest) book in his Sigma Force series came out in late June, entitle Bloodline.

Similar to Michael Crichton, James Rollins bases his books on real science. I realize this is a fiction book, and the science he describes is not necessarily possible in the way he describes it yet. However, a lot of the science and advances he describes are based on real experiments, he simply takes the conclusions to the next logical step. Bloodline is no different in this respect. The books have begun moving away from the mystery-shrouded religious object (though one plays a minor role in the prologue of Bloodline) and more toward government conspiracy. I'm a little disappointed, especially since the prologue (which was released as a sneak peek) seemed to promise a more mystically-linked book, but nonetheless, Bloodline does not disappoint. The action sequences are fantastic and gripping. We get to meet new characters, one of whom has four legs (seriously, I wish I could train my pups so well--they still struggle with "Come"). We see developments of older characters as well--not only does Rollins finally address the Gray-Seichan relationship (almost and implicitly, but it's something), but we see Monk return (yay!) and an unexpected development that I won't give away. Bloodline also provides some answers to the Guild and its origins; at the same time that the Guild is being torn asunder and dispersed, a new antagonist to Sigma rises from its ashes and brings up a whole slew of new questions. Despite that, the wrap up still answered things satisfactorily, and I was pleased with the neat little package that was left, with some tantalizing loose ends that are just begging to be tugged on. It was a great read, and as always, I had no difficulty imagining myself in the characters' world.

As with all my favourite series and authors, coming to the end of the newest book is bittersweet. Due to work, it took me 3-4 days to finish Bloodline (as opposed to the >24 hours for Devil Colony), but the end still came too soon, as it always does. I love losing myself in the world of whatever book I'm reading, especially Sigma Force's world, and the end wrap-up is satisfying, but I hate having to pull myself out of that world and wait at least another year for the next chance to immerse myself. Yes, I can reread the books, but it's not the same as the first time read. (Yes, it's totally a first world problem). Rollins' writing is neat, succinct, witty and engrossing: his actions scenes would give the Die Hard franchise a run for its money and the characters are fleshed out and fully human. The fact that it took me a while to warm up to them is part of the humanity they possess. I can't wait to see where Rollins takes the series next; not only in the development of the "new" antagonist, but also in how the relationships develop. And I really want to see more of the new characters Tucker and Kane; I was disappointed they didn't become regular Sigma members at the end.

While Bloodline is the 8th book in the Sigma Force series, you could read it as a stand alone book if you wanted to. Having a background in the series would allow for a richer read with less chance of confusion, but I think that for the most part, Rollins does a pretty good job of not needing the background. I would recommend the book, and the series, to anyone who loves action books or those mystery-conspiracy books I'm so fond of. The writing is excellent, and plays out like a movie in your mind. Now, to settle in for the long wait for Rollins' next book...maybe I will go back and reread the series...again. If you pick up one of the Sigma Force series, let me know your thoughts!

Sigma Force Series (in order):
1) Sandstorm
2) Map of Bones
3) Black Order
4) The Judas Strain
5) The Last Oracle
6) The Doomsday Key
7) The Devil Colony
8) Bloodline

Shorts:
Skeleton Key (featuring Seichan)
Tracker (featuring Tucker and Kane)

Standalone Books:
Subterranean
Excavation
Deep Fathom (Sigma Characters)
Amazonia
Ice Hunt (Sigma Character)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (*Ok, I haven't read this one)
Altar of Eden

Children's Series:
1) Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow
2) Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx

The Serpent's Shadow (spoilers!)

