I’d insert a quote here, but frankly- the book’s not very quotable.

Let’s make no bones about it. If you’ve seen Star Wars and read Lord of the Rings you know the story of Eragon by Christopher Paolini. It falls into the exact same story structure of Star Wars to a tee. There’s an evil empire, and a group of riders (Jedi Knights) that used to keep the peace before the evil Emperor Palp- I mean Galbatorix took over (who used to be one of the riders) and our main character Eragon at the beginning is a simple farm boy with a big destiny and a hidden parentage. And if you follow this paradigm you’ll figure out who his father is within the first ten pages. And yes, there’s an elfin ‘princess’ that he has to go rescue from the clutches of the evil empire who’s also the main diplomat between the elves and the human rebellion against the evil empire. His mentor is a crotchety old ex-dragon rider (one of the last remaining who weren’t killed by Galbatorix and his evil apprentice) who has resided in the village he lives near watching over Eragon. Along the journey Eragon teams up with a way cooler and more badass dude who is morally ambivalent to the entire quest to join the rebellion fighters.

I’m dead serious. The story is Star Wars with dragon riders instead of Jedi Knights.

And the elves are exactly the same as the Tolkien Elves. Paolini also invented his own ‘language’ (well, a handful of gibberish words translated in the glossary in the back) for the ‘ancient magic’ words. And the Dwarves are the same too.

The book is derivative, exceptionally, but not illiterate. The big selling point of the book is the fairy tale publishing story of the author. Paolini wrote the book at the age of sixteen, got a paid-to-publish deal for it and just marketed the hell out of it until a large publisher picked it up. Now, I’ll give him props for doing something that ambitious at such a young age but that’s about where my props end. I am of the opinion that people that young shouldn’t be published. Yes, a little jealousy DOES come into play (after all, I’m 25 and get routinely denied from obscure magazines) and it always guts me when people get to skip go and all the slings and arrows of starting out in publishing and get a bestseller in their first go around (Stephenie Meyer- I’m pointing at you too.) At the same time though I just don’t buy into the ‘wunderkind’ theory that a lot of other people seem to eat up. When I hear about a singer who’s only twelve, I don’t go “wow! I should get the album! How cool she’s only twelve!” I go “wow! That kid should be in school and wait until they’re older and more refined in their field before they do an album.” But call me fuddy duddy- I think people should wait until they’ve matured before actually starting their careers. I also believe it makes for a lazy and self-involved writer too if they didn’t pay their dues.

Christopher Paolini did what I think a lot of young nerdy writers did when they were his age- watched Star Wars, read Lord of the Rings and wrote a book that was the same story but refused to believe that it was. Christ, I did the same thing. The difference was I never tried to get those horrid stories published. (God knows I still have copies of stories I wrote when I was sixteen that were basically Buffy retold.)

Now look, I’ll be honest, I read Eragon and its sequel Eldest (haven’t gotten around to Brisngr yet but I read a spoiler for it that intrigues me) and they weren’t necessarily a chore to read but they’re nothing to write home about. Eldest could have had fifty pages easily chopped out of it mind you, but that’s another story. Eldest also got way too heavy handed and self-involved for its own good- but again, another story.

Basically, don’t buy into the publishing hype that is the ‘Inheritance Cycle.’ (It’s apparently now a ‘cycle’- it used to be billed as a trilogy.) If you know a twelve year old who has never read a fantasy novel than it’s a good book for him/her but for anyone who has ever cracked one open I say skip it- trust me, you’ve read it before- and most likely better.

I love books. I’ve been a bookworm since I learned to read. I’ve always kept a fondness for the Young Adult fiction world. There’s something about that time in your life- 15/16- which I find so compelling. At no other time in your life are you that confident in your rightness- yet so unsure of yourself at the same time. I’ve always held to the belief that that is one of the universal truths in this world- this will still be true 100 years from now: growing up sucks. It’s confusing, it’s scary, and it’s painful. But it’s also amazing, and beautiful, and the process of self-discovery is so twisty and long that you can’t imagine an end in sight. It’s a time of firsts, of maturation, and a loss of child-like innocence. It’s a time of first friendships, first loves, first sexual encounters, and the first time you realize your mother and/or father is not perfect, is not a hero, and is in fact as human as you- and is capable of mistakes. For girls it’s about realizing that the world DOES have certain expectations for you, that it will hold your sex against you sometimes, and that boys may not be as simple as you thought and sometimes they do have hidden agendas, and other times they don’t. And yes, it’s impossible to tell which is which sometimes.

“A Great and Terrible Beauty” by Libba Bray is about this and so much more. And it’s got corsets. And magic powers.

The book starts out in Bombay in 1899. Gemma, an English girl of some money is with her mother strolling through the marketplace getting together a nice meal to celebrate her 16^th birthday. Gemma’s mad because her mother won’t let her go to London to enjoy ‘the season’ (society parties and teas and the like- where one was like to find a husband) and her mother won’t giver her a straight answer why. They fight and harsh words are exchanged and suddenly Gemma is struck with a vision of her mother horribly being attacked and killed. Before she has a chance to react and understand what happened- her mother is dead and her life and innocence is gone forever.

