Nocturna's Reading for 2oo9

Here you go:




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#1 Dawn Cook - Lost Truth
#2 Anne Rice - Der Kuss der Dämonin
#3 Anne Rice - Der Duft der Unsterblichkeit
#4 Anne Rice - Die Herrin des Schattenreichs
#5 Anne Rice - Das Blut der Verführung
#6 Trudi Canavan - The Magician's Apprentice
#7 Lara Adrian - Geliebte der Nacht
#8 Karen Miller - Empress
#9 Jonathan Stroud - Valley
#10 Melissa de la Cruz - Blue Bloods: Revelations
#11 Nalini Singh - Leopardenblut
#12 Nalini Singh - Jäger der Nacht
#13 Suzanne McLeod - The Sweet Scent of Blood
#14 Eoin Colfer - Das Zeit Paradox
#15 P. C. Cast - Hunted
#16 Cassandra Clare - Gity of Glass
#17 Kirsten Cashore - Graceling
#18 Rhiannon Lassiter - Hex
#19 Rhiannon Lassiter - Shadows
#20 Rhiannon Lassiter - Ghosts
#21 Markus Heitz - Kinder des Judas
#22 Mina Hespen - Unsterblich wie die Nacht
#23 Rachel Vincent - Pride
#24 Patrick Rothfuss - The Name of the Wind
#25 Theodor Fontane - Effi Briest
#26 Georg Büchner - Dantons Tod
#27 Peter V Brett - The Painted Man
#28 Catherine Banner - The Eyes of a King
#29 Suzanne McLeod - The Cold Kiss of Death
#30 Aileen P Roberts - Thondras Kinder: Die Zeit der Sieben

#1 Dawn Cook - Lost Truth



The last out of the four 'Truth' books tells the phantastic ending of Alissa's story. Alissa, who thought to be one the last remaining rakus, starts dreaming of another Raku girl her age, who she thinks is no more than imagination, as all rakus besides her teacher got lost a long time ago somewhere out on the sea. But more and more she starts to think that the mysterious girl in her dreams might lead her to the island the lost Master rakus are to be found. As Alissa and her friends finaly arive at the island it becomes apparent that Alissa was right and that the rakus are trapped on the island as the girl she saw in her dreams, the youngest raku, isn't able to fly and thus can't cross the ocean to come back to their home. But not everyone is happy about Alissa coming to save the other rakus. As she rebels against the Master who tries to force Alissa into being her pupil she risks not just her magic but also her life.

#2 Anne Rice - Der Kuss der Dämonin



Well, I really loved Interview With a Vampire, The Vampire Armand and Queen of the Damned but this one...
Originally titled Vittorio, the Vampire is set in 15th century's Florence:
After Vittorio's whole family had been murdered by a bunch of brutal vampires the only thought he has is to take revenge. But while killing his clan vampire lady Ursula fell in love with the 16 years old aristocrat. And, who would have thought that, Vittorio starts doubting wheter revange is really the right way...
This one's got little in common with Rice's stories about her American and French vampire clans and is more like a sexy vamp-version of Romeo and Juliet.

#2 Anne Rice - Der Kuss der Dämonin



Well, I really loved Interview With a Vampire, The Vampire Armand and Queen of the Damned but this one...
Originally titled Vittorio, the Vampire is set in 15th century's Florence:
After Vittorio's whole family had been murdered by a bunch of brutal vampires the only thought he has is to take revenge. But while killing his clan vampire lady Ursula fell in love with the 16 years old aristocrat. And, who would have thought that, Vittorio starts doubting wheter revange is really the right way...
This one's got little in common with Rice's stories about her American and French vampire clans and is more like a sexy vamp-version of Romeo and Juliet.

#4 Anne Rice - Die Herrin des Schattenreichs



And again that's not the original title, that woud be Pandora.
This begins n Rome at the time of emperor Augustus where noble Pandora, who has a faible for Ovid's verses, lives with her father, a member of the senate. After her father was murdered she flees to Antioch where she meets Marius (Yes, he's the one who will change Lestat a few centuries later), whom she already had met in Rome about two decades before but who has been changed into a vampire in the meantime. The two of them are deeply in love but as Marius is hiding the petrified Queen and King of all vampires (Akasha and Enkil) they eventually come across some though kind of trouble and Marius has to 'save' his love from dying by changing her into an immortal. Pandora tells the reader about everything she can remember about her life as vampire, about the first centuries she spent with Marius and the time after, up to the 'prensent' day when David Talbot encounters her in Paris and asks her to write down the story of her life.