Image from Riordan's blog

The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan is the third installment in his Kane Chronicles series. The series began with The Red Pyramid, in which Carter and Sadie Kane discover their father (and late mother) were actually Egyptian magicians and they are descended from a long line of Pharaohs and have magical abilities themselves. When their father is locked into a golden coffin Osiris-style a la the god of evil, Set, they're thrown into an entirely new magical world in which their family is pitted against the official Egyptian magical community, the House of Life. The tension arises from the fact that for thousands of years, calling on and using the gods' powers has been banned, but before she died, Sadie and Carter's mother had a vision that this kind of magic, called the Path of the Gods, would be necessary to save the world from destruction. The magic that ended up causing her death and subsequently imprisoning their father releases gods that have been bound for millennia. While trying to conjure Osiris, their father inadvertently releases five of some of the most powerful gods: Osiris, Isis, Horus, Set and Nephthys. Isis and Horus take up residence inside Sadie and Carter, respectively. And so begins their journey, to Egypt and through the Duat (the magical realm that contains many layers like a vast ocean beneath our reality), eventually learning that the forces of Ma'at (order) and Chaos are no longer in balance, and the Lord of Chaos, the serpent Apophis, is rising and beginning to break out of his age-old prison.

The story is continued in The Throne of Fire, in which Sadie and Carter must find the god Ra, who withdrew from the world eons ago. Their quest is perilous, even considered impossible, but they do end up managing it in the end. Unfortunately, Ra is senile and can barely remember who he is, let alone his role in the fight against Chaos. The major events in the book are that Carter rescues Zia Rashid, who had hosted Nephthys in the last book. He fell in love with her, only to discover that she was actually a shabti, a clay figurine, and the real Zia was safely concealed somewhere, but was running out of time to survive. We also learn that not only have Sadie and Carter continued studying the Path of the Gods, but they have begun instructing other initiates who have come from all over the world. Their uncle Amos has gone to Egypt, to the First Nome to seek healing for his possession by Set in the last book, leaving them in the care of the cat goddess Bast. The Kanes basically have a death sentence on their heads because of the Path of the Gods thing, but Amos never willingly hosted a god and he is given immunity while seeking healing. Carter and Sadie have to travel down the River of Night, the path that Ra's sun barge takes each night, finding each aspect of Ra along the way. They reach Apophis' prison, where Ra's last aspect, Khepri, the scarab was sacrificed to create the prison. By freeing this last aspect of Ra, they release the bonds on Apophis, who is now being hosted by the Chief Lector's advisor, Menshikov, who followed them down the River of Night. The Chief Lector also followed them and casts an execration spell on Apophis, which traps him for a little bit longer, but also uses up his life force in the process. Menshikov had assembled an elite squad of hit magicians (some banished for murder and other crimes) to attack Brooklyn House. Carter and Sadie arrive out of the Duat on the sun barge in time to help their initiates quash the attack, but the rebels escape and start spreading the rumor that Amos, who is now Chief Lector, had a hand in the previous Lector's death. While Amos lifts the ban on the Path of the Gods, many Nomes and magicians defect from the House of Life. Isis and Horus are ticked off because bringing Ra back lost Horus his throne, but also seems in vain since Ra is senile and unable to help against Apophis. Oh and this becomes important in the next book: one of their initiates, Walt, is also suffering from a curse that will kill him within the year if he keeps studying magic, and Menshikov was the only one who knew the cure (a curse passed along the line of King Tut). Apophis is going to rise again and all they've got is a senile god and a band of half-trained teenage magicians.

