Whatchamacallit Reviews

Shadow Ops: Control Point: By Myke Cole

2012-01-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

SHADOW OPS: CONTROL POINT

SUMMARY

Army Officer. Fugitive. Sorcerer.

Across the country and in every nation, people are waking up with magical talents. Untrained and panicked, they summon storms, raise the dead, and set everything they touch ablaze.
Army officer Oscar Britton sees the worst of it. A lieutenant attached to the military's Supernatural Operations Corps, his mission is to bring order to a world gone mad. Then he abruptly manifests a rare and prohibited magical power, transforming him overnight from government agent to public enemy number one.

The SOC knows how to handle this kind of situation: hunt him down--and take him out. Driven into an underground shadow world, Britton is about to learn that magic has changed all the rules he's ever known, and that his life isn't the only thing he's fighting for.

REVIEW

To be honest Peter V. Brett said it best when he said that this book is part Black Hawk Down part X-men.

I am not usually a fan of military style novels. Usually I find I’m inundated with terminology and acronyms that I’m unfamiliar with and by the time I’m comfortable with them enough to grasp the importance of each I’ve missed a good chunk of the entertaining aspect of the book.

That said, Shadow Ops is not the typical military fantasy/sci-fi. Yes, there were acronyms and new terminology for me, but Cole does such a fantastic job keeping the story moving while at the same time keeping the characters fresh and interesting that I never felt bogged down or impeded by the terminology.

Another impressive aspect of Shadow Ops were the powers and the way that Cole addressed them in the book. Unlike a number of other science fiction and fantasy books the talents of the powerful are not looked at with awe and respect, instead if you don’t turn yourself into the government for military service then you are deemed a selfer and paint a bulls eye on yourself. Cole does a great job integrating the different ideologies on this subject without sacrificing any excitement. Further, I was really very impressed with the depth of many of the characters such as Oscar, Marty, Theresa.

The only downside the book was that it was the first in a series so there a number of questions and issues that I would love to know more about. All in all, when the worst thing about a book is that you wanted to read more (and you understand why there’s not more on the subject), it seems pretty apparent that this a good book. Between the dynamic characters, the interesting plot, and the non-stop action this is a book that will suck readers in and keep them there until the book is done. Definitely a book I’d recommend and I personally can’t wait for the sequel.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Ace

Published: January 31, 2012

Price: $7.99

Graffiti Moon: By Cath Crowley

2012-01-23T16:43:00.000-08:00

GRAFFITI MOON

SUMMARY

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

REVIEW

Graffiti Moon is fantastic book.

After reading the first few pages I knew I’d enjoy the book as it’s clearly well written but what I didn’t count on was how strong and emotionally charged the descriptions of the art work were. It was like reading about the masterpieces of our times from the minds of the creators. I know that sounds like a stretch but the thought processes of the art and the descriptions really were superb.

Of course if you’re looking for something more than just fantastic descriptions of interesting and deep art and well written and engaging poems then you can still enjoy Graffiti Moon as Crowley does a fantastic job creating an engaging story about the night of graduation between six friends that will leave readers absolutely riveted. The story is a combination of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist with deeper under roots, and a love of art. The similarity to Nick and Norah comes from the girls in Graffiti Moon spending the night looking for the infamous Shadow (similar to Nick and Norah looking for the band) and the love and adventure that all take place in one night.

Between the art descriptions and Leo’s poems I was hooked. That said there was so much more about this book that made it a must read. The characters were well developed and complex. The situations deep and engaging. And the story just well written and fast paced. This book did not take me long to read as the minute I picked it up I couldn’t put it down, and it’s because of this and the reasons listed above that I’d have no trouble recommending this book to anyone looking for a well written engaging book.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published: February 14, 2012

Price: $16.99

Working Stiff: By Rachel Caine

2012-01-09T01:37:00.001-08:00

WORKING STIFF

SUMMARY

Bryn Davis was killed on the job after discovering her bosses were selling a drug designed to resurrect the dead. Now, revived by that same drug, she becomes an undead soldier in a corporate war to take down the very pharmaceutical company responsible for her new condition...

REVIEW

Some people may not like Working Stiff but I certainly did.

This is not a typical Rachel Caine book. It breaks from both the Weather Warden Series and the Morganville series and to be honest is a lot more action driven and gruesome (I know, impressive when considering both the previous series mentioned involve a hefty amount of killing, backstabbing, and destruction.)

This series instead focuses on characters that can be brought back from the dead. There is a new drug that can raise the dead, the only downside? The dead are reliant on the drug, if they don’t get it they literally decompose (not a pretty way to re-die (or die a first time for the matter.)) The story follows Bryn an ex-military girl who starts work at a funeral home.

The story quickly progresses and leaders to attraction, deception, and action packed heroics. Too be honest I was surprised by how many twists and turns Caine included in this first novel of the series. It felt like every time I was getting the handle on a new surprise Caine threw something else into the mix.

All in all a fun and exciting read. I can understand why some people didn’t like it though, it’s not exactly like Caine’s previous works, yet nor is it even remotely like other zombie novels out there. Caine once again creates engaging characters, fast plots full of surprises and twists, and a cliff hanger like ending to keep the reader on edge. While some people may be disappointed I certainly wasn’t and would very much recommend this to anyone with a pulse (sorry had to throw in a bad zombie joke).

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc

Published: August 2, 2011

Price: $7.99

Black Boy White School: By Brian F. Walker

2012-01-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

BLACK BOY WHITE SCHOOL

SUMMARY

He couldn’t listen to music or talk on the phone without her jumping all over him about what they listened to up in Maine, or how they talked up in Maine, or how he better not go up to Maine and start acting ghetto.

Maine.

Anthony’s mother didn’t even know where it was until he’d shown it to her on a map, but that still didn’t stop her from acting like she was born there.

Anthony “Ant” Jones has never been outside his rough East Cleveland neighborhood when he’s given a scholarship to Belton Academy, an elite prep school in Maine. But at Belton things are far from perfect. Everyone calls him “Tony,” assumes he’s from Brooklyn, expects him to play basketball, and yet acts shocked when he fights back.

As Anthony tries to adapt to a world that will never fully accept him, he’s in for a rude awakening: Home is becoming a place where he no longer belongs.

REVIEW

Black Boy White School (BBWS) doesn’t have the most imaginative name, but it certainly gets to the point. The book follows Anthony (Ant) Jones as he is accepted in a mostly all white prep school in Maine. BBWS doesn’t skirt the tough issues as BBWS addresses death, fear, and racism all in a very straightforward manner. Issues such as KKK like groups, people using the N word, and different ways in dealing with being a minority are just some of the topics addressed in BBWS.

That said, this book is not just about racism, it is about finding yourself among a changing environment. And in this aspect Walker does a fantastic job by creating a well crafted and dynamic protagonist in Ant. Readers really get to see Ants emotions and the changes he experiences in each of his trips home. Each of these trips act as a nice barometer for Ant’s development, and to me it was each of these check points that really made the book exceptional.

Of course Ant wasn’t the only well written character, Floyd and George were also interesting characters that played pivotal roles in the story. Each acted as strong supporting characters that helped establish each of Ant’s different “faces”. That said, the only complaint I had about them was that I wanted each of them to have larger roles.

All in all Black Boy White School was a good book. It had a strong protagonist, great transitions that demonstrate the evolution of Ant, and strong well formed themes. Of course besides all of this the book is just plain well written. This is a not a happy go lucky book, but definitely something I’d recommend.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: January 3, 2012

Price: $17.99

Irises: By Francisco X. Stork

2012-01-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

IRISES

SUMMARY

Two sisters discover what's truly worth living for in the new novel by the author of MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD.

TWO SISTERS: Kate is bound for Stanford and an M.D. -- if her family will let her go. Mary wants only to stay home and paint. When their loving but repressive father dies, they must figure out how to support themselves and their mother, who is in a permanent vegetative state, and how to get along in all their uneasy sisterhood.

THREE YOUNG MEN: Then three men sway their lives: Kate's boyfriend Simon offers to marry her, providing much-needed stability. Mary is drawn to Marcos, though she fears his violent past. And Andy tempts Kate with more than romance, recognizing her ambition because it matches his own.

REVIEW

I love Francisco X. Stork. Marcelo In The Real World and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors were some of the best non science fiction related YA novels I’ve read in years. Stork creates captivating yet realistic characters that contain a full range of emotions and persona. Besides that, Stork’s books are crafted in a way that will fascinate readers of all ages. The plots are intricate, the lessons deep, and the characters engaging.

It’s because of all of these things that I knew that I absolutely had to pick up a copy of Irises when it came out. Irises is the story of two sisters who have to come to terms with their secrets, futures, and sacrifices they are wiling to make after their father dies. The book addresses death, love, family, euthanasia, and the rights and wrongs associated with all of these issues.

And I have to say I really enjoyed it. The lesson was thought provoking and deep, the story interesting, the characters dynamic. That said, the speech pattern of the protagonists (Kate and Mary) caught me a little off guard. In Stork’s other books the characters felt real, their speech pattern was realistic yet a tad advanced. In Irises, I just felt like Mary and Kate spoke a little younger than they appeared. This bothered me a tad throughout the book, but to be honest I still enjoyed the book enough that I’d still easily recommend it.

All in all this was a great book. The subject matter is thought provoking, the characters dynamic, and the plot engaging and captivating. While I don’t feel it was better than Stork’s other books I’d have no problem recommending this fantastic book.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Published: January 1, 2012

Price: $17.99

The Bride Wore Black Leather: By Simon R. Green

2012-01-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

THE BRIDE WORE BLACK LEATHER

SUMMARY

sIn the secret heart of London, under the cover of endless darkness, the Nightside caters to anyone with any unusual itch that needs to be scratched. But enter at your own risk. The party animals who live here may be as inhuman as their appetites...

My name is John Taylor. The Nightside is my home. I didn't plan it that way. In fact, I once tried to get away. But I came back. And now it seems I'm settling down, with a full-time job (in addition to my work as a very private eye) as Walker-the new Voice of the Authorities in the Nightside-and a wedding in the offing.

I'm marrying the love of my life, Suzie Shooter, the Nightside's most fearsome bounty-hunter. But nothing comes easy here. Not life. Not death. And for certain, not happily-ever-after. Before I can say "I do," I have one more case to solve as a private eye-and my first assignment as Walker.

Both jobs would be a lot easier to accomplish if I weren't on the run, from friends and enemies alike. And if my bride-to-be weren't out to collect the bounty on my head...

REVIEW

Say one thing for Simon R. Green, say he writes a darn fun book.

Say another thing for him, say he has done a fantastic job ending his extraordinary Nightside series.

This is the last Nightside book in the series. It is witty, full of fun and creative villains and weapons, and jam packed with action. Readers will be shocked to see John Taylor go head to head with old friends and enemies (no I can’t tell you who otherwise there would be no surprise in the book.) These action scenes are riveting and will captivate readers as John fights for his life in some of the most riveting battles in the series.

Green brings all of his tricks to the fold, as readers are reintroduced to characters from the entire length of the series. We see the Oblivian brothers, Alex, Cathy, Shotgun Suzie, Dead Boy, Razor Eddie, the Griffins, Julian Advent, Old Father Time, and dozens of other characters from the previous books in the series.

