Review - The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff

This review is a long time coming.  I received an ARC of this book back at BEA in the summer of 2012.  I kept it somewhere that whenever I had just a bit of time to read, I could pick it up and read.  Which makes sense as it is a collection of short stories.   These are three authors that are kind of favorites of mine.  Maggie Stiefvater I knew from reading her book Shiver for one of the Missouri state book awards, and then loving the whole series.  When she visited Kansas City, the first time I saw her, the other two, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff both just happened to be at the signing as well.  I had read an ARC of Brenna Yovanoff's first book, The Replacement, and really enjoyed it.  Unfortunately, not knowing she would be there, I didn't bring it to get it signed.  I hadn't heard of Tessa Gratton until then, but as she lives in Kansas, right by Missouri where I live, she was there, and they had her book, Blood Magic, for sale, so I bought it and got it signed.  Of course I got my picture taken with all of them at that time, I believe that was fall of 2011.  Then they were all three signing this book at BEA the next summer.  So once again, I got all their signatures, and pictures with them.  The even cooler thing about the picture below?  Well, I was contacted and paid to let a publishing company use this photo in a biography for Maggie Stiefvater.  I'm still on the lookout to find a copy of it.

So, my review.  Well, these stories really made me wish that I could be a part of a writing group like this.  It seems like such a great way to pull out your creative side and just write.  And what was even more fun was all the little doodles and extra writing on each page by both the author of that story, as well as the other two often adding their own thoughts.  And some of the stories either went on to be full length books, or more likely were kind of inspiration for a future novel by one of the three.  The stories were definitely a great way to kind of get a good feel for each of the authors' writing style or voice.  I'm going to pick one favorite story from each author to tell a little bit about.

1st is the story by Tessa Gratton that led to The Lost Sun, the United States of Asgard series she is now in the midst of.  The title of this short story is:  Berserk, which of course has to do with Viking warriors.  The story tells the tale of a young girl who watches as her family is killed by trolls.  A berserker comes along and finds her burning the house, as well as her family, as the culture does with their dead.  And while he wants to take her to safety, she tricks him into following the trolls and helping her to get her revenge.  One of my other favorite stories of the book is also by Ms. Gratton, Date with a Dragon Slayer.  And in a way is a bit similar in the Norse types of themes.

Okay, I think my favorite by Maggie Stiefvater is The Deadlier of the Species, a zombie story.  It's a bit unique for a zombie story, which only makes sense for this author.  The cause of the zombies is a little parasite that must be in water or it will die when not in the host, or zombie it seems.  I love the way Ms. Stiefvater writes her characters, the banter, and even the horror of this story doesn't keep her from doing that.

Finally, my favorite story by Brenna Yovanoff in the collection is titled Neighbors.  This is a story about a ghost.  The ghost of a child.  And they don't necessarily understand that they are a ghost.  It's a short quick way, maybe not quite so shocking and scary though, of telling a story similar to the movie The Sixth Sense.  You may or may not see the end coming.  But it's still a good telling.  Ms. Yovanoff is pretty good with ghost stories.

Those are just a few of the stories, and there are others that I really liked just as well, but I didn't want to tell about all of them.  I actually feel as I looked back through to pick which ones to talk about, that I may have enjoyed many of Tessa Gratton's stories the most.

P.S. - Check back this week, as I've now passed 1900 followers on GFC, so I see another giveaway in the future!

Waiting on Wednesday - The Strange Maid (The United States of Asgard #2) by Tessa Gratton

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  The book I've chosen this week I didn't think I'd chosen yet, I hope not, so if I did, then here is a reminder about how much I'm waiting for it!  It is the sequel to The Lost Sun, a book that I really liked how it portrayed the United States if history had been a bit different in who found and started it (and if the Norse gods really existed).  And I think I just got an e-galley of this from Edelweiss!  Let me warn you that once again, I'm not a big fan of the cover.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads.com:

Fans of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, and Maggie Stiefvater will embrace the richly drawn, Norse-influenced alternate world of the United States of Asgard, where cell phones, rock bands, and evangelical preachers coexist with dragon slaying, rune casting, and sword training in schools. Where the president runs the country alongside a council of Valkyries, gods walk the red carpet with Hollywood starlets, and the U.S. military has a special battalion dedicated to eradicating Rocky Mountain trolls.
Signy Valborn was seven years old when she climbed the New World Tree and met Odin Alfather, who declared that if she could solve a single riddle, he would make her one of his Valkyrie. For ten years Signy has trained in the arts of war, politics, and leadership, never dreaming that a Greater Mountain Troll might hold the answer to the riddle, but that’s exactly what Ned the Spiritless promises her. A mysterious troll hunter who talks in riddles and ancient poetry, Ned is a hard man to trust. Unfortunately, Signy is running out of time. Accompanied by an outcast berserker named Soren Bearstar, she and Ned take off across the ice sheets of Canadia to hunt the mother of trolls and claim Signy’s destiny.

I'm such a huge fan of this author, I even got to host her during the Authors are Rock Stars Blog Hop last year.  You can go read my interview with her HERE.  So what book are you eagerly awaiting this week?

The Lost Sun (The United States of Asgard #1) by Tessa Gratton

First, let me say that I got this ARC for free at the RT Convention Teen Day party at the beginning of May.  And second, let me say that if you are looking for an original teen book, I think this fits the bill.  Now, this book is quite a change from the other books I've read by this author, Blood Magic, and The Blood Keeper. While those were pretty much about magic, as you'd guess from their titles, this book is about viking mythology.  With the new Viking show on the History channel, that I hear is pretty good, this is the right time to bring out a book like this.
The main character is Soren Bearskin, and he was born to be a berserker like his father.  His father is famous for when he berserked in a crowded mall.  Soren doesn't know what set him off, and never will, because his father immediately ran into the guns of the police that were there when it happened and died.  So Soren tries to do what he can to keep the beserking from ever actually taking hold in himself.  Exercises, meditation, etc.  Even though he is now marked with a tattoo on his face so that everyone knows who he may become, he still wants to fight it.  A new girl comes to his boarding school, her name is Astrid Glyn and she is able to see the future, thanks to her gift from the goddess Freya.  And for some reason, she immediately connects with Soren.  Tragedy strikes their country when Baldur the beautiful, one of their gods, does not resurrect from his ashes as he is supposed to do every year.  But Astrid has a feeling, actually a dream that night, that made her believe he is alive somewhere.  And when the scientists find the evidence that those ashes were not Baldur's, a search begins.  And so Astrid takes Soren with her, to help ground her as she seeks the lost god.
I loved the take on this country that is basically America, but I'm guessing it is a bit of history retold, with the Vikings settling here and being more of the majority of people.  The names and sayings that are changed to fit the theme.  For example, the days of the week named after their gods, Tyrsday, Thorsday, Freyasday.  Instead of English, it is called Anglish.  And the names of places, South Lakota, Kansa, the White Hall instead of the White House.  Some of these were so clever I chuckled to myself as I read them.  There was even Christianity snuck in to the story/society in what was a very believable way in my opinion.  But along with the basic changes, there were still magical things.  The berserking, and future telling, and the fact that the gods were kind of real people, as well as that there are trolls in this world, those things kept it a magical new type of place to be, and kept the story interesting.
The only thing I kind of didn't like, is something I will agree with others on Goodreads about.  The cover.  I'm not a fan.  I'd rather see it more like the author's other cover for The Blood Keeper.  Maybe some kind of viking symbol or something.  But hey, the cover isn't horrible, just not what I'd pick first.  And even though I saw the author at the RT Convention, and got my book signed, I don't have a picture from then.  So I'll just share the picture of the autograph.