Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Title: Uncommon Criminals	Loved it	Graded
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Elements: Cons, Mystery, Espionage
Series: Book 2 in the Heist Society series

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief.

But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is... the emerald is cursed. Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight.

After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time. Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

If Heist Society was Kat's book, then Uncommon Criminals is Hale's book.

It starts off with Kat running away again, this time from a job. Things seems hunky dory at first, with readers supposing that Kat might have embraced her talent and family business, but that's not the case. She's not only physically running away, but also emotionally shying from the people in her past, especially Hale.

Kat has busied herself with doing solo, increasingly riskier jobs all over the world since the heist at the Henley a few months ago. The first few chapters were just amazing to read. While the jobs were technically amazing, with the details covered and stunts Kat pulled, something just felt missing in the sense that the jobs are just jobs to Kat. The passion, the talent are obviously still there, but the heart was just not there. In its place was a cockiness that she completed the jobs by herself, a pressure that Kat put on herself as if to prove to herself and to everyone else (especially Uncle Eddie) that she's still part of the family despite having left to find her own identity at Colgan. And since she couldn't do that, she's trying to do that by besting her Henley heist.

Therein lies the the draw of Uncommon Criminals. The major con was beautifully executed, but it paled when compared to the excitement of robbing retrieving art that didn't belong to the Henley. The character development is where it's at, and it's so nuanced and has so many different layers; there are so many relationships I could write about, all as important as Kat's with Hale.

We navigate Kat and Hale's relationship, and in the process learn more about Hale. We still don't know more about how Kat and Hale met. As a reader, I would love to know the play-by-play highlights of that first meeting. I'm also content with not knowing, because that memory is thoroughly cherished by both of them, and it feels a bit like intruding.

Hale's motivations are explored, and I respected them. Carter did a great job in showing him to be more than just billionaire looking for thrills. He not only loves Kat, but he genuinely wants to be part of the family. And here, it's shown that he is part of the family. Not because of Kat, but because of his own contributions. Gotta admit, my respect of them went up a few notches.

The other supporting characters are also well developed, and I loved knowing more about their history, even if some of them, like the Bagshaw twins, still seemed one dimensional.

Some other points to mention: Nicholas is back, and with him comes a whole slew of question, the first of which is "Does he not have school?"

I love Hale and Kat's relationship. They're so together, and yet not. There's a romance suspense (not YA) series, also about a thief and a billionaire by Suzanne Enoch. The heroine gets progressively more obnoxious, and the hero more pliant as the series goes.

I can't help but to compare the two series, and thank Carter for making Kat as she is. Thank you for having a level headed heroine, not irritating me and not pulling ridiculous emotional stunts. Thank you for making Hale not just a money-and-angst source for Kat, but a full-fledged character in his own right.

This series is a definite must-read, with its intricately-planned plots and varied cast of characters. Heist Society was an exemplary introduction, and while Uncommon Criminals didn't live up to that (you know what they say, you never forget your first) I didn't expect it to. It focused more on character development, and I loved that about it. Major points to Carter for not just focusing on that, but also for not lapsing in the details of the cons.

A more than satisfying sequel, I'll be looking forward to the next book.

The Candidates by Inara Scott

Title: The Candidates	Loved it	Graded
Author: Inara Scott
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; 2011
Elements: Boarding school
Series: Book 1 of the Delcroix Academy series

Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that's not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia's mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, belieiving this way she can supress her powers and keep them hidden. But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia's days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats' kids and child geniuses--not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies.

So why are they treating Dancia like she's special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome. And then there's her mysterious new friend Jack, who can't stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the Academy and wants Dancia to help him figure out what. But Dancia isn't convinced. She hopes that maybe the recruiters know more about her "gift" than they're letting on. Maybe they can help her understand how to use it...But not even Dancia could have imagined what awaits her behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.

I have a thing for books set in boarding schools. The freedom, the strict school rules and the uniforms hit right where my British wannabe heart lives. I have an extra thing for books about people learning more about their potential and not so hidden powers (that got them sent there in the first place), how there are others just like them and how to utilise the powers for the good of mankind. Thing is, with all of these elements in place, I thought I'd love the story.

It was executed well enough. The story was well paced for the most part, except for the ending feeling all too rushed. The mystery of Delcroix unfolded in little bites, alternating nicely with Dancia getting used to school and learning how to make friends. Those were easily some of my favourite parts of the book, with Dancia learning to trust and rely on others. Dancia herself was a good narrator, but at times the dialogue and her inner thoughts seem to reflect that of an older teenager, rather than someone who was fourteen.