Of course while many of these characters do not play substantial roles (it would be to hard to incorporate all of them substantially in the story) they are still fun to read about. Green does a great job wrapping up the series. There’s more action than the last 3 books combined, there are unexpected twists surprises in the plot, and Green ends with a satisfying ending that will leave readers of the Nightside series happy (if not still a little sad to see it end).

That said, Green is famous for interweaving the characters from his other series into his current work (especially in recent years). Because of this it wouldn’t surprise me in the least bit to find we’re able to catch a glimpse or two of John and Suzie somewhere in Green’s upcoming books. So fan’s do not despair, the Nightside is not over, it’s just settled on a nice happy place to rest until Green reintroduces readers to dabblings of it in his future works.

All in all a great ending to a great series.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Ace Hardcover

Published: January 3, 2012

Price: $25.95

Everything You Need To Survive The Apocalypse: By Lucas Klauss

2012-01-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE

SUMMARY

Phillip’s sophomore year is off to a rough start. One of his best friends ditches him. His track coach singles him out for personalized, torturous training sessions. And his dad decides to clean out all of the emergency supplies from the basement, even though the world could end in disaster at any moment...and even though those supplies are all Phillip has left of his dead mom. Not that he wants to talk about that.

But then Phillip meets Rebekah. Not only is she unconventionally hot and smart, but she might like him back. As Phillip gets closer to Rebekah, he tries harder and harder to turn himself into the kind of person he thinks she wants him to be. But the question is, can he become that person? And does he really want to?

REVIEW

Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse is not what you might initially expect. It is not just another woe is me, the hardships of being a teenager book. Nor is it only a girl meets guy, guy falls for girls mayhem ensues book. This book is so much more.

Everything You Need is about belief and trust. It is about finding oneself and adjusting to the changes and actions of your friends. It is about love, loss, and forgiveness. And it does all of this while remaining fast paced, eventful, and captivating to the reader.

Klauss establishes these lessons/themes by creating engaging and realistic characters. Phillip is a wonderful protagonist. Klauss has established the disrespect and annoyance of a teenager, without coming across as too annoying or arrogant. While at the same time demonstrating the confusion and sense of loss that Philip feels from the death of his mother and throughout his self journey to find himself.

Mark is also an interesting character. While he’s only a minor character, his changes and influence send fascinating ripples in Phillip and Asher’s stories. I really liked the way that Klauss developed that storyline. Readers are truly able to witness the adjustments and choices that Phillip and Asher have to make to decide what they are each willing to do to keep the friendship alive.

That said, I didn’t love Farragut. I understand the importance of his character, and even why he was supposed to be aggravating and annoying, but something about him just irked me. I guess it should be a testament to the writing, but I just found myself jumping out of the story sometime when reading his lines and complaining to myself about how annoying he was.

All in all Everything You Need is a fantastic book. It takes an interesting spin on religion and the significance of belief, it is filled with interesting and realistic characters, and the story itself is well written and exciting. This is a fun book to read, and anyone looking for a well written non-science fiction YA book should definitely pick it up.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Published: January 3, 2012

Price: $16.99

Rise of Empire: By Michael Sullivan

2011-12-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

RISE OF EMPIRE

SUMMARY

Royce and Hadrian have been called upon to aid the struggling kingdom of Melengar as it alone stands in defiance against the newly formed empire. As war approaches a desperate gamble behind enemy lines is their only chance at forming an alliance with the Nationalists to the south.

But Royce has plans of his own and uses this opportunity to discover if an ancient wizard is using Riyria as pawns in his own bid for power. To find the truth, Royce must unravel Hadrian's hidden past. What he discovers will lead them to the end of the known world on a journey rife with treachery and intrigue.

And so continues the second tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

REVIEW

Rise of Empire was amazing .

While the first two books (found in Theft of Swords) were fantastic books, they felt much more like stand alones that happened to contain the same group of characters. Now in books 3 and 4 of the series, Sullivan turns this fantastic series into a continuous series.

Readers finally learn more about the heir, we are introduced to new characters that play huge new roles (such as Modina, Amilia, Merrick and Wyatt). And older characters get to play bigger and more important storylines (especially Arista and Saulder).

That said my favorite new aspect of the books is the introduction to Royce and Hadrian’s pasts. Readers will get to visit the towns these two each grew up from, discover the source of Hadrian’s amazing fighting skills, and even see who put Royce in prison. Each of the two characters are much more flushed out, and we really get to see what makes each of them tick. They are tested in ways we never saw in the previous two books and I have to say they will be tested further in the last installments.

Of course I also loved Arista’s growth and discovery. Arista goes from becoming a smart yet pampered princess to something altogether more. She becomes a real character that readers will sympathize with. Fans of the series will root for as she defies the odds and feel sorrow for as the people in her life die around her. Through Arista readers are also finally introduced to magic. As her powers grow, so does her importance in the story, and lets just say she’s darn important by the end of book 4.

Of course while that’s all well and good, other things to keep in mind are that this book is chalk full of great action scenes, as Hadrian and Royce battle everything from mythical monsters, to religious soldiers, to goblins. All in all this book is fantastic. Sullivan has created quality characters who deepen the story, filled it with non-stop action, and thrown in a good deal of mystery and deception, to the degree that readers themselves wont know what will happen next. All in all a great book and I can’t wait for the last in the series.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: December 14, 2011

Price: $14.99

Theft of Swords: By Michael Sullivan

2011-12-04T21:37:00.000-08:00

THEFT OF SWORDS

SUMMARY

THEY KILLED THE KING. THEY PINNED IT ON TWO MEN. THEY CHOSE POORLY.

Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles--until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the king and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom.

Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires in order to keep a secret too terrible for the world to know?

REVIEW

Sullivan’s Theft of Swords is absolutely fantastic. Its characters are humorous and robust, its plot dynamic, and its writing just plain well written. In fact if you’re looking for comparisons Theft of Swords reminded me of an interesting combination of Simon R. Green’s Hawk and Fisher series (with the mystery fantasy element with a witty back and forth between the protagonists) and Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series (with is strong band of characters and dynamic plot full of twists.)

Of course while I enjoyed the book, my favorite aspect of it had to be the characters. They were well written, and as readers go through books one and two (both are contained in Theft of Swords) readers will really get a feeling for Royce and Hadrian. Obviously these two are my favorite characters (especially Hadrian). They are humorous, honorable (yet still maintain the fact that they are thieves for hire), and relatable characters. Not only that but Sullivan has created rich back stories for them that he’s slowly revealing in order to impress upon the readers the importance of each these dynamic character’s histories.

That said, I also very much enjoy Esra (I didn’t like him in book one, but he grew on me by book two and feel like he could present some interesting situations in the rest of the series), the Pickering boys (they’re talented strong willed good natured boys who add a nice element to the story), and Myron (the lovable and hilarious monk.)

All in all this book is filled with pretty much constant action, it’s got great characters, and is just plain fun to read. I can’t wait for the next book in the series, and am happy that Orbit is planning to release them in consecutive months. All in all there’s a reason this book was a Kindle Best Seller before it was published by Orbit.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: November 23, 2011

Price: $14.99

Broken Blade: By Kelly McCullough

2011-11-30T00:13:00.000-08:00

BROKEN BLADE

SUMMARY

Once a fabled Blade of Namara, Aral Kingslayer fought for justice and his goddess alongside his familiar, a living shadow called Triss. Now with their goddess murdered and her temple destroyed, they are among the last of their kind. Surviving on the fringes of society, Aral becomes a drunken, broken, and wanted man, working whatever shadowy deal comes his way. Until a mysterious woman hires him to deliver a secret message-one that can either redeem him or doom him.

REVIEW

The Broken Blade series reminded me of a lighter version of the book Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick (a fantastic book if you haven’t read it.)

Broken Blade is perfect for a fan of political/hierarchal conspiracy in a fantasy series.

Aral is a fantastic broken character that readers will love to learn more about, in fact this was one of my favorite parts of the story. McCullough does a fantastic job creating an engaging yet realistic tale of how a once great assassin and religious follow could be broken made into the “jack” acting outside the law we see today. It’s fascinating hearing Aral’s stories how he killed the king, and how he grew up with his fellow followers of Namara. Not only that but the idea that if a religious follower’s goddess died, what the ramifications would be, is a fascinating premise.

Of course Aral isn’t the only interesting character in the book, I also enjoyed Triss. Triss is Aral’s shadow familiar who also looks a little like a dragon when he’s not impersonating Aral’s shadow. Triss has cool powers, and is definitely his own established character. The only issue I have with Triss is that Triss isn’t as complex as I’d want him to be. He’s strong and makes a great sidekick but sometimes I’d be nice if he was a little bit more, or if we knew more about his kinds back story. That said I realize this is an unreasonable expectation as detailing more of Triss’s back story and adventures could in itself be an entire new series.

That said, this book isn’t just great characters and intricate political plots, it’s also filled with some heart pounding action. As Aral is forced to confront great foes and powerful former friends, the story is positively bursting with excitement. McCullough also does a great job creating an interesting world of magic and ramifications. I’d have liked a bit more of a run through with what is possible in this world, but I’m sure readers will get a greater grasp on it as the series goes on.

All in all Broken Blade is a fun first book. It’s got action, appealing characters (especially the librarian), great back stories, and an interesting magic system. Because of all of these things I’d recommend this book, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series, Bared Blade.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Ace

Published: November 29, 2011

Price: $7.99

Legend: By Marie Lu

2011-11-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

LEGEND

SUMMARY

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths-—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

REVIEW

Because of all the hype that was attached to it (it already had a movie deal, it was to be produced by the producers of Twilight, and the general reviews and rumors that had circulated about it) I was both hesitant and excited for Legend. I didn’t want it to turn out as just another hyped up poorly written romance novel.

I never should have worried.

Legend was fantastic. The action is both nonstop and captivating. Lu crafts a seamless story that weaves effortlessly between Day and June’s perspectives, creating an engaging world for readers to be drawn into. The plot is filled with surprises and twists that will keep readers glued to their seat. And the book itself is just well written in general.

That said, yes the action was exciting. Yes, there were twists and surprises in the plot. But most importantly were how well the characters were crafted. I found myself really getting to know Day and June. Readers will feel for both of them and understand why they are each acting they way that they are. Their inevitable love interest was not done in a cheesy manner, and each of their back stories were engaging, believable, and fit perfectly into the structure of the story. I would have wanted to know more about June and Day, but with the amount of time given to each of their stories Lu does a fantastic job really establishing each character. Further I wouldn’t be surprised if we discover more about each of them in the next two books in the series.

Of course June and Day weren’t the only well constructed characters, Day’s brother, John, and partner in crime, Tess, were also great characters that if time permitted could each probably have their own books about them.

All in all I was very impressed with Legend. It was fast paced, well written, and full of interesting characters. I’d have no trouble recommending this book to anyone looking for a good book, and fully intend to recommend it to all my friends. All in all a great book and I can’t wait for the sequel.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Published: November 29, 2011

Price: $17.99

Last Breath: By Rachel Caine

2011-11-20T20:20:00.000-08:00

LAST BREATH

SUMMARY

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town-a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville's latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn't merely human. But is he a vampire-or something else entirely?

REVIEW

I've been a fan of the Morganville series since it first came out. I've enjoyed the range of excitement in the series from mildly high (the low setting) to blow your mind and glue you to your seat level of excitement (there are not a lot of down moments for these kids). And all the while Caine has done a fantastic job weaving the story and its characters masterfully through each installment, creating and destroying characters, bringing them back, and doing it all over again in a life or death race for time. Really it feels less like a book series and more like an installment of your favorite tv show (possibly something like heroes or lost, something with a cliff hanger ending each episode.)

