Dash Cooray profile

Julie Kagawa’s vampires do not glow in the dark. Isn’t that enough? No, fine then here’s more. Julie Kagawa’s vampires are glamorous, yes, but they do not act like pious know-it-all's just because they have seen it all. They know they are soulless beings, living off the lifeblood of beings who still have souls, and they have the decency to hang their heads in shame.

I have only praise for this series and for Days as well. It is written masterfully and filled with poetic lyricism that tricks you into believing you are reading a classic. The book is melancholy and the pain of the characters is etched into the pages that after you put the book down you find yourself hovering in dark corners, muttering to yourself about the cruelty of the world. But don’t let that put you off from reading what will become a classic in literature in the decades to come, for sure. I am eagerly awaiting book three. Mrs Taylor! Bring it on!

I’ll say this much. Eoin Colfer is one of my big ten favourite authors of all time! But I found myself feverishly following the novel to the end and wondering if he hired someone else to write it for him or if he got lazy and stole a terribly one dimensional ending from some fanfic site and banged it into the last few pages. This episode of Artemis Fowl’s saga is bland at best with zero character development and a brilliant premise which quickly falls apart. It feels as if Colfer is trying to make you dislike Artemis on purpose.

Though the story is an insanely claustrophobic world with brilliant word-building in the hands of a great writer, I feel that the novel is a lot of nothing happening until the very last pages. Although Vikram and Adelaide are real people with real world problems - the rich trivial, while the poor’s is life threatening – the characters themselves are not alive. It’s hard to relate to them or get behind their motives and really feel along with them. Because of the two dimensional aspects of the characters, it’s rather hard to understand what’s going on in the background and I found myself skipping large parts in a hurry to get to the finish. That said, I want to know what happened to one of the titular characters, so sign me up for the sequel.

Overall however Stormdancer is a fun and entertaining debut that presents an imaginative, dystopian setting and which promises many more exciting adventures for Yukiko and Buruu.

I particularly enjoyed the interwoven tale of Jack Havock and how his childhood - and ultimately, destiny - entwines with that of the Mumby siblings giving depth, character and a damn, good story to tell. Philip Reeve conjures up an assortment of steampunk inventions, my favorite of which are the hoverhogs who are technically pigs that clean the air by taking it in and… well… letting it out! There’s even a clever illustration by David Wyatt incase the subtlety eludes you!

Starcross is a joy to read with the added bonus of the detailed and delightful illustrations courtesy of Mr. Wyatt. A book that every household with a boy, whether he likes to read or not, should have.

Though I’m still trying to figure out whether its Reeves amazingly detailed imagination or the headstrong Fever Crumb is responsible for it, this book has taken its place in the pinnacle. My favourite. For now.

It’s a Cinderella story set in a post-apocalyptic future and the Cinderella in question is Cinder Linh; the best mechanic in New Beijing who is also a… wait for it… cyborg! An interesting read? I most definitely think so!

Shiibashi’s artwork has been praised and claimed to be unique and yes, for sure, I love how even in the smallest panels he manages to show intricate details, which is the main reason I love this manga. Also, the character of Rikuo is one we can all relate to. One where your destiny goes against everything you believe in. Then, can you change it? Or is it inevitable? Added to the strong message of the manga is the classic manga-style humor, the exaggerated emotions and a pack of really funny and loyal Yokai who will follow their human master anywhere. This is a must read, and a pretty good introduction to anyone willing to take a plunge into the fantastical world of manga and anime. Trust me, there is no end!

For me, this book is by far the best in the series; it picks up the pace and is twice as violent and funny as The Lost Hero. Riordan has timed the events to perfection, obviously leading us up to the grand finale in the third book – The Mark of Athena. But then, he is a genius. The only time his writing doesn’t work for me is when the characters speak a kind of long monologue filled with so much witticism that it gives me a headache, but thankfully, The Son of Neptune doesn’t fit that bill, probably because Percy Jackson is the king of snarky commentary and it does not come off as out of the ordinary. A good read and a great book filled with surprises. However, to enjoy it completely, I suggest reading the previous Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and then coming here. Can’t wait for The Mark of Athena…

If you’re looking for any action that was abundant in Clockwork Angel, this book is lacking. It’s like the calm before the storm, like the sixth Harry Potter book where even though there was tragedy, the tone was light-hearted and carefree as if the characters were taking a breather before they plunged into the catastrophe. Most of the book details the relationships between the main characters and the rest of the clave more than advance the story. On its own, the book might seem stagnant but it all depends on how Clockwork Princess turns out and completes the trilogy.

What made The Princess Diaries such a resounding hit is exactly what makes this new story of a mermaid’s quest for a human fiancé a must read series: the quirky, independent, kick-butt narrative complete with a widely used fish terminology of the heroine mermaid, Princess Waterlily.

When I arrived home one evening from work, I found something unusual waiting for me that the Postman had delivered earlier that day. Holding the blank postcard with a single black moustache printed on the front – I began to wonder if I had some sort of strange, hairy stalker. I then received two more of the postcards; one with a tooth on it and one with a feather later on that week. So with curiosity baiting me, I hunted down some information about the postcards on the internet and realised that they were a marketing campaign for a book I was about to receive. To this day I’m not sure whether the marketing campaign was successful (judging by my confusion), but the book on the other hand definitely deserves to stand up in its own right.

Recently, modern spin-offs of classic fairytales have become a major hit with both the young and old. Why? Because no matter how old you are, you can’t ever leave behind the joys of childhood and the tales your mum or dad read to you as you fell asleep.

Stephenie Meyer has got a lot to answer for. With the success of her Twilight series she became a literary phenomenon, the kind that only comes along once in a while and when it does it has a lasting impact on the book industry. In the last decade only J.K. Rowling and Steig Larsson have had a similar effect and not just with book sales, but also with the types of books that have got published, and have been in turn successful. Post Rowling children’s fantasy writing has never been more popular and adults are reading these titles in way not seen since the likes of Tolkien and Lewis. Larsson’s Millennium trilogy has transformed crime writing into a Nordic dominated genre with the likes of Arnaldur Indridason and Joe Nesbo becoming bestsellers and old favourites like Henning Mankell getting a new and voracious audience.

This is the seventh outing for Eoin Colfer’s anti-hero Artemis Fowl and avid followers of this collection will attest that this is one character whose strong storylines and even stronger one line put-downs have in no way diminished from the fresh and innovative original.