fiction
Graphic Novel Review: Laddertop
Laddertop, Volume 1 by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Robbi and Azure are chosen from among their classmates to train for Laddertop Academy, a space station that hires gifted children to do maintenance work in the miles of tiny service tunnels. Laddertop space station was a gift from an alien race, but the aliens disappeared soon after. When Robbi begins her training, she finds out that Laddertop holds mysteries and enigmas that could destroy Earth or save it.
Robbi and Azure are excellent characters, with Azure providing some humor and Robbi being the serious-minded protagonist.
I really liked the interaction between all the children in training. They poke fun at each other, make friends and sometimes enemies, but it’s never boring!
The world building is very intriguing! The Laddertop space station is set up in such a unique way, and the humans who run it don’t really understand what it is capable of. I’m dying to know what those aliens are up to, and what role Robbi will play in their plans!
I really need to get my hands on the 2nd volume!
Book Review: Ennara and the Fallen Druid
Ennara and the Fallen Druid by Angela Myron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ennara has to hide her identity as a child with magical abilities, because she would most likely be kidnapped, enslaved, and forced to use her magic to benefit evil masters. She wears gloves to cover the tattoos on her hands that mark her as a magic user, but her mentor, Tork, trains her in the use of white magic.
When a shadowy demon begins attacking her village, Ennara is sent on a quest with Tork to recover the only weapon that could defeat the shadows, the Sword of Gisilfrid. But the sword is hidden in a sunken city deep below the ocean waves, and Ennara will need the help of her friends to defeat the evil Fallen Druid and retrieve the sword.
Treachery, spies, shadow magic, elemental magic, adventure, magical history, quests, friendship, love, and of course the power of family… this book has a great story line! I love how there is such an emphasis on light and sunshine and warmth, as opposed to the darkness and shadows. Continue reading
Book Review: The Case of the Cursed Dodo
The Case of the Cursed Dodo by Jake G. Panda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This hilarious “jungle noir” mystery features endangered animals, a panda detective, villainous snakes and shrews, and one very enigmatic green bird.
Jake G. Panda is a hotel detective who gets involved in a mystery that will lead him on an adventure across the Sahara, through Morocco, and to fabled lost cities in Asia. Following the signs of the green bird, Jake has to fight off not only poaching humans, but also back-stabbing animals willing to make a few dollars on other animals’ misery.
The humor is wonderful with lots of puns and classic lines from film noir! It reads like a funny version of the Maltese Falcon or Casablanca. It’s hilarious and delightful to read! Continue reading
Script Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One and Two by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s so hard to write a review for this because all the feels and expectations and everything. It was not what I expected, and it was both more than I expected and less in some areas.
I thought the plot was completely fantastic. I was surprised in every act and liked the emotional dynamic between Harry and his son, Albus.
I did think sometimes that there was too much focus on emotional conflict in relationships and it just got in the way of the story. Although it makes it feel like a more grownup story, it creates a very different serious mood rather than the fun adventure plot we have in other HP books. There’s too much focus on relationships rather than actions and mystery and world-building magic. Continue reading
Book Review: Star Passage
Starpassage: Book One, the Relic by Clark Rich Burbidge
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
2.5 stars: It was okay. I enjoyed this story about siblings Tim and Martie who find an ancient Star relic that transports them through time. The teens are on a mission to find spiritual help for their father, who is suffering from PTSD after being wounded in the army, and for their mother, who is dealing with depression. With their family falling apart, they wander through history seeking answers, but mysterious Shadow men are trying to steal the Star from them, and Tim and Martie will need help if they are going to return safely to their own time.
I liked all the history in this book! Some of the plot points and settings are drawn from true history, and some of it is, of course, imagined. I was disappointed that one of the first places the characters travel to is Valley Forge where they meet General George Washington. Extremely trite.
But the rest of the historical settings, such as a WWI medical ship and a wagon train traveling the Badlands of the American West, are more diverse and interesting. Continue reading
Avatar Last Airbender Book Tag
Clockwork Reader Original Tag: https://youtu.be/YpEvXo91K-I
Questions:
Water
1. Katara and Sokka: Best sibling relationship
2. Yue: Favorite star crossed lovers
3. Blood Bending: A book with a disturbing/unsettling concept Continue reading
BookTubeAthon Wrap Up
Book Review: Curse of the Thirteenth Fey
Curse of the Thirteenth Fey: The True Tale of Sleeping Beauty by Jane Yolen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I’m not particularly impressed with this book. The plot was thin, and the characters pretty good but not deep. The magic system of Shouting the fey spells was interesting, but needed more depth, history, and development. Every little section of plot was drawn out and lacked overall structure. Continue reading
Comic Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender 1
Avatar: The Last Airbender 1 by Michael Dante DiMartino
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love and adore everything to do with Avatar, but this little book was really just a cut and paste of screenshots from the TV show, and that doesn’t exactly work well for a book.
If there had been new art that was created for a book format, it would have looked better and flowed better for a written story. A lot of the time the action wasn’t clear, because the panels weren’t created to make that action clear on paper.
Other Avatar comics that I’ve seen (like The Search or The Rift) were actually created to be comics, and those are wonderful and work perfectly and the artwork is fantastic! So I was disappointed to see that this is so poorly organized.
As far as the story goes, of course I adore Aang and Katara and Sokka! The plot is perfection, the characters are marvelous, and the world building is phenomenal! I just wish this little comic did them justice.
Luminous Libro 