Fantasy Book Critic: Two More 2011 Books and their covers: Alex Bell and CR Zafon

I am an unabashed big fan of Alex Bell's novels (FBC Reviews of The Ninth Circle, Jasmyn, Lex Trent Versus the Gods) and despite being in territory that interests me less, I am really looking forward to the next Lex Trent adventure, whose cover has been recently released.

The title will be Lex Trent Fighting with Fire and I find the cover above very fitting for the spirit of the novels. Here is some Amazon.uk information which contains a little spoiler for the first Lex Trent book, so I will include only the link and not the blurb.

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In the same territory but on the darker side, the first English translation of Carlos Ruiz Zafon novel The Midnight Palace will be published by Hachette USA next year. I think that his two classic novels The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game are already established in the canon of imaginative literature and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

I was a bit mixed on the first book from his loose YA trilogy, The Prince of Mist (FBC review CH, my take on Goodreads), but The Midnight Palace reads much better so far and I will finish the e-arc I got soon, though the review will come later in 2011.

Edit 11/22 I finished the book and it was a marked improvement on The Prince of the Mist.
A short take is here and a full review in due time:

After the mediocre Prince of the Mist (very, very YA), CR Zafon returns (in a manner of speaking since the book is from the early 90's predating his two masterpieces but the translation is only 2011) to what we expect from TSoW and TAG; now this book is still YA so we have simple action and relatively predictable plot with a twist and 16 year old heroes and heroines in typical world building that does not question the YA's roles as main leads - hence do not expect the layers and sophistication of the two adult novels - but the elements are there: narrative energy, inventiveness, great characters (even as sketches), surprises and the creepy descriptions that justly made the atmosphere of TSoW and TAG so awesome.

If you want an introduction to the author and see what the fuss is this book will do since it's short and fast. Highly recommended (again keeping in mind that is still YA so with all the limitations thereof)

4:01 PM |

Posted by Liviu |

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2 comments:

Walter Rhein said...: Both are nice looking covers. I think I'd be more inclined to pick up the second one (it's a little less "in your face").; November 12, 2010 at 10:48 PM
Liviu said...: It's all about what you look in a book - the Lex Trent series is what is advertised: a fun, occasionally over the top YA'ish adventure,part of that particular market; I would not have got the first book if not for the author and even so and i waited a bit for reviews and such before ordering it. I enjoyed it but again in its context and the cover is appropriate.

The Zafon book is different, still YA'ish but this time darker, ominous, menace looming over the main characters...; November 13, 2010 at 11:49 AM