Keeper of the Lost Cities: Lodestar

By Shannon Messenger

Wow.  Just...wow.

This book was amazing! I couldn't put it down, though that's how I am with all of Shannon Messenger's books. She is a fantastic writer!

This book picks up right after the 4th book ends, and for those of you who haven't read it, there will be a few spoilers here just to catch everyone up.  At the end of the 4th book, Keefe joins the Neverseen, the evil organization that's bent on ruling the world. It's shocking and heartbreaking, but he feels it's the only way.

In the Lodestar, it is revealed that Keefe is only trying to bring down the organization from the inside. He's working his way in, getting the bad guys to trust him so that he can ultimately defeat them. He does it to help Sophie. I think that he's really doing it because he's in love with her and he wants to save her. But that's just my opinion.  Sophie, of course, is oblivious, but she and Keefe work together over long distances to keep him safe and share secrets.

Sophie is also working with Fitz and the others of the Black Swan to discover what Lodestar is.  The Lodestar Initiative is a plan vaguely mentioned by the Neverseen as their great plan to "save the world" or change and fix it.  Sophie must figure out what it is and stop if before the world around her crumbles. They try to piece together clues hidden along the way, using a symbol they found. Sophie and her friends find out how the Neverseen travels and where many of their hideouts are located.  They also figure out some other secrets too. They get closer and closer just to end up still out of reach of their goal.

In their world of chaos and confusion, peace must be restored according to the Elven Councillors. A Peace Summit is planned, and all the leaders of the other species are invited to meet and discuss terms.  The elves, dwarves, gnomes, goblins, and trolls will all be sending their royalty or representatives to a sit down meeting with the Councillors, and Sophie is invited along with Mr. Forkle, the leader of the Black Swan.

In the end, Sophie figures out the Neverseen's plan a little too late, and someone important dies. Someone VERY important.  (I was so sad!)  Sophie also realizes the the Neverseen also have plans to use her, but they need leverage.  Keefe heard talk that they planned to snatch her family. Sophie thought that meant her new adoptive parents, Grady and Edaline, but she was wrong. They really grabbed her human family! Sophie runs into her little, human sister, who recognizes her.  AND THAT'S WHERE THE BOOK ENDS!

There's really so much more to this book that what I wrote. So much happens, but there's lots of little twists and turns along the way. Shannon Messenger is really good and planting infomration early and throughout the book that, if you're really smart, you piece it together to figure it all out!  Usually you've forgotten a lot of the little pieces until it becomes so obvious that, of course, you need that!  It's phenomenal! I can't say enough fabulous things about this series! I also reading it to my boys, and they beg and beg for me to keep reading.  They love all the characters and the comedic parts (especially Keefe!).

This series is fantastic for upper elementary, middle school, young adult, and anyone looking for a splendid book.  And it's safe! There are no swear words, no sex or drugs, and no graphic violence. It's like Harry Potter, but not as dark. It's so, so good!

Keeper of the Lost Cities

By Shannon Messenger

In honor of the fifth book coming out today, I'm going to talk about the first book in my second favorite series: Keeper of the Lost Cities!  This book/series was recommended to me by a student who was in love with these books (and still is).  She lent me her first book, and after reading it, I knew I had to have it and the next two in the series.  They were fantastic. And not only were they fantastic for me, but I knew my boys would love and adore them too.  Don't worry, they did. And now the fifth book has come out and we had to buy it today!!! We've already started it, that's how great it is.

Keepers of the Lost Cities is a book about a young girl named Sophie Foster. She's twelve years old, but she a child prodigy and is in her senior year at high school. She has no friends, and she feels like she doesn't fit in with her family. Not only that, but she can hear people's thoughts. Not something that endears one to others.

Then one day, she meets a beautiful boy, Fitz, who explains that he's been looking for her. And she's not human. She's an elf! That's why she doesn't belong. Fitz takes her back to the Elvin world, hidden away from humans, where she suddenly has to fit in. Everyone is very suspicious of her. Besides her being able to read and hear others' thoughts, no one, not even their most skilled telepaths, can read hers.  She is an enigma and many don't trust her.

She enrolls at the most prestigious school, Foxfire, and tries not to fail all of her classes. She must relearn many, many things because humans have things backwards at times. She makes friends, for the first time ever, and enemies.  She breaks rules, big important rules, because she knows its wrong not to help. Even though her life and schooling is on the line, she can't just let others get hurt when she knows she can help.

Sophie ends up getting kidnapped, along with her friend Dex. She has help, but in the end she must save herself and Dex, almost dying in the process. When she returns, she finds her friends and family are happy to have her. She finally belongs.

What I love about this book: The characters in this book are awesome! They are complex and diverse, full of quirks that stick with you.  My favorite character is Keefe.  He's always great for a laugh. I also love that this book has fantastic twists and turns. One thing always leads to another which leads to another. They are big books, but things are always happening so there's never a dull moment. My boys beg to listen to this book. I've also read this to 2 of my 6th grade classes and they love it as well, begging me to read the next book to them.

This book is like Harry Potter, but less dark.  There are bad things that happen, but there's always a hopeful attitude in the book.   The author keeps raising the stakes in each book, and they just keep getting better and better. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us in the 5th book!

This series is great for upper elementary, middle school, and young adults. It's also fantastic for anyone who just loves a great book. I can't put them down!

The School for Good and Evil

A World Without Princes
By Soman Chainani

At the end of the first book, Agatha kissed Sophie to save her. As Sophie came back to life, her and Agatha took hands and glittered away, back to their hometown and their old lives, leaving behind their friends and Agatha's Prince Tedros.

And that is where the 2nd book starts off. Sophie and Agatha are back home, celebrities after their exciting encounter in the fairy tale realm. Sophie eats it up, loving every minute of the fame, but Agatha isn't so sure. What's worse, where she thought that all she needed in the whole world was her best friend, her heart sings a different tune. She starts to wish for Tedros, believing that maybe she made the wrong choice. But what can she do?

Suddenly, arrows appear out of nowhere, flying though the air with deadly aim for only one person: Sophie. Sophie is locked into the church for safe keeping, but soon the town realizes that the only way to save themselves is to give Sophie up. Agatha tries to save her, but they are both transported back to The School for Good and Evil. But now it's completely different.

Because Agatha chose Sophie over her prince, fairy tales are starting to rewrite them selves. It's no longer the School for Good and Evil, but the School for Boys and Girls. Girls have distanced themselves from their princes, banding together and believing they now don't need a prince to save them. They can save themselves. This leaves the boys by themselves over in the School for Evil to fend for themselves. But their angry. And it's all Sophie's fault.

Agatha tries to fix the problem. She realizes, and is told by her teachers and other friends, that the only way to make things right is for her to kiss her Prince. She finds a way to get to him, but before they can kiss, something happens. Now Prince Tedros believes Agatha, too, is out to kill him and destroy his happily-ever-after. He wants both Sophie and Agatha dead and has promised his treasure to anyone who can make that happen.

A new trial is pronounced, a trial between boys and girls. Whoever can outlast the other wins. If the girls win, the boys will become the girls' slaves. If the boys win, Sophie and Agatha must be brought to the boys for public execution. Sophie and Agatha work together with their friends, trying to stop all of this from happening, but the trial comes. Things go awry during the trial and the Evil School Master, destroyed in the last book, returns, still wanting Sophie at his side. Sophie chooses him because Agatha has finally kissed Tedros, sealing their love. Sophie kisses the School Master, thereby sending Agatha back to their hometown alone. But before she can fully disappear, she grabs Tedros and he goes with, saving his life.

