NEWS!! Also, February round up. Also, stuff.

I broke my book obtaining ban. I'm sorry, shelves. I got Undone by Cat Clarke. But it's ok if I read it in one day, and it's going back to the library tomorrow...right?

What happened in February...Well, I went to the Hot Key Books/Templar thing (see here). I put up a lot of giveaways. some of which are ending soon, so you should go and enter! You should also enter the ones that end later in the month. Lots of awesome prizes to be won!

Innovera Yakov-The Journey of a Thousand Eyes by Kia Garriques International-ends 5 March
£5 Amazon/Book Depository voucher in exchange for tagline-ends 30 March
Witchlove by Emma Mills -International-ends 8 March
£11 worth books from TheBookDepository International blogoversary thing- Ends 30 March
2x book packs from my shelf UK only blogoversary giveaway-ends 30 March

Death Books and Tea turned TWO!!  (hence why we have some of these giveaways)
I changed my design.
I read quite a bit.
I got into Supernatural. It is now on my long obsession list. You may have noticed the sanity level of this book slowly slipping since the start of the year. Supernatural, and all the SuperWhoLock things that can also come from it, is a push down the hill.  I'm sorry.
I have some taglines to consider! Please carry on thinking of them, and I'll settle on one at the end of the month.

 News! We have a cover for book two in the Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo! I quite enjoyed The Gathering Dark (review here) and  I like the similarities between the cover for Siege and Storm a nd Shadow and Bone (the US title for The Gathering Dark).

We just got 500 followers!

There's going to be more Neil Gaiman in our lives!! He is a generally awesome man, even if some of his writing for little people is a bit... er.... no (my first encounter with him was Crazy Hair and that was just wrong wrong wrong). Anyway, Neil has a book coming called Fortunately, the Milk and it sounds really really cool. Oh, and Chris Riddell is a great illustrator.

There's going to be more Neil Gaiman in our lives! At some point. And more time travel. And more awesomeness. FOUR WEEKS TILL DOCTOR WHO SERIES 7 PART 2!!!!!

Book Review- Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

IN HONOUR OF TOMORROW'S APOCALPYSE. IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THE WORLD ACTUALLY ENDS WITHIN A CLOSE TIME PERIOD, IT WAS NICE KNOWING YOU. 

IN THE MEANTIME, ENJOY THIS REVIEW.

Title: Good Omens

 Authors: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Published:  First published 1990.

Length:  398 pages

Source: bought

Summary : According to "The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter," "Witch" (the world's only "completely" accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon--both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle--are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.

Review:  The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter tells us that the world will end. Next Saturday. As foretold in Revelation, the Four Horsemen (or now, Bikers) will ride, Heaven and Hell will fight and the world will end. Crowley and Aziraphale are the only demon and angel that don’t want this to happen. And to make sure that it doesn’t, they have a lot to do. For example, deal with the Antichrist-an 11 year old named Adam who is a generally nice boy. Other things happen too. Lots of other things.

I’ve not read much of Pratchett’s work (I think Nation and Maurice and that’s it) and only a little bit of Gaiman’s. But what I have read of both was generally awesome, and Good Omens is no exception!

The dramatis personae really sets the scene for this. Quote:

Satan (a Fallen Angel, the Adversary). Beelezebub (a Likewise Fallen Angel, and A Prince of Hell), *other Fallen Angels* Crowley (an Angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards).

 Also generally descriptive of this book are the explanation for the M25 being such a hellhole, the Angel’s conversation with the Snake, and the Satanic nunnery in which the nuns are meant to keep talking. If you  laughed, liked, or weren’t morally offended by these things, then you’ll enjoy the rest of this.

There’s a lot of plots that intertwine with each other eventually. Crowley and Azireaphale running around, Anathema dechipering Agnes’ prophecies, the Four Horsepersons getting together, the witchfinders running  around, and Adam and his friendship group. There’s also a lot of shorter plots featuring characters for one block of text and then moving on. For some reason, this works in Good Omens (cameo characters in this volume don’t work in other books).

The main characters are all one of a kind. Crowley and Aziraphale aren’t your typical angels/demons, and most of this defys your stereotypical views of heaven and hell. I loved the Four and the way they’re presented-both darkly funny and a little creepy (especially when their disguises drop) at the same time.

The thing that really makes Good Omens is the writing. The “Who wrote what bit”  of the Q&A proves you can’t say exactly which is Neil’s and which is Terry’s, but I’d say they’re both equally good. The footnotes! There’s more of them at the start, but they crop up throughout in amusing and appropriate places. The writing style of the whole thing contains many pus and is full of sarcasm and dry wit.

Overall:  Strength 5 tea to a comedy of apocalyptic proportions you just have to read again and again.

Links: | Goodreads | Neil’s website | Terry’s Website

Book Review-Death, At Death's Door by Jill Thomspon

Title: Death-At Death’s Door

 Author: Jill Thompson. Characters created by Neil Gaiman

Series:  Sandman-Death

Published:   July 1st 2003 by Vertigo

Length: 192 pages

Warnings: Fantasy violence, nudity,

Source: Bought second hand

Summary : A member of the Endless, a family of beings who have existed longer than the gods, Death enjoys manifesting herself in the persona of a young Gothic girl. Along with her siblings, she interacts and influences the lives of humans on a daily basis. In this manga-style adventure, Death's little sisters, Delirium and Despair, have thrown a party at her apartment for hell's escapees. But as the festivities get out of control, it falls on Death's black-clad shoulders to regain order and save the afterlife. Printed in black, white, and gray tones, this trade paperback weaves an eccentric tale of danger, romance, humor, and fun

Review:  This is a book vaguely tied into Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, with a different spin on it. It focuses on Death rather than Dream, and has a completely separate storyline. Lucifer abdicates and gives the key to Hell to Dream who doesn't particularly want it. And while Dream hears from rulers of other Underworlds as to why they should claim Hell and its inhabitants, said inhabitants leave. And end up in Death's apartment and at some point start having a party. The story is generally Death, with sisters Despair and Delirium, trying to work out how to send the  partyers back to Hell where they should be, and how she can save her carpet.

I read the Sandman series some time ago and didn't really get what the plot was(don't shoot me. I only read Preludes and Nocturnes and I don't get what happened. I'll review it another day...). However I read this and really enjoyed it.

It's a much lighter and easier to read take on the Endless. As well as Death, we also see a lot of Despair, Delirium and a bit of Desire(who looks too much like a feminine Elvis for me). It's a nice way of getting to know them.

The concept and plot was good. Any party that is literally from Hell is, by me, worth checking out. And it was done very well.

The sub plot of Dream and his old lover was interesting, another facet to the Sandman we didn't see in the first book. 

I like the way the mythologies were woven together-Lucifer having his domain, and then rulers of other underworlds having theirs, and when Lucifer leaves said other rulers can come and ask for the key. Sorry if this is hard to understand, but it was hard to explain. You'll have to read the book to understand what I mean.

The art was good. As I said, Desire looks too much like a feminine Elvis for me to like him, but the other character designs were good. I like the way Thompson put her own spin on the appearances of the characters while still keeping their distinguishing features, such as Death's ankh and eyeliner.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to something for fans of the Sandman comics and  anyone looking for a quick fun read.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Jill Thompson website | Neil Gaiman website