The Serpent's Shadow is the story of Apophis' rise and defeat, which they manage with the help of an evil magician's ghost. They save Walt, bring back Ra and Carter takes the throne of the Pharaohs. (See full, detailed summary below if you're interested). I really enjoyed reading this book, even though I felt more pressured than usual (I still have 1/4 of Two Towers, Return of the King and the Hobbit to get through in 6 days!) As always, Riordan did a good job of mixing education and entertainment and narrated an engrossing story. The whole book took me probably ~4 hours to read in total. I did have some problems with the book however. Riordan does not seem to be able to nicely tie up a series. Instead of wrapping up all the loose ends, he manages to leave quite a few open, and while I realize this is probably to give him a way to write more Kane stories if he ever wants to, I believed his imagination would allow him to come up with other adventures without leaving unanswered questions. One that has been bugging me a lot since I finished it last night is why Anubis didn't have to withdraw like the rest of the gods. Ra, Isis, Horus and even Set withdrew from the world, leaving their hosts intact. I understand that without Anubis, Walt would die, but I don't understand why Anubis was exempt from this godly exodus. When Sadie asked a similar question, the answer he gave was "I'm mortal now" which also doesn't make sense since Walt seems to be simply a host. Another problem is that I am ticked off that he left Setne free, with the Book of Thoth, able to create mayhem. He should have wrapped up that plot line, though Setne would make an excellent villain in future installments. In the underworld, Sadie's mom mentions something about other magics and other gods, which seems to be another reference to Riordan's other series (They're peppered throughout: pegasii, magic in Long Island, etc) and it seems like Riordan would be opening it up to a crossover, like what the Heroes of Olympus has become. There was also a comment made by Setne about the Greeks stealing all the Egyptians' ideas, even their gods, which also seems to foreshadow something in the future coming up. I don't mind this so much, except that it seemed foreboding instead of throwing a little "easter egg" in every now and then. We'll see; since the Heroes crew are going to Greece in the next book, I wonder if they'll run into anyone from the other side of the Mediterranean. Another part that interested me is that Sadie ends the book by saying she'll send Khufu with the recording, but the transcriber mentions at the very beginning that the recording arrived in a ravaged box that seemed to have been torn up by unknown/unrecognizable animals, another sign of adventures to come? I don't know, call me old fashioned, but I like a neat, tidy ending, especially if it's a happy, peaceful one. No, not everything would be perfect obviously, but still, an ending at that moment in time, with all the strings tied up is always nice and Riordan didn't provide that. He did the same thing with the Percy Jackson series: creating a new Great Prophecy of doom and gloom at the very end, so you can't relax. Admittedly, that allowed the Heroes series to begin, but I thought that since the Kane Chronicles was pretty much stand-alone, the ending would be a bit more tied up. I guess we'll have to wait and see how he wraps up the Heroes series in the next two books; then maybe it'll be more obvious if he just left it open because it was going to cross over, or because he's not very good at endings (like Douglas Adams). All in all, the book was worth the money, in my opinion, and definitely worth the read. It's fun, fast and educational, all at once. It's basically an awesome read, like all the other Riordan books.


