Book Review: Department 19: The Rising - Will Hill

Sixteen-year-old Jamie Carpenter's life was violently upended when he was brought 

into Department 19, a classified government agency of vampire hunters that was formed to 

deal with a little problem . . . known as Dracula.
But being the new recruit at the Department isn't all weapons training and covert missions. Jamie's own mother has been turned into a vampire - and now Jamie will stop at nothing to wreak revenge on her captors. Even if that means facing down Dracula himself.

One of my favorite books last year (as is evidenced in my review) was debut author Will Hill’s DEPARTMENT 19. Both an urban supernatural thriller and an action-packed historical mystery; the book was a very clever novel that gave us back classic monsters and managed to enthrall me to no end.

I’ve seen one review already of the book and the reviewer likens the second volume to THE GODFATHER PART II, and I initially thought that was high praise indeed and wondered if I would have the same opinion. After reading it I can definitely see why the reviewer chose that particular analogy, since there are whole sections of the book that follow the path to success that Coppola’s masterpiece did and do so with a verve that was as uncompromising as it was entertaining. I have another analogy, but I’ll save that for later.

I can’t talk too much about the plot of the book since I’d rather not give any spoilers away, but I can tell you it picks up three months after the events at the climax of the first novel which took place on Lindisfarne. Jaime, Larissa and Kate are settling into life as Blacklight Operators, though they are missing the stalwart Colonel Frankenstein who was last seen dropping over a cliff edge in battle with a werewolf. The entire organization has become a coil, spring-loaded from the revelation about the remains that the enemy found at a covert base in the snowy Russian wilderness. They name the event that will inevitably follow as Zero Hour. It is mere months away, and Admiral Seward and the rest of Blacklight are attempting to prepare for the oncoming storm. Is that vague? Sorry, you have to read the book folks! :D

I’m a little stunned at the forethought Will must have put into assembling this book. If you like how Steven Moffat assembles the new SHERLOCK, then you will appreciate what Will has done with the narrative flow of his latest novel. Chapters jump around in time (sometimes weeks, sometimes hours, sometimes minutes) and concern different characters, but they always fuse together into a clever puzzle that leaves you NEEDING to keep reading and it never leaves you annoyed at being left hanging. I was pleasantly surprised by how an interrogation (one of my favoruite bits of the novel) takes place over the course of a few chapters, but it never stalls or stagnates and is woven into the fabric of the story quite fittingly. This was a feature of Will’s writing that I noticed in the first novel, since he seamlessly was able to connect the historical bits with the modern bits. Consider me doubly impressed here. Will takes about five or six different plot threads and runs with them all at once and come hell or high water you will follow him down the garden path simply out of the need to know where he’s taking you.

That destination is where my analogy to a Part II of a series comes into play. DEPARTMENT 19: THE RISING is a book I would liken to THE EMPIRES STRIKES BACK. Yes, I am aware how loaded that statement is, but it makes it no less true in my head. Without spoiling anything, I just would say that the reasons that you enjoy that film “the best” are on display here. Will has taken his characters, built them deeper boots to fill, given them umpteen problems to deal with (both professionally and socially), and made the interactions between them well executed and truthful. Teenagers are hard to write, they aren’t ALL ANGST all the time, but neither do they act like adults yet with reason and thoughtfulness (not that adults really do that either). In fact, Will’s balance of the youths in his story is very good. Jaime, Larissa, Kate and Matt all especially ring true to me since they freak out when you would expect them to and Jaime in particular makes some truly boneheaded, and hotheaded choices. Sometimes there are people there to rein him in and sometimes not, but it always sounds to me like how a teenager would deal with these situations. Hell, sometimes it sounded like how I would deal with a situation. Everyone makes abrupt choices in the passion of the moment, and it’s nice to see Will pay attention to that facet of humanity and display it in his characters.

