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Jasmyn Gollancz Alex Bell 9780575080294 Books

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Jasmyn Gollancz Alex Bell 9780575080294 Books

I loved this book. Definitely a new twist on an old tale, Rich and meaty and very, very satisfying. Please write more Alex Bell!


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Jasmyn Gollancz Alex Bell 9780575080294 Books Reviews

I've always had an interest in FSF novels (more on the magic, witches bit rather than the alien/UFO part of the genre with "K-Pax" by Gene Brewer being an exception).

Growing up, I read Christopher Pike, Jostein Gaarder ("Sophie's World"), Diane Wayne Jones ("Fire and Hemlock" being a particular favourite), Tolkien ("Lord of the Rings" cannot be beaten), Juliet Marillier ("Daughter of the Forest" is the best from her collection), Terry Pratchett, almost the entire collection of Point Horror, and so on...

However, most recent FSF (which steer clear of the wannabe Tolkien or King Author style books) appear to be dominated by American authors who focus on hunky werewolves, immortal dashing vampires etc seeking the love of an ordinary human being as their eternal love blah blah (the Twilight series doesn't cover how awful these books are). Hence, I gave up on the genre as I grew older.

Until I read "Jasmyn" which is the type of book that will leave you pondering long after you've read the book. I feel it incumbent upon me to warn you that I (and my friends) all felt it necessary to go through the pages of the book a few times to review the details. It rendered me in a semi state of awe. Bell's manifestation of magic into a modern world is brilliant.

Jasmyn, the principal protagonist isn't a remarkable character (apart from being an Albino) her language and behaviour is far too formal, prissy and irritating at times. However, the remaining characters were brilliantly depicted and vastly redeem the book. The plot was superb.

There were times when I tread through the book and thought "duuuh the clues are so obvious" e.g. the petals with P.A.R.I.S, and when did men start wearing engagement rings? And why would he wear a wedding band as an engagement ring? And many other incidents.

But overall, this book is worth reading and I highly enjoyed it. It left me with a hunger to delve into the fantastic world of Magic once again (and visit Germany).

Review from the Guardian (newspaper)
First-person narrator Jasmyn Gracey loses her husband Liam, a writer on occult subjects, to an aneurysm shortly before the novel opens. At his funeral dead swans fall from the air, harbingers of much strangeness to come. Bell skilfully depicts Jasmyn's grief, isolation and growing bewilderment as she learns that nothing in the past year has been as it appeared. Liam, a charming, daredevil thrill-seeker, stole the enchanted voice of the swan and concealed it before his death. Now other-worldly powers seek its return and Jasmyn, accompanied by Liam's brother Ben, travels through England, the US, Germany and France in search of the "swansong". Bell's strength lies in fusing fairytale and psychological suspense in a compelling modern narrative, combined with effective characterisation - Jasmyn's loneliness and vulnerability are well-handled. Her weakness is occasional wooden dialogue and a lack of focus in action scenes. That said, Bell charts original territory with considerable charm.
4.5 stars.

One sentence sum-up a magical mystery that will have you riveted.

My reaction There's no question about it - I found this book to be surprisingly addictive. Once I got a few chapters in, I just had to keep flipping the pages to figure out what was going on. It's bizarre and mysterious and very different from my usual type of book, and yet at the same time I had this odd feeling of deja vu as I read it. The imagery was vivid, and this coupled with the setting and plot makes me think it would work quite well as a movie. Interestingly, usually the characters are an essential ingredient in a book for me, but this one was really carried more by the plot (I discuss some issues I had with the protagonist below).

Best aspect The build-up of strange events that kept me going, "What? What is happening *now*?" and flipping pages. I also liked the very gradual changes in the relationship between Ben and Jasmyn (and the revelation, but that would be a major, major spoiler).

And also, the Neuschwanstein part of it? That was awesome. Seriously, I loved how Jasmyn travels to Germany (she also spends some time in England, Paris, and Sweden), and tying in the story of mad King Ludwig was fabulous. I've been to Neuschwanstein, so I could picture some of it, which made it all the more interesting for me. Just generally, I think the settings were well chosen for creating the right atmosphere and backdrop for this fantastical story.

If I could change something... Well, I would make Jasmyn a little more insightful - both in terms of self-awareness and in terms of what's going on around her (although she believes the whole 'magic' side of things a little too easily, I thought). She was so stubbornly determined to stick to certain beliefs that it got very frustrating and I wanted to shake some sense into her! But then again, if she hadn't been so willfully blind she might have figured things out sooner, in which case there would be less mystery...

Also, the end scenes were a little rushed, and I was left confused about exactly what had happened and what everyone's motives were. I would have liked some more explanation here — everything happens so quickly and then it's over. I'm also not so sure about how some of the odd events that occur earlier in the story tie in, although I suspect if I were to re-read it these might make more sense the second time round, now that I know what a good chunk of the mystery is.

Recommend for anyone who wants to read a wild ride of a fairytale-like story set in the present day.

Final verdict 4.5 shooting stars.
I loved this book. Definitely a new twist on an old tale, Rich and meaty and very, very satisfying. Please write more Alex Bell!