Just a quick update...

Please excuse this interruption for an unscheduled CRAZED FAN GIRL moment:

I can't wait until I've posted my review to let you all know, but FIRE (you know, that little book that Kristin Cashore wrote as a prequel to Graceling that some people kinda liked?) totally, completely, and absolutely ROCKS HARDER THAN Graceling!

I'm serious. I haven't read such a magnificent fantasy novel since I first discovered Tamora Pierce's work (who is, in my opinion, the best YA fantasy author to grace shelves), and I am not lying. I thought real hard about all the fantasy novels I've read, not wanting to go off making some random claims...but it's totally magnificent. I was capable of doing absolutely nada yesterday, except read Fire.

I know I was slow to jump on the Kristin Cashore/Graceling bandwagon movement, and when I did, I wasn't that mightily impressed with Graceling...anyhoo, the deets are here, and although I maintain that Fire has a similar slow beginning that Graceling possesses....wow. It's still one knock-out of a book. It's own strange creatures, magic of a sort, political (and romantic!) tension, and then of course secrets galore...KC was channeling some serious Tamora Pierce awesomeness! I love it, love it, love it, and I will be back later with an official review....