fantasy

Book Review: A Wizard Abroad

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A Wizard Abroad
A Wizard Abroad by Diane Duane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nita is shipped off to Ireland to stay with her Aunt Annie for a few weeks. The barriers between Ireland and the Old World of Tir na nOg are thin, and Nita must help the Irish wizards to ward off nightmare creatures from the past. Legends and monsters from Irish legend come into the realm of reality, and only Nita and her friends have the magical power and the connections to stop them.

As always, it is utterly impossible to describe the wonder, the grandeur, the sheer enchantment of a book by Diane Duane. There’s something so indescribably foreign and deliciously familiar in all her characters. Continue reading →

Book Review: No Passengers Beyond This Point

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No Passengers Beyond This Point
No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When three siblings get on a plane to go live with their Uncle Red, they are whisked away to a mysterious land of Falling Bird, where they must choose to become citizens, or remain passengers and try to return home. The temptations are many, and the siblings have to deal with their grief over leaving their old home, and decide if they truly are willing to step into a new adventure with their Uncle Red. Each of the children deals with their turmoil in a different way, and they make emotional choices in the face of danger.

The plot is all over the place, and there are a lot of things that are left unexplained. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Soldiers of Halla

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The Soldiers of Halla
The Soldiers of Halla by D.J. MacHale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m so happy with this last book in the series. There were a lot of questions answered and mysteries solved, and somehow it all finally made sense. I loved seeing all the story threads from previous books coming together, and all the settings being revisited.

There was a big information dump near the beginning that got a little tedious, but at least all that stuff was explained finally. But other than that, the writing is (as always) funny, serious, well-paced, compelling, heart-wrenching, with a sense of urgency that keeps you reading.

I was completely riveted with the plot, the action, and the characters! I cried a few times, and I was laughing at other times. I was utterly invested in the story.

After sticking with these characters through 10 books, it was so rewarding to see them growing into these amazing people, coming into their own, and I was cheering them on, fighting their battles alongside them. They are like real people to me now. Continue reading →

Book Review: Raven Rise

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Raven Rise
Raven Rise by D.J. MacHale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book tore me into tiny pieces, stomped on my heart, and threw me into this imaginative and wild fantasy world. I can never figure out if the genre is sci-fi or fantasy or time travel. This series is its own thing!

Bobby Pendragon and his friends are desperately fighting a losing war against the evil Saint Dane, and when Saint Dane’s plans are revealed, there is nothing they can do to stop the violence that is unleashed throughout the universe of Halla. The 10 territories are on a collision course called the Convergence, and Saint Dane is pulling those puppet strings in ways Bobby can’t comprehend.

There’s mystery and drama throughout the story. Suspense and action and mind-blowing plot twists! Characters are pushed to their limits, and I was so in awe of all these characters story arcs. They feel like real people! Continue reading →

Book Review: The Pilgrims of Rayne

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The Pilgrims of Rayne
The Pilgrims of Rayne by D.J. MacHale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every single book in this series is amazing! Every chapter blows me away. I never know what is going to happen next, and I’m always surprised by the impossible plot twists.

This time Bobby is fighting to save the territory of Ibara and the small village of Rayne. Ibara seems like a peaceful paradise, but this territory holds a secret that even Bobby will have trouble with, and the Traveler from Ibara wants nothing to do with him. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Book of Wonders

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The Book of Wonders
The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’m so disappointed in this book. The cover made it look wonderful, but the characters are two-dimensional, the story is trite, and the dialogue is boring. I read it all the way through, but it never really captured my attention or my emotions. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Forgotten Sisters

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The Forgotten Sisters
The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this series so much! Every book is wonderful!
In this book, Miri is asked to be a tutor at a Princess Academy for some distant cousins of the royal family. But Miri is not expecting to be teaching Poise, Elocution, and Etiquette in a backwoods swamp filled with reed huts, snakes, and alligators. As always, Miri is ready for a challenge, but when war threatens the peaceful country of Asland, the people are looking to Miri to solve their problems and bring peace. The political situation begins to unravel, and only Miri and her new Princess Academy students can expose the lies and deception that are plunging the country into a bloody war. Continue reading →