Yet while I’ve enjoyed the other books in the series this is by far one of the best. Caine has pulled out all the stops. She (as she did in the previous book in the series) allows readers to not only see Morganville and the story through Claire’s eyes but now readers are able to experience other main characters including, Michael, Eve, Shane, and even Amelie! Reading Amelie had to one of my favorite new additions to the series. The writing is so different, and gives such a different perspective that it’s like gulp of fresh air, shocking the story awake and into the next level of enjoyment.

That said, while the characters are interesting, there is so much excitement and so many new threats that have to be dealt with that it’s amazing Caine was able to fit it all into 352 pages. I really can’t talk about these issues/threats without giving away key aspects of the story, but let me tell you that they are gripping, shocking, and will change the flow of the story pretty dramatically.

If you’ve been a fan of the series then you wont want to miss this book. It’s exciting, filled with great characters, and has so many surprises and twists that even I was shocked. I would have liked more perspective from Amelie, but I can’t complain with what I got (wishful thinking really). And I can’t wait for the next book in the series, because as Caine mentions at the beginning, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER BOOK. (If this message doesn’t kick you in the pants to go get the book, then I don’t know what will.) But it’s definitely worth it, as you wont be able to put it down once you pick it up.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: NAL Hardcover

Published: November 1, 2011

Price: $17.99

The Always War: By Margaret Haddix

2011-11-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

THE ALWAYS WAR

SUMMARY

For as long as Tessa can remember, her country has been at war. When local golden boy Gideon Thrall is awarded a medal for courage, it’s a rare bright spot for everyone in Tessa’s town—until Gideon refuses the award, claims he was a coward, and runs away. Tessa is bewildered, and can’t help but follow Gideon to find out the truth. But Tessa is in for more than she bargained for. Before she knows it, she has stowed away on a rogue airplane and is headed for enemy territory. But all that pales when she discovers a shocking truth that rocks the foundation of everything she’s ever believed—a truth that will change the world. But is Tessa strong enough to bring it into the light?

REVIEW

At some points in time I felt like The Always War was a little juvenile. At others I felt like it was trying to send a message to advanced for its readers. And yet throughout most it I found myself really enjoying it.

I credit this mostly to Haddix’s fantastic writing skills and her ability to maintain constant action and tension throughout the book. This book is great for readers in middle grades who want some fast paced action with short chapters that leave the reader wanting more each time.

While some of the characters leave a little to be desired in terms of complexity, they accomplish their goals in the story and move on. Some readers will enjoy this, and if looking at this in the eyes of a middle grade reader, this level will work fine. Further, while not all the characters are complex, they do deal with more advanced situations and lessons than one would expect, increasing the satisfaction gained from the story itself. In fact the story itself is appealing as it’s full of action, deception, and character realization.

All in all The Always War is like an action movie broken up into mine segments, almost like a soap opera. It is full of action and deception, and for middle grade readers looking for something quick and nonstop, this will be a great read.

INFO

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Published: November 15, 2011

Price: $16.99

Dark Inside: By Jeyn Roberts

2011-11-13T21:24:00.000-08:00

DARK INSIDE

SUMMARY

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies.

Mason's mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd.

REVIEW

Some people may like this book, but I couldn’t get through it. Not because it was poorly written, but because it somehow struck a nerve of fear/disgust that resonated through my entire being, making me physically ill.

Take that as you will. If you are looking for a book that is written with such strength on subjects such as rape, mass murder, bombings, and mass hysteria, that it makes some readers sick. Then this could be the book for you. Personally I’ve ream more gruesome books, and even on related subject matter, but for some reason the combination of the characters, the subjects, the writing, and the vividness of the details struck home with me and I wasn’t able to finish.

Overall not my cup of tea, but because I didn’t finish I’ll refrain from giving a rating.

INFO

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Published: November 1, 2011

Price: $17.99

Eyes to See: By Joseph Nassise

2011-11-10T21:17:00.001-08:00

EYES TO SEE

SUMMARY

In an urban fantasy that charts daring new territory in the field, Jeremiah Hunt has been broken by a malevolent force that has taken his young daughter and everything else of value in his life: his marriage, his career, his reputation. Desperate to reclaim what he has lost, Hunt finally turns to the supernatural for justice.

Abandoning all hope for a normal life, he enters the world of ghosts and even more dangerous entities from beyond the grave. Sacrificing his normal sight so that he can see the souls of the dead and the powers that stalk his worst nightmares, Hunt embarks upon a strange new career--a pariah among the living; a scourge among the dead; doomed to walk between the light of day and the deepest darkness beyond night.

His love for his departed daughter sustains him when all is most hopeless, but Hunt is cursed by something more evil than he can possibly imagine. As he descends into the maelstrom of his terrifying quest, he discovers that even his deepest fears are but prelude to yet darker deeds by a powerful entity from beyond the grave...that will not let him go until it has used him for its own nefarious purposes.

REVIEW

Fans of Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim novels and Mike Carey’s Felix Castor novels will love Joseph Nassise’s Eye’s To See.

Nassise’s novel is dark, gritty, and full of interesting, well written characters. In fact this was one of my only complaints about the book, was the fact that readers are not able to learn more about these characters. I wanted to know more about Demitri, Denise, and especially Scream and Whisper. But while readers might be left wanting more from the supporting cast, the protagonist, Hunt, is really given the spotlight of the story. Readers are exposed to everything about Hunt from his obsession with finding his daughter, to the way his life deteriorated around him, to how the paranormal world was thrust upon him forever changing and scarring him.

Yet all of this is not too much. Nassise does a fantastic job creating a sympathetic yet fascinating character who gave up everything from his marriage, to his job, to his sight to try to rectify the mistake that was made 5 years before.

Of course none of this would matter if Eyes to See wasn’t such a well written engaging book. Yes, it is dark. No, it’s not happy. But it IS well written, full of interesting characters (that I hope to learn more about later), action-packed, and just plain captivating. I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone, but to those looking for something interesting and dark, following in the veins of Kadrey or Carey, then look no further. Certainly a good book.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor

Published: October 11, 2011

Price: $22.99

The Future of Us: By Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

2011-11-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

THE FUTURE OF US

SUMMARY

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

REVIEW

Have you ever wanted to know the future?

In The Future of Us, Asher and Mackler do a fantastic job creating an engaging novel revolving around today’s present fixation with Facebook, while at the same time creating an almost nostalgic world before the internet.

Readers are reminded of things such as, CD players, calling each other on the telephone (before caller ID), playing outside, and really having a life outside of Facebook and the internet. The authors do a fantastic job showing how Facebook can envelop ones life, constantly forcing one to stop living life and to instead post personal details of ones life and constantly discuss. Of course this book is not just about facebook, it is really about the consequences of trying to change one’s fate. Of trying to deal with the problems of tomorrow without the facts, and by living your life under the constant rules of the future.

The authors do a great job creating engaging and realistic characters that deal with everyday problems (with the exception of a future facebook account.) Josh and Emma must deal with sexual tension, an evolving friendship, surprising knowledge about loved ones, and other teen issues that are both realistic and relatable.

Of course this isn’t just another teen book, it has engaging characters, a fast paced plot, realistic dialog, an interesting premise, and is just overall well written. I thoroughly enjoyed The Future of Us and would easily recommend it for anyone looking for a good read.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Razorbill

Published: November 21, 2011

Price: $18.99

The Business of Death: By Trent Jamieson

2011-10-24T10:35:00.001-07:00

THE BUSINESS OF DEATH

SUMMARY

Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and lots of exercise are the last thing he wants. But that's exactly what he gets when someone starts shooting at him.

Steven is no stranger to death - Mr. D's his boss after all - but when a dead girl saves him from sharing her fate, he finds himself on the wrong end of the barrel. His job is to guide the restless dead to the underworld but now his clients are his own colleagues, friends, and family.

Mr. D's gone missing and with no one in charge, the dead start to rise, the living are hunted, and the whole city teeters on the brink of a regional apocalypse - unless Steven can shake his hangover, not fall for the dead girl, and find out what happened to his boss - that is, Death himself.

THE BUSINESS OF DEATH includes the first two volumes of the Death Works trilogy, Death Most Definite and Managing Death, as well as the third volume.

REVIEW

I had mixed feelings when I saw that Orbit wasn’t releasing the third book in Trent Jamieson’s Death series as its own novel, but was combining all of the books into an omnibus edition of all three books in the series. While it does allow new readers a chance to get into the series in one fell swoop, it does certainly offer a disincentive (in both the price and the size, considering many followers of the series would most likely own the previous two books already). But after thinking it over this size/cost impediment is insignificant when compared with the benefit of getting to read and enjoy the final book in the series.

If you couldn’t tell in all that preamble, I thoroughly enjoyed the Business of Death series. I felt like the first book, acted almost as a prequel, establishing the characters and the story. The second book in the series, is really where the tires meets the road (if the road was the plot in this example, and the tires are the excitement, meat, and pace of the story). Finally in the third installment, Jamieson does a fantastic job dealing with the issues of both the first and second books in the series, as well introducing some new twists and turns that really surprised me.

I mention all of this in vague details because since this omnibus contains the entire series, I’m a tad unsure what I should include so as to not ruin the story in later books for readers. What I can mention though is that if you enjoy action, creative and interesting characters (especially Mr. D and Wal), and a book jam packed with twists and sabotage then this is the book for you.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: September 19, 2011

Price: $15.99

Bloodstone: By Nancy Holzner

2011-10-17T22:45:00.001-07:00

BLOODSTONE

SUMMARY

They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders - but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human...

Boston's diverse South End is known for its architecture and great restaurants, not its body count. So when mutilated human corpses begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. The killer-dubbed the South End Reaper-uses a curved blade for his grisly work. And even though there's no real evidence pointing to a paranormal culprit, the deaths are straining the already-tense relations between Boston's human and inhuman residents.

As the bodies pile up, Vicky, her formidable aunt, Mab, and her werewolf boyfriend, Kane investigate, only to find that the creature behind the carnage is after something much more than blood...

REVIEW

Are you a fan of chicks kicking ass?

Are you a fan of teenage zombies, with ironic senses of humor?

What about a sword wielding shape shifter who cuts down demons?

Well if the answer to these questions is yes, then you’re in luck because Nancy Holzner’s third Deadtown novel, Bloodstone, is out in stores now.

Deadtown is the sectioned off part of Boston that houses the paranormal creatures that the norms are afraid of. Zombies, vampires, werewolves, witches, and even the odd troll. Of course with the humans scared of these “monsters”, they have to check in and out of appointed check points before leaving, and some, like the zombies, can’t leave at all.

The Deadtown series is part paranormal suffrage movement, part demon killing action, and a touch of romance thrown in for good measure (don’t worry it’s neither done poorly nor overwhelming, just a tad thrown in to move the story along.) The series is fun and addictive and I personally am always waiting for the next book in the series to come out.

In Bloodstone, readers finally get to know what happened to Juliet, Vicky’s vampire roommate (and THE Juliet from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.) Vicky has to deal with the aftermath of the Pryce situation (with him disappearing in Hellforged). And readers even get to see Vicky and Kane’s relationship evolve some more. Of course all of those pales in comparison to what we learn about the mysterious Aunt Mab, as readers finally get a chance to see her back story and answer some questions that have been gnawing away at them from the previous books.