What I liked: It was a fantastic book, as good as the second. It started a little slow, but picked up. Some of the characters were new and parts of it were a little predicable (maybe that's just me), but there were still a plethora of twists and turns. You got to find out a little more history about some of the characters. Many of my favorite characters from the first book returned, adding comic relief and biting wit. I especially like the character of Dot. In the first book, she was a very plumb young Never (evil) witch who turned everything she touched into chocolate. She was constantly eating chocolate. In the 2nd book, she now is slim and beautiful, turning everything she touches into vegetables, which she is constantly eating.  And she really doesn't want to return to being a Never. She's made friends and enjoys being beautiful and taking care of herself.  I look forward to seeing how she is in the 3rd book.

This series is fantastic for upper elementary, middle school, or anyone who loves great stories dealing with fairy tales. It's not full of fairy tales, but it just has that fantastic quality to it. I can't wait to read the next book!

The School of Good and Evil

by Soman Chainani

What if everything you thought you knew about fairy tales was backwards? What if what you thought was good was really evil? And what you thought was evil was really good? That is the premise of this fantastic story.

The two main characters are Sophie and Agatha, best friends from two different worlds. They both live in a small village outside a giant, foreboding woods that no one can escape. Sophie thinks she is a princess. She dresses in pink and has a ridiculous fashion regiment that includes all sorts of weird things. She knows she doesn't belong in the village, but she tolerates it all until her time comes to be what she knows she is: a princess in a fairy tale.

Her best friend, Agatha, is the complete opposite of Sophie. Where Sophie is light, Agatha is dark. Where Sophie is smiles and fluff, Agatha is frowns and seriousness. Where Sophie dresses in pink, Agatha wears only a unshapely, black shift. But Sophie knows they are destined for great things together.

When they are kidnapped by the School Master (who only comes every 4 years to kidnap a good person and evil person), Sophie knows her time has come. Agatha just wants to go home. She doesn't want to be separated from Sophie, and she doesn't want to be evil. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned.

Sophie is dropped off at the School of Evil where wolves control, ugliness rules, and wickedness thrives. Sophie knows she doesn't belong there and does everything in her power to escape to the School of Good across the way. Everyone in her school also knows she doesn't belong either.

While Sophie is at the School of Evil trying desperately to get to the School of Good to be a princess and find her prince, Agatha is dropped off at the School of Good, where everyone agrees she doesn't belong. Her goal is to get Sophie and get home. So they decide to work together.

Agatha helps Sophie, but Sophie's motives are pure. In the end, it is clear that the girls were dropped at the correct schools. Agatha is pure of heart, proving she is a princess. She even finds a prince who sees her beauty inside. Sophie is selfish and wicked, and with every evil deed, she turns even more ugly until she is a hideous witch. The tables keep turning though until there is a surprise ending.  Agatha saves Sophie and they are whisked away back to their village and away from Agatha's handsome prince.

What I thought: I thought this was a wonderful book. It was fun and engaging. It had amazing, complex characters that kept you on your toes. You were anxious to find out what happened to Sophie and Agatha and discover how their stories turned out. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. It's a trilogy!!

This is a great book for upper elementary, middle school, young adult, and anyone who enjoys a good story that has fairy tale aspects to it. It's good for boys and girls.

Inheritance series

By Christopher Paolini

One of the things my boys and I like to do is listen to audio books in the van. We listen on the way to and from school and on any trips we take. They love it, and they hate when we have to stop. 

It all started last summer when I took all 4 boys to MN by  myself to visit my parents. We couldn't watch videos so I thought we'd try books. That was one of the best idea I've ever had. Since last summer, we've listened to all of the Peter and the Starcatchers books by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, all of the Sisters' Grimm novels by Michael Buckley, The Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner, and a variety of other books. Last spring we started the Inheritance series because I thought the boys would like the dragons and adventure, and we just finished this week with the 4th book.

These books are like the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars rolled into one. There's action and adventure, battles and travel, elves, dwarves, urgals, and dragon riders. There's an evil, tyrant ruler (Galbatorix) and the rebels (the Varden) who are trying to get back control of the empire from him. And all of it rests on the shoulders of one young man named Eragon.

In the beginning, Eragon is just a 16 year old boy who lives with him uncle and cousin on their farm. He's nothing special, and his future looks boring. Until a large blue rock drops near him while he's hunting. He takes it home and it hatches. A beautiful blue dragon appears and chooses Eragon as her rider. He names her Sapphira, and they leave his home. Along their travels, they learn and grow, meet new people and discover enemies. He helps the Varden thwart Galbatorix, becomes an adopted dwarf, journeys to an elven city to learn from a hidden dragon rider, goes back to helping the Varden, fights against another dragon rider under Galbatorix's control (who just so happens to be his half brother), and falls in love. All of this leads to the final battle between the Varden and Galbatorix's army. Eragon is the only one who can defeat him, even if Galbatorix is stronger and wiser.

In the end, Eragon vanquishes Galbatorix as only he can. The Varden take over, and Eragon decides to leave to raise dragon eggs and riders somewhere more safe and remote.

What I liked: This books has lots of great characters with depth and complexities. Some of the side characters are especially great.  I really wish the author would write the back story on Angela. She's one of my favorite characters.  Also, the visuals and descriptions are fantastic! You can really picture everything in your mind. The story is engaging and exciting. My boys and I give it all a big thumb's up!!!

What I didn't like: Some of the descriptions were a little too much. Also, there were some scenes that were a little unnecessary. Sometimes it felt as if he were just trying to make it as long as possible.

This series is great for boys and girls, ages middle school and up. My boys loved it and always begging to hear more, but after listening to it, I think I should have waited a little longer to share this story with them. Some of the battle scenes were a little graphic, and I don't think that was good for my younger sons.

 
 
 

Empire of Storms

by Sarah J. Maas

I actually finished this 4 days ago, but it's been CRAZY in my world. This is the first chance I've had to put this up.

This book was amazing! It started where the other left off and kept going. I was full of twists and turns, just like the others, but I think Sarah J. Maas upped the ante some more. She brings in new characters but also some old ones that Celaena once knew. This book ends with a HUGE cliffhanger, and again I'm left waiting for the next one.

There is a small difference in this book. It starts with a prologue of sorts, going back in time to when King Gavin and Queen Elena were trying to defeat Erawan, a Valg King who was left in the world and was trying to take over.  It hints at how Elena and Gavin (Aelin's and Dorian's ancestors) contain Erawan. Unfortunately, as we all know, Erawan escapes and now Aelin and Dorian and everyone else have to deal with him.

Aelin and her court make it to Terrasen, her homeland, and meet with lords just to find out that they don't think she should be queen. She leaves, promising aid if they need it even if they are turning their backs on her. She travels to a coastal town with her court (Rowan, Aedion, and Lysandra) and causes some trouble. Brannon, a long dead ancestor/god/Fae, visits her and tells her to find the Lock. Only with the Lock can the Wyrdkeys be placed back in the gate. They decide to head south to Skull Bay where Rolfe, the Pirate King, has promised to kill her if she should return. But she needs his help and comes up with a very creative way to get it.

Meanwhile, Erawan wants Dorian who sits alone in the shattered glass palace. He sends the witches to sack Rifthold, destroy the people, and capture Dorian, bringing him to Morath for Erawan to use. Manon, for reasons she doesn't understand, races to Rifthold and kills a witch to prevent Dorian's death. She helps him escape, sending him with Rowan. (Aelin heard about the upcoming destruction of Rifthold and sent Rowan to help save Dorian since he could get there fastest.) Rowan and Dorian escape and make their way to Skull Bay to await Aelin and the others. They also make friends with Rolfe and find that Gavriel and Fenrys, two of Rowan's group under Queen Maeve of the Fae, are already there. They were sent to kill Lorcan, another of their group who went rogue, trying to capture and destroy the Wyrdkeys before they destroyed his queen.  They all sit and wait for Aelin to come and explain her plan to Rolfe.

