The Horn Book » werewolves http://www.hbook.com Publications about books for children and young adults Tue, 14 May 2013 13:27:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 Et tu, witches? http://www.hbook.com/2012/07/blogs/out-of-the-box/et-tu-witches/ http://www.hbook.com/2012/07/blogs/out-of-the-box/et-tu-witches/#comments Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:07:29 +0000 Elissa Gershowitz http://www.hbook.com/?p=14142 I recently took A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness out of the library; soon after, a paperback version of it (and its sequel, Shadow of Night) magically arrived in our office. (“Coincidence? Or psychic phenomenon?” Anyone remember that TV commercial?) I’d been enjoying this smart story of Diana, a brilliant thirty-something Oxford scholar and [...]

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]]> Harkness Discovery of witches Et tu, witches?I recently took A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness out of the library; soon after, a paperback version of it (and its sequel, Shadow of Night) magically arrived in our office. (“Coincidence? Or psychic phenomenon?” Anyone remember that TV commercial?) I’d been enjoying this smart story of Diana, a brilliant thirty-something Oxford scholar and historian — who’s also a witch trying to pass as human — and her sexy vampire lover Matthew. But now, about halfway through the book Diana is starting to go all Bella on me, mooning around and even considering giving up her witchhood to become a vampire. (Really?! Witches are so much cooler.)

Has anyone read Harkness’s All Souls books? Without any spoilers, am I going to want to throw this first one across the room?

Carriger Soulless Et tu, witches?I’m by no means a seasoned supernatural lit fan (will leave that designation to our goddess and queen, Katie Bircher), but I do love the Parasol Protectorate books by Gail Carriger. (Full disclosure: the author was my college roommate and is a good friend of mine; these books probably wouldn’t have been on my radar otherwise, so thanks, Gail!) Protagonist Alexia is a preternatural whose touch neutralizes the powers of vampires and werewolves. She’s also a chick who knows who she is and what she wants. She’s best buds with a dapper male vampire who’s also, well, a fairy (not faerie) and she’s married to a feisty Scottish werewolf. Her mixed marriage doesn’t result in any annoying dithering about changing her identity to please her man (wolf) or make life easier for either of them; she’s too busy — side by side with said man (wolf) — saving the world.

Carriger Etiquette Et tu, witches?Gail’s first Parasol Protectorate book, Soulless, won a 2010 Alex Award, and her new YA series, Finishing School (set in the same universe as Parasol Protectorate but earlier in time), is beginning at the start of next year. The ARC of Etiquette & Espionage just came into the office. I know I love it, but has anyone else read it yet? (If not, I’ll ask again in six months!) Gail’s fans are a rabid group.

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