Walked into Kinokuniya on Saturday, headed for the childrens/young adults section and had to stop myself from shrieking when I saw that the paperback of Garth Nix's Abhorsen had arrived. Of course I snapped it right up and I'm now reading it. So far, it's as wonderful as Sabriel and Lirael. And I'm really going to savour this one. I rushed through the first two because they were so exciting and that meant I didn't get to enjoy them for as long as I could have. Should do re-reads.
At the moment I'm also reading the first book in Garth Nix's The Seventh Tower series. I'm thrilled that most of the bookstores in the Klang Valley have this series - about two years ago there wasn't a single Garth Nix book available. Now I have practically everything he's written. However, apart from The Seventh Tower books and Mister Monday, everything else was purchased at Kinokuniya. I hope the trilogy that starts with Sabriel will soon be available in MPH and Times.
Of course, Nix's series are just one of many that are available in bookstores these days. It's probably thanks to The Lord of The Rings and (cringe) Harry Potter that fantasies have taken off in a big way. However, for every good new fantasy there are a dozen dismal ones.
Of the dozens I've been "forced" to read over the last year or so, these are the ones that standout ... as exceptionally good (I won't list the exceptionally bad ones as it would take too long!):
Stravaganza: City of Masks
By Mary Hoffman
Stravaganza: City of Stars
By Mary Hoffman
These are universe-hopping books, set in present-day England and in Talia, a country very like medieval Italy.
City of Flowers is due out sometime in 2005.
Mister Monday
By Garth Nix
This is the first of Nix's latest series: Keys to the Kingdom. Grim Tuesday was released in January (according to Amazon.com), but I've yet to see it in our bookstores.
The Dark Horse
By Marcus Sedgewick
Amazingly, not part of a series. At least I don't think it is!
And, naturally, everything by Diana Wynne Jones!!
I've not named it on my list of books I'm currently reading, but Hexwood is getting yet another re-read. Wow! That book just gets better and better. I'm beginning to think one needs to read it through at least three times before it all becomes clear and you're not left with a migraine. This is my fourth re-read and, finally, I understand everything that's going on in the crazy world Wynne Jones has created in this book. It's so perfect ... it just might nudge Dark Lord of Derkholm off the fourth spot on my Top 10 DWJ list!
I think I should definitely write a review of it for this blog so, if you're interested, stay tuned.
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