Review: Chase Tinker and the House of Mist

Chase Tinker and the House of Mist (Chase Tinker #4)
By Malia Ann Haberman
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Format: eBook
Source: Author

To Sum It Up: The evil Marlowes have taken almost everything from the Tinkers—including the magical Tinker house—and Chase is determined to get it back. With the help of his family and friends, Chase follows every possible lead on the house’s whereabouts, a search that takes him around the world and even back in time. Locating the house is only half the battle, however, as a final showdown between the Tinkers and the Marlowes awaits Chase and his allies once they do find the Tinker home.

Review: The Chase Tinker books have all been very enjoyable reads, and Chase Tinker and the House of Mist sees the series close with a strong finish. Our young hero faces his biggest challenges yet, including the theft of his family’s beloved home by the dastardly Marlowes. The Tinkers and the Marlowes have clashed before in the series, but this one, the battle for the house, promises to be the most explosive of all—and it doesn’t disappoint.

While the series has maintained a charming sense of whimsy through, it also hasn’t shied away from going a bit more serious in tone with each successive book. Chase Tinker and the House of Mist starts off on a very somber note, another reflection of the series’ maturity. What’s impressed me the most about these books is how they’ve moved forward in a way that respects Chase and his readers growing up, but not too fast.

Most of the novel focuses on the search for the house, with the majority of the action saved for the finale. Not to worry, though: there’s plenty to engage your interest until the house—and the Marlowes—is found. We learn about Persephone’s backstory, and Chase and Nori take a heart-pounding trip back to 18th century Scotland where Chase hopes to gain some insight from Augusta, one of his ancestors (this Outlander fan fully appreciated this bit of time travel to Scotland). There’s also a return of some magical acquaintances Chase and company have made during the course of their adventures. Although it’s the Marlowes’ insatiable greed for power that has brought faeries, vampires, warlocks, and leprechauns together with the Tinkers, the reunion is still nice to see.

The all-out confrontation between the two magical families is as intense as can be expected from these mortal enemies, and then some. Here again I commend the series for not walking away from a centuries-old feud with a light step. The conclusion to both the book and the series is well-balanced; there are some serious consequences of the Tinker/Marlowe hostilities, but in the end, readers who’ve watched Chase fulfill his destiny should be quite satisfied with this last chapter of his story.

All in All: This has been a little gem of a series, especially because of how awesome the house is. Standing out among books on magic can pose quite the challenge, particularly when geared toward younger readers, but this series is definitely worth checking out.

Review: Chase Tinker and the House of Destiny

* This review may contain spoilers for the previous book, Chase Tinker and the House of Secrets.

Chase Tinker and the House of Destiny (Chase Tinker #3)
By Malia Ann Haberman
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Format: eBook
Source: Author

To Sum It Up: Chase can’t stop thinking about the Tinkers’ latest clash with their hated enemy, the Marlowes, and he especially can’t forget the drastic action he had to take in order to protect his little brother, Andy. Chase can’t afford to continue allowing these memories to haunt him, though, because he needs to focus on the Marlowes’ next strike. Adding to Chase’s troubles are the surprise arrival of a possible Marlowe spy, and the disturbing news that the Marlowes are ruthlessly stealing magic anywhere they can.

Review: It’s been a long while since I read any middle grade fiction, so long in fact that I believe the last one was about a year ago. So I was totally ready for a change to my usual YA reading diet, and Chase Tinker and the House of Destiny, book #3 in the series, turned out to be the perfect read for jumping back into MG.

House of Destiny finds Chase’s mindset in a fairly dark place. He believes he killed his cousin, Janie, after she first attacked his younger brother, Andy. Even though Chase acted to defend his brother, the guilt over what happened with Janie torments him. That’s quite a weight for someone his age to handle, but it’s also spot-on character development for a protagonist who’s going to inherit the duties as Keeper of his family’s magical house one day. We also see the lighter side of Chase’s growing pains, as he struggles to hide his feelings for his friend, Persephone. Our young hero’s list of woes just seems to keep getting longer, with one of his chief worries being the increasing threat the Marlowes pose.

The Tinkers’ foes have now taken to robbing magic from any being who possesses it. To assess the severity of the situation, Chase and company do some traveling in order to observe the damage firsthand. In a nice expansion outside of the Tinker house, the group journeys into the domains of fairies, vampires, witches/wizards/warlocks, and . . . leprechauns! Although the Tinkers’ attempts to rally some allies aren’t all successful, it’s still a cool addition to the series to see them interact with other magical communities.