Full Summary with lots of spoilers below:
Apophis has broken free of his prison, and is attacking different Nomes, all of which possessed a scroll that had a spell for Apophis' execration. They've tracked down the last scroll and arrive in time for Apophis' attack. They lose the scroll, but save a golden cabinet, on advice Sadie got from a face in the wall. Apophis also kills all the magicians in the Dallas nome, leaving no survivors. When they get home and examine the cabinet, they find it apparently empty, but Bast can see King Tut's shadow inside the box. The shadow, or sheut, is one fifth of a person's soul (along with their ren, their secret name). The sheut is like a back up disc for the soul, in case Ammit's devouring of the soul needs to be reversed or some such thing. A plan begins to formulate. The plan B if Ra couldn't be revived was for Sadie and Carter to cast a traditional execration on Apophis, which was unlikely to work, but would surely kill them. But, if they could trap Apophis' soul inside the figurine used in the execration, it would increase the power and stop him from ever coming back. Sadie also wonders if she could find Bes' sheut and thus restore him as well (he lost his ren, and thus his personality, helping them retrieve Ra in the last book). They realize that they need to find the magician who authored the scroll, Setne, who is about to be tried in the underworld. Meanwhile, Walt finds out that he only has about two days left to live, and the day after that, Apophis will rise and attack the First Nome, with the help of the rogue magicians, who have revealed to be working with Apophis. Sadie and Carter's mom's spirit is also missing, and more and more spirits are being sucked into Apophis' sheut ever day, strengthening it. Sadie and Carter leave on their quest with Walt, telling Bast to gather all the initiates and head to the First Nome to help defend it when Apophis attacks. They head to the underworld and petition their father to let Setne go. Imagine an even more psychotic, evil Jack Sparrow. He's charming and can use the Words of Power to manipulate pretty much anyone. He manages to hook every one in, promising to help Sadie and Carter find the shadow, execrate Apophis and even save their mom. He suggests splitting up, sending Sadie and Walt to find Bes' shadow so Sadie can learn how to capture the shadow (since Walt will die before the final showdown) and himself going with Zia and Carter to retrieve the Book of Thoth, which holds many of the gods' secrets, including a map to the serpent's shadow (ah, the title!). Zia and Carter manage to help Setne retrieve the Book of Thoth from the Temple of the Apis bull, almost dying in the process. It's revealed that Ra has chosen Zia as a host and she's learning about the Path of the Gods the hard way; Ra's power is almost literally burning her up. She manages to survive, but then Setne manages to order their boat's demon captain to try to kill Carter, at the same time bringing him to the Land of Demons, where the shadow is. Zia uses Ra's power to destroy the demon, Carter binds Setne and Ra's crook and flail presented themselves to Carter in place of his usual khopesh, which he lost earlier. Zia and Carter share their first kiss on the banks of the Land of Demons and have a picnic while they decide how to procede. Meanwhile, Sadie and Walt were challenged by Neith to a hunt, with them as the prey. If they can last until sunset, she will help them find Bes' shadow, hidden in her temple, and fight against Apophis. Walt and Sadie manage to outsmart her using their amulets, running in opposite directions and then teleporting the other when they're trapped. Unfortunately, they get distracted when they see Bes' shadow, but Sadie manages to keep Neith distracted until sunset, holding her to her promise. Walt is literally dying, with Anubis by his side, as he shows Sadie how to trap the shadow in the figurine. She manages to do a reverse execration and send the shadow back to Bes (though she's not sure it worked), but by this time Walt has died. Five seconds later, he opens his eyes again; he is now hosting Anubis, who has never had a mortal host, allowing him to extend his lifespan and allowing Anubis to have a mortal life like many other gods have had, and seemingly solving Sadie's love triangle dilemma. But she kinda freaks out a bit. She has to go rescue Carter and Zia, who've walked into a trap (another one) and Walt agrees to meet her at the First Nome since he's still too weak to move at the present time. Carter and Zia have been busy. They can't interpret the map and have to let Setne go so he can lead them to the shadow. They allow him to cast a glamour on them, so they blend in and look like demons and follow him to the Sea of Chaos, a churning mass that sucks everything in, splitting up the atoms and annihilating anything. There is a single pillar of Ma'at (like the Washington monument) and a small jetty that survive the sea's effect and to capture the shadow, they must be on the very edge of the jetty, while preventing themselves from getting sucked in. Their glamours start to fade and