Gemma finds herself in dreary England being shipped off to Spence Academy for girls. (Her family insisting on hushing up her mother’s death as “cholera”) Rigid, cold, and conformist Spence Academy prides itself on churning out thoughtless, mindless, pretty girls of some talents to amuse men, make fine marriages, and produce babies. (‘Lay back and think of England!”) At this school she befriends her roommate, Anne, who is the school’s scholarship student and only there to learn enough to one day become a governess to distant cousins that resent her existence and only want her for an unpaid servant. No one likes her, and she is a doughy mousey girl with zero confidence and a secret cutting habit.

She also befriends, Pippa and Felicity- two of the most popular girls in school. Pippa is beautiful but silly; hopelessly romantic she detests the ugly, old, and un-charming (but rich) suitors that only want her as an arm decoration. She longs for true love like in the stories and refuses to accept that that might not be a reality.

Felicity is the super confident daughter of a famous Admiral and is smart, conniving, and always with a hidden agenda. She feels powerless and desperately craves the rule over her own life and is hiding things from everyone.

They find an old diary that describes an ancient Order of women who used to run around the woods of the school and practice ancient magic and rule the realms. The diary is that of Mary Dowd and they read aloud her story of her and her best friend being initiated into this secret society, finding the sheer glee of the first taste of power, their joyous friendship… and how it all comes tumbling down. Not just them but the whole Order itself.

“I don’t yet know what power feels like. But this is surely what it looks like, and I think I’m beginning to understand why those ancient women had to hide in caves. Why our parents and teachers and suitors want us to behave properly and predictably. It’s not that they want to protect us; it’s that they fear us.”

What intrigues me is how our four main characters are all trapped in different ways. Anne- the most obvious- trapped by her poverty, her doughy looks, and her lack of family connections. Pippa, by her beauty, which only makes her a commodity her parents can sell to the highest bidder (and in a twist she has epilepsy. Something that if got out could ruin her chances of ever marrying due to the time period of thinking any malady to be a horrible weakness). Felicity, the daughter of a famous Admiral and a mother who all but left her is trapped by her circumstances as well. Gemma, trapped by her secrets. Her mother’s death, her burgeoning magical powers, and a complete lack of self-knowledge- the epic ‘who the hell am I?” problem.

What comes to pass is Gemma discovering and revealing her power… and the ability she has to enter ‘the realms.’ The Realms are the place between life and death, they are where you sometimes go when you dream and are the source of all magic in this world. When The Order ruled over it, it was a place of peace and posterity (although that depends on who’s telling the story) and their job was to help spirits cross over the river into the afterlife. Spirits who do not cross over end up… corrupted and forever banished to The Winterlands. Gemma and the girls find themselves in a beautiful garden where anything they wish to happen happens. Pippa gets a handsome knight to fawn over her, Anne gets great beauty, Felicity learns archery and how to achieve power and Gemma starts her self-discovery of who she is with the ghost of her mother who is tethered to this world because of the evil that killed her.

This book is not only a great story full of twists, turns, magic, intrigue, romance, and suspense- but it is also an amazing historical representation of women’s roles, views, and wants in the Victorian Era on the verge of the new century. The feminist movement did not happen in one epiphany moment. Betty Friedan was not the first person to realize ‘woman can not live on mop-glo alone.’ Miss Moore, the new art teacher at the school represents the free spirited young single teacher who isn’t afraid to tell the girls it’s okay to think, it’s okay to have opinions, and that you have as much a right as anyone else to voice them.

And these girls want for it so much that it aches. They want power, they want love, and they want… freedom. Some things don’t change. What teenager now doesn’t want for the same things?

But conflict seeps in. Circe, the evil sorceress wants the realms and all the magic and power for herself. She killed Gemma’s mother to do it so now she’ll kill Gemma for it. I will say in the first book Circe is a little weak and seems more far away than she should be but- no spoilers- it is made up for in the second book.

Romance comes into the fold in the form of Kartik, a handsome young Indian boy who Gemma is inexplicably connected to. With racism the societal norm of the day Gemma has a hard time reconciling her attraction to a non-white boy in a way that does not feel cheap or unreal. A big pet peeve of mine in historical fiction is when characters in the olden times ‘happen to have’ modern 21^st century western morals and beliefs. Raised in India, surrounded by Indians she just can’t bring herself to be racist to him, but she fully knows that her world (and his for that matter) would never ever find their relationship acceptable. This, of course, only makes her begrudgingly want him more- especially when she starts dreaming of… ya know-ing with him.

Kartik is a member of the Rakshana, a different secret society composed of powerful men who wish to take the power of the realms for themselves and wants Gemma to suppress her powers and become a pawn of the Rakshana. Kartik’s agenda is complex, he wants Gemma but at the same time fears her power, and has a duty to his order and his brother who died trying to save Gemma’s mother.

