The Troupe: By Robert Jackson Bennett

THE TROUPE

SUMMARY

Vaudeville: mad, mercenary, dreamy, and absurd, a world of clashing cultures and ferocious showmanship and wickedly delightful deceptions.

But sixteen-year-old pianist George Carole has joined vaudeville for one reason only: to find the man he suspects to be his father, the great Heironomo Silenus. Yet as he chases down his father's troupe, he begins to understand that their performances are strange even for vaudeville: for wherever they happen to tour, the very nature of the world seems to change.

Because there is a secret within Silenus's show so ancient and dangerous that it has won him many powerful enemies. And it's not until after he joins them that George realizes the troupe is not simply touring: they are running for their lives.

And soon...he is as well.

REVIEW

The Troupe is unlike any book I’ve read in a long while. It is subtle yet gripping in the way that Bennett weaves this intricate tale of a vaudeville performer looking for his father, only to discover a truth far greater than he ever could have imagined.

The characters were imaginative and deep. As each strikes home in the readers mind with such a level of clarity and strength that they resonate hours after the last page is turned. Of course, besides these characters just being well written, they are also complex with back stories and events that truly caught me off guard and surprised me.

This level of surprise is similar to the plot of the book. The Troupe appears to start off slow and methodical, introducing only enough odd and interesting tidbits of information to string the reader along. But as the story progresses these tidbits of information and peculiar occurrences begin to add up, accelerating the story and upping the level of intrigue until, like a musical crescendo the story reaches a climax that will engross the reader with a level of excitement that can only be described as shock and awe.

All in all The Troupe is magical. It is filled with excitement, intrigue, and will captivate readers to the final pages. But most importantly it is a beautifully written work of art that will grip your heart with its final chapters, leaving your misty eyed and melancholy as you are both happy to have read this work as well as sad to see it finish. All in all a great book.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: February 21, 2012

Price: $13.99

Goblin Secrets: By William Alexander

GOBLIN SECRETS

SUMMARY

A boy joins a theatrical troupe of goblins to find his missing brother.

In the town of Zombay, there is a witch named Graba who has clockwork chicken legs and moves her house around—much like the fairy tale figure of Baba Yaga. Graba takes in stray children, and Rownie is the youngest boy in her household. Rownie’s only real relative is his older brother Rowan, who is an actor. But acting is outlawed in Zombay, and Rowan has disappeared.

Desperate to find him, Rownie joins up with a troupe of goblins who skirt the law to put on plays. But their plays are not only for entertainment, and the masks they use are for more than make-believe. The goblins also want to find Rowan—because Rowan might be the only person who can save the town from being flooded by a mighty river.

REVIEW

While aimed at a bit younger audience than I usually like this Goblin Secrets was full of interesting characters and makes for a entertaining book.

Rownie’s a fun and brave protagonist perfect for the target audience. Hi’s transformation over the book acts as a great coming of age/strength story that kids will love. Of course besides being a great actor Rownie is determined, strong, and quick witted. All in all a fantastic underdog.

Of course while I liked Rownie, Graba and the Mayor make fantastic antagonists (Graba very much reminded me of a combination of Ursula from The Little Mermaid and a number of the characters from Spirited Away). They are gruesome combination of parts, take advantage of the weak, and are just despicable.

Speaking of combination of parts, I thought it was an interesting creation to make people part machine, but I would have liked an explanation as to why it was that way, or why goblins were not that way. Basically I wanted more back story.

All in all I thought it was a fun book for its age group. It has a likable protagonist, despicable villains, and an interesting world full of goblins and half machine half human creatures. In a word FUN.

INFO

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Published: March 6, 2012

Price: $16.99

Thief's Covenant: By Ari Marmell

THIEF'S COVENANT

SUMMARY

Once she was Adrienne Satti. An orphan of Davillon, she had somehow escaped destitution and climbed to the ranks of the city's aristocracy in a rags-to-riches story straight from an ancient fairy tale. Until one horrid night, when a conspiracy of forces—human and other—stole it all away in a flurry of blood and murder.

Today she is Widdershins, a thief making her way through Davillon's underbelly with a sharp blade, a sharper wit, and the mystical aid of Olgun, a foreign god with no other worshippers but Widdershins herself. It's not a great life, certainly nothing compared to the one she once had, but it's hers.

REVIEW

But now, in the midst of Davillon's political turmoil, an array of hands are once again rising up against her, prepared to tear down all that she's built. The City Guard wants her in prison. Members of her own Guild want her dead. And something horrid, something dark, something ancient is reaching out for her, a past that refuses to let her go. Widdershins and Olgun are going to find answers, and justice, for what happened to her—but only if those who almost destroyed her in those years gone by don't finish the job first.