flicker, but there are no demons or spirits near the sea to see them; Setne is constantly surprised that they are still alive as they approach closer and closer, but Ra's power through Zia is protecting them. They manage to summon the serpent's shadow, but Setne betrays them, changing the glamour to a binding curse. He explains that he will bind the shadow within a figurine and blackmail Apophis with execration unless he does as he orders; he wants to destroy Egypt and all mention of his father (Ramses the Great) as well as most magicians, but not the entire world. Unfortunately, there are some spells he can't cast since he's a ghost, so he needed Carter and Zia's help. This is when Sadie drops in, right on top of Setne. She manages to bind him and unbind Carter and Zia. Despite her emotional distress, she manages to capture the shadow and they turn back to Setne, but he's disappeared, bindings and all. However, they have bigger problems: the shadow called for reinforcements and an army of 3-400 demons are marching toward them as they try to leave. Suddenly, the demons start scattering. All the gods from Sunny Acres (the rest home where forgotten gods go, and where Bes had been staying) have appeared to fight for them. The fight gave them a purpose, and Bes has returned to his old ugly self, just in time to get them to Ra's sun barge, which is just passing by. When they get on board, Ra is still old and senile, but he and Zia face each other, and he dissolves, being reborn into Zia as a host. This freaks Carter out a bit since he sees both his girlfriend and a 5,000 year old, bald, muscle-bound god, but Sadie calms him down and he even guesses about Walt/Anubis. They arrive in Giza to find Bast distracting Apophis as best she can. Bes and Ra/Zia go to help her, while Sadie and Carter help to defend the First Nome. The rebel magicians are already there, guarding the door to the Hall of Ages, where Amos is trapped with the hit squad. The initiates manage to fight their way through, with Walt/Anubis helping immensely with his death magic. When they enter, Amos is managing to hold his own against the magicians because he is now hosting Set, and actually managing to control him. Some initiates freak out and think he's being possessed again, but he is managing to restrain Set's urge to kill. Sadie and Carter channel Isis and Horus and join the fight, but they're all subdued. The lead rebel makes the mistake of almost killing Sadie and Walt/Anubis bring forth the spirits of the dead to pull her down into the Duat somewhere. Her lieutenant is channeling Apophis, and is killed, but manages to cast one last spell "bring down" to destroy the Nome. Sadie channels Isis' power and manages to speak the most difficult Word of Power of all: "Ma'at" and restores the Nome, passing out in the process. They've won the battle for the Hall of Ages, but the battle with Apophis still lies before them. In order to do the execration, they must be face to face with the serpent. Carter/Horus call on the gods and with their help, the small army marches out to meet Apophis, but he's fracturing reality and they're all separated on different levels of the Duat, fighting differents parts of Apophis. Sadie and Carter manage to find where the serpent is strongest and though he manages to swallow Ra/Zia, they still cast the execration spell and banish him forever. Zia escapes, blowing up Apophis' head in the process but the gods have to withdraw. Chaos and Ma'at are so intertwined that by pushing away and banishing Chaos, the forces of Ma'at must also be pushed away. They haven't been destroyed, but they'll have much less interaction (read: pretty much none) with humans from now on. Though Ra has returned, he offers Horus the throne, and Carter takes the throne of the Pharaoh in the First Nome as well. Walt has gone missing, and Bast and Bes have also withdrawn. Carter leaves the running of the House of Life to Amos, who is now fully supported all over the world, and he and Sadie are called back to the underworld to chat with their parents. Their mother is back, and offers some advice to Sadie about Walt: to follow her heart. Carter's dad tells Carter how proud he is of him and that he knew Setne would try to escape, as he'd done for eons. They return to Brooklyn House, where Walt/Anubis is waiting for him. Because Anubis is somehow mortal (never satisfactorily explained), he doesn't have to withdraw from the world and can stay with Sadie, studying the Path of Anubis, which has never been explored before. Zia ends up moving to Brooklyn House and helping teach, as well as dating Carter. Amos sends real chaperones since Bast has to withdraw with the other gods; they do get to say goodbye to her and to Bes, who has decided to build a house by Sunny Acres with his new girlfriend Tawaret, who works as a nurse there. Setne is still on the loose with the Book of Thoth and Brooklyn House has had an influx of initiates, as have most of the Nomes in the world. They explain that they'll be so busy that there probably won't be any more recordings (all of these books are transcribed recordings) and thus ends the series.