The villains of this piece are explored even more here and with the turncoat of the previous book dealt with, we get into some very meaty historical information about the Rusmanov brothers and further windows into the life Dracula himself. Those portions are absolutely fascinating and I do hope that Will doesn’t stop giving us historical chapters in the future books since they are still a fantastic way to break up the narrative in present day and flesh out the overall arc as well.

The book is insanely riveting. On Saturday morning I picked it up and I was on page 100-ish, and by about noon I was rounding page 500. The pace is as clean as it was in the first book. Will had found a nice niche in the pacing of DEPARTMENT 19 and it really, truly worked. Well, in THE RISING he gets to turn that pacing up to ten! I simply could not stop reading and the more I thought “Just one more chapter.” The later in the day/night it got. In a nutshell, if you sit down with this book do yourself a favour and clear a little space in your day. It really is that good, and will melt your brain into a wondrous fiction puddle.

The latter half of the book has some crazy action set-pieces that were wholly exciting and well-written. The weapons, activities and executions of Blacklight operatives are able to be unabashedly on display here and so when someone uses a T-Bone or a UV-Grenade you can really sink into it this time since those items are under your belt so to speak.

Something I wasn’t expecting was how well certain scenes build tension. Will has been able to craft some really palm-sweating moments here and I found myself more often than not having to remember to breath. So expect that there are sequences where Will plays with your limits of tension and just at the right moments he goes for the jugular.

He is also the king of twists and revelations. There are some jaw dropper moments in this book that make the ones that impressed in the first book look like child’s play. I was jaw-on-the-floor stunned at least twice. If you like revelations, not to worry as they abound in this story.

Definitely one of the best titles of 2012, D19: THE RISING an absolute roller coaster of a book. Emotionally charged, terrifying, and what I term as a “Wee Hours” book that will keep you burning the candle late into the night. Just don’t let the candle go out, for who knows what’s lurking in the darkened corners of your bedroom.

If you’ve not read the first novel DEPARTMENT 19, then you need to pick that up ASAP, and while you are there you may as well grab the sequel and save yourself time since you are going to want to dive right in straight away.

The book comes out in Canada on April 13th, for those of you who are waiting for this one, that will be the day to hit the store. You can find out more about it and buy it through Harper Collins Canada HERE!

Book Review: Wolf Of The Plains (Conqueror #1) - Conn Iggulden

 

He was born Temujin, the son of a khan, raised in a clan of hunters migrating across the rugged steppe. Temujin’s young life was shaped by a series of brutal acts: the betrayal of his father by a neighboring tribe and the abandonment of his entire family, cruelly left to die on the harsh plain. But Temujin endured—and from that moment on, he was driven by a singular fury: to survive in the face of death, to kill before being killed, and to conquer enemies who could come without warning from beyond the horizon.

Through a series of courageous raids against the Tartars, Temujin’s legend grew. And so did the challenges he faced—from the machinations of a Chinese ambassador to the brutal abduction of his young wife, Borte. Blessed with ferocious courage, it was the young warrior’s ability to learn, to imagine, and to judge the hearts of others that propelled him to greater and greater power. Until Temujin was chasing a vision: to unite many tribes into one, to make the earth tremble under the hoofbeats of a thousand warhorses, to subject unknown nations and even empires to his will. 

I actually read the majority of this, the first book in Conn Iggulden’s Conqueror Series, a few months back. Some other books dropped and I had to put it down for a time, but this past weekend I went on a spree and did a bunch of reading, and foremost on the list was finishing up WOLF OF THE PLAINS.

You all may know him as Ghenghis Khan, but when he began life his name was Temujin and he was second son of the leader of a nomadic tribe of Mongolian’s called The Wolves. Raised as the son of a Khan, he learned the sword and the bow from a young age. He is even taken into another tribe called the Olkuhn’ut, a place he will choose a future bride from. Just when things seem to be going well when his father Yesugei is attacked by Tartar’s and wounded, the injuries of which eventually kill him and then all hell breaks loose. Eeluk, one of his father’s sworn men (bondsmen), usurps the tribal leadership of the “Wolves” and banishes Temujin, his mother and his brothers and sister to the plains where they endure hardship, starvation and betrayal that almost kills them.

