Vampires, Princesses and Wizards

by Sariah S. Wilson

I just joined a new Yahoo group, LDS Book Club, and the first thing they asked me is what I'd read last week. Well, truth be told, I tend to read really fast and get through books quickly. And since I am completely procrastinating writing my next book, I've been reading a lot these days - writerly-type advice magazines, writing craft books, and lots and lots of fiction.

I'm not going to mention the books I didn't like. I prescribe to Jennie Hansen's philosophy here and if I can't say anything nice, I'm not going to say anything at all.

I've also decided to make an attempt to read more LDS writers. I'm very interested in those that have published nationally. So my selections this week will reflect that.

However, the first book is by a non-LDS writer. It's called "Once Upon Stilettos" by Shanna Swendson. This a second book in a series, and I definitely think that if you want to read it you should pick up the first book, "Enchanted, Inc." and then go on to "Stilettos." When the author pitched this book to her agent, she described it as "Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter." So it's a chick lit (although, thankfully, the heroine is not particularly obsessed with shoes, men or her weight) set in an urban fantasy. The premise is that the heroine is from Texas and moved to New York, so you have the fish-out-of-water element. She knows that New Yorkers are supposed to be weird, but she keeps wondering why she sees people with wings who look like they're flying, and why the stone gargoyles move. Before she can doubt her sanity too much, she discovers that a magical world does exist, but it shields itself from the regular world. The heroine is able to see through the illusions because she doesn’t have a single spark of magic in her, which makes her immensely valuable to a spell producing Microsoft-type corporation (because those magic guys are always trying to put one over on each other in their contracts and such, so someone who is immune to magic is vital to their business). Of course there’s a bad guy and a very hunky all-powerful wizard who, to the heroine’s frustration, is extraordinarily shy. “Enchanted, Inc.” was one of the first books I experienced serious author envy over. The heroine’s superpower is that she has no powers? Brilliant!

Now for LDS authors (and both books are considered YA, but I found them very readable for adults) - I read Shannon Hale’s “Princess Academy.” For those who haven’t read it, it takes place in a far off kingdom without any known magic but those possessed by the heroine’s people. (They call it “quarry speak” and they don’t even consider it magic.) The heroine, Miri, lives in a mountain top village where her people mine a stone called linder (like marble, but much more valuable). Miri has a growing crush on her childhood friend, Peder, and wants to feel accepted and loved by her father and her people. But in this kingdom, whenever a new prince is born, the priests predict where his princess will be born. The current prince’s future bride will be from Miri’s village, and a princess academy is arranged to teach these illiterate, backwoods girls to be like princesses. Miri is torn - she would like to be a princess and help her family, but she loves her mountain and there's Peder to think about... This book didn’t hold any real surprises or twists (I knew who the prince was going to pick once the narrator had introduced all the girls) but the language is powerful and the author, with only a few well-chosen words, was able to evoke very strong emotions. I loved the ingenuity and originality of this book.

I also read another LDS author, and I have to admit that I’ve become a bit obsessed with this book. It’s “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. Now, I know some LDS readers might be offended by the content. I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to reveal that the hero is a vampire, and I know some people might have a problem with that (I do not, which you knew already since you know that I own the special edition complete seven seasons of Buffy). But he’s a moral vampire who doesn’t want to be a monster, which is part of what I loved. The author admits to not being very up on current vampire lore, so she’s created a vampire realm that turns all the old myths on their heads, which results in her totally unique take. The author’s ability to withhold information (so that when you’re reading you’re thinking, “Why is he doing that? What’s wrong with him?”) keeps you turning pages to find out why the characters do what they do and just what the heroine’s reaction will be when she discovers that the boy she’s falling in love with is a vampire. I love their conflicts and motivations, and the conundrum that the vampire finds himself in - loving a girl he really wants to bite. This is how much I liked this book - I’ve already read it once and I’m in the process of reading it again because I rushed through it to get to the end and now I’d like to enjoy it. I almost never do that with books, once is usually enough for me.

If you’ve read or get a chance to read any of these books, please post about them in the comments section. I’d love to hear other people’s perspectives. Or please post about something you’ve read recently that you’ve really enjoyed. I’m always on the lookout for a great read.