Books

I've been on a bit of a hiatus from reading. I have plenty of books, both nook books and physical books and a list about a mile long on my springpad account (seriously, like 87 to read books), but for some reason not much has been able to grab my interest lately.

I'm very close to the end of The Bible of Clay by Julia Navarro. I'd seen Navarro's books for a while and the covers had always intrigued me, so when I needed a new nook book I decided to grab that one and try it out. Well...it's rare that I find a book that I don't enjoy, but this one is on that list. The characters who are supposed to be the protagonists are more like antagonists: one of them is even a former Nazi, and some exploits are described that make him an easy character to hate. The others are related to this man and therefore seem to be accomplices, or at least tacitly approving of his dealings, which include illegal antique smuggling from Iraq. The story involves a set of tablets on which a young scribe wrote the story of creation as told to him. The author switches between three groups in the modern day and the scribe, Shamas, and Abram. Usually I like stories that delve into the past (Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, The Eight by Katherine Neville, Bloodlines by Jan Burke, etc) but in this case, when they showed the story of creation as Shamas wrote it down, it was pretty much word for word Genesis from the King James' Bible, which would not be the story that Abram told (think of a game of telephone!). Anyways, I'm interested in the story and how it ends since the archaeologists are trying to find the tablets before the Iraq war begins. I'm too interested to stop reading, but I don't like ANY of the characters (all of whom have some serious character flaws) and the writing isn't good enough to make up for it.

I did finish the first book in the Septimus Heap series, Magyk by Angie Sage. This was a book I did enjoy. It was a simple book, meant for a younger audience, but I've found that I really enjoy youth and young adult books since they're a fast read, pretty fun and usually involve some sort of magic, which helps you lose yourself in the world. In this world, there are Wizards of two levels (Ordinary and one ExtraOrdinary Wizard), a lost princess, child-swapping, an evil necromancer, witches in the woods, a dragon boat (the dragon is alive!) and fun little twists and turns. It reminds me of reading in German, because of all the words they capitalize (Wizard, the Hunter, etc). I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you're a fan of Harry Potter or Rick Riordan's books. I would say that both JK Rowling and Riordan are slightly better authors, but I enjoyed the story, lost myself in the world and want to read the rest of the series. The best part for me: it was on my to read list, and I found it on bn.com for FREE! (Under free nookbooks--don't have a nook? No problem, download the app: iphone, microsoft phone, android, pc, mac, ipad, etc and read it on that device!)

Thanks to a friend's suggestion, I used my gift certificate to purchase the new Jennifer Lee Carrell book for my nook. Entitled Haunt Me Still, it follows her debut novel Interred With Their Bones, which I absolutely loved! The debut dealt with a previously unknown Shakespeare manuscript and the daring story and intrigue of the woman who somehow ended up recruited to find it. This next one deals with the Bard's "Scottish Play" and has the same characters looking into the possibility that there is a lost version of the play, and that their performance of the play may be cursed. I'm really looking forward to reading this second novel and seeing how it went.

Also on my list is a book called The Sherlockian by Graham Moore, which I found by browsing iTunes' audio books (I'm on the 5th Harry Potter, so I'm running out of books). Moore's book involves (who else but) Sherlock Holmes! In this case, it switches between the early 20th century, with Arthur Conan Doyle and modern times, with Harold White searching for Doyle's lost notebooks that may explain the death and resurrection Holmes went through. Sounds just as interesting and literary-minded as the Shakespeare mysteries, so I'm looking forward to reading or listening to that one.

Keep your eye tomorrow for a few different recipes, including quinoa croquettes, cilantro-yogurt sauce, cheesecake and gorgonzola tomato sauce!

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

From the moment I saw The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, I knew I wanted to read it, and the inside flap only confirmed that. The book deals with what I consider one of the most fascinating period of American history, the Salem witch trials. In addition, the book's narrative switches between the past and the present (well, the relative present), which I've begun to take as a sign that a book will be to my liking. Ever since Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, I've searched out books like that, and have always been happy with the results.

The Salem witch panic has always fascinated me, for many different reasons. The sheer panic caused by one word, the loss of innocent lives, the lack of remorse the girls had for their part in it, it was astounding. I think I was the only middle schooler that checked out the non-fiction books on the witch trials at my school, but those books seemed to sympathize with the girls, painting them as the victims. Perhaps not the victims of bewitchment, but victims of the social and religious tensions at the time. To me, the victims have always been those accused of witchcraft. This book seems to highlight the thesis I defended in my paper about the differences between magic and religion: magic is simply the 'other,' which in another context would be considered religion. In fact, the most common explanation regarding certain of the accused is that they were cunning women, who were like medicine women, the precursors to modern physicians.