With the Marlowes at their most diabolical yet, the appearance of one of them, Alexander Marlowe, sends the Tinker house into an uproar. Alex claims he wants nothing to do with all of the evil and is seeking refuge with the Tinkers. This causes no small amount of dissension in the house, with Chase highly suspicious of Alex and vehemently opposed to his presence on Tinker turf. Chase’s cousin Nori, however, takes a liking to Alex and thinks everyone else should cut him a break. I admit to finding Alex quite charming, but that may just be the English accent working its charm (I have such a weakness for those!). Alex was tough to get a read on; I could understand Chase’s point, but Alex also seemed convincingly sincere. The Alex puzzle kept my brain busy throughout the book, and I’m still not certain what to make of him. I will be disappointed if he turns out to be a baddie, though, because I really want to believe he’s on Team Tinker.

I was bummed to reach the end of the book because—cliffhanger! I’m really anxious to know what happens next (like if Alex is evil or not) and can’t wait for the fourth installment. Here’s hoping that Chase and his family end the Marlowes’ campaign to steal every drop of magic in the world, and that the magical newcomers to the series make return appearances in the next book (oh, and let’s not forget to hope that Alex isn’t evil).

All in All: Books like the ones in this series remind me of why middle grade is awesome, no matter your age.

Review & Giveaway: Chase Tinker and the House of Secrets

Chase Tinker and the House of Secrets (Chase Tinker #2)
By Malia Ann Haberman
Publisher: Crossroad Press

* A copy was provided by the author for review.

To Sum It Up:

The evil Marlowes are more determined than ever to steal the source of the Tinker family’s magic, and now they’ve been joined by some unlikely allies. In addition to worrying about protecting his family, Chase Tinker is learning that his relatives can be quite secretive. There isn’t much time for him to be angry about being kept in the dark, though, because the Tinkers need to stick together if they’re to stand against their enemy and rescue one of their own.

Review:

Chase Tinker and the House of Secrets is a strong follow-up that certainly lives up to its name. We find out several surprising things about the Tinker family—and even a few about their old foes, the Marlowes—in this action-packed sequel that maintains the charm of the first book, Chase Tinker and the House of Magic, while also reflecting in tone the increasing maturity of its characters.

Continuing character development is something that I look for in any sequel regardless of a book’s target age group, but I’m especially keen to see it in middle grade titles. The ones that tend to click with me as an adult reader feature characters who make me feel as though I’m watching them make a progressive journey into young adulthood. Chase Tinker and the House of Secrets does not disappoint in this area. Chase still acts impulsively at times, but he’s also more aware of the responsibilities he’ll shoulder one day as the Keeper of the Tinker’s magical house. He grows up quite a bit over the course of the novel, and by the end of it, he’s been thoroughly tested. Extreme circumstances force Chase to take some drastic action that leaves him shaken and guilt-ridden. It’ll be interesting to see how he copes with what happened as the series continues.

Although this book delves into a little more serious territory than the last one, there’s still plenty of lighthearted stuff going on. Chase is more preoccupied than ever with not looking like a dork in front of Persephone, the housekeeper’s daughter. After very briefly becoming Keeper, Chase is able to use powers that once belonged to other Tinkers . . . every time he sneezes. This causes some distress for our young hero, of course, like being attacked by a garbage can in the school bathroom. There’s also an incident involving Nori, a newcomer to the series with a special connection to the Tinkers, and everyone in the room turning into goats. Moments like these made me laugh and reminded me why I still enjoy reading middle grade books.

The titular house figures prominently in the story once again, but its amazing magic never eclipses the characters, which I really appreciated. You always know that the characters are the heart of the story; it just so happens that they live in this fantastic house where probably anything is possible. Returning to the Tinker house was a total thrill, and I loved the direction in which the series turned.

All in All:

This was another awesome adventure for Mr. Tinker and his family and friends. The intensity went up by just the perfect amount, and the magic was irresistibly enchanting once more.

The Kindle edition of Chase Tinker and the House of Magic, the first book in the Chase Tinker series, is currently available from Amazon for only $0.99! Click here to buy a copy!

** Giveaway **

One (1) winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card and a bookmark signed by author Malia Ann Haberman!

• This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
• You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
• Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond or else another winner will be chosen.
• Giveaway ends at 11:59 P.M. EDT on July 22, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview with Malia Ann Haberman

Today I'm excited to welcome to the blog Malia Ann Haberman, author of the middle grade fantasy novel Chase Tinker and the House of Magic. This was such a fun read, and you can check out my review of the book here.

Welcome to Rally the Readers, Malia! Thank you for answering a few questions today.

What made you want to write a book about magic?

I love fantasy and magic because so many fun and incredible things can be done with the worlds that are created. You can let your imagination go pretty darn crazy. After all, where in real life can you conjure a pepperoni pizza from your nose? Or really become invisible? Or shoot lightning bolts from your eyes? I have such a good time coming up with all the different ideas.

Are there any particular challenges you face writing for younger readers?

