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The Dragon With a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis
29 Wednesday Nov 2017
Posted in Children's Books, Fantasy
Category Archives: Fantasy
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
07 Tuesday Jun 2016
Posted in Fantasy, Young Adult
Fans of Sarah J, Maas will love this first book of a new series. This story takes place in the Witchlands. The main characters, Safiya and Iseult, and the land in which they live has long known the diverse power of witches. These two come with very unique powers – which most had thought were long gone from the land. Iseault is a Threadwitch. She sees the ties that bind people to each other as strands of color. The colors indicate to her the emotional bonds between people. But, she is unable to see her own bonds, and the lack of that ability limits her knowledge of how people may be using her. Iseult is the cool-headed, more balanced of the two.
Sayfiya is a Truthwitch; she knows when people are telling her the truth. Most of the rulers of her world do not realize that she is a truthwitch because she knows her life is in danger if they dicover her abilities. If her power were made known, she would be the most sought-after person in the land because she would know if countries and rulers were telling the truth to each other. Safiya is also impetuous and quick-tempered. She often acts without thinking the consequences through. She definitely needs Iseult to give her balance.
A young Bloodwitch, a man who can smell people’s blood and track them down, and a young male Wind Witch appear on the scene and their lives are changed forever. The girls have many harrowing adventures the outcomes the reader will not anticipate. The reader will be eagerly anticipating the arrival of the next book in the series.
High school and middle school readers of fantasy will drawn into this tale of friendship and love. I recommend it for such people.
Sandrider by Angie Sage
04 Wednesday May 2016
Posted in Fantasy, Young Adult
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This second book in the Todhunter Moon series is well-written and is a pleasure to read. Alice Todhunter Moon is a novice magician in the Castle when a young girl accidentally enters the lives of the people in the Castle through the Ancient Ways. The inhabitants of the Castle already know about the Egg of Orm which had been stolen by an evil sorcerer named Oraton-Maar. But, they have no idea where he is keeping it until it hatches. Of course, the girl can help them, but she doesn’t trust them, and they soon learn they can’t trust her either.
How Alice and her friends manage to get to the egg before the baby Orm hatches and whom the Orm will imprint on when it does hatch makes this a very fast-moving tale that will appeal to the middle-school reader.
Reader of the Septimus Heap series will enjoy this new series. It continues with Septimus Heap now being in charge of the Castle. This book may stand alone, but the reader will want to go back and read the first book if she begins with this one.
The Murdstone Trilogy by Mal Peet
30 Saturday Apr 2016
Posted in Adult fiction, Fantasy
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I had read Tamar by Mal Peet, and I loved the story. When I saw this book show up on our review list, I was glad that I could review it, thinking that it would be as good as the one I had read. I was VERY wrong. I read the entire thing, hoping against hope, that I would find something to like about it. The only thing I can say is that it was the biggest piece of twaddle I have ever read.
The main character is a writer of sentimental coming-of-age books for boys. His agent convinces him that he needs to write a fantasy, because “fantasy sells.” He can’t bring himself to do it, but in a very Faustian move, he does sell his soul to a “greme” named Pocket Wellfair, who actually writes a fantasy for him. After he becomes a sensation in the fantasy market, his agent tells him that he has to expand his work into a trilogy. Many unbelievable things occur between the writing of the first book and that of the third book – one of which is that he goes off to an island in the Mediterranean to avoid having to write the thing at all.
I totally get it that Peet is thumbing his nose at writers who are looking out for their own “pocket wellfair.” I do know that he thinks that writers who write to please their agents – no matter how pleasing or pretty those agents might be – will not be happy nor successful in the long run. Hats off to Peet for that.
However, the book is loaded with so many British phrases and phonetic pronunciations that no high school student will ever take time to read it. I’m not sure that many adult readers in the U.S. would choose to read it. There is no way I could ever recommend the expenditure of limited library funds for this.
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
23 Saturday Apr 2016
Posted in Fantasy
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I began reading this series, Throne of Glass, with the third book, and was delighted when I got a chance to review this volume. In this tale, Calaena Sardothian has embraced her true identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen; but before she can go home to take her rightful place as Terrasen’s ruler, she must go to Rifthold to rescue her cousin, and a friend, both trapped by a brutal king.
Aelin, who was trained as an assassin, must destroy demons who do unspeakable things to those they enslave, and she must try to free the magic in the world that has been captured by the king so that magic workers can use it to drive back the forces of evil.
The reader also learns more about Manon, the Wing Leader of the Blackbeak witch coven, and of a young girl named Elide enslaved by her own uncle on the mountain of Morath. Manon can be as blood-thirsty and as cold-hearted as any witch in the coven, but something awakens in her when she is around Elide. She begins to feel compassion for Elide – a new experience for her.
Aelin, on her quest to save her cousin, learns that one cannot always judge people by what the eye sees; they are often hiding their true identity out of fear. This is a good lesson for all of us to learn. We sometime have to look deep into a person to discover who they really are.