A few years later, when Temujin is about eighteen he and his remaining brothers Kachuin, Khasar, and young Temuge, as well as his sister Temulun and mother Hoelun are living decently on the Steppes when Eeluk’s Wolves come to visit, where they capture Temujin and bring him back to the Wolf camp to be kept captive and tortured as Eeluk seeks to solidify his reign by showing his mastery over the son of Yesugei.

I don’t want to spoil too much of the plot, so I will leave it at that, but know that after he is captured the narrative flies off at a rocket pace. It shows us how a captured young man, beaten, bloodied, and left for dead by one tribe amongst many warring tribes on the plains, came back from that and became one of the most famous men in history.

If you have not seen the film MONGOL by Russian director Sergei Bodrov, it is a stunning film about the man and very interesting. What always gets me, however, was a few sentences in the trailer and as I read this book I could not help hearing them in my head: (Note: This is to be read in the Trailer-Guy’s voice)

“When he was a boy, everything he loved was taken from him.”

“When he became a man, he would fulfill his destiny.”

“He would raise an army, and he would take it…all back.”

“One day, he would rule the largest empire the world has ever known.”

It’s funny, but as I have stated in previous review I LOVE books about glory, and I especially loves books about Glory won at odds with the situation by the underdog. Well there is no bigger underdog story than that of a young boy who is made into a slave and not only comes back against his tormentors, but unites many tribes and builds an empire that would stretch from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean. I’m sorry, but that is impressive! That’s an empire that would have rivaled Rome.

At any rate, Conn Iggulden is a master among contemporaries like Bernard Cornwell, and Robyn Young. Historical fiction comes to him as easily as walking. Years ago I read his first series that was about Julius Caesar, and enjoyed it wholeheartedly. I hasn’t moved on to this new series until recently, and while I feel remiss for not having gotten into it until now, I am also excited to have so many books ahead of me to read! Iggulden’s prose is easy and flows like water off the page. I never find myself thinking there is too much exposition, or not enough action. The author has a deft hand with action set-pieces and makes them sweeping and epic, while still feeling quite visceral and close-quartered.

The story itself is absolutely fascinating. I knew next to nothing about Ghenghis Khan when I began this series, and now having this little bit of his childhood, his rise to adulthood, and the very beginnings of the empire he would rule I am totally enthralled. Iggulden brings a level of excitement to the tale and the pacing at points borders on ridiculous. While I found the initial 50 or 60 pages or so to be a bit heavy on set-up, once things properly get going and once Temujin begins his story properly I found it incredibly hard to put down.

A really amazing roller-coaster of action and suspense bundled into a story from history that not a lot of people know about, WOLF OF THE PLAINS is the real deal. If his Julius Caesar series was his opening salvo to the historical fiction world, then the Conqueror series is his magnum opus. A brutal, blood-soaked novel, that will ultimately keep you reading and learning about one of the greatest empires the world has ever known, and just how it came to be.

Book Review: Mozart's Last Aria - Matt Rees

It is 1791 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is enlightenment Vienna's brightest star. Master of the city's music halls and devoted member of the Austrian Freemason's guild, he stands at the heart of an electric mix of art and music, philosophy and science, politics and intrigue. Six weeks ago, the great composer told his wife he had been poisoned. Yesterday, he died. The city is buzzing with rumours of infidelity, bankruptcy and murder. But Wolfgang's sister Nannerl, returned from the provinces to investigate, will not believe base gossip. Who but a madman would poison such a genius? Yet as she looks closely at what her brother left behind - a handwritten score, a scrap of paper from his journal - Nannerl finds traces of something sinister: the threads of a masonic conspiracy that reach from the gilded ballrooms of Viennese society to the faceless offices of the Prussian secret service. Only when watching Wolfgang's bewitching opera, The Magic Flute, does Nannerl truly understand her beloved brother once again. For, encoded in his final arias, is a subtly crafted blueprint for a radical new tomorrow. Mozart hoped to change his future. Instead he sealed his fate.