The book switches between the 1990's and the past, following a line of women down through the centuries. Connie Goodwin is a graduate student in American Colonial history who has just been accepted into Harvard's PhD program, and is spending the summer doing her mother a favour over the summer by cleaning up and attempting to sell her grandmother's house in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Her attention is caught by a scrap of paper bearing the name Deliverance Dane, hidden inside a key, which fell out of the family Bible. This leads her on a chase after a new, original source from that period, which suggests that perhaps it was not just the social and religious tensions that led to the Salem witch panic, but that perhaps certain people were practicing what was considered witchcraft at the time. This intersects with what then becomes her research, and a cast of characters is drawn into the story: her advisor, Manning Chilton, co-advisor, Janine Silva, friend, Liz, mother, Grace, dog, Aldo, romantic interest, Sam. The characters, no matter how small the part are all thought out and colourfully drawn. The interactions between them never seem contrived (unless they're supposed to be a bit strained) and the book has a feel of genuine story-telling that one can get lost in.

Though I've had this book on my 'to-read' shelf for quite a while, I only picked it up a few days ago. It isn't an easy read, but it isn't dry or boring either. It captivates the reader and transports them into the worlds of the characters, be it the 1990's and Connie or the 1690's and Deliverance or Mercy Dane. While I'm not historian, the historical interludes seem to be historically accurate, and the reader can see the effort, thought and research the author put into those sections. There are some unanswered questions at the end, but nothing that will nag at me like those questions left by the Exorcist. Though the ending wasn't a surprise to me, there were a few twists I wasn't expecting, and the book still kept me glued to it page after page, until the last word was read.

If you enjoy historical novels with a bit of the supernatural thrown in, this book is right up your alley. It's not completely stuck in the past, but the interactions with and the connections with the present are fascinating and fun to explore. It's a book that will last you more than a day; I spread out my reading over about 5 days or so and enjoyed every time I pulled back a new layer of the mystery. The story was far too easy to get lost in, and I had vivid dreams of living in a romanticized version of those historical parts (with computers however, but my dreams should be the study of a research project). The characters are genuine and likeable (or hateable, if they're the antagonist) and the story moves along at a good pace, with the author seeming to have a sixth sense regarding when to put in the historic bits and when to leave the reader hanging for more. I would definitely pick up this book; it is worth the money (even worth the price of a hardback novel!)

The Exorcist (Spoiler Alert!)

Not the most timely book review, but then I didn't watch the movie until last fall. Finally strapped some steel to my backbone and was disappointed to find the movie more creepy/disturbing than actually scary. Some parts were gross (the vomit), but more often than not it was sexually disturbing.

The book was not so different. It wasn't so much scary as weird. It explained a little more than the movie did, as is often the case with books. The beginning in Iraq wasn't such a non-sequitur and Merrin's previous experience with the demon was touched upon, which I don't remember in the movie. However, there were a lot of questions that were NOT answered by the book, and I truly hate loose ends like that. Some were minor, like the fact that Karras died before he could deliver Kinderman's message to Engstrom about Elvira. Now I'm wondering if Engstrom ever found out that his daughter was getting help, and how his wife dealt with the news. The more important questions dealt with the demon itself: what demon was it? The book alludes to a mesopotamian wind demon named Pazuzu, but also makes reference to Legion, the demon driven into the pigs in the New Testament. It is also never explained how or why the demon chose/met/became aware of Regan, whom it posseses. The biggest question that is the most aggravating to me is that when Karras originally interviews the demon, he asks it if it would die if Regan (the host) died and the demon replies that it would not. However, when the demon posseses Karras and he throws himself out the window, the demon disappears from the story, supposedly having suffered the demise Karras inflicted upon himself and his possessor.