I really like Ari Marmell’s books. The Conqueror's Shadow, The Warlord’s Legacy, and Goblin Corps are all fun exciting books that turn the concept of good and evil on it’s head and fill the world with interesting and humorous characters.

In Thief’s Covenant, Marmell departs from his usual upside down view of good and evil (to a degree, the protagonist is still a thief) and instead enters a completely new arena for his books, the world of Widdershins.

Widdershins is a wonderful protagonist, she’s fun, exciting, and filled with enough sarcasm to make any of her retorts quick witted and wonderful to read. But like Marmell’s other books it’s not just Windershins’s charming personality that makes her fun to read, it’s her hilarious, snarky, and sensitive sidekick Olgun that make this book such a fun read. Oh also Olgun is a god, so that certainly makes things interesting.

All in all I started this book because I liked Ari Marmell’s other books. I kept reading the book into the night to find out more about Windershins and how she became attached to a god. And I loved the book because of the fast paced action, fantastic interactions between Windershins and Olgun, and fun style of writing. Overall a great book that I’d easily recommend.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Pyr

Published: February 14, 2012

Price: $16.95

Heir of Novron: By Michael J. Sullivan

HEIR OF NOVRON

SUMMARY

The New Empire intends to mark its victory over the Nationalists with a bloody celebration. On the high holiday of Wintertide, the Witch of Melengar will be burned and the Heir of Novron executed. On that same day the Empress faces a forced marriage, with a fatal accident soon to follow. The New Empire is confident in the totality of its triumph but there's just one problem-Royce and Hadrian have finally found the Heir of Novron and they have their own holiday plans.

And so concludes the final tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

REVIEW

I was lucky enough to only have to wait a few months until the last book in the Riyria Revelations series came out, but I can’t imagine being one of the original readers of the series and having to wait so long for the last book.

Sullivan does a fantastic job creating engaging and charismatic characters in everyone from Royce and Hadrian to Modina. Too be honest, it’s the characters that make this book so terrific. Readers will get a chance to come across old characters from the first few books in the series, as well as unexpected changes in new friends and enemies in the later books. Sullivan constantly keeps readers on their toes as to what is going to happen.

Of course, besides riveting characters, the book is also filled with nonstop action, surprising twists, and an end to the fifth book that I truly did not see coming. The sixth book does a great job wrapping things up and ultimately creating some nice twists for readers to be surprised with.

All in all a great series, that I’d easily recommend to friends looking for an engaging fantasy novel to read.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: January 31, 2012

Price: $14.99

Harbinger: By Sara Wilson Etienne

HARBINGER

SUMMARY

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.

REVIEW

The first thing I have to say is that I so rarely see Tamora Pierce endorse anything, and as she was one of my favorite authors growing up I tend to trust her endorsements. After reading Harbinger, Pierce once again has not lead me astray.

Harbinger is a wonderful story, filled with interesting characters, a captivating storyline, and a fast moving plot. Faye is a beautifully written protagonist who readers will root for throughout the entire novel. Further, there were impressive twists that will surprise even veterans of the genre.

That said, to me the most impressive aspect of Harbinger it’s author Sara Wilson Etienne’s style of writing. Etienne truly is a wordsmith as each sentence draws you in and leaves you in a perpetual state of awe. From the first page I was in hooked, and it wasn’t until the very end that I was able to resume my life again.

That is one of the only downsides to this book, you shouldn’t read it when you have a pressing deadline to attend to. Once you start, you wont be able tot stop, until the last pages is finished. All in all a very entertaining read.

INFO

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Published: February 2, 2012

Price: $17.99

The Legend of Eli Monpress Omnibus: By Rachel Aaron

THE LEGEND OF ELI MONPRESS

SUMMARY

Eli Monpress is talented. He's charming. And he's a thief.

But not just any thief. He's the greatest thief of the age - and he's also a wizard. And with the help of his partners - a swordsman with the most powerful magic sword in the world but no magical ability of his own, and a demonseed who can step through shadows and punch through walls - he's going to put his plan into effect.

The first step is to increase the size of the bounty on his head, so he'll need to steal some big things. But he'll start small for now. He'll just steal something that no one will miss - at least for a while.

Like a king.

The Legend of Eli Monpress includes the novels: The Spirit Thief, The Sprit Rebellion, and The Spirit Eater.

REVIEW

The is one of the best series I've read in years. I've reviewed the other three books so first I'll say this is an amazing series that everyone should read. Here are my reviews of the first three books in the series (what you get in this wonderful omnibus.)

The Spirit Thief

Magic, mystery, and a little bit of good old thievery. All in all Rachel Aaron’s first book in her The Legend of Eli Monpress series is a truly fantastic book.