I saw Milos Forman’s Academy Award Winning film AMADEUS in the theatre when it came out, with my parents, at the tender age of 7 (that’s 1984 folks). It developed in me a deep, abiding love of classical music, especially that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself. I credit the film-going excursion with my folks, a thing I fought hard against as I recall saying, “I don’t want to see some boring history movie!” as my introduction to culture, drama, music and even history. Such a juvenile statement is especially amusing in retrospect because of just how much I now love EVERYTHING to do with History and Music.

So going into Matt Rees latest novel, MOZART’S LAST ARIA, I already had preconceived notions about certain aspects of the Amadeus mythos, making Rees job a tough one. Thankfully he delivers a fairly well thought out, decently plotted historical whodunit that I mostly enjoyed reading. It is not without its flaws, but on the whole this is an interesting story about just what MIGHT have happened to one of the most famous musical geniuses in history.

The narrative begins in the prologue with Mozart’s sister Nannerl as an old woman dying in her bed sharing with her nephew (Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart) a diary of information about his long-dead father which goes against everything he’s learned about Wolfgang elder’s life and especially his death. We then switch POV’s and travel to years earlier where a younger Nannerl has just learned of her brother’s untimely death, and his late-life suspicions that he had somehow been poisoned. She travels to Vienna in search of the truth, which leads her into deep intrigues, deceits and dangerous pathways. 

Vienna and this entire classical era is handled with absolute precision by Rees. He gets how it should be portrayed and what it might have looked like to someone who knows nothing about it.  Vienna was the CENTER of musical ambitions in the mid to late 18th century, and it is on display here with all the gorgeous gold foiled bannisters, wrought iron sensibilities and lovingly rendered compositions.

It’s strange to come at Mozart’s death from this angle. And to be honest the book concentrates a lot on his Masonic brethren, not to mention the various and sundry people he was associated with during his life in Vienna, be they sketchy or not. Nannerl’s investigative techniques begin to reveal more and more about the man’s death and even more about a brother who she had become estranged from in his waning years. The plot moves along at a fair clip and I was able to read this in only two sittings, which speaks well of Rees’ pacing skills. The secondary characters were interesting and in a lot of ways much more interesting than Nannerl herself. Nannerl actually feels disconnected from the whole affair, as if she is as cold as her investigation. That jumped out at me most, as I felt she should have been warmer to us as audience and she simply isn’t (or wasn't to me at any rate). The whole thing comes across as quite calculating and scientific, so I could never really feel utterly comfortable with her. It also takes away from the story when we concentrate on any type of side plot with Nannerl herself and any kind of love story aspects, since those instances just kind of fall flat. again, that is only my opinion as I'm sure she'll resonate differently with other readers. It is not a reason to dismiss the novel, because even the way Nannerly was, she is a good protagonist, simply not a warm one.

Not quite narrative trickery, and perhaps moreso a device, Rees has supposedly constructed each chapter after a piece of Mozart’s music. I do believe the whole thing is meant to read like a concerto (I could be wrong), and maybe it’s my own naiveté in not knowing enough about classical music structure, but I don’t quite understand that aspect. It took nothing away from me to not know that though, so no worries on that front. I only bring it up because I am sure a more studied classical music student who understands such things would get extra enjoyment from the novel, so good on Rees for constructing it in such a way.

In the end I had already guessed the main resolution, but there is a further twist that I wasn’t expecting, which is always a good thing. That twist is definitely decent, if a little unbelievable. That said, the whole book is quite enjoyable on a historical level as well as historical murder mystery. It is quite readable. As I said above it will take you no more than a few sittings to devour.