It's not the maturity that was the issue. I have no problems with that, and thought it was lovely and understandable, seeing how Dancia took care of her frail grandmother, and thought it wasn't explicitly stated, taking on the role of the sole breadwinner of the family, if they weren't living on social support. Instead, it was the uneven tone of the dialogue. The maturity just seemed false when you take into account how naive she was about... well, everything.

The supporting characters varied from stereotypical (the recruiter and one of the love interests, Cam) to some of the best parts of the book (Hennie, Esther and Jack). Even those I enjoyed. My problem lies with the ending of the book.

It started with this bit of excerpt:

“You may have hidden your gift,” he said, “and you had every reason to do that. But you’ve never hidden yourself. You’ve always been Dancia—tough and funny, absolutely determined, and a fierce protector for those who need you. I admire that a lot. I admire you. You’ve got to believe me.”

and ended with the downturn of the climax of the story.

Nothing in the book so far had shown me that she was funny, tough, determined or a fierce protector for anyone, not even herself. Before the moment of the dialogue, there were two events that showed her fighting for others. They were two important events that really pushed off the story, but they were just two events. In the light of everything that had happened before that, there was nothing to show me otherwise. And telling me so is not going to change my mind.

The 'funny' part did, however, cause me to notice when she cracked a joke later on, which was the first joke I ever noticed her making. So unfortunately, instead of being all sweet, the moment fell into 'things Cam would say to persude Dancia to his way.' Which, all things considering, would make a lot of sense. And this paragraph from chapters before really doesn't help Cam's (or the author's, or Dancia's) case.

She pinned me with her gaze. “Now, Dancia, let’s get real. You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re tough, you don’t let anyone push you around—basically, you’re hot, regardless of whether you’re a freshman, and Cam knows it."

Mhmmm, Cam knows it all right. I, as the reader, totally did not.

Even then, I kept on reading, because I was so sure, so smug and so sure that I knew what was going to happen that when the ending came, I was appalled and a bit furious. It got an audible "What the-?!" Plot wise, it was good. I like that I didn't expect that to happen.

What I really didn't like was how out of character everyone was. Did the love interests change motivations and personalities right before the ending? While the event that happened right before was instrumental for the climax, there was no justification as to how Dancia jumped to some conclusions that propelled the story along. And as for what happened afterwards... ah, Dancia, you make it hard for me to believe that you're smart.

Underwhelming. I might still read the next book in the series, to see if things are going to turn around.

Series Support: Full

There are a few series that I will whole-heartedly support, no questions asked. Don't ask me to review them, because I personally can't. It'll all be filled with exclamations like "And then she did this! What was she thinking?", "Can you believe that?!" and "Oh my god, what the heck was that twist?!"

What all of them have in common are spell-binding stories that captured not only my imagination, but my heart, that flighty thing called love.

THE IRON FEY SERIES

Now, this has been an ingenious concept from the start. The phrase "Iron Fey" itself is an oxymoron, because fairies (faeries in this case, I suppose) in general have one and only one true weakness: iron. When I first came across the Iron King, I thought that the story would either work, or be a glorious mess. In the latter case, I would have been suitably disappointed because darn. There goes the idea. Even if the concept was repackaged and written into another book, I would have been reminded of my introduction to it.

Luckily, that's not what happened. It's not just the concept, but the execution as well. Julie Kagawa pulled this off wonderfully. Sure, there are a few tropes in there: 1) ordinary down on her luck girl finds out she's special, and gains special powers; 2) knight in shining armor (seriously, in book 4) comes to save her; 3) love triangle, two love interests fighting over her etc. I think what is the key here is that Julie respects the old myths. She doesn't disregard certain segments of the world to give a 'modern rewrite' of the fae. The Iron Fey series is like a tribute to the old, and at the same time, everything's given just enough of a twist to seem fresh. This, in my eyes is the perfect blend of stories.

The mythology and world-building is just thorough. Trods, anyone? Oberon and Titania squabbling, which results in chaos and death for everyone else. The family dynamics and relationships between the characters have great depth to them, layer upon layer of meaning. Meghan comes off as a wonderfully emphatic character, and Ash as the main love interest who's a little cold actually wins me over, and causes me to question my allegiance to Puck. This is a rarity, because I go for the friendly, approachable, charismatic guy, who usually suffers from Second Male Lead Syndrome.