All in all Bloodstone is a fun book. Its action is fast paced, its characters are well developed and interesting to read about, and its plot and dialog are well written and attention-grabbing. I’d definitely recommend going back and reading the previous books in the series before starting this one, but it’ll definitely be worth it.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Ace

Published: September 27, 2011

Price: $7.99

Aloha From Hell: By Richard Kadrey

2011-10-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

ALOHA FROM HELL

SUMMARY

In Sandman Slim Stark came back from hell for revenge.

In Kill the Dead he tackled both a zombie plague and being Lucifer’s bodyguard.

Once again all is not right in L.A. Lucifer is back in Heaven, God is on vacation, and an insane killer mounts a war against both Heaven and Hell.

Stark’s got to head back down to his old stomping grounds in Hell to rescue his long lost love, stop an insane serial killer, prevent both Good and Evil from completely destroying each other, and stop the demonic Kissi from ruining the party for everyone.

Even for Sandman Slim, that’s a tall order. And it’s only the beginning.

REVIEW

I loved Sandman Slim. It was gritty, fast paced, and full of all the magic and mayhem anyone could want. Then in its sequel Kill the Dead I liked some of the new elements and characters introduced (especially Lucifer) but felt like it went a little off point. Now in the third installment in this series we finally get back to the main story arc we were introduced to in the first book, Starks revenge with Mason.

Mason is the reason Stark became Sandman Slim. He trapped him in hell and from there Stark was forced to become the monster we see now. Of course in Aloha From Hell we are shown the inner workings of Mason’s past to final understand a little better why he wanted to go to hell in the first place. Kadrey does a great job introducing this new information and making Mason into a much broader character from it.

Of course, one thing that I dearly missed in the series were the supporting characters (especially Lucifer from Kill the Dead). Aloha From Hell is about Stark and Mason’s pasts and their reunion in Hell. There were new characters introduced (such as Jack the Ripper) but they didn’t have the same oomph or charisma that Lucifer or Candy had.

That said this book is pretty darn fun to read. It has everything it promises (action, magic, Hell, and revenge) and it moves at a fast clip. I would not recommend reading this book when you have something else due the next day, as your wont be able to put it down. But if you are free from imminent obligations for the next few days then I’d easily recommend this dark and gritty third installment in the Sandman Slim series.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Published: October 18, 2011

Price: $23.99

The Goblin War: By Hilari Bell

2011-10-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

THE GOBLIN WAR

SUMMARY

Tobin has finally crossed back from the Otherworld, where he was trapped in mortal peril for months—only to be captured by the dreaded, bloodthirsty barbarians the moment he enters his own Realm. Meanwhile, the pretty hedgewitch Makenna and her legion of goblins are still trying to find a way out of the Otherworld before it fatally drains their magic and life force. To escape, they will need help from the spirits that live there—but that aid will not come freely.

Now the barbarians are out to take over the Realm, and only Makenna, Tobin, and his younger brother, Jeriah, know what is needed to stop them. They’ll need to work together—and with the goblins—to formulate a plan. The answer lies with the Otherworld spirits and also with the blood amulets that give infinite power to the barbarians. The question is: Can they band together and save the Realm in time?

REVIEW

Around this time last year, I mentioned that I was both surprised and giddy by the fact that Hilari Bell had revisited an old stand alone novel that I absolutely loved, The Goblin Wood.

The Goblin Wood is one of those books that sticks with you when you read it. Its characters, (especially Tobin and Makenna the protagonists) are fantastic, realistic, and fun to read about. The plot is engaging and fast paced. And the writing captivating, and just plain well written.

It's follow-up, The Goblin Gate, was just as enthralling as The Goblin Wood, but focused on (Jeriah and Cogswhallop), smaller characters in The Goblin Wood. The action packed follows up with the aftermath of the war and escape of Makenna and the Goblins, and introduces entire new aspects of the story readers were not aware of in the previous book. Of course like The Goblin Wood, The Goblin Gate is captivating, fun, and well written. But unfortunately it does contain the curse of the second book in a trilogy, as it leaves readers on the edge of their seats, wondering what will happen next.

And now we finally get to The Goblin War. The Goblin War takes all the pieces of the first two books and puts them together. All of the main characters are given signifigant time to shine and Bell does a fantastic job tying together and weaving these two stories into an exciting and action packed ending.

The story focuses on the issue of the invading barbarians presented at the end of The Goblin Gate. Each of the characters takes a substantial role in the outcome of the issue, each contributing in their own unique way. By the end of the book readers will feel both sad at the ending of the series, and satisfied with the resolution reached.

Like its predecessors, The Goblin War contains fantastic dialog, wonderful characters, fun magic, good writing, and a fast paced plot. If you haven't read Bell's previous books in the series, make sure that you do, for while you would probably be able to follow along (Bell does a good job reminding and explaining certain circumstances that characters are in, because of the large time gap between the books), these books are wonderful and need to be read in sequence to get the utmost enjoyment out of them. All in all, I loved this series and am sad to see it end. Bel does a fantastic job and I'd certainly recommend them to anyone looking for a good book.

RATING

10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: October 11, 2011

Price: $17.99

The Dragon's Tooth: By N.D. Wilson

2011-10-04T17:29:00.001-07:00

THE DRAGON'S TOOTH

SUMMARY

For two years, Cyrus and Antigone Smith have run a sagging roadside motel with their older brother, Daniel. Nothing ever seems to happen. Then a strange old man with bone tattoos arrives, demanding a specific room.

Less than 24 hours later, the old man is dead. The motel has burned, and Daniel is missing. And Cyrus and Antigone are kneeling in a crowded hall, swearing an oath to an order of explorers who have long served as caretakers of the world's secrets, keepers of powerful relics from lost civilizations, and jailers to unkillable criminals who have terrorized the world for millennia.

REVIEW

When I was given The Dragon’s Tooth, I was more than a little skeptical of it. It looked much more juvenile than I usually like, what with its explorer like society, the magic that it describes, and the age of the characters. That coupled with the cover made me think this was not going to be something that was going to be for me.

I was thoroughly surprised.

Wilson does a superb job creating intelligent interesting characters (especially the protagonist Cyrus), that I really felt acted in a much more realistic (and enjoyable) manner. Of course it wasn’t just that Cy acts more grown up than you would expect for a middle grade reader, it’s that Wilson obviously treated the reader’s intelligence with respect when creating this character, in that he isn’t dumbed down, which I find quite a lot of middle grade books do to their characters. Of course not all the characters are quite as interesting as Cyrus, I was a little disappointed with Maxi (a black and white villain), and some of the other supporting characters, but overall I was still impressed with the lineup.

As for the plot itself, that too surprised me. There was much more action than I was expecting, and while some of it seemed to jump about a bit, overall I was very impressed. Wilson also throws in some interesting twists with the Smiths background that I hadn’t fully expected, but found quite enjoyable. Not only that but Wilson makes the smart move and doesn’t expect the readers to believe the Smiths just learned everything in a short period of time. Yes, it is still fast, but I felt the way Wilson handled it was very apt.

All in all don’t let this cover fool you. This is a great middle grade book that will entertain and captivate readers as they get to know the world of the Order and the Smiths. The protagonists are well written, the action fast paced, and the story interesting. Plus Wilson leaves some intriguing mysteries for the readers to wait on until the next installment of this interesting series, that I will certainly read.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Published: August 23, 2011

Price: $16.99

Blood Rights: By Kristen Painter

2011-09-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

BLOOD RIGHTS

SUMMARY

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarré -- a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world...and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

REVIEW

I know that vampires have been done a lot. Doesn’t matter.

I know sex in vampire novels has been done a lot. Doesn’t matter.

I also know balancing that line between romance and urban fantasy is an incredibly hard position to be put in. Doesn’t matter.

All of this doesn’t matter because Painter does such a fantastic job crafting Blood Rights. The characters are interesting, the plot engaging, and the writing fast paced. But even more than that Painter does such a great job balancing that line between romance and urban fantasy that she is sure to engage and entertain both sets of readers.

Of course besides balancing that line, I truly enjoyed the side characters. I mean what’s not to like about a cursed werecat, who can only turn into a house cat. Or a ghost who is supposed to haunt a vampire for all eternity, who instead makes pleasant conversation and dates said werecat. I liked both of these characters and wished they could have been involved in the story more.

I was also shocked by some of the decisions Painter makes in this first installment in the series. While trying not to get into the thick of details Painter makes some decisions that will shock readers as well as keep them glued to their seats. It’s because of theses decisions, the characters, both major and minor, and the engaging speed of the plot that I’d fully recommend this book to someone wanting to try an urban fantasy/romance combo.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: September 27, 2011

Price: $7.99

Ready Player One: By Ernest Cline

2011-08-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

READY PLAYER ONE

SUMMARY

It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?

REVIEW

The first thing I have to say about Ernest Cline is that he knows an awful lot about the 1980’s.

Cline has done a fantastic job integrating hundreds of geek trivia (whether it be Firefly, Star Wars, Star Trek, Cory Doctorow, Wil Wheaton, or any of literally dozens of other unique pieces of geek fandom) with all sorts of information from the 80’s (from video game trivia, to rock and roll, to movies, to authors). And he has done all of this inside of a fun and fast paced novel.

The pages really do fly by, as readers get to know Wade (A.K.A. Parzival) and the dystopianesqu world that has become of the near future earth. Wade is relatable, endearing, and just a tad over obsessive about OASIS and the Hunt (as anyone who has searched for clues systematically for 6 years would be.) Cline does a great job creating interesting and relatable characters, such as Ar3temis, Aech, and Soto. Of course some of the characters are a little black and white (such as antagonist Sorento). But with the fun of the action and the trivia you’re easily able to look over that.

That said this is not a trivia book, but it is recommended for anyone who enjoyed the 80’s or would classify themselves as a geek (or anyone who knows/has watched/read any of the people/shows mentioned above.) All in all a very fun book that I’m happy I read.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Crown

Published: August 16, 2011

Price: $24.00

The Project: By Brian Falkner

2011-08-24T20:31:00.001-07:00

THE PROJECT

SUMMARY

It begins with a book, the most boring book in the world, a book so boring no one could ever read it—the perfect place to hide a dangerous secret.

When best friends Luke and Tommy volunteer to help move books from their library's basement to higher ground during a quick rising flood, they discover the only surviving copy of the most boring book in the world: Leonardo's River, lost for over 100 years. The book is connected to Leonardo da Vinci and is worth millions, so they return that night to steal it. Unfortunately, they're not the only ones with that plan. . . .

REVIEW

The Project is a fascinating combination of young adult mishaps and science fiction. The science fiction isn't officially introduced until the end of the story, but Falkner does a great job weaving the story along until this point, creating a culmination that will excite and captivate readers of all ages.

The Project has well crafted characters, Luke the protagonist, is particularly interesting and reminded me much of Robert Munchamore’s Cherub series. Yet some of the characters, such as Tommy and the antagonists could have used more development. They felt simple in relation to the rest of the story, and in comparison to Luke, were practically useless. That said I liked many of the characters, but felt they could have been more than they were.

Of course besides the characters, the plot itself is interesting. Falkner does a great job taking an unused subject matter, Leonardo’s creations and the Vitruvian Man, and turning them into a pulse pounding easy read. But of course one of my favorite parts of the books is the ending (you'll have to read it to see why.)