Rees has crafted a nice epilogue to the existing Mozart story, and gives it enough umph to make you believe the resolution here MAY have been what truly happened. We'll never know for sure. Aside from my feelings about the stilted, cold nature of the lead, it has other compelling character arcs, fun and dangerous courtly intrigues and even a few broader Masonic mysteries to be plumbed, all in the most civilized and musical city of the Era. Told from the point-of-view of the sister who was never allowed to pursue her own gifts and was constantly overshadowed by her younger more talented brother, MOZART’S LAST ARIA is a study of what happens when a bright burning torch flame extinguishes too early and the candle that lit it goes in search of answers as to why.

Book Release: Department 19 by Will Hill is out in 2 days!

Hey all,

I just wanted to make a post about Will Hill's awesome YA book DEPARTMENT 19 which I reviewed a few weeks back. Well the book (already out in the UK) is due to drop over on our North American shores in two days time.

So get out there, and grab a copy of this amazing and addictive book.

Book Review: Department 19 by Will Hill

 

Where I got it: Review Copy from Harper Collins Canada

Page Count: 352Pgs

Release Date: April 1^st (in Canada) March 31^st (elsewhere)

In a secret supernatural battle that's been raging for over a century, 

the stakes have just been raised – and they're not wooden anymore.

When Jamie Carpenter's mother is kidnapped by strange creatures, he finds himself 

dragged into Department 19, the government's most secret agency.

Fortunately for Jamie, Department 19 can provide the tools he needs to find his mother, 

and to kill the vampires who want him dead. But unfortunately for everyone, something 

much older is stirring, something even Department 19 can't stand up against…

There were three books in 2010 that knocked me out breathless. Only three, and I read all three after the midway point of the year.

Not even two months into 2011 and I’ve already had the first of this year to knock me out. Like flat out. Like I couldn't put the bloody thing down and I spent every single bit of free time I had I reading it voraciously.

You won’t have heard about this book yet, as it isn’t due for publication until the spring (late March/early April), but the wonderful people at Harper Collins Canada were kind enough to send me a review copy. I’d also like to nod to Amanda over at Floor To Ceiling Books for her vague and cryptic mention of it in December that made me go look it up.

New author Will Hill’s debut novel DEPARTMENT 19 is the first in a new Young Adult series. The synopsis (above) hooked me right away, and I knew this sounded like it was right up my alley.  Here is a book that concerns damn near everything I have an interest in: Clandestine Government agencies, historical mysteries, monsters, crazy weapons, clever plot twists, interesting characters, action, gruesome fights, most likely a fair amount of vampire blood and ash not to mention probably more than a few scares.

Will’s writing skills range across the board in this book (and for a new author I am supremely impressed with his talent, let alone that this is his first book!), but the first one that ought to stand out is the characters. First and foremost, protagonist Jamie Carpenter is exactly what every other angsty sixteen year-old in reality would be like. He gets upset at the adults around him at all the moments and in all the ways he should, shy and bashful when he should be and even lets his hormones run riot in him when they would. In that respect Jamie feels VERY realistic to the mind of a teen. I found myself reading him and the teenage me was agreeing with every outburst, goofy moment, and reaction he had. To me, that’s skill on Hill’s part. It doesn’t stop there though, as the rest of the cast are all perfectly voiced and represented. Larissa, Frankenstein, Admiral Seward, Thomas Morris, and Van Helsing to name only a few are all VERY well fleshed out and never feel boring. Each has their own portion of the narrative and each are quite as interesting as Jaime is. The vilains are nasty, like super nasty as they come. Dark, evil and scary. In fact, you know how really, truly scary villains laugh and scoff at the hero's attempts to do away with them, cause they KNOW they have the upper hand? Yeah, this book is filled with that type of villain. Cold, and remorseless killers.