The author has skillfully woven together the bits and pieces, both good and evil, of this fantasy world. She brings all events to a satisfying conclusion, and yet teases the reader into desiring to know more about Manon and Elide and possibly other characters from the Throne of Glass series.
This series is very violent, and is not appropriate for younger readers. I can only recommend it for those readers high school age and above. If you have read the other books in the series, you will need to get this one. It can stand alone, but it is best read in sequence.
Dearest by Alethea Kontis
16 Monday Nov 2015
Posted in Fantasy
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This book is a continuation of the tale of the Woodcutter sisters from Knotis’s book Enchanted. Friday Woodcutter takes in all the children who are left after her sister Saturday broke the world. Among those at the castle, unknown by the other inhabitants, are seven brothers who, by day, are swans, but who become men again each night.
Of course, Friday falls in love with Tristan, one of the brothers, but she tries to keep their existence a secret because they are still being hunted the evil Mordant, the person responsible for turning them into swans in the first place. Can Friday save the brothers and the rest of the world before Mordant takes over completely? A strange little man by the name of Mr. Humbug comes to help Friday.
This is an interesting retelling of two fairy tales: The Wild Swans and The Goose Girl. It is a good story for middle school readers of fantasy. I recommend it for grades 5-8.
Public Enemies by Ann Aguirre
16 Monday Nov 2015
Posted in Fantasy, Mythology, Young Adult
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This is the second book of a series entitled The Immortal Game. Readers of the first book, Mortal Danger will be waiting in line to get their hands on this one. The story of Edie Kramer, a mortal who has been pulled into a game played by immortals makes a very exciting tale. Kian, the boy who saved her from destruction at the hands of the immortals now awaits his death. Can Edie save him, her father and herself? That is the problem in this book.
It is a mystery/horror mashup based on religion and mythology. I waded through the first few chapters and finally had enough understanding of the first book to really get into the storyline. I recommend the purchase of this book ONLY if you already have, or are intending to purchase, Mortal Danger. The characters are not given enough backstory in this book for the reader to easily figure out who they are. The events that took place in the first book are mentioned, but not enough pieces are given to put them together until near the end of the book.
I also cannot recommend this for any parochial school or for middle school libraries. There is a very graphic sex scene near the end of book which would not be acceptable for most parents of those students. Optional purchase for high school or college age readers IF you have the first one.
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
27 Saturday Jun 2015
Posted in Fantasy
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This, the fourth in The Throne of Glass Series, continues the saga of Celaena Sardothian and her struggle to find herself in a world that is filled with monstrous enemies. She must go to the fairy world to find her true origins and powers.
Although the king is trying his best to eliminate magic use by anyone, Celaena knows she needs to conquer and use what magic she has – even if that means she may face death. Celaena is to be taught about her skills by Rowan, a Fairy sent by Maeve, the Queen of the Fairies. Celaena is not sure she can trust Rowan, but she has no other choice.
She is not the only being with magical powers that must fly under the king’s radar. Other beings, such as the witches of the world are aligning themselves with the king, but only to decrease other magic users and thereby increase their hold on the world. And, in the capital itself, the son of the king begins to exhibit his magical powers.
What will be the outcome of the inevitable confrontation of good and evil? This tale is sure to please readers of the series in grade 10 and up. I recommend it only as an optional purchase because, unless the library already has the first three books, it may not move off the shelves. Or, it might incite the reader to insist on getting the other three books into the collection.
The Eternal City by Paula Morris
08 Friday May 2015
Posted in Fantasy, Mythology, Young Adult
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The past is the past, and it’s over and done with. Right? What if it is not? What if, just because people stopped believing in them, the Roman gods and goddesses never stopped existing? What if something that was stolen from them in the past needs to be returned to stop calamity in the future? Such is the premise of this book.
Laura is a high school student from the U.S. on a trip to Paris with other students of Ancient History. She and the rest of her group get trapped in Rome because of a volcanic eruption which stops all air traffic. But, then things get weirder and weirder. Statues come to life and birds seems to have strange powers, but Laura is not sure that these things are really happening. The most unlikely people help her sort out her problems and help save her life and all of Rome itself.
This is a good love/adventure story involving history, mythology and religion. Readers in grades 7-12 will enjoy it.
Doubleborn by Toby Forward
08 Friday May 2015
Posted in Fantasy, Young Adult
In the library where I work, there are many fans of fantasy – in particular of books about dragons. They look forward to seeing the next installment of any dragon tale. This third book in the Dragonborn series continues the tale of Sam and his dragon, Starbuck; but introduces Tamrin, a girl who has been secretly training as a sorcerer. The two of them must figure out how their lives are intertwined and how to work together to stop the villainous wizard Ash from escaping from her castle prison. They have to find out who, in their world, is helping Ash before she manages to escape.
The story by itself comes to a satisfactory conclusion. It can stand alone without the other two books in the series. But, if you already have the first two books, it is a MUST-HAVE. Upper elementary and middle school readers who like dragon stories will enjoy it. I recommend it as an optional purchase for elementary and middle school readers. The reader will quickly realize that this is NOT the end of the Dragonborn.