All in all I liked The Project. The subject matter was interesting, Luke was a great character, and the book itself was fast paced enough to both hold my attention and make me want to keep reading. Definitely would recommend readers (especially boys 12 and up) give it a chance.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Published: August 23, 2011

Price: $17.99

Spellwright: By Blake Charlton

2011-08-16T01:24:00.000-07:00

SPELLWRIGHT

SUMMARY

Nicodemus is a young, gifted wizard with a problem. Magic in his world requires the caster to create spells by writing out the text . . . but he has always been dyslexic, and thus has trouble casting even the simplest of spells. And his misspells could prove dangerous, even deadly, should he make a mistake in an important incantation.

Yet he has always felt that he is destined to be something more than a failed wizard. When a powerful, ancient evil begins a campaign of murder and disruption, Nicodemus starts to have disturbing dreams that lead him to believe that his misspelling could be the result of a curse. But before he can discover the truth about himself, he is attacked by an evil which has already claimed the lives of fellow wizards and has cast suspicion on his mentor. He must flee for his own life if he’s to find the true villain.

But more is at stake than his abilities. For the evil that has awakened is a power so dread and vast that if unleashed it will destroy Nicodemus... and the world.

REVIEW

Spellwright just came out in mass market paperback and I personally can’t wait for it’s sequel Spellbound (September 13, 2011).

Spellwright tells a story of a wizard in training Nicodemus Weal who was once thought to be the great and powerful child of prophecy that was destined to save or doom the world of magic. Unfortunately unlike Harry Potter, Nicodemus is a cacographer, someone who is unable to spell things correctly. This is vastly important in Charlton’s debut novel as characters perform magic by spelling them and flexing them from their muscles.

This is one of the many things I loved about Spellwright, its original and fascinating take on the system of magic. Not only that but unlike most books, magic is not learned in minutes but is instead learned in decades and centuries. Not only that but Nicodemus has been studying for year sunder his master, and so it is not nearly the shock when he is forced to perform.

Of course besides its description/creation of magic, I thoroughly enjoyed the action that accompanied the book. The book is filled with exciting scenes that will keep readers glued to their seat and begging for more. Because of this and the many other reasons that make this a fun book I would easily recommend this book to fans of fantasy looking for something different, and I personally can’t wait for the sequel, Spellbound.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor Mass Market

Published: August 2, 2011

Price: $7.99

This Dark Endeavor: By Kenneth Oppel

2011-08-16T01:03:00.000-07:00

THIS DARK ENDEAVOR

SUMMARY

Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.

They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only peaks Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not be satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. Elizabeth, Henry, and Victor immediately set out to find assistance in a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula.

Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrads life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing one’s own body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another.

REVIEW

This Dark Endeavor is beautifully written.

That is the first of many of reasons why everyone should read this fantastic book.

Oppel has amazed and astounded readers for years with his Silverwing and Skybreaker books. But in this YA prequel on the creation of Victor Frankenstein Oppel has truly out done himself.

First off, besides being beautifully written, it is just plain riveting. I was unable to put it down. The characters are both relatable and robust. Readers will feel for Victor’s love for his brother, while at the same time understand his jealousy of his brother for Elizabeth’s affection. The trials that the characters face in searching for the elixir of life will have readers reeling in their seats as the book packed with action and adventure that is not to be missed.

And yet most importantly the mission of creating a monster of the protagonist, a man who would literally bend life to his will, from a young, naïve, kind spirited boy is never forgotten nor missed. Oppel not only creates a fresh take on an old story, he is able to blend the tone of his prequel with Shelley’s Frankenstein without forfeiting his creativity and originality in his own This Dark Endeavors.

Oppel has truly created a masterpiece here and I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who has read Mary Shelley Frankenstein.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Published: August 23, 2011

Price: $17.99

Prince of Thorns: By Mark Lawrence

2011-08-09T11:19:00.001-07:00

PRINCE OF THORNS

SUMMARY

When he was nine, he watched his mother and brother killed before him. By the time he was thirteen, he was the leader of a band of bloodthirsty thugs. By fifteen, he intends to be king...

It's time for Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath to return to the castle he turned his back on, to take what's rightfully his. Since the day he was hung on the thorns of a briar patch and forced to watch Count Renar's men slaughter his mother and young brother, Jorg has been driven to vent his rage. Life and death are no more than a game to him-and he has nothing left to lose.

But treachery awaits him in his father's castle. Treachery and dark magic. No matter how fierce, can the will of one young man conquer enemies with power beyond his imagining?

REVIEW

Prince of Thorns is a fantastic debut novel. It, like its main character, Prince Jorg, is curt, cruel, and action packed. Like Ari Marmell’s The Conquerors Shadow The Prince of Thorns takes readers from the perspective of a natural antagonist. Jorg is a ruthless, merciless, and out for revenge. He has killed, raped, pillaged, and yet readers will still find themselves rooting for him. He is evil and pitiful at the same time, he has seen the worst of death and laughed in its face.

Of course Jorg wasn’t the only impressive character in the book. I personally loved the Nubian and Sir Makin. They each had an odd mixture of honor and savagery that was fascinating to read. And with Makin’s sense of humor and terrific balance to Jorg’s ruthlessness, Lawrence out did himself.

Lawrence also did a fantastic job creating enough action to keep even the least attentive reader engaged. Jorg goes from one life threatening situation to another, but Lawrence does it in a way that allows the story to flow through, instead of in a kind of piece-mail fashion that appears in some books when they try to insert large quantities of action into their books without mapping out it’s significance first.

All in all Prince of Thorns was a great book. I don’t know what’s next for Lawrence to write about as it felt more like a stand alone than a series, but I would certainly pick up a copy and would easily recommend The Prince of Thorns to those loving a good bloodbath with a ruthless and fascinating protagonist

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Ace

Published: August 2, 2011

Price: $25.95

Domestic Violets: By Matthew Norman

2011-08-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

DOMESTIC VIOLETS

SUMMARY

Tom Violet always thought that by the time he turned thirty-five, he’d have everything going for him. Fame. Fortune. A beautiful wife. A satisfying career as a successful novelist. A happy dog to greet him at the end of the day.

The reality, though, is far different. He’s got a wife, but their problems are bigger than he can even imagine. And he’s written a novel, but the manuscript he’s slaved over for years is currently hidden in his desk drawer while his father, an actual famous writer, just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His career, such that it is, involves mind-numbing corporate buzzwords, his pretentious archnemesis Gregory, and a hopeless, completely inappropriate crush on his favorite coworker. Oh . . . and his dog, according to the vet, is suffering from acute anxiety.

Tom’s life is crushing his soul, but he’s decided to do something about it. (Really.) Domestic Violets is the brilliant and beguiling story of a man finally taking control of his own happiness—even if it means making a complete idiot of himself along the way.

REVIEW

Midlife crises are a common theme in the world of literary fiction. It is often comprised of a 30 to 40 something adult male who is unhappy with his life/job/wife. He is then seduced by a younger woman, who has conveniently been flirting with him for ages, and then all hell breaks loose as the ramifications of his action soon effect his work, family, and metal stability.

Domestic Violets only partially exemplifies this stereotype. Instead it focuses heavily on the seesaw between childhood and adulthood. That line between taking and giving advice from your father, and the true turn in adulthood where one realizes ones responsibility and with heavy shoulders accepts them, destroying the last plight of childhood left in ones soul.

Domestic Violets touches on all of these topics and remains true to its intent by remaining funny through out the book. Similar to Jonathan Tropper’s style of writing, Matthew Norman does a fantastic job remaining both hilarious and potent an unusually complex feat.

All in all Domestic Violets was a great read. The story sped by, the characters were interesting and dynamic, the writing humorous, and the emotions incredibly real all throughout the book. A very easy book to recommend.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Published: August 9, 2011

Price: $14.99

Moon Over Soho: By Ben Aaronovitch

2011-08-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

MOON OVER SOHO

SUMMARY

BODY AND SOUL

The song. That’s what London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho’s 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body—a sure sign that something about the man’s death was not at all natural but instead supernatural.

Body and soul—they’re also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace—one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard “Lord” Grant—otherwise known as Peter’s dear old dad.

REVIEW

Midnight Riot was the best new urban fantasy book I read this summer. So when Moon Over Soho came out so quickly after the release of Midnight Riot, I was ecstatic and fearful. Excited because I wanted to read more in this great series, but fearful because of the hardship in creating a second book in a series.

It’s often easy to lose the momentum of a series after a fantastic debut. Authors have to steer the series into a long term story arc while at the same time keep up the events from the previous book and create a new short term problem for the protagonist to deal with.

Aaronovitch does all of this, and more with ease in Moon Over Soho.

Moon Over Soho does have the familiar feel in its mystery element that any multibook series will have after reading one or two books in the series, but it deals with it very unique and interesting ways. These new turns will both entertain and surprise readers, but most importantly it will keep the story fresh and exciting.

Like Midnight Riot I loved the protagonist of the series. I felt he was relatable and interesting. But the characters we really get to see more of in this book is Nightingale. We get a taste of what life was like before he was the only practitioner in London, and are introduced into a fantastic world of mystery and magic.

All in all Moon Over Soho is a fantastic book. It’s fast paced, the characters are fascinating and well developed, the magic interesting and complex, and it’s just plain well written. And it’s because of all of these things that Moon Over Soho, like Midnight Riot, is a fantastic book that I will enthusiastically recommend to anyone looking for a book you just can’t put down.

RATING

9.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Del Rey

Published: March 1, 2011

Price: $7.99

A Blight of Mages: By Karen Miller

2011-08-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

A BLIGHT OF MAGES

SUMMARY

Hundreds of years before the great Mage War, a land lies, unknowing, on the edge of catastrophe...

Barl is young and impulsive, but she has a power within that calls to her. In her city, however, only those of noble blood and with the right connections learn the ways of the arcane. Barl is desperate to learn-but her eagerness to use her power leads her astray and she is banned from ever learning the mystic arts.

Morgan holds the key to her education. A member of the Council of Mages, he lives to maintain the status quo, preserve the mage bloodlines, and pursue his scholarly experiments. But Barl's power intrigues him-in spite of her low status.

Together, he realizes they can create extraordinary new incantations. Morgan's ambition and Barl's power make a potent combination. What she does not see is the darkness in him that won't be denied.

REVIEW

I read and enjoyed Karen Miller’s The Kingmaker, Kingbreaker duology but felt as if at times it was slow for long sections of the book and at other times, during the action sequences, it skipped over to many of the details necessary to make it into a better more compelling story.

That said I felt A Blight of Mages improved these deficits and made a much more compelling story. The characters were interesting, while sometimes annoying (really only Barl), they appeared much more real than when compared to characters in Miller’s previous books.

As for the plot itself, it was great reading what happened to cause the events that set up The Innocent Mage. It contained build ups and let downs but not that much action, yet still found a way to be entertaining.

All in all, while there were points where I was annoyed with certain characters or was tired of one perspective, I did enjoyed the book. Besides being an enjoyment overall A Blight of Mages also acts as a great first book to become introduced into the world of The Innocent Mage, and it also makes a great look back at the events that caused the events for fans of the later set series.

RATING

7 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: August 4, 2011

Price: $25.99

Ghost Story: By Jim Butcher

2011-07-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

GHOST STORY

SUMMARY

When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn't doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.

But being dead doesn't stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has nobody, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends-and his own soul-Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic...