#5 Anne Rice - Das Blut der Verführung



One of Rice's worst works. Although every single one of her books might be quite confusing this one is simply senseless at many points. Although the main character, the witch Merrick Mayfair, is unknown to the readers of Rice's Vampire Chronicels this one isn't much more than a crossover of a whole bunch of the other books of the series. Told is the story of Merrick and the only good thing about the book is the fact, that her being a witch who finally becomes a vampire brings kind of fresh blood into the vampires' society. What I liked most about the book where the parts about Louis and the rest...
Oh, and by the way the original title is Merrick.

#6 Trudi Canavan - The Magician's Apprentice



This one's the prequel to Canavans The Black Magician Trilogy. It's set some centuries before the story of Sonea and Akkarin in Kyralia where young Tessia spends her time rather assiting her father, the vilage healer, than finding herself a suitable husband as her mother would prefer.
But after an unsupected incident with a Sachakan at the vilage magician's house it becomes clear that Tessia is a wild magician and she becomes Lord Dakon's second apprentice.
In a time neither the guild has been formed nor black magic has been forbidden but is taught by magicians to their apprentices instead Tessia becomes involved in a net of political intrigues and transnational complots.
If you liked the trilogy you should defnetly read this one!

#7 Lara Adrian - Geliebte der Nacht



When photographer Gabrielle Maxwell witnesses a brutal murder she couldn't even dreamm about to what extend this incident will influence her further life. What she saw wasn't an ordinary murder but a vampire attack and now she finds that she's become the vampires' new target. And although Gabrielle had proof for what she saw on her cell phone not even police would belive her. So, who's Lucan Thorne, the handsome police officer who seems to be following her?
The first book in Adrian's Midnight Breed series reminded me a lot of all those other paranormal books I've already read and therefore I don't think it's really original.

#8 Karen Miller - Empress



The main character is one of the nameless 'she-brats' who's useless to her father as he just needs sons who could work for him. This she-brat is sold to traveling traders and decides to name herself Hekat. Fromv then on a adventurous travel begins for Hekat.
I thought this book would be really great, as I absolutly adored the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker books by Miller and although I knew that this was a story of a more rough, a more violent and babarian kind I looked forward to reading Empress. And the first chapters very as good as I thought but after a while Hekat got on my nervs massivly. For me Hekat turned out to be a egoistic, self-centered brat who I'd have liked to drown in some deep, deep river as I finally finished the book.

#9 Jonathan Stroud - Valley



It's a story about a young boy living in a peaceful valley where he doesn't really fit into as he's always trying to cause new trouble. When finally one of his jokes goes to far he sets in motion a chain of events that will change everything he thought about as normal before.
Well, starts a bit slowly but after about 50 pages you'll start to really enjoy this book. It totaly differs from the Bartimäus books and I think it's not that much fun to read but nevertheless Halli Svenson's story makes a quite good read.

#10 Melissa de la Cruz - Blue Bloods: Revelations



Although all Blue Bloods are now aware of the fact that the Silver Bloods finally returned, they imagine themselves to be quite save. Who would have guessed that there is a traitor hidden within the closest circle?
I absolutly adore the Blue Bloods series and I really enjoyed reading this one. But nevertheless this one couldn't keep up with the two previous volumes. It contunies the previous plot quite well but instead answering some of the questions from the previous book, in this one there are turning up some new questions that will have to be solved in up coming sequels. And, the greatest problem of this book: it's ending. While on the first 260 pages the plot is developing in a constant speed, I felt like all (or most parts) of the essentialy action is gathered together on the last 10 pages. And thus the ending is quite confusing, about who killed whom and even who IS who. But all in all it's a good read and I can't wait for the next part of Blue Bloods

#11 Nalini Singh - Leopardenblut



In a not so far future the world will be ruled by Psys, mentally gifted people who suppress all their emotions. Among these people is one who feels that she does not really fit into that society. Sascha, a Cardinal Psy, who are said to be the strongest ones, has to problems. Not only that all her mental abilities are average although there should be at least one that's much stronger than ordinary, but she also does FEEL. Two facts she has been trying to hide from her mother and all the other Psy for all her life. But now Lucas Hunter turns up. The sexy shapeshifter has a serious crush on Sascha and she can't deny that she also has feelings for him. But how could she, a supposedly emotionless Psy who should despise everyone not of her own kind, have a relationship with one of the passionate shapeshifters?
Wasn't the best book ever and hab something about it that made me think of it as a Dark Fantasy version of Romeo and Juliet. But if you like Fantasy and shapeshifters and aren't averted to some erotic you should give it a try. The English title is Slave to Sensation.