Manon heads back to Morath where she is tried for being a witch killer. She lies and says that Dorian was her kill and the other witch got in her way, allowing Dorian to escape. She is found guilty and her punishment is that her second, Asterin, will be killed. Instead of killing her, Manon attacks her grandmother, allowing her Thirteen to escape, but she is almost disemboweled. Also, her grandmother reveals that Manon is not all she thinks she is. She is the special. Manon falls off the ledge onto Abraxos, her wyvern, and he flies her away. She's losing too much blood and tells him to fly somewhere safe.

Aelin shows up and convinces Rolfe to join her cause. Again, she's very creative and sassy and it takes some strategic planning and conniving to get Rolfe to help, but in the end he does. She, with her reconnected court and Dorian, and a part of his crew head south to the Stone Marshes where the Lock is supposed to be located. Along the way, Manon and Abraxos show up. They heal Manon but keep her prisoner because they don't know if they can trust her. Dorian is drawn to her though and they get to know each other better. When they get to the Stone Marshes, Aelin and her small group travel inland. The Stone Marshes are a creepy place with vicious predators and dead bodies buried in the water. They find the chest when contains the Lock, but before they open it, they are attacked with a legion of one of Erawan's monsters.  Aelin digs deep, deeper than she's ever dug within her power, and throws everything she has at them. Anything she doesn't get is taken down by the others. Aelin utterly destroys the legion but also depletes her powers. She's empty.

They take the Lock and head back to the boat, only to find more ships waiting for her. They are led by Ansel of Briarcliff, Queen of the Wastes, and one time friend of Celaena. (Ansel is from the novellas. She betrayed Celaena and the Silent Assassins, but Celaena defeated her and spared her life. She called in the debt.) When they all are introduced and plan to head out, they all find another armada waiting. It's Queen Maeve waiting for surrender.  Aelin can't fight because she's depleted her powers. Instead, Dorian solves a riddle and send Aelin and Manon into the Lock, which is really a special mirror. They see the secrets of the past revealed, of how Elena and Gavin contained Erawan in the Lock. The Lock was only a one time thing and it was used once already. The only way to make it work again is for Aelin to fill it with her power. But to do that, she must give all she has.

Meanwhile, Rowan and Dorian and everyone else start to battle with Maeve's armada, trying to stay alive. However, they find out that Maeve is on the shore behind them. The tides of the fight turn, especially when Manon's Thirteen show up to help. This allows Rowan, Dorian, and the rest head to shore to find out what Maeve is doing.

Aelin and Manon return from the mirror, but not from where they started. They are on the shore where they find Maeve waiting. Maeve demands too much, and Aelin sacrifices herself. Maeve takes her away in an iron coffin, vanishing before anyone can stop them. Manon, however, has a great secret! It's a great one.

Galan Ashryver, prince of Wendlyn, shows up with his armada, as well as all the Silent Assassins from across the desert. Aelin called in all her life debts to build an army that can take on Erawan. Manon and Dorian and the Thirteen plan to head to find other witches that can help in the north, and Aedion plans to travel back with Lysandra to Terrasen. Lysandra has shifted into Aelin so that no one knows Aelin's really been taken. Rowan promises to save Aelin, and Gavriel and Lorcan go with to help.

And that's the end!!!!

What I liked: Again, this book had all the great qualities of a Sarah J. Maas book: secrets, twists, turns. Aelin leads us on an adventure. She's such a brilliant, intelligent character, even when she's sassy and frustrating to the others. She's got a heart of gold, even if no one else really sees it. She does her best to protect her family. I also really like Manon and her character. She's like another Aelin. They are two sides of a coin, and now that they've allied together, they will be unstoppable.

What I didn't like: There were two sex scenes in the book that included details. I was really disappointed in this. As an adult, that's fine, but I like to share my books with my students, and I can not do that with this book. Such brilliance and my students will not get to read it.

I would recommend this book for at young adults, both male and female.

Queen of Shadows

by Sarah J. Maas

This is book 4 in the Throne of Glass series, and the ante has been upped.  It's bigger, better, and more exciting!  This books takes off right where the last one finished and drives it further.  It still follows Celaena Sardothien, except now she has embraced who she truly is. She is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen and the Heir of Fire, and she is back to kill the King, save her friend, and reclaim her throne.

Queen of Shadows again follows different people throughout the book, but it mainly focuses on Aelin. Aelin is back in Rifthold after mastering her powers in Wendlyn. She left behind Rowan, though she misses him terribly. He would have stood out too much as Fae. Her goal and focus is multi-purposed. First, she needs to save her cousin, Aedion, from exucusion under the King. She needs to retrieve the 3rd Wyrdkey from Arobynn Hamel, her one time master and the one who inadvertently sent her to Endovier Salt Mines to be a slave for one year.  She does this while also destroying him and his assassin empire. She wants to save her friend, Crown Prince Dorian, who is enslaved by a Wyrdcollar. The Wyrdcollar allows a Valg Prince, a demon from another realm, to inhabit his body and take over. Because the collar doesn't come off, Aelin thinks the only way to save Dorian is to kill him and the demon prince within him. It will be a mercy for him, she's sure. Aelin also finds out how to bring magic back to the land, and she determined to flood the land with it so she can have her powers back. With her powers, she will be able to take on the King and send him back to the hell he came from, making him pay for all the sorrows and suffering he's caused.

Along side her is her cousin, Aedion, who she masterfully saves with help from Arobynn Hamel. Chaol is also helping, though reluctantly.  He is afraid of Aelin, afraid of what she will be and do, especially what she'll do with Dorian. He believes that Dorian should be saved, that he's still alive inside, but Aelin knows better. Chaol is angry with Aelin as well, and they spend a good deal of time arguing with each other.

Lysandra, a courtesan from The Assassin's Blade (the Prequel), returns. She is Arobynn's choice courtesan, but she hates him and plans with Aelin to destroy him. In The Assassin's Blade, Lysandra and Aelin were enemies, but in Queen of Shadows, they grow close, both helping and saving the other.

Rowan, though he's suppose to stay in Wendlyn, follows after Aelin. Neither realized how much they missed the other, and begin to discover that they need each other in more ways than one.

Manon, the Wing Leader of the Blackbeak witch clan, is another main character, and her story continues.  Manon and her Thirteen are stationed at Morath, the home of Duke Perrington. He has secret plans that he is conducting under the mountain, secret evil plans that involve dark magic. Manon is conflicted throughout the book, trying to follow orders and yet do what she feels is right. In one section of the book, Manon and Aelin meet and battle spectacularly, and Aelin saves Manon from death. Manon finally makes a stand in the end, following what's right for her and her Thirteen.

In the end, Aelin and her court save the day, releasing magic, killing the king, and saving the prince.  There is a HUGE secret revealed as the King dies, propelling the story forward and leaving it open for the next book where more action and adventure await. Aeiln and her court head home to Terrasen, excited to finally make it back. But more evil and danger is coming.

This book is amazing! It has everything a story needs: action, adventure, intrugue, secrets, betrayals, romance, surprises, healing, and redemption.  It's a great story for middle school and above boys and girls.

THE NEXT BOOK COMES OUT TOMORROW AND I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!!!!

Heir of Fire

By Sarah J. Maas

This is the 3rd book in the Throne of Glass series, and it picks up right where it left off and takes things to a whole new level. This book is amazingly jam-packed with excitement and adventure, twists and turns. Heir of Fire mainly follows Celaena, but it also follows other characters, mainly Chaol, Dorian, and a new character named Manon.  The stories twine around each other, vying for attention, but it's mostly Celaena's story that drives the book (as it should.  She is the main character, after all).

