Amanda Hocking; "Switched", "Torn, "Ascend"

In these three little novels, trolls exist (and we’re not talking the kind of troll you find on the internet trawling for attention…), they can pass for human except for their unique powers, and they are still switching out their babies for human ones as changelings where they are raised by rich families. The trolls are using humanity to sustain themselves. The troll changelings come of age and return to the Troll communities to bring their hefty inheritances home to fund the Troll communities that await them.

Wendy is such a changeling. She was raised by a mother that actually tried to kill her because she knew Wendy wasn’t hers. Sometime after her mother is placed in a mental institution and she becomes her aunt’s ward along with her brother, Wendy is astonished to discover she has a real mother who also happens to be Queen of the Troll ‘Trylle’ enclave. She discovers in book 1, that she is a princess and she has her own Tracker (protectors and servants of sort) named Finn with whom she finds herself enamoured., She also meets a human boy who turns out to be the foster-family’s child with whom she was switched. She also discovers that her new community over which she may reign someday is practicing traditions she’s ashamed of—and that she’s being hunted by another group of trolls from a different enclave known as the Vittra.

Wendy walks out of a difficult childhood into a confusing life with a mother who is cold and demanding, a future that is daunting and fraught with danger, and a bleak prospect for romance considering that trackers are untouchables to the royalty class.

These books are fun. I devoured them. I bought them with little hope for them being anything decent, but I was surprised. There is the taste of youth in the books, but they are not hideously written, and the writer has acquired the skill of drawing her readers in and keeping their attention. She does repeat phrases again and again sometimes, but her manuscripts are very well edited and clean, which is always a relief whenever I pick up an indie book. Thank you, Miss Hocking for being thoughtful and considerate to your readers.

The covers are wonderful in their simplicity and artfulness. I think they’re beautiful, and they don’t scream self-published like many others do. After a little poking about, it looks like Miss Hocking has a really great tact for being a prolific writer, for producing professional books, and for marketing herself nicely. She is actively managing a blog and website. It’s quite impressive, and I think a lot of indie authors could learn from what this young woman is doing. I think this girl has a strong chance of attracting attention from a traditional publisher.

There are some things about the books that do bother me, but that's likely because I'm not fourteen. The author's skill for description needs work, but that will come with more experience. These books read as very simple... the writing is basic. The stories are really fun and original... but these are definitely books for tweens and teens.

I give these books all a good, solid 4 medallions each -- I feel inclined to give one of them less than that, but I am rating them as a package. So 4 it is.

David Talon; The Last Guardian of Mosh Chaltun

The Last Guardian of Mosh Chaltun is an interesting amalgam of mythology, mystery, action, and romance. The story is told from the point of view of Juan Guerro, a boy who is given the huge responsibility of guarding an ancient Mayan site in order to prevent the release of an unstoppable evil force. Juan has the potential to succeed, possessing the spirit of a Wolf that he can call up to lend him power in battle, but he lacks the knowledge required to control that power. Our anti-hero simply isn't sure what he's supposed to do, or why; his grandfather dies early in the story, before he can fully prepare Juan for what lies ahead. Juan is brave enough that he never falters from his duty, although as he grows into a young man he's more inclined take a detour from his destiny to flirt with the red-headed heroine, Kat. There is so much time spent on the sexual tension between the various characters, that Mosh Chaltun often reads like the halloween episode of a Spanish soap opera.

The book holds a complex maze (or is that maize?) of plots and subplots concerning who loves who, who is going to sleep with who, who is simply trying to advance their careers, and who is making a pact with the Lord of Death, Ah-Puch, to take over the world and destroy all that is good. Although on the whole the complexity of the characters adds welcome depth to the story, there are times in Mosh Chaltun where the soap-opera intrigue is at risk of overpowering the main plot, leaving the reader to wonder why everyone isn't more concerned about the impending onslaught of evil.

Author David Talon is obviously comfortable with archaeology, Mayan mythology, and both Mayan and Spanish culture, making Mosh Chaltun an interesting setting for the various dramas to unfold. You are immediately immersed in a broth of Mayan culture, floating about with the kind of richly detailed temples, mysterious artifacts, and ancient lore that would make Indiana Jones drool like pavlov's dog. To continue the soup metaphor, The Last Guardian of Mosh Chaltun is a stew that doesn't seem completely cooked: the writing is raw, with an abundance of grammatical, typographical and formatting errors that should have been caught in editing; the plot is involved, but not always believable; and some of the characters taste, well, flat. I can't help but draw a parallel between the main character, Juan, and the book itself: both are rough creations, uncertain of their potential. Left to simmer on the stove a bit longer, this could be a four-medallion book. As it stands, The Last Guardian of Mosh Chaltun earns 2.5 medallions for it's intriguing and detailed exploration of Mayan mythology.

The Last Guardian of Mosh Chaltun, by David Talon
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Cold Tree Press (November 5, 2007)
ISBN: 1583852212