Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

For all you romantics out there this is a beautifully written tale of an impossible love.

Young, beautiful, and abused scribe Caitrin is running from her past.  She finds both work and shelter with the chief of a village.  But this is no ordinary home, it is plagued by the past, a past she must delve into if she is to help the tortured chieftain, broken, crippled and horribly alone -- even while her own past is but a footstep behind.

Inspired, but not constrained by Beauty and the Beast, this gorgeous book was well worth the read.  Having not a romantic bone in my body, I still enjoyed it for the gorgeous writing and the wonderful sense of presence this writer has.  I can't wait to read Wildwood dancing!

And it's not jsut me that thinks she's well worth reading, Juliet Marillier has won quite a few awards for her historical fantasy novels:
Winner of the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2006)
Winner of the Beehive Book Award for Young Adult Fiction, sponsored by the Children's Literature Association of Utah and decided by popular vote (2009)
Best Children's Books of the Year, published by the Bank Street College of Education (2007)
A YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Best Book for Young Adults (2007)
A US Board of Books for Young People and Children’s Book Council Outstanding International Book (2008)

Review by Alicia Ponder of Rona Gallery and Bookshop, 151 Muritai Rd, Eastbourne, NZ. 

The Phoenix Files:Contact by Chris Morphew

With only 88 days until the end of the world, our three friends from "Arrival" must get the news out to the rest of the world -- or everybody outside of Phoenix will die.  But the phones are down, the roads are closed and it's miles to anywhere.   Somehow they must find a way -- but when they do, the three friends know they are walking into unbelievable danger that threatens not only themselves, but everyone they care about.

The story was another good fast paced read from an accomplished writer (Author of some of the Zac Power series).  Unfortunately though, I didn't like the change of the point of view character from Luke to Peter.  Mostly because for me Luke was a more empathetic character.  So while I was slightly, very very slightly dissapointed with "Contact" I'm looking forward to the sequel even more because "Contact" felt like it was building up for something big, without really being satisfying in and of itself.  Moreover it's going to be written from Jordan's point of viewm and she is the character I like the best and the one I most want to read about so I'm looking forward to the next book in the series "mutation," is coming out in August 2010 in Australia.  Hopefully it will be here not long after.  I will be on the edge of my seat and there will be 70 days until the end of the world.   

Review by Alicia Ponder