#12 Nalini Singh - Jäger der Nacht



Sequel to the one above although you'd also understand it if you haven't read Slave to Sensation.
This one is about Faith, one of the rare F-Psys those who can forebode the future. As all Psys Faith is trained to be emotionless and always rational and she spezialized her abilities to predict stock prizes and such. But now her visions turn and suddendly all she sees is blood, pain and death. Near to madness she tries to contact Sascha who managed to escape the strict rules of Psys' society. That's when she gets to know Vaughn a member of Lucas' pride. Will Sascha, Vaughn and the shapeshifters in Lucas' pride be able to help Faith?

#13 Suzanne McLeod - The Sweet Scent of Blood



The times when vampires were feared are long gone. Now they are actors, models or owners of the hottest clubs, or maybe all of it at the same time and there's nothing cooler than belonging to their entourage. As she's a sidhe Genny Taylor does well know that this isn't more than a PR trick. She knows because as one of the fae folk she would give a wonderful snack to a vampire and the worst about that is that human laws don't protect her, as an inhuman being, from being eaten by a vampire. Thus she's happy about working for Spellcrackers.com, a witch company, which assures her a certain protection. But an old pledge is coming after her. If she makes good on her promise she will harm her contract with the witches and thus she won't be protected from the vamps anymore. If the doesn't keep her word magic will demand a great prize...
Great series and everyone who likes Urban Fantasy will absolutly adore this book. I can't wait for the next volume.

#14 Eoin Colfer - Das Zeit Paradox



After saving the world from militant demons in his last adventure, Artemis Fowl now has to travel back through time with his fairy friend Holly, to find the medicine he needs to save his mother's life. But unfortunately this cure is the brain fluid of the Silky Sifaka lemur which has been extermined a few years ago... And now guess whose fault that was? Right, Artemis'. So, how can he now save his mother? Right, the only chance is a travel through the time. And now a action loaded and really funny race between Artemis and his younger self starts. But what's the role Opal Coboi has in this story?
Not the best book in the Artemis Fowl series but nevertheless a good read.

#15 P. C. Cast - Hunted



Vampire fledling and high priestess in training Zoey Redbird now fled the House of Night and lives underground with her closest friends and the red fledlings, while Kalona and his followers cause chaos in the city above.
Oh my, the House of Night books are great, really. But after 4 books all like teenages doing silly teenage things, main character dropping one boyfriend after another and then getting back together with him agian and breaking up again I hoped that this one would be a little different. Well, it wasn't. So if you can't stand all these silly little teenage problems you'll hate this book. But those who are the right age and like vampire novels should give this series a try.

#16 Cassandra Clare - Gity of Glass



The last book of the Mortal Instruments series. Now Clary finaly travels to the City of Glass to find someone who can cure her mother. But Valentine is still trying to resume the power and suddenly there are some things tuning up, which nobody would have expected. Will Clary, Jace and their friends be able to defet Valentine and his army?
And again a series I simply adore. And with this book Clare managed a magnificant ending of her trilogy. Although I'd have liked it if there had been some more details about the relationship between Alec and Magnus (definitely my absolut favourites).

#17 Kirsten Cashore - Graceling



In a world divided into seven kingdoms there are sometimes kids born with two different colored eyes and special graces. These kids are so called Gracelings and their are feared by the populace and exploited by the kings. One of these Gracelings is Katsa, the niece of King Randa, is said to have the grace of killing and therefore has to work as assassin for her uncle. But than she meets Po, another graced fighter and a chain of events, one more adventurous than the last, is set into motion.
Lovely story and everybody who liked the Mortal Instruments or The Name of the Wind should read this. There'll be two sequels named Fire and Bitterblue, which I can't wait to read although they'll have different protagonists.

