(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Verity Newton, a 17-year-old from Connecticut, is no stranger to adventure.  She's faced danger and derring-do of every possible kind—between the pages of the pulp novels she loves to read.  Her real life has been less exciting, but her luck in that regard appears to be changing.  Verity's train hasn't even reached New York City before it's robbed by gentleman bandits!  And that's only the first of many intriguing encounters she has in the bustling metropolis.

When Verity accepts a position as governess to a trio of orphaned children living with their uncle, she finds herself the employee of a mysterious British magister.  Using magic to ensure its rule, this noble class has always controlled the American colonies.  Living lives of wealth and privilege, they refuse to mingle with commoners—or concern themselves over the petty squabbles of the lower classes.  Lord Henry Lyndon, however, seems a little too interested in the antics of the Rebel Mechanics, an underground group that uses science and engineering to undermine the magicians' power.  Already acquainted with the cheeky rebels, Verity agrees to be their spy.  She hopes to uncover her employer's clandestine activities while keeping her own secrets well hidden from prying eyes.

As the fight between the rebels and the magisters heats up, Verity finds herself caught in the middle—not just between two warring factions, but between two magnetic men.  With danger all around her, she's finally found the grand adventure for which she's been longing.  But will it prove too much for the intrepid Verity?

From the moment I heard about Rebel Mechanics, Shanna Swendson's debut YA novel, I knew I needed to read it.  The alternate history/steampunk premise just sounded fun.  And, you know what?  It really is.  Although the book turned out to be a lighter read than I expected, I still found Rebel Mechanics engaging, entertaining, and immensely enjoyable.  A clean, campy romp, this is the kind of story in which readers of all ages can delight.  Sure, it's predictable.  Yes, it's got a sorta-annoying love triangle.  No, I didn't care.  I just enjoyed this charming, upbeat read.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

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Trigger Warning—the title of Gaiman's 2015 anthology—comes from the idea that art, movies, t.v. shows, books, etc. should come with cautions about potentially distressing material contained within. While he understands the need to protect children from adult content, Gaiman had this to say about mature readers:

Given his view on the subject, it's not surprising that Gaiman subtitles his book "Short Fictions and Disturbances."  Certainly, some of the selections are disturbing.  Others are funny, scary, zany, cautionary and downright odd.  There's a nice variety of pieces here, from magical yarns to horror stories to fan fiction to poems (which "perhaps might need their own warning for the people [like me!] who are frightened, disturbed, or terminally puzzled by poetry" [XLI].).  To my surprise, my favorite story in Trigger Warning was a Doctor Who fan fiction piece called "Nothing O'Clock.  I'm no Whovian (all it took was the spooky "Are You My Mummy?" episode to scare me out of watching the show forever), but I found the tale fresh, funny and charming.  "Orange" and "My Last Landlady" were also memorable selections.  Even the stories I didn't really get sparked my imagination as only a Gaiman creation can.  

Besides the variety, one of the things I enjoyed most about Trigger Warning is that Gaiman includes explanations of every selection.  He uses interesting personal stories to discuss why he wrote each piece, who/what inspired it, and how it was received by various audiences.  These peeks into Gaiman's creative process make his stories even more compelling. 

I didn't love every single selection in the eclectic Trigger Warning, but that's okay.  Overall, I enjoyed this strange, macabre journey through the mind of one of the most original authors around.  If you're a die-hard Gaiman fan, you'll probably like it even more than I did.  In fact, you'll probably want to put this one at the top of your Christmas list.  

  

(Readalikes:  Hm, nothing is coming to mind.  You?)

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for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Trigger Warning from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at TLC Book Tours.  Thank you!

"You have ink in your blood, boy, and no help for it.  Books will never be just a business to you" (26).

Imagine if the great library at Alexandria had never been destroyed.  If it, in fact, stood supreme, the mother of a host of daughter libraries around the world.  Imagine if the Great Library controlled the written word, using alchemy to copy books and distribute them—temporarily and at its own discretion—to citizens' mobile devices.  Consider a world in which owning an original, printed book is illegal, punishable by imprisonment, even death.  Where books are traded on the black market because, in spite of it all, "books were a precious commodity ... [smugglers] catered to a basic human hunger" (137).  

This is the exact situation of those living in 2025 in the alternative world Rachel Caine introduces in her magical YA novel, Ink and Bone.  The story focuses on Jess Brightwell, a 16-year-old Londoner, who works as a "runner" for his family's black-market books business.  It's a dangerous job, one for which Jess has little love.  He hungers for the books, themselves, for the knowledge that's so freely available inside them.  Because he's sensitive where he needs to be cunning, Jess is tasked with becoming his father's spy at the Great Library.  Only a small number of postulants are accepted for Library service each year and the selection process is ruthless.  Although Jess is accepted into the program, his most demanding assignments are yet to come.  Under the tutelage of a merciless instructor, Jess isn't sure he will survive long enough to become a Scholar, let alone learn all the secrets the Great Library holds within its hallowed walls.

The longer Jess survives at the Great Library, the more dangerous his position becomes.  He's wary of his classmates, all of whom hide their own secrets.  The spilling of his own secret—that he's the son of a wanted criminal—could be the end of everything for Jess.  Things get even more dicey when he discovers a remarkable invention, one that would undermine the Library's power, allowing average citizens the kind of freedom hated and feared by those who control the Library and thus, the world.  With a target on his back, Jess must confront conflicting loyalties to figure out what's worth fighting for in a corrupt time when things have gone oh, so horrifyingly wrong ...

Any book lover will appreciate the conflict central to Ink and Bone's plot.  They will understand Jess' motivation, his desire to protect the written word from those who would abuse it.  This sets up the reader for a tense, action-packed ride, filled with magic, adventure, and suspense.  It's easy to root for smart, sympathetic Jess in his quest to fight oppression, bringing the freedom of knowledge to the masses.  While the rules of Caine's fantasy world get confusing at times, overall, it's a complex, well-built setting that makes an intriguing backdrop for this imaginative and compelling tale.  If you dig exciting, adrenaline-fueled stories with unique elements, definitely give Ink and Bone a go.  You won't be disappointed.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

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