REVIEW

If you’re at all a fan of the Dresden series then you were most likely shocked with the conclusion of Changes. With Harry shot and fading away, it seemed that there were few other places for the series to continue. Then with Butcher’s book of short stories We see what the world is like after the events of Changes, but from the perspective of the strong willed and caring Murphy.

Now in Ghost Story we see Harry Dresden, Wizard for hire, in the after life. It turns out Harry must return back to world he just left in order to discover the truth behind his murder, or see his loved ones hurt themselves.

Ghost Story felt different from Butcher’s other books in the series. It’s much more about reflection and consequences than action and mystery. Besides Harry himself being a ghost the story itself dregs up a number of past references and enemies that fans of the series will not want to miss. So to help avoid missing these nuggets of reflection fans of the series, no matter their opinion on short stories should first pick up a copy of Side Jobs, as some of the characters referenced in Ghost Story are only seen in the short stories collected in Side Jobs, including Harry’s first mentor as a detective.

Besides changing the pace of the series, Ghost Story acts as the link between a the old and the new piece of this series. I’m curious how Butcher will cultivate this new section of the series and how much of the lovable band of characters will cross over into Harry new world. But one thing is for sure, Ghost Story is a fantastic book, and should be enjoyed by everyone.

RATING

10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc Hardcover

Published: July 26, 2011

Price: $27.95

A Shot in the Dark: By K.A. Stewart

2011-07-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

A SHOT IN THE DARK

SUMMARY

Jesse James Dawson is a Champion, putting his life on the line for those foolish enough to bargain with demons and fighting to save their souls. But even a Champion needs some downtime, so Jesse takes his annual camping trip to Colorado for some male bonding over friendly games of paintball.

Unfortunately, the fun and war games are interrupted by a pack of creatures summoned up from the very depths of hell by an entity Jesse prayed he'd never see again. With the lives of his friends and a teenager's soul on the line, Jesse's only hope may lie with an even more dangerous enemy--his personal demon, Axel...

REVIEW

Second books in a series are hard. Those that attempt them have the problem of maintaining a world and the characters that have already been created, as well as the added struggle of furthering the story arc into that of a series, while at the same time creating a new and exciting adventure/mystery to solve until the overarching story arc can be established.

That said, K. A. Stewart does a fantastic job doing all of these things in her second book in the Jesse James Dawson Series, A Shot in the Dark.

A Shot in the Dark takes place a few months after the events of A Devil in the Details. Jesse has been experiencing PTSD from his missed assassination attempt, and has been having constant nightmares of an old foe coming back from the dead to tear him piece by piece. To help try to calm him down he and his friends decide to go on their annual camping/paintball trip. Unfortunately this trip soon changes from a happy-go-lucky trip with the guys into the literal nightmare that Jesse’s been experiencing for months. Now with the unexpected help from Axel, the Order of Saint Silvis (a rival demon hunting group), and his friends Jesse has to take down the demon of his nightmares, literally.

A Shot in the Dark is fast paced, fun, and exciting. The characters are interesting and filled with good dialog. And the story itself is fantastic. But what I was most impressed with was the way Stewart has developed the overarching story arc for the books in the future. I’m thoroughly intrigued and personally can’t wait for the next in the series.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc

Published: July 5, 2011

Price: $7.99

The Demon's Surrender: By Sarah Rees Brennan

2011-07-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

THE DEMON'S SURRENDER

SUMMARY

The Goblin Market has always been the center of Sin’s world. But now the Market is at war with the magicians, and Sin’s place is in danger. Thrown out of the Market she loves, Sin is thrown together with brothers Nick and Alan—whom she’s always despised.

Alan has been marked by a magician and is being tortured so that the magicians can get to Nick. As Sin watches Alan struggle to protect the demon brother he loves, she begins to see him in a new light—but she and Mae are locked in a fierce rivalry over who will inherit the leadership of the Goblin Market, and a decisive battle with the Aventurine Circle is looming. Mae’s brother, Jamie, is holed up with the magicians, his loyalties in question. And Nick—well, who knows what a demon might do to save his brother? How far will Nick go to save Alan—and what will it cost them all?

REVIEW

The first thing I have to say is that The Demon’s Lexicon was fantastic. It was shocking, well written, and original.

Now I realize that The Demon’s Covenant changes narrators, and while it was still good in my opinion it wasn’t as fantastic as the 1^st installment. The Demon’s Surrender suffers from this same problem, as it once again changes narrators.

Of course that said, this is still a good book, and a decent end to the trilogy. It is not nearly as bad as the reviews on Amazon make it out too be, and should still be bought and enjoyed.

Obviously the first two books in the series should be read before this installment, but once you get to this piece of the story readers should fully enjoy it as the author does a fantastic job.

The action is fast and present throughout the entire story, the pace quick, and the characters interesting. I would have liked it better from Alan’s point of view, but Sin’s was still interesting.

All in all The Demon’s Surrender is a fun book that has the hard job of ending an interesting series. If you’ve read the first two books then definitely don’t hold back, and make sure you pick up this newest and final installment.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Published: June 14, 2011

Price: $18.99

The Dark City: Catherine Fisher

2011-06-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

THE DARK CITY

SUMMARY

Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a secret relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be tested beyond their limits. For there are monsters-some human, some not-that also want the relic's power and will stop at nothing to get it.

REVIEW

After reading Incarceron and Sapphique I was expecting something absolutely fantastic with Fisher’s new new series, the Relic Masters, but I have to say I was a little disappointed.

While there was nothing wrong with the plot, it was interesting, fun, and held a pretty good pace, it felt as if the book was stuck in-between age groups it was aiming for. What I mean by this is that all the chapters were middle grade and lower level short (less than 10 pages for most), the characters felt confused as if they wanted to be deeper and more intricate but were stuck at a younger level in hopes to simplify actions for the reader, and the format of the book was that of one for younger grade books (wider font, less words per page, ect…).

At the same time, the larger plot of the book was more complex than a book of this age group and demanded deeper fuller characters and was much more intricate that a normal elementary or middle grade novel. Because of this The Dark City felt like it was constantly at odds with itself and hampered what could have been a great book.

Of course that said, this was the first book in the series and the characters could have been set at the level so that they could evolve in later books to a greater degree. Not only that but I personally hate when books “dumb down” plots and characters for a younger audience, and the wider and more complex plot may be an effort to do just the opposite of this and bring the level of this middle grade novel up to that of a YA novel, which in my opinion would be fantastic.

All in all while much of The Dark City seemed at odds with itself it was the first book in a new series and could be Fisher’s attempt at bringing up the level of some middle grade novels. So until I read the later volumes in the series (luckily they come out in consecutive months) I will withhold judgment and hope for the best, from what I usually consider a great writer.

INFO

Publisher: Dial

Published: May 17, 2011

Price: $16.99

Among Thieves: By Douglas Hulick

2011-06-13T17:12:00.001-07:00

AMONG THIEVES

SUMMARY

Drothe has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers in the employ of a crime lord while smuggling relics on the side. But when an ancient book falls into his hands, Drothe finds himself in possession of a relic capable of bringing down emperors-a relic everyone in the underworld would kill to obtain.

REVIEW

The worst thing about Among Thieves is the cover.

And the only way I know it can be much better is by looking at what the British have done with their version of it.

The cover of the American Among Thieves makes the book look like a bad romance flop. In the British version, Hulick’s novel appears dark, exciting, and absolutely fantastic. And to be honest the book, both the American and the British versions live up to these expectations. (To be clear it is nothing close to a bad romance flop, in case there was any confusion.)

Hulick creates a world where an empire is ruled by three different reincarnated versions of the same man, a man who has ruled for centuries. Of course where there’s an empire there’s a black market; filled with murders, smugglers, liars, and thieves, also known as the Kin. That’s where readers will be introduced into Hulick’s world, into the world of the Kin, and more specifically into Drothe’s world. Drothe is a Nose, someone who takes in all the gossip on the streets and pieces together a story of what’s actually going on and then usually fixes it. Of course this particular situation has amounted to more than Drothe even planned for. For Drothe has found a book. A book so powerful that it could destroy an empire, the Kin, or anyone who got in its way, or it could make the owner powerful enough to reach the level of goddomhood. Of course Drothe wasn’t the only one looking for it. With the upright men (his bosses), the Grey Princes, and the empire out to get him, it’s no longer a question of if he’ll get be caught but when and how painful will the consequences be.

While the setting is dark and dramatic, the best feature of Among Thieves is the characters. Drothe is a fantastic protagonist. He’s funny, smart, an underdog, and most importantly an incredibly likeable character. Of course he’s not the only fantastic character in this book. Degan and Kells are also amazing. They each play their roles beautifully, are full and dynamic characters, and really add something fundamental to the story.

Of course besides the characters and the setting, the plot is intricate enough to keep everyone guessing. Just when readers will think they know the whole story and how everything is going to go down Hulick delivers a new twist that sends readers reeling.

All in all Among Thieves is a fantastic book that I’d easily recommend to anyone. It is fast paced, fun, and engaging. And if you can get around not judging it by its cover (the American cover) then you’ll fully enjoy this book.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc

Published: April 5, 2011

Price: $7.99

Chasing the Moon: By A. Lee Martinez

2011-05-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

CHASING THE MOON

SUMMARY

Unspeakable horrors threaten the earth in this fantastic new comic fantasy from the author of Divine Misfortune.

Diana's life was in a rut - she hated her job, she was perpetually single, and she needed a place to live. But then the perfect apartment came along. It seemed too good to be true - because it was.

The apartment was already inhabited - by monsters. Vom the Hungering was the first to greet Diana and to warn her that his sole purpose in life was to eat everything in his path. This poses a problem for Diana since she's in his path...and is forbidden from ever leaving the apartment.

It turns out though that there are older and more ancient monstrous entities afoot - ones who want to devour the moon and destroy the world as we know it. Can Diana, Vom, and the other horrors stop this from happening? Maybe if they can get Vom to stop eating everything...and everyone.

REVIEW

If you’re looking for a humorous light read with fantasy elements then look no further. Chasing the Moon is funny, full of creative and interesting characters, and fast paced enough to both keep the reader engaged and the story moving at a good clip.

The story beings when Diana moves into a new apartment. Unbeknownst to her, the apartment is also home to Vom the Hungering, a beast of insatiable apatite that will eat anything in front of it. Unluckily for Diana (but good for the story) Diana happens to get in Vom’s way. Of course instead of getting eaten, she distracts and befriends the monster, convincing it not to eat her (at least that day) and instead shares the apartment with it. The story continues with Diana picking up more and more strange acquaintances and learning to deal with the new and surprising world around her.

The story is filled with magic, intriguing characters, and inventive worlds. While all the characters are interesting and well created, my favorite characters have to be Vom and Pogo. Readers get the greatest insight from any of the monsters from Vom, and Pogo is just such a surprise and interesting character that I just naturally enjoyed him.

While the final battle lacked some of the vigor necessary to really bring the story home, and some of the earlier warnings seemed unnecessary after the events at the end of the book. Chasing the Moon is a solid read full of humorous characters, interesting plot lines, and great dialog. Fan’s of Martinez’s other works will certainly enjoy.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: May 25, 2011

Price: $19.99

For Heaven's Eyes Only: By Simon R. Green

2011-05-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

FOR HEAVEN'S EYES ONLY

SUMMARY

After the murder of the Drood Matriarch, the family finds itself vulnerable to evil. This time, it's a Satanic Conspiracy that could throw humanity directly into the clutches of the Biggest of the Bads..