#18 Rhiannon Lassiter - Hex



Raven has mutant Hex-genes that enable her to be perfectly in tune with any computer, better than the best hacker, making her illegal, and very dangerous. She's helping her brother White to find their sister, Rachel, and that means going to the place of certain death, the CPS's lab. The CPS had the legal right to dispose of anyone suspected of having the Hex gene. That means if she get's caught, that's the end. On the way she makes some friends and tons of enemies.
Although this one is recommended for ages 8-12 I'd say it's a book every SciFi-fan will like.

#19 Rhiannon Lassiter - Shadows



Raven became the most wanted person in London. Not only has she acted as a terrorist and tried to spread the truth - but she is also a Hex and her very existence threatens the European Federation. Forced into hiding by her daring acts in the past, Raven decides to use the knowledge they gained from the raid on the secret lab to learn more about her own Hex abilities and how to bring the ability out in others. When Raven is captured by the enemy her newfound allies must battle on without her - and it will not be an easy fight without Raven.
Most times a sequel can't reach the level of previous books but this one is even better than Hex

#20 Rhiannon Lassiter - Ghosts



Down in the depths of London, where even the police won't go, are the ganglands, a place where the group with the most gun power rules. It is here that one will find the Ghosts, a gang so silent that nobody ever has seen one of its members yet so powerful that when another gang starts invading Ghost Territory, they will always lose, and always have a run of bad luck with the police (also known as the Seccies). It should come as no surprise to anybody who has read the prequels that Raven and the other Hexes along with the terrorist group Anglecynn are at the head of this gang.
This one's a strong finish although it can't quite reach the one before. Nevertheless it's a really good series.

#21 Markus Heitz - Kinder des Judas



1670 somewhere in the Ottoman Empire a young girl, named Jitka, loses her mother. After a time of deep grief her father takes her with him to live in his house. There he starts teaching Jitka about sciences, languages and fighting. But Jitka wants to take revenge and renames herself in Scylla, according to an character of Greek mythology. When she discovers that her father is a member of a secret society she sets loose a chain of events, that will influence her life for the next 3oo years.

#22 Mina Hespen - Unsterblich wie die Nacht



London 1871. Young Russian princess Angelica Belanov would love to stay at home just surrounded by her books. Social events simply torture her because the young woman is a mind reader but hasn't ever learned to handle her gift. But now her family is in financial distress and Angelica has to find herself a wealthy husband. At one of the balls she has to attend she meets Prince Alexander who fascinates her at once. But Alexander is deeply unsettled as he notices Angelica's gift because abilities like mind reading are reserved to vampires. Why does Angelica, the young and beautiful but shy bookworm, have this ability?
Under the Blood Red Moon (original title) is okay, if you like vampires. For me the book was a bit too much of overblown romance and the characters too much of the typical clichés (He the utterly handsome and mystical but hopeless depressive vampire and she the underestimated innocent beauty who enlightens his life).

#23 Rachel Vincent - Pride



This one's the third book in Rachel Vincent's werecats series.
Faythe Sanders has been brought before a tribunal on charges of infecting her human boyfriend and, to make matters worse, of murdering him. However, being one of the few tabbies in the world does not automatically mean that she will be granted clemency of committing several capital crimes. Faythe’s habit of getting herself into deep trouble is working against her. Indeed, during her trial, a group of strays is raising havoc on the mountain in their search of a lost tabby. When she is dropped at their door, it will take everything Faythe has to protect her from the political motivations of several Alphas and to prove that Faythe has something to contribute to the werecat community.
I think that this one's the best book in the werecats series up to now. Maybe that's just because I absolutly adore the new tabby, a young girl named Kaci who's neither a pride cat nor a stray. The way Vincent descrided how Faythe's caring about Kaci is just great and both girls are wonderful tough characters. Everybody who liked books such as the Mortal Instruments series and the Hollows series should really give these books a try.