At the end of Crown of Midnight, Celaena is sent to Wendlyn, the country across the sea, so that she can kill the King and Crown Prince, thereby allowing the King of Adarlan to take over. It is also revealed that she is the lost queen of Terrasen, Aelin Galathynius, a fact that she's kept buried deep within herself for 10 years. Celaena can't kill the King of Wendlyn, a distant cousin of hers, because she doesn't have the will. Especially after seeing how much the people of Wendlyn love, truly love, him. Her goal becomes to get in touch with Maeve, the Fae Queen located on Wendlyn, and find out more information about the Wyrdkeys and how to destroy them and the King of Adarlan. Except Maeve wants something in return. She wants 'Aelin' to show Maeve what she can do. Celaena can't. She hasn't trained in over 10 years, and when she did train, she had no control. Plus, she's terrified of it. Maeve refuses to share information until Aelin proves herself, and she leaves one of her own, Rowan, to train Celaena.

Rowan and Celaena are both broken and empty, living day to day and expecting the worst for themselves. They both feel as if they deserve every evil and terrible thing that happens to them. But as they train, they learn to trust each other, rebuilding the other into a stronger, stable person. They form a special bond. Celaena also learns to control her power, a great and powerful power of fire. She learns to embrace her powers instead of fearing them, and she becomes a force that no one can stand against. Celaena faces her terrible past, a past filled with the loss of her parents and other loved one, and she comes out stronger in the end. She comes out of it knowing she hide as Celaena anymore. She is Aelin Galanthynius, and she must return to save her people. She frees Rowan from his blood oath to Maeve, and he immediately swears a blood oath to her.  She talks with Maeve about the Wyrdstones but doesn't learn too much more. She leaves Wendlyn for Rifthold, figuring out where one of the Wyrdstones is hidden. She leaves Rowan behind but is sad to be leaving him, and he her. But right now, that's how it needs to be.

Chaol is still trying to figure out what to do after learning who Celaena is and that Dorian has magic. He's lost and confused and doesn't know what side to stand on. He connects, unexpectedly, with Aedion Ashryver, one of the King's generals and Aelin's cousin. Aedion is one of the King's greatest generals, but he secretly with working with the rebels to find a way to overthrow the King. Chaol is sucked into this, revealing his secrets about Aelin/Celaena to Aedion. They work together to discover the source of the King's power as well as how the King stopped magic 10 years ago. In the end, Aedion is captured and revealed as a traitor, and Chaol is forced to flee, leaving behind all he's worked so hard for.

Dorian is struggling with his magic. He's terrified that someone will notice or see and he will be killed for it. Then he meets Sorscha, a young, beautiful healer in the castle. She finds out his secret bu promises to keep it, even helping him. They fall in love, sharing stolen moments together. Dorian is estranged from Chaol after he sent Celaena away to Wendlyn, but he learns to understand when Dorian fears for Sorscha's life. Sorscha refuses to leave Dorian. In the end, Sorscha is also revealed as a traitor and meets a terrible end. Dorian, in his grief, releases his magic to the pleasure of the King. The King, hoping his son had magic, locks Dorian up to use when he wants.

Manon is a new, fantastic character that adds a great dimension to the story. She is an Iron witch of the Blackbeak clan. All the Iron witches are called to the Ferian Gap where there is a present from the King of Adarlan. He has wyverns, and he wants the witches to ride them, train them, and prepare for battle to fight for him. There is a great deal of fighting between the clans, but they are all dark and born without souls or hearts. Except Manon learns that maybe that's not the case. She forms a deep bond with her wyvern, Abraxos, and together they win the War Games, securing her spot at Wing Leader for the King's wyvern army. With the rest of her clan, they are to head to another place and prepare for war.

What I liked: All the different points of view and storylines blended so well together. They drew you in, making you yearn to know more. They also revealed things that tied them nicely together. The action is faster paced, and the book is a must read! Out of the first three, this one is probably my favorite because so much happens. There's also backstory, and I love a good backstory!

Heir of Fire is a great book for middle school boys and girls and young adults. Once you start, you just can't put it down!

Crown of Midnight

by Sarah J. Maas

This is the 2nd book in the Throne of Glass series, and it is just as amazing as the first. It picks up right where it left off at the end of Throne of Glass.

Celaena is now the King's Champion, a position that grants her freedom in 4 years, but a position she despises.  She is tasked by the King to kill of the people standing in his way, people who may actually be on her side, the side of freedom and peace. In her own small way, she is standing up to the King as well, though no one knows it. Everyone around her thinks she's a monster because she's killing off all these people, but what they don't know is that she's faking all of their deaths. She can't tell anyone this for fear of putting them in danger too.

Her next target is in Rifthold, the capital city of Adarlan and where the Glass Castle and the King are located. Archer Flynn, a good friend from her past, is supposedly plotting treason against the King, and the King isn't pleased.  To fake his death will be more difficult, but she's willing to do it to protect those she loves.

When she approaches Archer, he panics and begs for mercy. She promises a month before he must leave, but she also wants names of others involved, names that she can give the King instead of Archer. He promises all the help she wants because he's not really involved, but he knows things.  Things like that this rebel group is trying to put the lost princess of Terrasen, Aelin Galanthynius.

In the meantime, Celaena and Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, are growing closer and closer, neither seeing the love blossoming between them. Dorian, the Prince, has backed off because he sees their attraction, but he's sad because he also loves Celaena.  Nehemia, the Princess from Eyllwe, is still visiting the castle and is Celaena's best friend. Nehemia starts teaching Celaena about Wyrdmarks, ancient symbols of power, and how to use them.

Chaol hears about a threat to Nehemia's life and keeps a closer eye on her and her guard, but finds no reason to share it with Celaena.  Also, Dorian discovers he has magic awakening within him, a power so raw and powerful that he can't control it. And in a country where magic is outlawed and those who have it are killed, Dorian is afraid to reveal it to anyone.

One morning, while Nehemia is teaching Celaena, Nehemia begs Celaena to help her stand up to the King, to fight to take him down. Celaena refuses to help because she knows what the King is capable of, of his wicked strength and cruel power. She is terrified of him, and Nehemia calls her a coward. They storm away from each other.

Some nights after Celaena and Chaol finally admit they love each other, Chaol is kidnapped to draw Celaena away from the castle. She chases after him in a blaze of fury, annihilating all in her path. She follows the trail to a warehouse where the rebel group awaits with Chaol chained up. Archer appears and reveals that a threat was made on Nehemia's life, a threat that Chaol knew about and kept secret. Celaena is furious and speeds back to the castle to save Nehemia, but she's too late. Nehemia and her guards have been massacred in a gruesome way. Celaena snaps, lunging for Chaol because it's his fault. She tries to kill him, but she's knocked out and carried to the dungeon.

Once she is released, she figures out that there is only one person who would be responsible for the death of Nehemia, an assassin from the King's Champion tournament who failed, a man named Grave. She tracks him down one night and slaughters him, taking her time in killing him so that he can feel what Nehemia felt.

Celaena also finds out that there are three powerful, magical Wyrdstones, or keys that could open a Wyrdgate, a gate into other realms that would let in terrible beings and monsters. The King has at least one of these Wyrdstones, which is the reason he's so powerful and no one can stop him. Celaena is determined to find the others and stop him. But first she wants to say good-bye to Nehemia. She knows enough about Wyrdmarks now that she can open a portal into another realm, one where Nehemia will be let through. While she's finishing with Nehemia, Archer shows up, and Celaena discovers that he was behind it all. He also wants the Wyrdstones so he can rule. He also was the one behind Nehemia's death. In the ensuing fight, the portal is changed to open to another world, a deadly world with evil creatures all to happy to come through.

