Review: The Amulet (Custodian Novel #1) by Alison Pensy

Novel: The Amulet (A Custodian Novel #1)
Author: Alison Pensy
Rating: 3 out of 5 Mulberries


To Faedra, faeries were nothing more than the figurines she collected and displayed in her curio cabinet. She was in for a surprise. Faedra had no idea that faeries controlled nature, and with a book no less. Nor did she know that her descendants had protected an ancient fae amulet for thousands of years. An amulet that if ever was reunited with the book would give the wearer power to control the weather, too. She didn't know all this because the one person to teach her died when she was just six years old. Well, now it was time for her to find out... A letter from the grave reveals her true identity the day of her eighteenth birthday. But she barely has time to digest the revelation when she is plunged into a fight for her life and that of mankind.

Debut author Alison Pensy's book "The Amulet" (the first book in the Custodian Novel series) was an interesting young adult fantasy with beautiful descriptions and lovable characters. Pensy obviously has a knack for language and an eye for architecture. That being said, I found myself skipping over entire paragraphs of description just to get to the plot.

The faeries were sweet and handsome, but their personalities seemed stiff (yes, lovable but stiff: think "G" rated). I didn't really feel attached to any of the characters, and I especially didn't care for the romance. Honestly, it was creepy that a man who was a couple of centuries old, after inhabiting the body of a dog who belonged to a little girl, should fall in love with that girl when she turns eighteen. And by love, I mean the "I want to kiss you passionately" type of love. Didn't he feel in a way like her father, having watched her grow up and whatnot? Suspended disbelief tells me that I should just relax and let their love come to fruition.

The beginning was pretty long and drawn out, and I probably would have stopped reading except for I had already decided that I wanted to review this book, but by page 50, I found myself excited to pick up where I left off reading the night before. The description of the redcaps, villainous imp-like creatures wielding battle axes, was especially haunting. I did enjoy the world that Pensy created, only I would have liked more action and plausible explanations and also for more time to have passed between events. The bulk of the story takes place within three days.

Anyway, so why did I give "The Amulet" 3 out of 5 stars? For one, Pensy is an indie author and I believe her book to be just as good if not better than a fair amount of the traditionally published stuff out there. Secondly, even though this novel wasn't for me, I believe someone out there will appreciate it. Faeries and Celtic lure are both fascinating subjects. I felt like I was a little too old to truly enjoy this book, possibly a little too rough around the edges... I needed more spice. I don't quite know how to put it... This book felt quaint, like it would be the kind of book that a home schooled young girl who likes to ride horses might enjoy. That being said, there was a nice cliff hanger at the conclusion of the book, and I'm sure the second book in the series will be better, though I doubt I'll read it. So if you're interested in faeries, a light sprinkling of magic, and a wholesome coming-of-age story, then I recommend "The Amulet" with 3 out of 5 stars!

Review: "My Blood Approves" by Amanda Hocking

Book: My Blood Approves
Author: Amanda Hocking
Rating: 3 out of 5 Mulberries

   "My Blood Approves," is a young adult paranormal book by Amanda Hocking. Alice, an ordinary teenager with a love for indie music, meets Jack, a converse-wearing vampire whom she's initially only mildly interesting in. This is meant to be Jack's hook - Alice doesn't respond to him the way other human girls do. What ensues is a relationship that forms slowly, naturally -- that is, until Alice meets Jack's vampire "brother," Peter. The whole of the first book is Alice's struggle with whether she's meant to be with Jack or with Peter.

    Alice was an okay protagonist, she worked, but was definitely not the hook for me. I kept forgetting her name. Jack, the "good," lovable vampire, was sweet. I appreciated that we got to see different sides of him, like when he was immature and goofy and just wanted to play video games or go see Rocky Horror with Alice, but then he got angry at Peter's attraction to Alice. It was only after seeing Jack's full range of emotions that I decided Jack was a worthy love interest for Alice.

   Still, I fall into the brooding "bad boy" appreciation camp, and Peter was so incredibly moody and dangerous that I just wanted to read more about him and Alice's magnetic, physical attraction. I was a little disappointed that his role in this book was relegated to the sidelines. Admittedly, that's the main reason for wanting to read the next book, so if it was a device used on purpose, it worked.

    I give "My Blood Approves" three stars out of five because I see a lot of potential for the series. There were some grammatical mistakes sprinkled throughout, but that didn't detract from the plot. The book was slow in a lot of spots, usually the scenes when Alice and Jack hang out just for the sake of hanging out and nothing happens that contributes to the main plot. I was rolling my eyes for the first half of the book, but by the end, I wanted more. More Peter, please! Bravo, Amanda.