ya fantasy

Book Review: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

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Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow
by Jessica Day George

4 out of 5 stars

When the woodcutter’s daughter is born into a large family, her mother is so disappointed at having yet another girl that she refuses to give the child a name. The girl is simply called “the pika” (which means “girl”) or referred to as “the lass”. When she is grown, a mysterious polar bear comes to their cottage and begs her to live in his ice palace for a year. Knowing that he must be under some kind of enchantment, the lass agrees to go with him. She is sure that she can break the curse he is under, and she investigates the mysteries of the ice palace. But every time she asks the servants questions, she is putting herself and them in danger.

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Book Review: The Warrior Heir

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The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #1)
by Cinda Williams Chima

3 out of 5 stars

Jack discovers that he is the descendant of wizards, and has a special Warrior magic stone in his chest that sets him apart from other wizards. Two factions of wizards, the Red Rose and the White Rose, have been fighting for power for centuries. To minimize the bloodshed of the wars, they have a tradition of holding a tournament with two warrior champions who fight to the death. Now wizards of both the Red Rose and the White Rose are after Jack, either to capture him and use him in the game or kill him outright to stop the other side from using him. But Jack just wants a normal life in his sleepy hometown in Ohio. He just wants to play soccer in high school and pass his exams; maybe kiss a girl he likes. And now he has to train to fight and kill for a world of wizards that he knows nothing about.

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Book Review: Ghostly Echoes

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Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter

Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby, #3)
by William Ritter 

4 out of 5 stars

Abigail Rook and Mr. Jackaby are trying to solve a murder from ten years ago – the murder of their dearly departed friend Jenny, the resident ghost in Jackaby’s house. Whenever Jenny tries to remember her death, she is overwhelmed by an “echo” and dissolves into darkness. It might take her hours to recover a visible form again after an episode like that. When a new string of murders seems to mirror the same circumstances as Jenny’s murder, Abigail will do anything to uncover the clues, but Jackaby warns that they should be cautious when dealing with ghostly echoes. He is afraid of pushing Jenny too far in exploring her memories. Once again, Miss Rook and Mr. Jackaby are dealing with the supernatural as a greater evil becomes apparent. They have hidden in the shadows for years, but now Jackaby will bring their dastardly plans into the light.

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Book Review: Beastly Bones

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Beastly Bones by William Ritter

Beastly Bones (Jackaby, #2)
by  William Ritter (Goodreads Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Abigail Rook has a job as an assistant to free-lance detective Jackaby. Jackaby has a rare gift as a seer. He can see magical residue and detect magical creatures that are otherwise invisible. Jackaby and Miss Rook are called out to the country to investigate a murder at a dig site where some kind of prehistoric bones have been discovered. Miss Rook is eager to visit the country, since her friend Charlie has been stationed there as a policeman, but she wonders if she can balance her career and romance.

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Book Review: The Thirteenth Child

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Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede

Thirteenth Child (Frontier Magic, #1)
by  Patricia C. Wrede (Goodreads Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Eff is a twin and the thirteenth child in her family. Her twin brother, Lan, is supposed to have great good luck and magical power because he is the seventh son and their father is also a seventh son, making Lan a double-seventh son, a powerful combination in magical numerology. But the thirteenth child is supposed to be a curse and full of bad luck and evil tendencies. Eff is discriminated against by the magical community, but her family and her twin brother stick up for her. When the family moves to the very edge of the frontier in the American West, Lan and Eff will face challenges and their magic will be tested to the utmost.

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Book Review: The City in the Lake

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The City in the Lake by Rachel Neumeier

The City in the Lake
by Rachel Neumeier (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

The Prince of the Kingdom has disappeared, and with him gone, the calm magic that rules over the land has weakened. Timou is apprenticed as a mage with her father, learning the quiet slow ways of magic. Her father goes to the City to help search for the missing Prince, but he never returns to Timou’s village, so Timou goes in search of him. She must confront the mysterious depths of magic in the dark forest, navigate the political unrest in the City, and discover the intensity of her own power. But lurking behind all these mysteries is the ultimate question of Timou’s heritage.

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Book Review: Prisoners of Thornbrill

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Prisoners of Thornbrill by Hannah Pennington

Prisoners of Thornbrill (The Tindoria Chronicles, #1)
by Hannah Pennington (Goodreads Author)

3.5 out of 5 stars
Melanie and her brother Jason discover a dragon egg while camping near the Grand Canyon. They hide the little dragon and name him Scalaed. The dragon grows up and leads Melanie and Jason into another world. There they are captured by an evil huntress and imprisoned in her dark fortress. The huntress is using dark magic to create an army of dragons, and she wants Scalaed for a special purpose.

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Book Review: Wildlord

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Wildlord by Philip Womack

Wildlord
by Philip Womack

3 out of 5 stars

Tom is an orphan who must stay at boarding school during the boring summer months. When his uncle Jack invites him to stay the summer in the country, Tom jumps at the chance. However, it soon becomes apparent that Tom’s uncle is hiding a devastating secret. Jack is using magic for unimaginable ends, and he expects Tom to be his heir and take over the magical responsibilities of their ancient family. But Tom worries that Jack is not telling the whole truth about the magic. Could there be evil at the root of it?

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Book Review: Roswell High The Seeker

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The Seeker (Roswell High, #3)
by Melinda Metz (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Maria found a mysterious ring and she thinks that it is helping her to channel psychic powers. She hopes that her new powers will capture Michael’s attention, and maybe he’ll stop thinking of her as just a friend. Michael is eager to learn to more about a new alien the group meets. He wonders if he might have an alien family out there somewhere. Alex tries to comfort Isabel when she is going through a difficult time, and Isabel begins to realize that she might have feelings for him.

I loved the Roswell TV show when I was a teenager, and it was so fun to rediscover this story through the books! I don’t think I would have enjoyed the books now as an adult if I didn’t already have the nostalgia of the TV show.

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Book Review: The Ordinary Princess

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The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye

The Ordinary Princess
by M.M. Kaye

5 out of 5 stars

At Princess Amy’s christening, one of the fairies grants her the gift of ordinariness. Compared to her beautiful royal sisters, Amy is plain and ordinary. All her sisters have long blonde hair and perfect complexions. Amy has short mousey brown hair and freckles on her nose. As Amy grows up the royal family is distressed, because no prince wants to marry an ordinary princess with freckles. Princess Amy must take her destiny into her own hands, and prove that you don’t have to be beautiful and perfect to find happiness.

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