Chaol and Dorian rush in to help. Archer escapes, and Chaol, Dorian, and Celaena fight one of the creatures that have come through the portal. The creature takes Celaena's dog into the other world and Chaol follows, leaving Celaena no choice but to follow. In the other world where magic abounds, her Fae (fairy) nature breaks free, frightening Chaol. She defeats the creature and they escape back through the portal before it closes.

After all is over, Chaol, who still loves her and wants to protect her, has the King send Celaena across the ocean to Wendlyn, a country that the King has been trying to conquer for a while. Celaena is sent there to kill the King and Prince of Wendlyn.  Before Celaena leaves on the boat, she whispers a date to Chaol, a date that reveals more about her past. When Chaol checks it out and follows the clues, he discovers that Celaena is Aelin Galathynius, the Lost Queen of Terrasen. And he has just sent her to a country where she could find allies and help. He's terrified.

And that's where the book ends. On that big cliffhanger! There is so much more within this book. These are just the big details, but there are lots of little stories of intrigue and excitement that just add so much more to this series and book. I can't say enough good things about it!

What I liked about this book: Everything (of course)!  It brought more depth to characters, revealing more about who they really are. This book takes the story and jacks it up another level, building and building until the end...and then it leaves you wanting more.

I would recommend this book to middle school boys and girls who love action and adventure (with a little romance). It's just so amazing!

Throne of Glass

by Sarah J. Maas

This is the original first book by Sarah J. Maas and the first I read. Throne of Glass is the first book of hers that I fell in love with.

Celaena Sardothien has spent a year in the Salt Mines of Endovier, a punishment from the King of Adarlan for her misdeeds of the past. She is weak and pathetically thin, but her sass and spirit have not been broken. The Crown Prince, Dorian, wants to use her for a competition his father is having. The King is looking for a Champion, someone to do his dirty work and get rid of people in his way. Twenty-four higher-ups in the court sponsor would be champions in a contest for the prize. Celaena, who is terrified of the King, doesn't want to compete but it's this or back to Endovier.

Celaena starts training with the Captain of the Guard, Chaol, and has trouble at first because she's so weak. But she is determined to win, and nothing will stand in her way. Her identity is hidden because very few people know that Adarlan's Assassin, Celaena Sardothien, is really a 18 year old girl. For the competition, the other champion's and sponsors know her as a jewel thief and don't consider her worth their time.  Chaol convinces her to stay in the middle of the pack, under the radar, and not to show off too much. This doesn't sit well with Celaena, but she is impressed with his logic.

Test after test goes by, whittling out the weak, and Celaena hangs in there, along with Cain, a soldier of massive strength and power. Strange murders start occuring within the castle, brutally killing and maiming champions. Chaol is busy trying to figure out who is doing this, and Celaena knows this is no coincidence. Someone is picking off the champions one by one.

Celaena makes a friend, a true friend, in Princess Nehemia from Eyllwe, and helps Nehemia learn the customs and language of Adarlan. Chaol and Dorian also start to develop feelings for the smart, sassy assassin, and she, of course, loves their attentions.

The final test is a duel for the last four contestants. Cain defeats his opponent, and Celaena easily beats hers which leaves the two of them to duel it out. Poison is slipped into Celaena's wine before the fight, and Cain takes great advantage. He toys with her, and darkness descends on her. She fights and fights, but with the poison's influence, she just can't get anywhere. Just as she's about to give up, Nehemia helps her out, using a little power/magic. The poison is removed from Celaena, and she defeats Cain, making her the new King's Champion.

There is so much more to this book, more intrigue and passion and fighting and magic, but if I wrote about all of it, it would take too long.

What I liked: There is just so much to this book. Plus, I really enjoy the character of Celaena. She is smart and sassy and she works hard. She also can still find joy and happiness, even with everything she's been through.  I like the hints into her past, and the references to things that happened in The Assassin's Blade (the prequel).  The different perspectives within the book are also interesting. Celaena is the main storyteller, but sometimes Chaol and Dorian speak.

What I didn't like: The first time I read the book, I didn't really like the part with the dark magic. It was a little confusing and, I thought, a little unnecessary. But  because I've read this book multiple times and the others in the series, it makes more sense. It is important. I appreciate it more now.

Even though there is a girl on the cover, this book is packed full of action and adventure. It isn't girly in any way. There is a little romance, but it takes a backseat to the important parts. This book is awesome for boys and girls of middle school age and above.

The Assassin's Blade

by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas is another of my favorite authors. I could read her novels over and over and not get bored.  In fact, this will be the 3 or 4th time I've read this book. And I plan to read the series again because the 5th book of the series is coming out at the end of August, and I like to review and reread them so I remember what's happened. Plus, I really just like her books.

The Assassin's Blade is the prequel to the Throne of Glass series. It gives the backstory to Celaena Sardothien, a 16 year old assassin. This book is made up of 5 short novellas, each with a story about her past.  The Assassin's Blade takes place in a made -up world called Erilea. Celaena is from one of the countries in Erilea called Adarlen where she is the protege of the King of Assassins, Arobynn Hamel.

In the first novella, The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, Celaena and Sam, a fellow assassin, are sent to Skull Bay to exact revenge on the King of Pirates. However, they soon find out that they are not there for that but for a slave trade agreement. The King of Assassin's, Arobynn Hamel, wants to start selling slaves, but Celaena has a big problem with that. With the help of Sam, they destroy the agreement and set all the slaves free. Of course, nothing is without a price.

In the second novella, The Assassin and the Healer, Celaena is waiting in a small town for a ship to take her to the Red Desert. She is healing from her many bruises and wounds, gifts from Arobynn for destroying is slave trade deal, a deal that would have made them a great amount of money. Arobynn was not pleased and beat Celaena terribly. Now he is sending her to the Red Desert to  train with the Mute Master of the Silent Assassins. While she is waiting for her ship, she is stuck in the dingy town. She meets Yrene, a barmaid and healer. Celaena teaches her some defense moons and convinces her to continue on her journey to a healers school.

In the third novella, The Assassin and the Desert, Celaena finally makes it to the Silent Assassins. She has one month to train and garner a note from the Mute Master of her training before she can return to Adarlen and Arobynn and Sam. At first, she is denied private training with the Master, but she does make a friend, Ansel, her first real friend ever. Celaena finally gets the Master's attention and gets her private training sessions where she learns to move in ways she never thought she could. One day, one of the silent assassin's betrays them all and the Mute Master's life is on the line. Celaena comes to the rescue, earning her letter of recommendation from the Master as well as lots of gold for saving his life.

In the fourth novella, The Assassin and the Underworld, Celaena finally returns home to Adarlen and the Assassin's Keep and Arobynn's waiting arms. He asks forgiveness for beating her, showering her with gifts.  He also gives her a new job, killing a man who wants to start a slave trade in one of the neighboring countries. Celaena also reconnects with Sam, and her growing feelings for him confuse her. In the end, she kills the man but comes to find out that Arobynn lied to her. The man was actually against the slave trade deals and was setting up houses for protection against the slaves. Celaena gives Arobynn all the money she received from the Mute Master, paying off all her and Sam's debt to him and setting them free from Arobynn's clutches.

In the fifth and final novella, The Assassin and the Empire, Celaena and Sam are free from Arobynn and free to love each other. They want to leave Adarlan and start anew, but they need to do it the right way or Arobynn with hunt them down. They need money and find one last job that will pay enough so they can leave. But job is dangerous, killing the Crime Lord and his second. After a few days of scouting, Sam goes to kill the Second in command, Farran, but he never returns. Celaena finds him at the Assassin's Keep, tortured and dead. She breaks, devastated and thirsting for revenge. When she attacks, she kills many men, including the Crime Lord. But she's captured by Farran and handed over to the King of Adarlan as per the "agreement" because someone has betrayed her. Celaena is sentenced to the salt mines in Endovier where she will work and be kept alive. She is carted off, promising herself she is not afraid. They will not break her.

