fantasy book

Book Review: The Hunting of the Last Dragon

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The Hunting of the Last Dragon by Sherryl Jordan

The Hunting of the Last Dragon
by Sherryl Jordan

4.5 out of 5 stars
Jude is the only survivor when a dragon attacks his village. Wandering and devastated, he gets a job with a travelling troupe who have a captive Chinese girl, Jing-wei. Jude is charged with her care, and the two strike up a friendship. But Jude is plagued with nightmares about the dragon, and he feels paralyzed with fear. Jing-wei encourages him to make a plan to hunt the dragon, but Jude is a coward… until he has no choice but to face the dragon.

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Book Review: The League of Seven

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The League of Seven by Alan Gratz

The League of Seven (The League of Seven, #1)
by Alan Gratz (Goodreads Author), Brett Helquist (Illustrator)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Archie’s parents are part of the Septemberist Society, a secret organization that has kept evil monsters locked away for centuries. When the Swarm Queen begins to awaken out of her prison, Archie’s parents are kidnapped and brainwashed to release the monster. Archie and his robot servant have to unravel the secrets of the ancient civilizations that imprisoned all the monsters in the first place. Along the way, Archie befriends two other children who are also searching for answers… and revenge.

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Book Review: The Maze in the Heart of the Castle

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The Maze in the Heart of the Castle by Dorothy Gilman

The Maze in the Heart of the Castle
by Dorothy Gilman

5 out of 5 stars

When his parents die unexpectedly, Colin goes searching for answers. He hears of a mysterious wise man who guards the entrance to a maze. Colin enters the maze, accepting the challenge to find a new country where his questions will be answered and his grief assuaged. Along an arduous journey, he meets people who have given up in despair, those who have turned to evil, and those who are willing to help him and guide him through the maze. But ultimately, Colin must answer his own heart and find the inner strength to endure.

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Book Review: Woodwalkers: Holly’s Secret

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Holly's Secret (3) by Katja Brandis

Holly’s Secret (3) (The Woodwalkers)
by Katja Brandis, Rachel Ward  (Translation), Claudia Carls (Illustrations)

4 out of 5 stars

Carag and his shape-shifting friends begin to investigate a strange burglary at the local bank. They wonder if a woodwalker could be involved, but Carag worries that Holly might be up to her old thieving tricks again. She is known for being a petty pickpocket, but she wouldn’t do something as risky as rob a bank, would she?

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Book Review: Elf Dog and Owl Head

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Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson

Elf Dog and Owl Head
by M.T. Anderson, Junyi Wu (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Clay is tired of being stuck at home during the pandemic, tired of online school, and tired of being trapped in the house with his annoying family. He goes out exploring the woods behind his home and he encounters an elf-hound who has gotten separated from the elven hunt. The elves have all gone back underground to their magic kingdom, and Elphinore is left alone in the world aboveground. The elf-dog leads Clay along secret paths in the woods that lead to magic places, where Clay sees a community of owl-head people. Clay is dealing with mysterious lands and dangerous magical folk and is bound to get into serious trouble, but Elphinore will always be by his side to protect him.

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Book Review: The Dark is Rising

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The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

The Dark Is Rising (The Dark is Rising, #2)
by Susan Cooper (Goodreads Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Will Stanton is the seventh son of a seventh son. On his 11th birthday, he discovers that he is an Old One, a special race of people who are endowed with magical abilities so that they can protect humanity from the Dark. Will is trained in his new abilities by Merriman Lyon (the modern Merlin). Will is sent on a quest through time to retrieve the Signs, which will help the Light to keep back the Dark Rider.

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Book Review: Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues

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Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues by Mark Eddy Smith

Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues : Exploring the Spiritual Themes of the Lord of the Rings
by Mark Eddy Smith (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Why is it that The Lord of the Rings continues to inspire and fascinate generations of readers? I think it is because it mirrors elements of a much larger story- the spiritual story of God and his Creation. In this book, we explore different themes found in LotR and see how the virtues of the characters originate (as do all good things) in the virtues of God.

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Book Review: A Spoonful of Time

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A Spoonful of Time by Flora Ahn

A Spoonful of Time
by Flora Ahn (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Maya’s grandmother moves in, and the two begin cooking their favorite Korean recipes together. Maya discovers that her grandmother has the ability to revisit moments of her past, using food as the memory trigger to time travel. They can’t change the past, but can only watch themselves reliving those same moments, frozen in time. Maya has many questions about her Korean family, her father’s death, and why her mother is so sad and distant. She hopes that these visits to the past will provide answers, but the more Maya finds out about her family, the more questions she has.

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Book Review: Over Sea, Under Stone

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Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising, #1)
by Susan Cooper (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

The Drew children are on holiday in Cornwall, renting the old Captain’s house while he is away. They explore through the dusty attics of the house and discover what appears to be an ancient map with the name Arturus Rex. They embark on an adventure to recover a lost treasure that tells the true story of King Arthur. But there are others who also search for the treasure for their own nefarious purposes. The children’s Great-Uncle Merry warns them of the constant battle between good and evil, and tries to protect them as they search for the treasure.

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Book Review: Nordic Animal Tales

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An Illustrated Collection of Nordic Animal Tales by Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin

An Illustrated Collection of Nordic Animal Tales
by Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin, Jill Timbers (Translator)

4 out of 5 stars

This collection of folk tales follows Bear, Fox, and Wolf as they attempt to sow a field of wheat by clearing a space in the forest. Fox is always trying to get out of doing his share of the work, and he tricks his friends and neighbors. The Rooster at the nearby farm has a terrible premonition that the end of the world is coming, and he spreads a panic among the animals. The Hare is terrified at some strange monster creature in the woods, but no animal is brave enough to get close enough to find out what kind of creature it is. In each tale, Fox is a prominent character, always sly and clever.

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