Despite the questions that were left unanswered the story of the book was interesting. Though I thought the writing was quite choppy and confusing. I found the first 50 pages or so extremely tedious to get through. Not only was nothing happening in the story, but the writing itself made the story hard to follow. The mother's character, Chris MacNail, seemed to be especially hard to follow at the beginning. Here's an example of her thoughts as written by Blatty: "Hi, little wonderful girl next door! Can I speak to your husband? Your lover? Your pimp? Oh, your pimp's in the poorhouse? Avon calling! She stuck out her tongue at herself. Then sagged. Ah, Christ, what a life! She picked up her wig box, slouched downstairs and walked out to the piquant tree-lined street." (Page 17-18) Her entire reverie made no sense whatsoever, and had nothing to do with what was going on in the story: she was getting ready to leave for filming and made a silly face in the mirror.

Either way, by the time I realized what it was about the writing (I always believe in giving books anywhere from 50-100 pages to capture my interest), I was too invested in the story to not find out how it ended in the book. It was a pretty good story, but with the confusing writing and the unanswered questions, I'd say that if you want to know the story, watch the movie. Don't waste more time than necessary for a book with loose ends and confusing writing, no matter how good the story.

Author Review: Rick Riordan

I will be as audacious as to say that Rick Riordan is the next J. K. Rowling; in fact, he may even be a better writer than her. His books are aimed at a young adult audience, but the way that Riordan mixes mythology and history into his stories is amazing, and provides a fun platform for those interested in different, modern takes on mythology, as well as a platform for things to study about the old mythology.

Courtesy of barnesandnoble.com

I started with The Red Pyramid, which is the first book in the Kane Chronicles. This book focuses on Egyptian mythology. Since I've been obsessed with Egyptology since I first learned what Egypt is and what an archaeologist is, I was very interested in this book when I saw it at Barnes and Noble. I was a little wary though; wasn't this a book for kids? I enjoy reading, but I want a complex storyline, even if the prose isn't incredibly advanced. I had nothing to worry about. I don't want to give away the story, but a brother and sister find out that they are actually Egyptian demi-gods, and it's a tale of their self-discovery in that respect, and a quest to save their father. It is the first in a series, and I can't wait for when Riordan releases the next in this series.

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I then devoured the Percy Jackson series. This is Riordan's best known series, and the first installment has even been turned into a movie. In The Lightning Thief, a young Percy Jackson (13, I believe), is suddenly attacked by monsters, including a fury and a minotaur. He then discovers that he is a son of a Greek god (I won't say who) and that the only safe place for him is a place called Camp Half-Blood, where he finds he is not the only demi-god in the world. The next 4 books (making a total of 5) deal with the coming battle between the gods and Kronos, an evil titan. If you know anything about Greek mythology (think back to 7th grade!) you will enjoy seeing the modern versions of well-loved myths. The books are a quick read once you're into them; I averaged one book a day for the last 4 books. However, the story is gripping, the writing is witty and you just cannot put these books down!

Courtesy of barnesandnoble.com

I waited, quite (im)patiently, for the next book, The Lost Hero. This book is a continuation of sorts of the Percy Jackson series, and the first book in Riordan's new Heroes of Olympus series. I got the sneak peek on my nook, which pretty much drove me nuts, til the book was released on Oct 12. It opens with a young man (about 16) waking up on a school bus, holding hands with a girl, and having no memory of anything, even his name. This first book chronicles Jason's journey, with his two friends Piper and Leo, and we run into familiar faces from the Percy Jackson series. Again, I don't want to give away too much, but I adored this book! One of the reasons I loved it was that the characters ended up in my hometown of Walnut Creek, CA and a battle took place on Mt. Diablo, so it was familiar territory toward the end. It was marvelously written, and left me craving the next installment, as it left a few plotlines definitely NOT tied up nicely.

If you enjoy a fun read that's also educational (in a totally non-boring way), pick up any of the Riordan books. I would recommend starting with the Lightning Thief or the Red Pyramid, since Heroes of Olympus involves characters from the Percy Jackson series. Maybe you'll become an older (demographic of 12 yr olds) Riordan fan, like myself.