What I like about this book: I love the backstory of Celaena. For those who start with this book and not with Throne of Glass like I did, this will just be a great story. There's action and adventure with a little love thrown in. Celaena is a smart, sassy heroine who doesn't consider herself as a heroine. The writing is powerful, visual and expressive, making you yearn to read more and more to find out. There are hints to Celaena's past which is revealed in a different book in the series but it's just enough to make you more curious. The characters are well rounded, dynamic characters with positives and negatives. Even though Arobynn is an awful, deceitful man, he truly loves Celaena in his own way and is trying to prove that. And even though Celaena is an acomplished assassin, the best there is, she loves things like music and is afraid of things too.

What I don't like about this book: Nothing. There is nothing you can't love about this book.

I would recommend this book for anyone, boys and girls, who love action and adventure and who love a great story.

Let the Sky Fall

By Shannon Messenger

Shannon Messenger is currently one of my 4 favorite authors. She is amazing! Besides this series, she wrote one called Keeper of the Lost Cities which currently has 4 books with a 5th coming in November (can't wait!!!). Keeper of the Lost Cities is an AMAZING series. One of my students recommended them to me and lent me her copy. I couldn't put it down, zipping through the first 2. I couldn't wait for her to read the 3rd so I could borrow it, so I just ended up buying them all. Totally worth it. I've read them all to my boys who adored them. They can't wait for the next one to come out. I even read it to my 6th graders who also really, really enjoyed it. I even had a few boys who zipped through the series almost as fast I did. Those books are great for boys and girls of all ages.  So when I saw Shannon Messenger had another series, only for YA, I had to read it!

Let the Sky Fall is set in one of the California Valley deserts where it is HOT all the time. The book is told by dual point of view, going back and forth between the 2 main characters, Vane and Audra, both 17 years old.

Vane is a miracle child. When he was 7, he was found unharmed after a category-5 tornado where his parents were killed. He has no memory of anything except one thing: a beautiful girl with dark hair and eyes. For the next 10 years, he dreams of her. Then one day he sees her, and he can't believe she's real. She tells him her name is Audra, and he's not human. He's a sylph, a windwalker, and so is she. Together they must stop the most dangerous sylph their world has known, Raiden. Raiden uses 3 of the winds to rule and destroy. His only goal is to have the power of all 4 so he can be unstoppable.  However, each wind has it's own language, and only those who belong can share the language. Audra is an Easterly so she can control the East winds the best, though she is trained in the other two, Northerlies and Southerlies.  Westerlies are the only winds that's language is unknown, and Vane is the only Westerly alive.

Audra has been charged for the last 10 years to protect and hide Vane, keep him from Raiden's grasp. When times starts to run out, Audra needs to train Vane, helping him to harness the languages of the winds so that he can stop Raiden. However, he doesn't remember anything of the Westerlies. They only have a few days to figure it all out, while also trying to deny their growing attraction to the other. Audra knows she can never have Vane because he is betrothed to another and will someday be the king, but Vane doesn't care. Audra is everything he has been dreaming about for the last 10 years (literally), and he's not about to give her up for someone else.

In the end, there is a battle as Raiden sends 2 Stormers to capture Vane and kill Audra, but Vane finally has his final breakthrough, remembering the language of the Westerlies and harnessing the power of all 4 winds, making him virtually unstoppable. There are also some twists and turns, secrets revealed, and bonds strengthened. It sets up nicely for the next book in the series.

What I liked: I love the way that Shannon Messenger writes. She's so visual and descriptive and so creative! I also liked the characters. Vane was a snarky teenage boy with pretty much one thing on his mind (Audra), but he's able to focus when his life and those he loves are threatened. He's strong, but he does have his weaknesses. Audra is also a great character, though not quite as likable. She's very strict about everything and has many rules and regulations. Vane slowly helps her to let them go, helping her realize that she doesn't need to punish herself for mistakes from long ago. Shannon Messenger also is great at leaving little clues throughout her books, hints of things not known yet, but it makes you just want to know more and keep reading.

What I didn't like: Nothing. This book was excellent!

I recommend this book for middle school and above, for boys and girls. This would not be a book I would read to my boys, but it would be one that my middle schoolers could read. There are no swear words, sex, or drugs, but Vane sometimes thinks about what he'd like to do with Audra. There are no specifics, but it's implied. Overall it is a fantastic book and one that I will need to get for my classroom.

The Eye of Minds

by James Dashner

A few of my 6th grade boys really recommended this book/series. The Eye of Minds is the first book in The Morality Doctrine series by James Dashner, the author of The Maze Runner series.  And like his Maze Runner books, this books starts off fast, pushes limits, and rocks with action. It is a great books for middle school boys or older.

The Eye of Minds is set in a futuristic city. The exact city is not named, but it is large and sprawling. The main character is Michael and his two friend Bryson and Sarah. Computers rule this world, and everyday, everyone plugs into their Coffin, a casket-like structure. In the Coffin, you are plugged into the Virtual world where you can be whoever you want and can live whatever life you want. It's yours for the taking, if you know how to do it. Michael and his friends are hackers and can steal anything they'd like.

In the beginning of the book, Michael is faced with a situation that can earn him points in his virtual world. Michael must prevent a young woman from jumping off  bridge. However it's not so simple. She is crazy, mumbling and screaming about a man named Kaine who won't let her "Wake" up. She's trapped in the Sleep. In front of Michael, she rips out her Core (a small device that connects her to her body in her Coffin) and plunges over the bridge to her death. Without her Core, her death is not just virtual but actual. Michael tries to grab her but joins her in her plunge. He, thankfully, wakes up in his Coffin sore but alive.

He is disturbed with this turn of events. Who is this Kaine? And why is he responsible for, not just this death, but others as well? Michael is picked up (forcefully) by the VNS (VirtNet Security) and brought to their headquarters. Michael is introduced to Agent Weber who explains that Kaine is killing off people for an evil plan. Michael and his friends are tasked with finding Kaine using their impressive hacking skills and leading the VNS to his location (in the Sleep) so they can stop him before he destroys everything.

Michael and his friends join in the hunt, but Kaine scares them, holding them in a void with nothing but his voice. They almost stop, but decide to continue on with their search. They find they need to get on the Path to get to the Hallowed Ravine. There they will find Kaine with his evil Morality Doctrine, whatever that is. It's not easy. They are attacked by Kaine's minions, KillSims, which can suck the virtual life out of you, leaving you almost brain dead in the real world. One latches onto Michael, and after that, he starts to have terrible headaches that come and go suddenly (but very painfully). Michael, Bryson, and Sarah have to join an adults-only game to find the start of the Path. The game is labeled Devils of Destruction and is supposedly based on a historical battle. However, this game is all about killing each other violently to get points. They three friends must battle for 3-4 days as they look for the start to the Path, getting killed over 20 times each in every way imaginable.

Once they find the Path. It starts on a disk floating in a weird world. An old granny gives them a clue of how to get off. She also warns them that if they die, they will wake up in their Coffins, but they can no longer get back to the Path. They figure out the clue and find themselves in more bizarre circumstances, places that get creepier and more dangerous as they go. Bryson and then Sarah both die, leaving Michael alone to finish the search, still battling his headaches along the way. He finally makes it to the Hallowed Ravine where he finds Kaine. Kaine is thrilled Michael is there, as he has led him there the whole time. Kaine says he has big plans for Michael who doesn't yet understand what is really going on. Before Michael can get answers for all his questions, the VNS show up and start blasting everything to smithereens.  Michael almost escapes but gets trapped by KillSims eager to suck him away. He pools his hacking strength and blows them all to dust, blowing everything surrounding him the virtual world away.