REVIEW

At the end of From Hell With Love Eddie had just been killed by an imposter, impersonating Molly’s sister, leaving the family and the series in complete disarray and madness. Luckily for Green’s Secret Histories series, he doesn’t have Eddie die. Instead he opens up an interesting theory that Eddie’s parents are still alive. This theory then takes a back seat to the Satanic Conspiracy that threatens to destroy the world (much like most other evil organizations we’ve seen in previous books in the series.) Of course unlike some of the other books in the series For Heaven’s Eyes Only kills off some surprising supporting characters. This coupled with a shocking ending to the book will leave readers in stunned silence eagerly awaiting the next and possibly last in Green’s fantastic 007 like series.

Fans of the previous books in the series will certainly enjoy this newest addition to the Secret Histories family. It was not just phoned in (as Green’s newest series, Ghost of Chance, with its poor writing, unlikable characters, and purely engaging, seemed to be.) Instead it begins with Eddie having just been shot and residing in Limbo, continues with high levels of action, comical remarks, and inventive characters, and ends with such a surprising ending that even those who were on the edge for this series will be drawn in and eagerly awaiting the next book.

The story is predictable, the writing light and humorous, and the action continuous. It is not the best book ever written, but it is certainly fun and engaging. Fans of Green’s other works will enjoy the series and as I mentioned, I can’t wait for the next book in this exciting series.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc Hardcover

Published: June 7, 2011

Price: $25.95

The Ascension: By Michael Carroll

2011-05-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

THE ASCENSION

SUMMARY

They'd done it. Not only had Roz, Abby, Lance, and Thunder survived their first battle with a super villain, they'd defeated him. Krodin was dead, and they had saved the world. Now everything could go back to normal-good old, boring normal. School. Parents. Friends.

But three weeks later, the world suddenly changes. The United States is under martial law, the people are little more than drones, and where Central Park should be there now stands a massive glass-and-steel building, home to the all-powerful Chancellor.

REVIEW

If you’re a fan of superheroes, non-stop action, or fantastic writing then you will absolutely love The Ascension.

The Ascension begins moments after the events of Super Human. The world is turned upside down, as instead of killing Krodin, Pyrokine sent him back in time, but only six years. Armed with the knowledge of the future and Max Dalton’s name, Krodin set about reshaping the United States into the empire he desired. Yet for some reason six years after Krodin was re-released into the world (or a few months after the events of Super Human) the Dalton’s, Lance, Paragon, Thunder, Brawn, and Abby are sent into this alternate reality with the knowledge of their own fight with Krodin. They set about fighting off his masses and trying once again to defeat this seemingly invincible enemy.

Of course my favorite aspect of The Ascension were the characters. Unlike Super Human, which acted as more of a prequel introducing the characters and setting up the story for The Ascension, this book takes the bones of the story and turns them into something greater. The characters are more well rounded, are forced to discuss greater issues such as the lines between right and wrong and good and evil, and really are just more engaging in general. My personal favorite characters this book were Thunder, Lance, and Brawn. You really get to see a different side of these super humans, explaining some of their background without dragging the story down. Not only that but Carroll discusses how Lance can always be caught in the middle of these super human issues, bringing up some fascinating points for the future of the series.

Of course most people wont delve into The Ascension for the characters, what most of the readers of this series want is action, and The Ascension has plenty to offer. Unlike some of Carroll’s other books The Ascension does a fantastic job keeping the action coming while the characters develop.

All in all readers will absolutely love The Ascension. The characters are interesting and well developed, their powers fascinating, the action non-stop, and the writing superb. This is a great read for anyone (especially preteen and teenage boys), and I can’t wait for the next in the series.

RATING

9.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Philomel

Published: June 30, 2011

Price: $16.99

Ember and Ash: By Pamela Freeman

2011-05-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

EMBER AND ASH

SUMMARY

The old ones will have their revenge.

Two peoples have been fighting over the same land for a thousand years. Invaders crushed the original inhabitants, and ancient powers have reluctantly given way to newer magics. But Ember was to change all this with a wedding to bind these warring people together - until her future goes up in flames.

Ember's husband-to-be is murdered by a vengeful elemental god, who sees peace as a breach of faith. Set on retribution, she enlists the help of Ash, son of a seer. Together they will pit themselves against elementals of fire and ice in a last attempt to end the conflicts that have scarred their past. They must look to the present, as old furies are waking to violence and are eager to reclaim their people.

REVIEW

Ember and Ash is a fantastic book that I wished I had read Freeman’s other books before I had read this one. I was able to follow the storyline and very much enjoyed the characters and world, but felt that if I had read The Castings Trilogy first then I would have enjoyed the book on a whole new level.

The story begins with Ember, the daughter of a warlord, preparing to marry. Just as the wedding is about to occur, suddenly a great fire roars up, killing her betrothed and claiming her for himself. He claims that he is the god fire and that he was promised her as a bride by her mother years before. When she refuses to submit to him, he wipes out all the fires in the area, refusing to let them be restarted. From there, the story follows Ember and her cousin Ash's journey to restore the fire to the town. Character's grow, battles ensue, and surprise twists are thrown into the mix, making a fantastic yet not shocking epic fantasy read.

That said, the characters were fantastic, the magic/gods intriguing, and the action well placed. Fans of a traditional epic fantasy novel will love this book, but if given a chance other fans of fantasy will surely enjoy it as well. All in all a great read, but if given a chance read the Casting Trilogy first.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: May 1, 2011

Price: $7.99

The Warlock: By Michael Scott

2011-05-17T09:46:00.001-07:00

THE WARLOCK

SUMMARY

In the fifth installment of this bestselling series, the twins of prophesy have been divided, and the end is finally beginning.
With Scatty, Joan of Arc, Saint Germain, Palamedes, and Shakespeare all in Danu Talis, Sophie is on her own with the ever-weakening Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. She must depend on Niten to help her find an immortal to teach her Earth Magic. The surprise is that she will find her teacher in the most ordinary of places.

REVIEW

What can I say about The Warlock? It’s fantastic, it’s brilliant with its use of gods and myths, it’s surprisingly accurate with the details of said myths and evidence prevalent today. All that is true and yet it’s so much more than those words could ever hope to ecompass.

The Warlock takes place immediately after the events of The Necromancer end. The twins are separated as they each chose different allies to support. Yet to me The Warlock was much less about the twins and much more about the adventures of the other characters: Dee, Virginia, Scatty, Joan, the Flamels, and surprising new characters. While I love the twins, this was a fantastic chance for the reader to get a glimpse into the lives of the other important characters in the story. Besides that it really rounds many of the characters, such as Virginia, Billy, Machiavelli, and Scatty out as much more well rounded characters.

As the 5^th book in a six book series this volume obviously leaves quite a few cliffhangers and shocking surprises unanswered. I fully expect to have all my questions answered in the last installment, and am both saddened and exhilarated with the ending of such a wonderful series.

All in all if you enjoy mythology (of all types), fantasy, well written characters, and exciting and intricate plot lines then you will absolutely love The Warlock and the entire The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. A must read!

RATING

10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Published: May 24, 2011

Price: $18.99

The Chaos Crystal: By Jennifer Fallon

2011-05-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

THE CHAOS CRYSTAL

SUMMARY

The magical Tide has turned and the Immortal Lords once again have their full power. The Immortal Lord Cayal welcomes this power as a means to an end--his end, preferably. Cayal has wanted to cease his existence for longer than human history and it looks like he might finally get his wish. Rumors swirl that the Chaos Crystal, the mysterious prism that brought the Immortals to the world, has been found. Cayal is determined to seize the gem.

Among those who search for this long-lost object is Cayal’s former lover, the very mortal Lady Arkady. She’s been captured by Jaxyn, a Tide Lord who is decidedly against Cayal and is seeking the Crystal for his own nefarious schemes. Arkady escapes, and is off on her desperate search…for if the gem falls into the hands of the Immortals, what will become of humanity?

The stakes are high, with mortal and immortal fighting to grasp this ultimate prize. Whoever holds the Crystal can decide the fate of the world.

REVIEW

Jennifer Fallon’s Tide Lord’s series is a must read for any lover of fantasy books. The plot is original, the magic intricate and fascinating, and the characters superb. And as the last in the series The Chaos Crystal is of course a must read.

The Chaos Crystal takes place where The Palace of Impossible Dreams leaves off (just a note if you haven’t read the other books in the series they are fantastic and necessary to understand the situations in The Chaos Crystal.) The story quickly moves from one shocking affair to another, ending with a conclusion that will leave readers stunned in their seats.

While the plot is fast moving and elaborate it was the characters that won me over in this series. Every character, from the leads such as: Arkady, Cayal, and Declan, to the smaller characters such as: Tiji, Warlock, and Elyssa, every character is complex, fascinating, and distinctive. But mostly Fallon does a fantastic job getting the most out of so many wonderful characters, making each of their actions vital to an intricate game of political maneuvering among the gods and their plans.

Of course what Fallon does fall down on slightly is the ending. I read the Australian version of the book as well as the newly released American version and she does rectify this a little bit by adding another important concluding chapter to the epilogue, but readers (myself included) will still want more from this astounding story.

Of course, when all you’re complaining about is you want more from the story that’s saying something right there. The Chaos Crystal and the entire Tide Lords series are fantastic. The characters well developed, the plot intricate and fast paced, and the story itself original. All in all a must read for any fantasy fan.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: May 10, 2011

Price: $27.99

After the Golden Age: By Carrie Vaughn

2011-05-08T15:55:00.001-07:00

AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE

SUMMARY

Can an accountant defeat a supervillain? Celia West, only daughter of the heroic leaders of the superpowered Olympiad, has spent the past few years estranged from her parents and their high-powered lifestyle. She’s had enough of masks and heroics, and wants only to live her own quiet life out from under the shadow of West Plaza and her rich and famous parents.

Then she is called into her boss’ office and told that as the city’s top forensic accountant, Celia is the best chance the prosecution has to catch notorious supervillain the Destructor for tax fraud. In the course of the trial, Celia’s troubled past comes to light and family secrets are revealed as the rift between Celia and her parents grows deeper. Cut off from friends and family, Celia must come to terms with the fact that she might just be Commerce City’s only hope.

REVIEW

After the Golden Age was not a good book.

I tried to like it, I love a number of superhero books, including Shades of Grey by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge, Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman, and The Quantum Prophecy series by Michael Carroll, but I just couldn’t get into After the Golden Age. Possibly it’s because I’ve had trouble in the past relating to Carrie Vaughn’s writing style in some of her past books (including Discord’s Apple, another great idea that I just didn’t like the way it was written.)

Or it could have been the characters, which I felt were feeble and uninspired. Or it could have just been the plot, which I thought could have been made into so much more.

All in all I didn’t like After the Golden Age. I wish I had, as it was a fun premise for a book, and I wanted to like Vaughn’s writing style. But it just wasn’t meant to be.

RATING

4 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: April 12, 2011

Price: $24.99

Fuzzy Nation: By John Scalzi

2011-05-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

FUZZY NATION

SUMMARY

Jack Holloway works alone, for reasons he doesn’t care to talk about. Hundreds of miles from ZaraCorp’s headquarters on planet, 178 light-years from the corporation’s headquarters on Earth, Jack is content as an independent contractor, prospecting and surveying at his own pace. As for his past, that’s not up for discussion.