THE DEMON'S LEXICON SERIES

Magic, mayhem, mystery. The three key words that sum this up. What pulled me to this series was again, the concept. It is dark in tone, light in conversation and just steeped in goodness all around. I don't know what to tell you, except that everytime I think of this series, I feel warm in my heart.

There's just an air of greatness surrounding it. I knew the first book was going to be great. Was it Nick, who is first introduced to us with his sword under the sink, a scene of such contrast between the normalcy of the act and the oddity of the placement? Perhaps the urban fantasy line, because I am an absolute fan of magic in plain normal everyday sight.

Sarah Rees Brennan wove a story that stood by itself, with its own mythology and history. I can imagine the universe outside of the books. The Goblin market around the corner, magicians across the street, demons in dances. The blend of light and dark is particularly compelling, whether it's humor in deathly situations, Nick with Alan, magical street fights. I can talk a lot about the characters, but the two that truly stand out are Alan and Nick, whose brotherly bond will never be broken, despite the perils that they enter. That bond was what kept me going from book to book to book, and that is what keeps me coming back.

THEATRE ILLUMINATA SERIES

Ah! I am so fond of this series. Nothing but good fuzzy feelings come when I think of it. It's of a class of it's own. Lisa Mantchev, oh what imagination she has! I am continuously blown away, page after page. This is a mishmash of the best Shakespearean tales. I am not only entertained by the end of the books, but I feel more knowledgeable in Shakespeare's plays, the behind the scenes of the theatres as well as getting to meet the cast and crew of the book. I feel extraordinarily lucky to have read this book.

The concept is of a theatre where the players come to life, the players being the characters of the plays which are performed on the stage. That is just the basic idea, but interwoven within that is the story of a girl who is lost, who has friends that she has made into family, but not any family that she has known yet. This is the journey of a girl who goes to find who and what she is outside of her life, outside of her work and the theatre, who goes to find herself. And I am here, feeling all breathless at the thought of her adventures, yet wanting to join them too. The audience is not really part of the books, but it's like I'm the audience, and part of the theatre itself. It's like watching your favourite drama and getting to know not just the characters and the stories, but meeting the actors, getting to know them inside and out and invited to their homes.

The magic! It is just amazing. It is a magic that I've never encountered before, a magic with its own history and rules, but magic that seems to exist only within the theatre and the pages of the series. Has this cultivated in me the desire to watch plays? Why yes, yes it has.

TRICKSTER SERIES

I have loved Tamora Pierce's books since I was ten, but it was more of a "I've known you my whole life. We like each other so let's get married" kind of relationship. The Trickster series, consisting of only two books (Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen) have brought my love to a whole new level, that of "I've never seen this side of you before. I LIKE. Let's get married. Now."

The books features Aliane, she of the cool name I want as my own, and daughter of the Lioness Alanna. They introduced to me the concept of political intrigue. Before, the only political intrigue I knew was from Sidney Sheldon books and some Hollywood movies. I did not imagine that it could be packaged in such a way that was not only exciting, but also innocent in nature. While it had its moments of dirty acts and horrible events, the emotions of the characters was not hidden. Their motives were clear, by which I mean that whether it was full of deceit meant to hurt someone, or just to go out to party, there was the sense that this was befitting the characters.

Another reason why I am particularly attached to this series is because it uses the language of my Mother Tongue, which is Malay. Time for a bit of history lesson. Here in Singapore, we have our first language English, followed by our Mother Tongue, primarily Malay, Mandarin Chinese or Tamil. We were effectively bilingual from the moment we knew how to process words. I could be wrong, but the snippets of language in the books could have been Bahasa Indonesia, the national language of Indonesia, which is extremely close to Bahasa Melayu (which is Malay for "Malay Language"). To our well trained ears and eyes, of course, there is a heckload of difference between the two, which I shall save into another post if you'd like. I'll have to do some Googling on that.

Furthermore, if I have to jump to conclusions, I can see certain parallels between the world in the Trickster series and here, where I live. Racism is dealt with practically in the books, and I felt like I recognised with the characters. I felt for them, and I felt that I knew of their issues and their motivations.

Also, the idea that perhaps Tamora Pierce conducted research on our region for the books just makes me go squeee.

Wonderful, wonderful books. I'll have to re-read again and see if I find any more hidden gems.


Special mention:

HARRY POTTER SERIES

No explanation needed, yes?

---

Next up in the Series Support lineup: Bad First Impressions