He awakes in his Coffin, amazed at how things smell and feel more clear than before, and he finds out he is not actually who he thought he was. There is a big surprise ending that sets you up for the next book.

What I liked: There were good twists and turns, excitement around every corner, and interesting characters. Kaine and Michael are not who you think them to be and it leaves you wondering who you can trust.

What I didn't like: I didn't really like some of the more graphic details, especially in the Devils of Destruction game. It was violent, and that's not something that I revel in. However, boys will definitely be sucked into this game as it is fast paced and exciting.

I would recommend this book to boys and girls who like excitement and adventure. This would be for middle grade or above as some of the content is for older kids.

Tuesdays at the Castle

by Jessica Day George

It seems like I'm on a Jessica Day George kick right now, but this one I was reading to my boys. Tuesdays at the Castle is a GREAT books for younger kids and middle school kids or anyone who enjoys magic and fun.

This story takes place in a made-up country with many kingdoms. The kingdom of Sleyne is the main setting and specifically Castle Glower, the most amazing castle ever. The main character is Celie (short for Cecelia). She is a spunky 12 year old girl who knows the castle better than anyone. She is also the youngest princess. Her older sister, Liliah (short for Deliliah) and her brother Rolf are the other main characters in the story.

Castle Glower is a magic castle. Every Tuesday, the Castle moves, shifts, adds, or deletes rooms. No one really knows how it works, but it just does. Celie loves the castle and is determined to map it all out. She knows many things about it that others don't and finds lots of secret rooms, passageways, and hiding spots. And the Castle seems to like her back. The Castle is also particular about the people who stay there. If it doesn't like a person, it might play tricks on them, kick them out, or get them lost. On the other hand, if the Castle likes a person, it provides quick routes to places, hiding spots, and grand rooms.

In the beginning of the story, the King and Queen are traveling back from their oldest son, Bran's, graduation from wizardry school. On the way, they are attacked and killed.  Everyone is devastated, even the Castle.  Rolf, who is next in line, is the next king. Because he is young (only about 16/17), the Councillors plan to have a regency so they can help him. This isn't a good idea because they push Rolf into things he doesn't agree with. Rolf and his sisters also have guests visiting who came for the funeral and never left. One is Prince Khelsh from Vhervhine, a brute and all round bad guy. The other guest is Prince Lulath from Grath with his 3 little, yappy dogs who just seems curious. The Councillors want Rolf to assign Prince Khelsh as his heir apparent, but Rolf doesn't feel comfortable with that. Celie also finds out that The Emissary and Prince Khelsh plan to have Rolf killed off after Prince Khelsh is assigned heir apparent so he can take over and be king. Celie also finds out the Prince Khelsh planned the attack on her parents. He even goes so far as to perform magic on the Castle and kill it too.

Celie, Liliah, Rolf, and their friend Pogue work together to stop Prince Khelsh and the Emissary, find their parents (who aren't really dead), and save the Castle. Celie is clever and quick, the perfect combination to outsmart the bad guys. In the end, the King and Queen are found, the Castle is brought back, and Celie saves the day!

What I liked (and what my boys liked): There was humor in the book. At one point, Celie and her siblings play pranks on the Councillors, The Emissary, and Prince Khelsh. They also have help from the maids who hide the chamber pots on the men and short sheet the bed. There were times my boys were rolling on the floor or repeating the story later one. "Remember when Prince Khelsh said, 'Pee pots'?"
Another thing I liked was Celie. She was a fantastic protagonist. She was smart and sassy, but sweet and kind. She was fun to follow. Her siblings were also fun characters, but Celie was the best.
The Castle was definitely one of the best parts of the story. Who wouldn't want to live in a magic castle? I wonder what kind of room it would give me?

What I didn't like: There wasn't much I didn't like in this story. It was just fun and kept you wanting to read more all the time. My boys loved it and give it a high recommendation. We already ordered the next book in the series, and they can't wait!

Princess of the Silver Woods

Princess of the Silver Woods
By Jessica Day George

From reading the last post, you know I enjoy reading Jessica Day George. This one was not a disappointment.

This story is a mixture between Little Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood, and it was mixed well. It's set in the made up country in a medieval time period, but we're back in the Westfalin kingdom, where the original story, Princess of the Midnight Ball, started. Again the twelve dancing princesses are the characters that the story is based around, but the main character is the youngest sister, Petunia, who is now 16 years old.  This story is 10 after Princess of the Midnight Ball took place and 3 years after Princess of Glass.  The other main character is Oliver, the Robin Hood character in the story. 

In the beginning of the story, Petunia is on her way to visit the Grand Duchess Volenskaya, an old lady whom she met when she visited on her year visit to Russaka 3 years earlier. On her way, her carriage is stopped by the Wolves of Westfalin Woods, a group of bandits in wolf masks. They ask for all the goods, but Petunia surprises them by holding her pistol in the leader's face. The carriage escapes, but tips over a little while later on a sharp curve. All the riders extricate themselves, trying to figure out what to do next. Do they continue on their way, or do they head back to the palace? While they are deciding, Petunia decides to relieve herself. Heading into the woods a little, she happens upon the leader on the Wolves and his little brother who's broken his ankle. Because she sees them without masks, Oliver, the leader, "kidnaps" her and takes her back to their base.

Petunia finds out that Oliver, who's not much older than her, is an earl who has lost his lands. In order to provide for his people, he had to resort to thievery. After one night in his keep, Oliver delivers her to the Grand Duchess Volenskaya's estate (which are really his lands). They are almost run over by Prince Grigori, the Grand Duchess' grandson, on his way to search for Petunia. Oliver barely escapes and has to hide in a hothouse on the Grand Duchess' estates (a hothouse he remembers from his youth). After it gets dark, he decides to leave but is stopped by the sight of shadowy men crawling towards the house and an open window. He's scared for Petunia.

Petunia is safe for the time being at the estate, enjoying her time with the Grand Duchess and Prince Grigori. She is, however, starting to have nightmares again of Under Stone and the Princes who made them dance every night. Her sisters are there too, and they can't seem to get free.  

Oliver decides to help Petunia the only way he can: by turning himself in to the King and telling him what he saw. He is held in a attic until further questioning can be done. When he's questioned, he shares everything but the shadow men. That he only shares with some of the princesses.  The princesses and their husbands help Oliver escape, and they are all off to the Grand Duchess' estate to help Petunia.

Petunia and her sisters are reunited and thrilled to be together again, but it doesn't last long. They are ferried away to the Kingdom Under Stone and the princes who are waiting to make them brides. All seems to be lost, but the princesses don't give up. And neither does Oliver and the other husbands. They find a way into Under Stone to help free the princesses and a happily ever after is won! The princes of Under Stone are trapped for good, and the princesses will never be bothered by them again.

What I liked: I love happily ever afters. And this one had it. Oliver and Petunia fall in love and plan to get married. And it was nice to see some of the other characters again. Rose and Galen (from Princess of the Midnight Ball) are still happy and in love, and Poppy and Christian (from Princess of Glass) are married at the end of the book. There was a decisive victory and defeat in the end with no loose ties. It finished up nicely.

What I didn't like: Princess Petunia was not a totally consistent character. In the beginning, she was indecisive and unsure, but then she became bold and bossy.  One can chalk this up to a character changing and growing, but the time allotted for this growth was minimal.  She also complained often that all her sisters babied her and always treated her like the baby, but by the end, they let her do most of the work.  It just seemed like it wasn't consistent. But those are small things.

I would recommend this book to middle school girls who love fairy tales and happily ever afters!