This book is so worthwhile. The whole series “Rebel Angels” and “The Sweet Far Thing” is a true saga that will have you on the edge of your seat. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry- oh, you’ll beg for more. This is, in my opinion, one of the best Young Adult books written in the last ten years, and certainly one of the best paranormal ones for me.

In the end, the whole book relates to the famous poem at the beginning of the novel, The Lady of Shallot by Tennyson.

“And at the closing of the day

She loosed the chain, and down she lay;

The broad stream bore her away,

The Lady of Shallot”

The Book Wormer

Reviews of the Latest, Greatest, and Worst-est in Books and Comics

I guess it best to get my mad awesome introduction in order.

My real name is Stephanie, but I think most people know me here as Sunshineyness. It’s my handle. (And yes, I still call them ‘handles.’ For I think it’s 1995 and me and Crash Overdrive are SO gonna hack into some supercomputers.) I used to just go by Sunshine, but most sites I registered for already had that taken so I started going by the new name and it has stuck ever since. Wacky. I know. Anywhosits, I am 25, live in NY and have three jobs.

I hate two out of the three.

My main job is a bookseller for a ‘large chain’ bookstore in their children’s department. To help pay my bills I work freelance as an office assistant for a company that makes licensed children’s clothes (we have the rights to Warner Brothers/DC, Star Wars, Pokemon, some Disney, exclusive on Nintendo, etc.). About the only neat thing about that job is overhearing meetings with Warner Brothers people with any developments on the Green Lantern movie (basically, their marketing department told us to start designing tie-in stuff for it. But that could just be an overzealous marketing department. And they still keep proclaiming they’re on the ball with the Justice League movie. So I’m thinking overzealous licensing department.)

I am also desperate to break into the young adult fiction world and become a bestselling author of young adult fiction as well as write comics for a living.

Because, you know, they have ads for that in The Post, like, ALL THE TIME.

My biggest pet peeve is when people look at today’s YA market and dismiss it because they only see Twilight and Gossip Girl. Believe you me; there is so much other great stuff out there.

I’m usually pretty up-to-date with new releases in the book world and occasionally get my grubby hands on some fun advance reader’s copies. I specialize in the teen books because that’s what my favorite section is (though, in my opinion the distinction between teen and ‘young reader’ is only there for marketing and shelving guideline purposes and not necessary for anyone else) but I’ve been known to dabble in the other genres as well.

I love all books, since I was in first grade and learned to read I always attached on to the written word. My apartment has five bookcases (one small one dedicated to trades) and no kitchen table, and my library card is very well worn. One of my big tenants of reading is I don’t discriminate based on genre. I am judgmental mind you- but that mostly extends to the Nicholas Sparks’ and James Patterson’s of the world. If something in regular fiction looks cool- I’m there. Heck, I read romance novels if I get the craving for them. (And to be fair, romance is a very varied genre of fiction and some of the hottest sci-fi/fantasy writers do some amazing romance titles. It also makes up about 25% of all books sold in this country.) I’m not huge into genre-y fantasy novels, but I SWEAR one day soon I WILL start reading “Song of Ice and Fire.” (Promise Randy)

Anywhosit, just so you all know I cry every time I read “Summer of My German Soldier” or “Jacob Have I Loved” and just bought Terminator comics the other day. (Don’t look at me like that… it was extra discount week at work. Moment of weakness… stop judging me from your computer screen…I can’t help it. I’ll buy anything Terminator related. Just like how I bought a box of fruit snacks the other day because Batman was on the box. It’s a disease. A sick, sick disease.)

I can recite line by line Back to the Future Parts 1, 2, and 3 and on the flip side Wings of Desire is probably one of my favorite all time movies. My favorite YA author is Meg Cabot (she writes fun fluffy stories about geek girls who always end up with nerd boys! Tres cute!) and worship at the throne of Neil Gaiman. My first comic I ever read was Jeff Smith’s Bone in the old Disney Adventure magazine, but what brought me in as an older reader was Sandman. I’ve been a Marvel girl at heart ever since I started reading my brother’s comics when he discarded them on the floor as kids and I’ll read anything if Captain America, Hal Jordon’s Green Lantern, or X-Men are involved. A literary nerd as well, I love the Bronte sisters, Shakespeare and Henry James. I’ve eaten Harry Potter books like candy and think Maureen Johnson is one of the best new up and comers and preach the choir that is Rosemary Clement-Moore’s “Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil” series as well as Cassandra Clare’s “Mortal Instruments” trilogy. (Third book coming out this March! Yay!)

And as much of a book nerd and comic geek I am- I’m also a music-file and a hardcore film lover as well as bizarre TV coinsure and P.J Soles’ ‘Riff Randell’ in”Rock and Roll High School” is my favorite feminist icon.

I have been a loyal fan and commenter on Geekshow for a long time now and have no plans on leaving this really awesome and fun little community of nerds, geeks and otherwise miscreants. I eagerly look forward to writing awesome reviews of books and comics for you all and…

…just for the record, no I did not like Twilight. But I can tell you all about the hundreds of supernatural books for teens that are supremely awesome-r. And yes, I will be using words like awesome-r.