A few other reviews have mentioned this and so I will too…Thank you Mr. Hill for giving us our monsters back. Thank you for making vampires properly scary again and not at all sparkly and emo. Make no mistake, this book will give you chills and it spares no expense on the action, blood and grime. There is a scene in which a girl is unknowingly turned into a vampire and as her body reacts when she awakes. It is described in such utterly simple detail that I thought to myself, what she is feeling must be like what an addict who needed a fix would feel. It is gut wrenching, horrible, and perfectly gives us back the vampire as a monster...and not a sparkly boy with messy hair and caramel eyes. There were a few moments like that in the book where my eyes widened at Hill’s deft hand. He brings to the page completely surreal events and plunks your brain right down inside them and says “this is what it would feel like to”... be in a room full of people, only to discover they are all vampires lusting for your blood, to see a real death for the first time, to feel well and truly scared, or to see historical myth cast into a light as a truth. It is a wonder to me that the prose, while simple, easy and flowing, is also beautifully detailed and each sentence feels crafted with the attention of a jeweler.

This book is not only a globe-trotter (it takes place in many locations across Britain, Europe and America), but it is also a history-trotter. There are chapters sprinkled throughout the book that jump into the past as we discover how Department 19 (or Blacklight as it is referred to) was founded, how Frankenstein first met the people from the organization, what exactly happened with Jaime’s father, and even what happened to the remains of a certain well-known Impaler from the Carpathian mountains. Hill handles these chapters with the hand of a seasoned historical author. They never feel jarring or misplaced and fit perfectly in with the modern narrative.

Department 19 itself is wonderful to behold, with its past, leadership, purpose, training, weapons and vehicles. It is a virtual cornucopia of awesome techie-toys that anyone would be happy to get to play with.  We also learn that vampires aren’t the only things that are going to go bump in this series, as it is mentioned early on that there are many other supernatural elements the world needs defense from and Blacklight plans to be there to fill that need. That’s a big bonus for me as I’d love to see Blacklight tackling other supernatural beasties and I predict they will.

I was literally RAPT from page one. The prologue is a quick hook that makes you go “What the hell is going on? I have to know!” This book is a stunning piece of work. The pace is electrifying, the action is well-executed, the characters are interesting and story within the books' pages are not to be missed. This book really does have it all going for it. Do you remember how eagerly you read books like the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games series and the like? Well this one can safely fall into that category and share the shelf next to them.

Will Hill has written a book that will appeal across the board to teens and adults alike. Not only that, I feel that Amanda was right in her review to say this book is going to be a phenomenon. It will be, and I feel rather privileged to have been allowed to get an early look at it. I am literally salivating for the second volume now, as this series is definitely going to be an exciting one and the long arcing story can only get better.  This opening salvo into the world Hill has created will only whet your appetite, I promise you!

A rocket-paced ride through blood-soaked history, mystery, secrecy, and heroics the likes of which you can’t imagine. Will Hill’s DEPARTMENT 19 is everything you’ve been looking for. A thrilling adventure on an epic scale and I can’t believe it’s only just begun! An absolute triumph!

Note to Will Hill: Is it wrong that I couldn’t read Abraham Van Helsing’s dialogue without hearing Anthony Hopkin’s voice? It totally worked for me though. Haha!

Upcoming: Robyn Young's Insurrection series rights bought for Canada

And...colour me excited!

It's bad enough that I had to wait for the final book in Robyn Young's Brethren trilogy over here in Canada. Considering that I could have picked it up in one of the nineteen Waterstones I went into while I was in the UK in summer 2008, but sadly I hadn't yet discovered her at that point. Then I hear she is doing this series about Robert The Bruce and I was all over amazon.co.uk thinking about paying for shipping just to get my hands on it in October of this year when the first book was released overseas.

I stayed my hand though and even though this amazing author has become one of my go-to authors for historical fiction I decided to wait. Thankfully, someone at Harper Collins Canada was a smart cookie and snatched up the rights to the new series in Canada...

And now we do the dance of joy!

So yeah, I am a bit excited. Just a bit.

Anyways, you don't have to believe me but head on over to Robyn's website and see it for yourself on the news page.

If this series is anything like Young's Templar one, we are all in for a heck of a treat!