Princess of Glass

Princess of Glass
By Jessica Day George

I picked up this book because I love fairy tales! I love fairy tales and fairy tale retellings, and Jessica Day George is very good at writing these.  The first book I read of Jessica Day George was Princess of the Midnight Ball which was a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale. It was fantastic. I then picked up her next book Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow which retold the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon. I finished that particular story in one day and loved every minute of it. I also have been reading Jessica Day George's original story called Tuesdays at the Castle about a magical castle. This one I've been reading to my boys and they love it just as much as I do.  So reading Princess of Glass was an easy choice.

This retelling of Cinderella is set in a imaginary medieval country. It follows about 3 years after Princess of the Midnight Ball left off.  In that story, the main character is the oldest sister, Rose, and her 11 other sisters (all named after flowers). In Princess of Glass, the story's main character is Poppy, one of the other sisters. She's a spunky 16 year old girl who's never been away from her family, especially her twin sister Daisy. 
All the royal families in the country have decided to have an exchange program, sending their daughters and sons around to the other kingdoms to visit and possibly find a spouse. Poppy has been chosen to go to Breton where she meets Prince Christian, a prince from a different kingdom who is also visiting. The King of Breton wants Christian to marry someone from his kingdom and secure the friendship, but Christian is not sure he's ready to marry. He's just enjoying Poppy and other friendships he's made.
Enter Eleanora. Eleanora was the daughter of a wealthy man who lost all his forture and died. Eleanora is left penniless and homeless, and she is hired as a maid. Except Eleanora is a terrible maid. A terrible, terrible maid. She can't fold, she leaves scorch marks when she irons, she spills tea (usually on people), and she breaks heirlooms. She's been fired from 2 places already and is on her last. She is approached through a puddle of water by the Corley. The Corley tells Eleanora that she's her godmother and wants to help her. Eleanora, who has nothing and no one, jumps at the chance. It helps that the Corley is wealthy and has a palace of glass. The Corley convinces Eleanora to woo Prince Christian and get him to propose. Three balls are planned within two weeks where Eleanora will have her chance. Her dresses are spectacular and her exquisite shoes are hot glass poured right on her feet (ouch!). At the dance, everyone is mesmerized and doesn't know who she is. Even people whom she works for don't recognize her. Everyone wants to know this Lady Ella, as she wants to be called. The men fight to dance with her, and the women want to claw her eyes out because she's stealing all the men's affections. Poppy is the only exception. She can see through the enchantment.
Poppy, along with another character who happens to be in love with Eleanora, work to free the others of the enchantment. After the second ball, Eleanora's feet start to turn to glass and she's afraid. Poppy and her friends, now free of the enchantment, hatch a plan to help. Poppy decides to take her place, as the last ball will be a masquerade ball. The plan starts off well, but in the end, she and Eleanora are captured by the Corley. Prince Christian comes to the rescue and there is a happily ever after in the end.

What I liked: I liked the twist in the story, the fact that it was told from what would be considered one of the ugly stepsister's points of view. It also was told in varying points of view, sometimes Poppy, sometimes Christian, and sometimes Eleanora. You know what 's coming, but because it involves some evil magic, you are left wondering how it will all be solved. It is a sweet story with a happy ending, which is one of the things I love.

What I didn't like: Eleanora was not a likable character until she needed help near the end. Maybe she's not suppose to be, but it would have been nicer if I could have rooted for her a little earlier. She did receive a happily ever after as well (which is another thing I like). 
I also was confused at the end. How did they break the Corley's spell? All they did was break through glass wall after glass wall until they got back to their house (magically) and then it was all over.  How does that break the supposedly powerful magic spell?
Also, the love story was a little lacking. Prince Christian goes from thinking that Poppy was odd to wanting to spend time with her to being in love with her. But there are no emotions involved with it. And Poppy doesn't show many emotions either towards Prince Christian even though she loves him. 
Also, she keeps dreaming of the King Under Stone (from Princess of the Midnight Ball) and how he wants her to come back but that's not really resolved either. What is the meaning of those dreams? 

Overall, this was a good book.  I would recommend it to my fairy tale loving students. 

Wings of Fire

Wings of Fire
The Dragonet Prophecy
By Tui T. Sutherland

So I picked up this book to read because my 9 year old son started reading it. He picked it up because he loves fantasy and dragons. He zipped through the first book pretty quickly and raved about it. I also had a 6th grader who read the book and couldn't put it down either. Since I also like dragons and fantasy, I figured I'd like it too.
This book is the first in a series. It starts off in a made up island country called Pyrrhia full of dragons and a few humans (called scavengers). There are 7 different types of dragons and each has their own territory on the island. Each type of dragon has different characteristics and abilities.
The main character in this book is Clay. Clay is a Mudwing and one of the 5 dragonets (or kid dragons) of Prophecy. His cohorts are Tsunami (a Seawing), Glory (a Rainwing), Sunny (a Sandwing), and Starflight (a Nightwing). These 5 dragons are prophesied to end the war that is raging between the different dragons and bring peace.
In the beginning of the book, the dragonets' eggs are being stolen and carried to a secret place to keep them safe from those who wanted to destroy them and prevent the prophecy from being carried out. As the Skywing egg is carried off, one of the ruling queens who doesn't want the prophecy to play out, gets ahold of it and drops it off a cliff, thus killing the Skywing dragonet. This is a huge problem because the prophecy is supposed to include a Skywing, Mudwing, Seawing, Sandwing, and Nightwing. The dragons, looking to fulfill the prophecy, steal a Rainwing egg instead because they won't be able to get another Skywing. They decide to figure out the prophecy later.
Six years later, Clay and his friends are sick and tired of being cooped up in their secret hiding spot. They decide it's time for them to be out in the real world and they make a plan to escape. Things don't go according to plan, and they get captured by the Skywing queen, Queen Scarlet. She is not a nice queen, instead enjoying violence and bloodshed. In the arena outside her palace, she holds challenges between her prisoners, fights to the death. Her champion, a dragonet named Peril, is unbeatable and able to burn other dragons with just a touch. Peril finds Clay fascinating and comes to visit him often. She grows attached and tries to help him, but not his friends. She wants to keep him to herself. 
On Queen Scarlet's hatching day celebration, a mighty battle is announced, a fight that includes Clay and his friends. Clay faces Peril, to which both are devastated, but Glory comes to the rescue and helps lead an escape. They collect all their friends (except Starflight who was taken away by other Nightwings), and they head to the Mudwing territory to find Clay's parents. When they find his mother, she doesn't care about him in the least and sends him away. Clay is saddened by this, but then is approached by his siblings. They rejoice in seeing each other, but Clay leaves with his friends to continue their journey. They head off next to the Seawing territory to see if they can find Tsunami's parents next.
In the end, someone they thought they could trust is planning on betraying them and tweaking the prophecy for their own gains. 

What I liked: I really liked the different types of dragons with their different abilities. I enjoyed how the dragonets stuck together, protecting and working together even in a world where it seemed to be every dragon for their self. There were a lot of unpredictable parts within the story where I didn't know what was going to come next. It was creative and unique, and the characters were complex and flawed, but realistic and fun to follow.  The next books are by a different character's point of view, giving a clearer view into their characters too. 

What I didn't like: There wasn't anything that I didn't like out of this book. 

Trying it all out...

So here's me! I'm Martha Peters, a wife, a mother of 4 boys, and a middle school teacher. And I love books! I'm new to the blogging realm, and I'm just trying to figure this all out. So here's my first post, hoping it works and looks great!
I love to read books! I read every chance I get. And I read to my boys. They read to themselves and I read to them. We even listen to books in our van on the way to and from wherever we need to go. They love books as much as I do! How awesome is that?!!?
Here's my goal. Whenever I finish a book, whether with my boys or just for me, I'm going to write about it. Describe it, discuss it, delve into it. I'm going to share my thoughts and ideas, just so that others can read about it too and can share their ideas too. These books will be mainly for kids, middle school, and young adults because that's what I enjoy reading most. I hope you enjoy!