Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

First published in 2009 by Scholastic

The past few years it seems to be a trend for me to choose one wildly popular paranormal romance and take it with me to read on summer holidays. Perfect for lazy days at the beach, a bit of escapism, and a chance for me to, at my leisure, see what all the fuss is about. This year it was Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater, and it’s probably been the best of the lot. Shiver managed to be enjoyably predictable but page-turning, to keep my frustrated sighs and frequent eyerolls to a minium, and to put the story before lame set-ups that just give the main character an excuse to stare lovingly at her destined and know it was meant to be because the way he flicks his hair is just so damn sexy.

Grace has alway felt a connection to the wolves in the woods behind her house. In particular, she has an afinity with one yellow-eyed male who seems to be as much besotted with her as she is with it. Naturally, (I mean, this is paranormal romance) he turns into a boy for a short time each year, but only for so long – soon he will be a wolf for good. Sam must now fight to stay human so he can be with Grace, but, as they say, true love never did run smooth. There are a few things that stand in the way (jealous she-wolves, rabid wolves, wolf-hunts, uh, the weather) before the two can claim their happily-ever-after.

Look, there’s nothing really that new here, but Shiver is nicely written and the story is involving; Sam’s whole man-versus-beast-within struggle provides a nice diversion from the central love story that it serves. The writing mostly avoids cliche, Grace is a bit more likeable than the usual para-romance heroine, and there is some good stuff about family and pack relationships. I also liked the love story because the two characters serve a greater purpose for each other than just being attractive and predestined – in other words, you can see why they like each other, and they help each other with new ways of experiencing and observing the world. This helps them to be better people as a whole – something important that I feel is missing from paranormal romance, as the whole experience usually seems to bring out only the worst and most annoying habits of the so-called ‘soul-mates’.

Something I really enjoyed was how the character of Isabel was done. It is a good example of not only making the ‘bitchy’ or ‘enemy’ character two-dimensional, but also giving her character space to become genuinely funny and endearing and making her one of the more enjoyable parts of the book. The scene where she is searching for Sam in all the sheds on her property is quite hilarious. It is these kind of touches that lifted the book above the norm for me.

This one is a worthwhile read. It is also perhaps the only trilogy/series type of paranormal romance that makes me actually want to read the next books. So well done Stiefvater.

Wolfborn, by Sue Bursztynski

Published by Woolshed Press, 2010

Etienne is the son of a lord in the kingdom of Armorique. He goes to train with Geraint of Lucanne, as his page, in the hope of becoming a knight. But Geraint has a secret - he is bisclavret, a born werewolf. Etienne - experiencing certain supernatural tendencies and visions of his own - must deal with both his Lord’s and his own secrets. What follows is a romp through medieval landscapes, encounters with ancient Celtic mythology, a touch of romance, and just a good old-fashioned story of betrayal and discovery.

 

Werewolves are all the rave now in YA literature - those fangs and clipped wings have fallen to the power of the claw (thanks, Jacob Black). I love werewolves, and the mythology that surrounds them - all full moons and animal instincts and the man giving way to the beast (on a side note, one of the movies I can watch over and over again and love it just a little more every time is Dog Soldiers - check it out, it's a great werewolf movie and great human characters). So it's great to see an Australian author having a decent go at the genre and even shaking it up - drawing on her own myths and folktales to create a werewolf lore that isn't just a rehash of what we've read and seen before.

When I first started reading I thought the writing was perhaps a tiny bit clumsy - I can't help analysing everything from my own perspective on writing (for eg: that isn't how I'd write that etc). I also got a bit lost over who was who and what they did. But I quickly got sucked into the intrigue and the mystery and just the great sense of discovery and adventure Wolfborn has. There is some great scene-setting of the forest and castle life, and Etienne's encounters with all the fay beasts have a good sense of awe and otherworldliness. The myth and the reality (Etienne's quest to help Lord Geraint) blend well, and the pacing is good. Bursztynski has created a likeable and charismatic character in Geraint, and so it is easy to invest in the race to save him.

There is some nice romance with the secondary characters - Geraint, Eglantine, Sylvie etc. These romantic elements feel essential to the story and move it along. I was not such a fan of Etienne's romantic plot with Jeanne - I just didn't feel it was necessary. It felt to me just a little surplus to the main plot - like something that might be tacked on to keep Wolfborn relevant to the usual paranormal romance fans. It takes focus away from the excitement of the main plot involving Geraint, and when that is resolved the book then has to trundle along just to make sure everyone gets a happy ending. I also felt Jeanne was one of the weaker characters, so I didn't care for her much.

That is my main (and perhaps only) gripe with Wolfborn. Otherwise I found it quite an exciting little world to spend a few days in. Rich detail and a creative interpretation of well-known lore. Good effort.