There are so many distractions for kids these days; I would say one challenge is writing a book that's fun, exciting and interesting enough to hold the reader's complete attention. You don't want them tossing aside your book just because they became bored or discontented with it.

Growing up, what were some of your favorite books/who were some of your favorite authors?

I really can't remember any particular favorites. I just read tons of books. I always had a book in my hands. (I'm proud to say that I mastered the art of reading and watching TV at the same time.) Oh yeah, I was also a huge Nancy Drew fan.

I absolutely loved the whole concept of every room in the Tinker house having its own magical power. How did the idea come about?

Almost 7 years ago, I was working as a Real Estate Agent. After a day of showing homes to my clients, that night I dreamed I was living in a huge house where every room had magic in it. I don't usually remember my dreams, but this one stuck with me. And it's a good thing, or Chase Tinker would be in the same dark place as all those other forgotten dreams. :)

What can we look forward to in Book 2, Chase Tinker and the House of Secrets?

Well, I can't give too much away, but I can share that an awesome and unexpected character joins the cast, and a stunning revelation knocks the pants off everyone. Lots of exciting stuff.

And now for a few random questions:

If you could have any magical power, what would it be?

I'd want the ability to teleport. I'm kind of afraid of flying so with that awesome power, I could go anyplace in the world in the blink of an eye. I'd also use it to constantly drop in on my family members who live in other states. Ha! I'm sure they would love that.

Favorite room in the Tinker house?

The Library. Besides having tons of books, you can conjure up almost anything you want in that room. Plus, it has a pirate ship, a hot air balloon, a tree house and other fantastic things to have fun with.

Period in history you'd most like to travel back in time to?

As long as I didn't have to live there, because I happen to love indoor plumbing, electricity and my computer, I wouldn't mind visiting the wild, wild west with lots of, hopefully, sexy cowboys. :)

Favorite color?

I like all different shades of blue and purple. And green. And red. And gray. Oh, and pink.

Thanks again for your time, Malia! I really appreciate it!

You're welcome, Lee! Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. :)

About Malia Ann Haberman

Author of "The Chase Tinker Series" Malia loves dancing, reading, writing, sunsets, ladybugs, playing video games on her iPod, watching TV, and chocolate. She also has terrible motion sickness and hates onions. She's always wanted to have the ability to teleport and the power to move things with her mind. She lives in the Seattle area with her four wild and crazy ferrets.

You can find Malia on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Review: Chase Tinker and the House of Magic by Malia Ann Haberman

Chase Tinker and the House of Magic (Chase Tinker #1)
By Malia Ann Haberman
Publisher: Crossroad Press

* A copy was provided by the author for review.

To Sum It Up:

Since his father’s mysterious disappearance, Chase Tinker has been getting into a lot of trouble. Chase is also dealing with the fact that he can manipulate objects with his mind, and now his younger brother, Andy, is able to freeze time. The boys are in for the surprise of their lives when the grandfather they didn’t know they had appears on their doorstep and announces that they are part of a magical family. The Tinkers also have an old foe that has been trying to steal the source of their magic and is very likely responsible for whatever happened to Chase and Andy’s dad. Together with their newfound family members, the brothers are ready to face their enemy and find their father.

Review:

When it comes to reading, I think a part of me will always be a kid at heart. That’s why I still enjoy reading middle grade books from time to time; they take me back to some of my happiest childhood memories. Chase Tinker and the House of Magic contains all of the elements that made me fall in love with reading all those years ago: a relatable hero, a thrilling story, and lots of magic!

The standout aspect of this novel is the writing. The characters, the setting, and the pacing are all very well done. I especially loved the descriptions of the Tinker family’s magical house; they burst with such vibrant imagination. What I wouldn’t give to explore a place like this and try out the different magical powers that each room holds! Want to time travel? Not a problem—there’s a room for that. Need to teleport? There’s a room for that, too. If the book had only been about exploring every nook and cranny of the house room by room, that would have been enough to keep me reading.

I thought Chase made a great main character—brave and daring, yet sometimes too rash with his decisions. I loved how he and Andy looked out for each other, and their good-natured sibling squabbling lent a sense of realism to their relationship. I also liked how they formed a tight-knit quartet with their cousin, Janie, and Persephone, the housekeeper’s daughter. Chase’s crush on Persephone and how embarrassed he became around her were just too cute.

The twist toward the end of the novel quite surprised me and should lead to some intriguing plot developments in the next book. It’s been a while since I’ve read a magic-themed book for younger readers, and they, too, should find this both engaging and enchanting. There’s plenty of action and mystery, and let’s not forget the magical house that is just built out of plain awesomeness.

All in All:

This is a fun read for younger readers and not-quite-so-young readers alike, and it’s yet another middle grade novel that I wish had been around when I was growing up.