#24 Patrick Rothfuss - The Name of the Wind



Kvothe is a legend, his name strikes both fear and awe into the hearts of men. These days, however, he prefers his anonymity in the inconspicuous role of an innkeeper. When a talented scribe crosses his threshold, he reluctantly agrees to tell his tale. It is a saga, one that can be told in no fewer than three days.
This is Day One...
Growing up among a troupe of actors, Kvothe is unusually bright, a student at heart. After witnessing an arcanist call the wind in self defense, young Kvothe vows to learn the same skills. Forced into destitution by tragedy, his dream is pushed aside in the name of survival.
When Kvothe finally gains entry to the famed arcanists' University, he learns that nothing is straightforward, that he must use his street smarts to survive even among scholars. Making friends and enemies is one small aspect to the journey that will lead him to knowledge of his family's murderers.
Just forget about Harry Potter and Twilight this is waaay better. Rothfuss' novel can easily compete with books as Lord of the Rings and this is about as good as high fantasy gets. An imaginative, powerful and compelling story that is exceptionally well told.
Just buy it, read it and spread the word if you haven't done so yet.

#25 Theodor Fontane - Effi Briest



The story about Effi, her cold marriage with Instetten and her passionate affair with Crampas is set in the 19th century and was inspired by the really story of Elisabeth von Plotho.
Well, Fontane's novel may be a classic of German literature but nevertheless the book was a horrible read to me. The protagonist's naivety was unnerving and the story lond-winded and boring. I just got through this book because I needed it for school, otherwise I think I'd have stopped after the first chapters. Anyone who's interessed in so-called masterpieces of German literature should read this but otherwise I really can't recommend it.

#26 Georg Büchner - Dantons Tod



If anybody would have told me that a book of 52 pages could be such a tedious read I'd have told him crazy.
Now I know better. Even compared with other school readings this one is by far the worst.
Anybody who's interested in the time of French Revolution and doesn't mind a deeply depressive protagonist might try reading Dantons Tod. But be aware of the fact that you need quite some background knowledge about the French Revolution and participant political parties to understand anything of this book.

#27 Peter V Brett - The Painted Man

What a great book! The Painted Man is one of the best high fantasy books I've ever read, maybe even better than The Name of the Wind. Strong characters, original setting, great plot, exicting action and also deeper topics, so all in all there's nothing missing.
During the day humans do their allday work, care for their family, celebrate and simply life their lives like one should do. Bit in the nighttime, when the sun goes down, they barricade themselves behind strong wards and protection runes. Because in the dark, the demons conquer the world and everyone outside the magic spells will die a terryfing death. Wether earth, fire, stone, sand or water, the number of demons on the loose becomes greater and greater and all the humans can do is watching from behind their spells.
Young Arlen sees how his mother is attacked by a firedemon while his father, trembling with fear, stands behind the runes and does nothing but watching as his wife gets eaten.
Only a few days afterwards not only is his father looking to find himself a new bride but also does Arlen discover that his mother could have easily been safed from death. The young boy decides to go and look for people like himself who have not given up yet but still have courage to FIGHT the demons.
Human-attacking demons are nothing new or unknown but the rune-magic system Brett invented and the fact that humankind is close to being extincted without even noticing make for an really exciting setting.
Brett's style is really good to read and pull the reader into his fascinating world.
There are three main characters with Arlen the "main main character". We meet Arlen for the first time when he's eleven years old and starts realizing that fear immobilizes the people, an cognition that turns his whole life upside down. All in all fear, in every form it could occour, is one of the main themes the story deals with.
The second important charakter is Leesha, the young village beauty, who's got a great talent for healing and decides against her mother's intentions not to marry one of the village boys. With Leesha Brett proves that he's a really great author, as most other author don't manage to create characters as Leesha whitout drawing them as plane, predictable persons.
The third one is a young musician who wasn't threaten kindly by destiny. Maybe this one, Rojer, seems a bit simple or easy in compairison to the other two, but nevertheless Brett managed to write one of the most fascinating stories I've ever read.

#28 Catherine Banner - The Eyes of a King

This is the story of Malonia, a kingdom in a paralell world, and about Leo who finds a book, which tells the story of the banned prince Cassius III that seems to be just a tale until Leo finds proof that the world into which Cassius was banned years ago really exists.Well, I bought this book because I liked the cover and because books about books always sound kind of interesting.
But it wasn't what I'd expected. The story was quite exciting and well told but kind of confusing with all the different storylines and especially the ending was kind of frustating because it was kind of an open ending. In the beginning everything was fine and the story was really well told but during the further development the whole thing got confusing, the characters' acts weren't really realistic anymore. So, just three stars for this one.