I’m a little embarrassed to say I didn’t initially recognize this book as the fantastic piece of literature it is. In fact I probably would have missed it, if not for the fact that Orbit produced it.

What I mean by this is that since starting this blog I’ve learned a lot more about the publishing industry, such as, who produces the best urban fantasy/ fantasy/science fiction, who releases books at a speed that can keep a reader happy, and who is the most consistent with the level of production they put out. And from all of this I have to say Orbit is one fine imprint. They release great books in time periods to keep readers happy, they are one of the most consistent imprints in the level of high quality material that they publish, and they’re constantly trying to make things cheaper and more affordable for the reader. But anyway enough about how fantastic Orbit is, the real crux of the matter is that I would have passed by this fantastic book without even knowing it, and that would have been the real crime.

The Spirit Thief is fun, well written, and full of well developed characters. Aaron does a fantastic job creating a story around this first chapter of the Eli Monpress series. She introduces just enough mystery to reel the reader into the next book, while maintaining an engaging action packed plot that will keep you up late into the night.

Not only is the plot well developed and intricate enough to entice readers to the next in the series, but the characters are all interesting and robust. None of the characters are bland or black and white, and even the minor characters are given enough great dialog to keep the story moving and entertaining. My personal favorite characters thus far in the series are Josef and Gin who are both strong, slightly sarcastic, interesting characters, who like almost all the characters in this series are filled with just a little bit of suspense and mystery about their back stories.

The Spirit Rebellion

It’s often hard to keep the same level of action and mystery in the second book of a series. This has to do with the author having to create a new situation to capture the reader’s attention while at the same time stringing the reader along in the central mystery to the series arc without giving away to much. It’s hard and it’s complicated, but if you can get it just right it can put the series just in the right spot to really take off.

In The Spirit Rebellion, Rachel Aaron does a terrific job of introducing readers to an exciting new situation that brings back all your favorite characters. Miranda gets put into a pickle when political action starts playing against her and she soon finds herself tossed out of the organization she’s given her life to protect. Nico is forced to confront the realities of her situation as a demonseed. Josef must face his connection with the Heart of War. And Eli walks into a blatant trap he may not be able to get out of this time.

Like The Spirit Thief, Aaron does a great job maintaining both fun dialog and complex characters, but what I found most interesting about The Spirit Rebellion was the back story and cliffhanger like ending that Aaron introduces in this sensational sequel. Readers really get to see a new side to Eli, as we get a glimpse into his past, but most intriguing is the relationship with Benehime, who plays a fascinating yet small character in this book. It’s obvious to readers she is going to play a much bigger role in books to come, but it’s very exciting to watch her story and relationship with Eli unfold.

Of course, while I wont say what the cliffhanger like ending entails, I will say that it sets up an engaging plot for the next book in the series, The Spirit Eater, that I’m pretty sure I wont be able to put down.

All in all The Spirit Rebellion is a great book. The characters are witty and robust, the plot is intricate and just starting to bloom, and the book as a whole contains action, suspense, and magic in just the right proportions to allow the book to move at an exhilarating pace. Making The Spirit Rebellion a fantastic second book in the Legend of Eli Monpress series.

The Spirit Eater

I’ve been watching White Collar lately and I have to say Eli Monpress is exactly like Neal Caffrey from the show. He is charismatic, driven, and the best thief in the world. And these are just a few of the reasons why the Legend of Eli Monpress series is now one of my favorite series out there.

The Spirit Eater opens with Nico’s past as the Daughter of the Demon Mountain a few years before, and then quickly turns to the present with Nico focused on fighting back against the demon inside of her as it’s suddenly grown more powerful in the last few months.

Of course like The Spirit Rebellion, The Spirit Eater seems to focus on pieces of the characters pasts as it revolves around the present. In this case it happens to revolve around Nico’s past. Readers learn more about demons in this book and Eli’s mysterious powers, but most interesting is that readers will get a taste of the greater mystery of the book, the overarching plot point that will become the motivation for books to come.

All in all, like the rest of the Legend of Eli Monpress series The Spirit Eater is not a book to be missed. The characters are fun and well written, the plot is exciting and full of surprises and action, and the mystery only gets deeper and darker as readers are sucked into the deeper questions surrounding the series. While some of the issues such as some of the new characters introduced seem a little less developed, the older more reliable characters more than make up for the flaws. All in all a great book and I personally can’t wait for the next book, The Spirit War, to come out.

RATING

9.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: February 24, 2012

Price: $15.99

Rise of Empire: By Michael Sullivan

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

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

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

Dark Inside: By Jeyn Roberts

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

The Future of Us: By Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

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 Goblin War: By Hilari Bell

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

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

Spellwright: By Blake Charlton

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