Then, in the wake of an accidental cliff collapse, Jack discovers a seam of unimaginably valuable jewels, to which he manages to lay legal claim just as ZaraCorp is cancelling their contract with him for his part in causing the collapse. Briefly in the catbird seat, legally speaking, Jack pressures ZaraCorp into recognizing his claim, and cuts them in as partners to help extract the wealth.

But there’s another wrinkle to ZaraCorp’s relationship with the planet Zarathustra. Their entire legal right to exploit the verdant Earth-like planet, the basis of the wealth they derive from extracting its resources, is based on being able to certify to the authorities on Earth that Zarathustra is home to no sentient species.

Then a small furry biped—trusting, appealing, and ridiculously cute—shows up at Jack’s outback home. Followed by its family. As it dawns on Jack that despite their stature, these are people, he begins to suspect that ZaraCorp’s claim to a planet’s worth of wealth is very flimsy indeed…and that ZaraCorp may stop at nothing to eliminate the “fuzzys” before their existence becomes more widely known.

REVIEW

The first thing you should know about Fuzzy Nation is that it is actually a reboot of H. Beam Piper’s Hugo-nominated Little Fuzzy. Scalzi has taken this world, and created a brand new novel, based on Beam’s Little Fuzzy world.

Now that you know that, the best way to describe Fuzzy Nation is to take one part science fiction, one part legal drama, and add in Scalzi’s humorous and engaging writing style and you get a sense of what Fuzzy Nation is.

Fuzzy Nation takes place on the planet Zarathustra (AKA Zara XXIII), where like many other planets, ZaraCorp is mining it for its minerals. Of course, Zara XXIII is just like any other planet until independent contractor, Jack Holloway, discovers a vein of jewels that would revolutionize the earnings potential of the company. While the company takes an obvious interests in this vein, Holloway also discovers a tribe of small fuzzy animals, which over time connects to, and dubs fuzzies. Of course this discovery means the end of ZaraCorp’s and Jack’s fortune, for if these fuzzies turn out to be sentient beings then that means they’ll have to stop mining of the site. With his friendships, wealth, and the future hanging in the balance, Jack’s decision could mean his personal fortune, or the death of an entire civilization, a decision ZaraCorp will do anything to make go their way.

Whether this synopsis grabbed your attention or not Fuzzy Nation is a great book. It is exciting, fast paced, and engaging. Not only that but Scalzi once again does a fantastic job creating endearing yet complex characters who readers will be sure to love.

While there were a few points that seemed a little much in the book (I would describe them, but they give away key points in the plot), Fuzzy Nation is ripe with humor and heart. Coupled with its great cast of characters and its captivating tone, Fuzzy Nation is a fantastic read that any Scalzi fan will certainly enjoy.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: May 10, 2011

Price: $24.99

Always the Vampire: By Nancy Haddock

2011-05-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

ALWAYS THE VAMPIRE

SUMMARY

Cesca Marinelli has been slacking on her duties as a vampire princess, but she will be the best maid of honor ever for Maggie's Victorian wedding. However, when her mostly-human honey, Saber, falls ill due to a magical construct called the Void, she knows she'll have to go beyond the call of bridesmaid duty...

The Void is affecting every supernatural being in Cesca's afterlife, including her shapeshifter ex, Triton. To counter the Void's reign of terror, Cesca must fully summon her vampire powers-which may lead to her own doom.

REVIEW

When dealing with paranormal romance novels authors have to walk a very fine line. If the author gets to overzealous with the sex and details or they cut to much of the action out then the book becomes a weak interpretation of a romance novel and doesn’t have a spark, if they don’t give enough details then the key demographic they’re trying to engage will walk away unhappy.

Luckily Always the Vampire seems to walk the tightrope just fine.

Haddock does a fantastic job keeping the action going and the details blush worthy. But for me what was most compelling were the characters and the humorous tone they had about them. Cesca is a smart kick-ass heroine who will be sure to engage readers. Her dialog and the storyline are light hearted enough to relax the reader, yet quick paced enough to keep them fully glued to their seats. Besides that Haddock’s other characters, such as Maggie and Saber, bring enough fullness to the story that readers can’t help but fall in love with this book.

Always the Vampire is exciting, zany, and full of fun characters. While not for everyone, fan’s of Cat Adams’ Song series and Jaye Wells’ Sabina Kane series will find a great read in the entertaining book. That said I would greatly encourage readers to read the first two books in the series, Last Vampire Standing and La Vida Vampire, before starting Always the Vampire.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Published: May 3, 2011

Price: $15.00

The Goddess Test: By Aimee Carter

2011-05-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

THE GODDESS TEST

SUMMARY

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

REVIEW

While I liked the idea of The Goddess Test, I personally wasn’t blown away by the execution of the story.

What I mean by that is mythology, especially revolving around Greek Gods such as Hades and stories as well known as Persephone, can turn into fabulous storylines in modern day books. In fact some of my favorite books revolve around myths, Rick Riordan’s Lightning Thief series, Michael Scott’s Alchemist series, and Eric Nylund’s Mortal Coils series. But all of these books don’t just take the basic myth and fill it in with pretty characters and a love interest. Instead these great authors took a fascinating myth and made it into something of their own. If you knew the myths surrounding the books it makes them all the more enjoyable, but taken together with the new characters, dialogue, and the author’s personal touches, the myth becomes new and exciting, it is not just another retelling but is instead the creation of something new and glorious.

Of course that’s enough of me waxing poetic about these other authors, instead back to the book at had, The Goddess Test. The Goddess Test, is alright, teenage girls will probably flock to it, as it has all the ingredients for a new teen heart throb of a book. But in my opinion it doesn’t have the ingredients to become a great book. The protagonist isn’t as likable as she should be, the side characters are a little weak, the story isn’t as engaging as it should be, and the spark is just missing. I think the book will do well but it certainly doesn’t have my endorsement.

RATING

5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Harlequin

Published: April 19, 2011

Price: $9.99

Where Things Come Back: By John Whaley

2011-04-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

WHERE THINGS COME BACK

SUMMARY

Just when seventeen-year-old Cullen Witter thinks he understands everything about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town, it all disappears. . . .

In the summer before Cullen's senior year, a nominally-depressed birdwatcher named John Barling thinks he spots a species of woodpecker thought to be extinct since the 1940s in Lily, Arkansas. His rediscovery of the so-called Lazarus Woodpecker sparks a flurry of press and woodpecker-mania. Soon all the kids are getting woodpecker haircuts and everyone's eating "Lazarus burgers." But as absurd as the town's carnival atmosphere has become, nothing is more startling than the realization that Cullen’s sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother Gabriel has suddenly and inexplicably disappeared.

While Cullen navigates his way through a summer of finding and losing love, holding his fragile family together, and muddling his way into adulthood, a young missionary in Africa, who has lost his faith, is searching for any semblance of meaning wherever he can find it. As distant as the two stories seem at the start, they are thoughtfully woven ever closer together and through masterful plotting, brought face to face in a surprising and harrowing climax.

REVIEW

You know you’re reading a fantastic book when you read the last paragraph and immediately turn back to the beginning to start it over again.

Where Things Come Back is just such a book. Personally I don’t know just what it was that made this as irresistible read as it was. I don’t know if I should praise the realistically flawed yet endearing characters. The fascinating mystery/introspective nature of the story. Or just the general captivating nature of the writing itself.

What I can say is that Where Things Come Back is a must read book for everyone, both teens and adults. And that if you had to only read one book this month (I say month because there are some other fantastic books that came out this year and I’d hate to limit you), then it should be Where Things Come Back.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Atheneum

Published: May 3, 2011

Price: $16.99

The Black: By D.J. MacHale

2011-04-30T22:07:00.000-07:00

THE BLACK

SUMMARY

At the end of The Light, Book One of the Morpheus Road trilogy, Marshall learned the truth about what happened to his best friend Cooper. Now in Book Two, the POV switches to Cooper and we get to see his side of the mystery. What does his story have to do with Marshall and the journey along the Morpheus Road? It's time to learn more . . .

REVIEW

The Black is a fascinating book, in the fact that it is much more a companion than a sequel.

The story begins at the same point in time that The Light begins, but from Cooper’s point of view. (I’m about to make a few remarks that, if you haven’t read The Light you need to stop reading this review, and go read The Light first.) While it follows the same timeline as The Light, The Black is a very different book as it follows Cooper through death (see if you didn’t stop when I told you then I just ruined the big surprise) and shows what’s going on to cause the haunting of Marshal throughout The Light.

Besides that, The Black focuses much less on a mysterious element that The Light was comprised of, and more on a fantasy adventure theme, with the adventures and magic associated with being a ghost and the history of the crucibles and the poleax.

As for the characters, while I liked Cooper and the side story revolving around Maggie, I personally found Marshal and Sydney much more endearing characters from The Light. Also I found the idea that all of the troubles of the Morpheus Road and the Watchers, which has been building for millennia, rests in the hands of two teenage boys, and can’t be solved by anyone else, a little much.

Of course that said The Black was a fantastic book that I’d easily recommend to anyone looking for a good fantasy or YA book. It is a great book for teenage boys but will easily find an audience with girls of this age group as well. And I personally can’t wait for the third and final book in this exciting series.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Aladdin

Published: April 19, 2011

Price: $17.99

The Berlin Boxing Club: By Robert Sharenow

2011-04-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

THE BERLIN BOXING CLUB

SUMMARY

Fourteen-year-old Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But to the bullies at his school in Naziera Berlin, it doesn't matter that Karl has never set foot in a synagogue or that his family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by relentless attacks on a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth to everyone around him.

So when Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons, Karl sees it as the perfect chance to reinvent himself. A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but as Max becomes the mentor Karl never had, Karl soon finds both his boxing skills and his art flourishing.

But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of his family. Karl longs to ask his new mentor for help, but with Max's fame growing, he is forced to associate with Hitler and other Nazi elites, leaving Karl to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his dream of boxing greatness with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?

REVIEW

The Berlin Boxing Club is not only a stunningly well written book, it is also a brutal and engaging story that will leave readers in stunned silence while they fervently search for the next page that will never come.

The Berlin Boxing Club looks into the world of Jewish Germans during World War II, but instead of focusing on the world of religious Jews, The Berlin Boxing Club instead focuses on Jews who are instead Jews by heritage but not by religious affiliation. The story focuses on a number of important elements; from their family’s persecution, to a coming of age story revolving around the world of boxing, to understanding who someone is, not based on what they look like but instead based on the courage of their actions and the strength in their convictions.

Of course besides having a captivating and moving story, The Berlin Boxing Club also contains fantastic characters and action. All the characters, from The Countess, to Karl, to Max, are robust, realistic, and well written. Of course besides the good, Berlin Boxing Club, also demonstrates how the German people were swept up into the thick of it all. It does not paint them all as monsters, instead it paints some as hideous creatures who enjoy the suffering of others, some who choose to take advantage of those who are downtrodden, and most of all it shows the majority of people too scared to defy these groups, and so because of their own fears give in to the cruelty and discrimination that goes on.

All in all The Berlin Boxing Club is a fantastic book. It is gripping, realistic, full of both action and emotions, and is truly a superb story. This book should be read in classrooms along with other holocaust books such as the Diary of Anne Frank. And will find an audience among boys, girls, and adults; as the characters and story are developed enough to capture anyone who is willing to listen to its tale.

RATING

10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: April 26, 2011

Price: $17.99