ya fantasy

Book Review: The Samurai’s Tale

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The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard

The Samurai’s Tale 
by Erik Christian Haugaard

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Taro’s family are all killed by invading soldiers, but the captain saves young Taro alive to be a servant. Taro vows to become a samurai, and regain the wealthy position his father once held. He begins as a lowly kitchen boy, but quickly is placed in higher positions of trust. He gains the respect of men in power and slowly rises in the ranks to follow his dream, but the shifting wars in Japan threaten to destroy everything he knows. Continue reading →

Book Review: Red Riding Hood

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Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
Red Riding Hood 
by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright (Goodreads Author), David Leslie Johnson, Catherine Hardwicke (Introduction by)
1 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Valerie’s sister is killed by the horrible Wolf. Valerie has to choose to marry the rich young blacksmith, or run away with her childhood friend, Peter, who is an outcast.
I’m DNFing this stupidity. Boring. Instalove of the worst kind. Mediocre writing. Rotten characters. Bleh.
I got to page 88, and had to quit. When they agree to run away together after having only exchanged about twenty words and one moonlit horseback ride, I’m done with this nonsense.

It also annoyed me that the girls run off in the middle of the night to the boys’ camp to flirt with them. What was the point of that whole scene?

Graphic Novel Review: The Wendy Project

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The Wendy Project
The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is so beautiful and sweet and sad. Gorgeous artwork and a bittersweet story.

Wendy and her brothers are in a car crash, and Wendy swears she saw her youngest brother Michael flying off with Peter Pan, but no one believes her. She gets in trouble at school, and sort of connects with a weird guy named Peter. He’s enigmatic and unreliable, only interested in having fun, but Wendy believes he could lead her to her brother. Wendy’s therapist tells her to draw in a journal, and she begins to document the things she sees that makes her believe her brother is alive somewhere in Neverland. Continue reading →

Book Review: Heartless

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Heartless
Heartless by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Catherine is being courted by the King of Hearts, but he is a silly idiot, and she only wants to pursue her dream to open a bakery of her own. When Catherine meets the dashing court Jester, she soon learns that he is full of impossible secrets, and the two embark on a wild adventure of romance and deceit that will lead them to their frightful destiny.

This book completely broke my heart! The worst part was seeing the characters all so happy and hopeful in the beginning, knowing that the ending would be tragic. I can’t even write a review about it. My heart is so full of conflicting emotions, and my brain is revolving around and around this story, every word they said to each other, the silly riddles, the shy moments, the terrible violence and tragedy. Can’t. My heart.

One of the best things about this book is the little details of a life in Wonderland. A clock that talks, the weird conversations with Wonderland characters, the Cheshire cat popping up everywhere, and all the strange recipes. So many times, I said to myself, Oh, so THAT’s why that thing is that way in Wonderland. That’s why the cook uses too much pepper! That’s why the baby turned into a pig! I loved all those details that explained some of the weirdness encountered by Alice. haha! Loved it!

I love the sweet and witty dialogue, and the wonderfully delicious setting! But oh my goodness, the emotional turmoil!

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Book Review: The Wizard’s Dilemma

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The Wizard's Dilemma
The Wizard’s Dilemma by Diane Duane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yet another book in this series that broke my heart! Such beautiful writing!

Nita gets the terrible news that her mother is dying of cancer. In between hospital visits, Nita searches for a dangerous and elusive wizardry that will cure her mother, but the price may be more than she can pay. She and her wizarding work partner, Kit, have suffered a misunderstanding that keeps them apart. Determined to find a cure on her own, Nita falls prey to the evil Lone One, not realizing that Kit might have stumbled on the answer to all their problems, if only they can reconcile in time!

As in all the other books, I adore the camaraderie and complete trust between Kit and Nita. Their friendship is so special, and seeing it fall apart in this book was heartbreaking. But even through their argument, I loved seeing these characters grow and change, and their friendship ultimately grows and changes along with them. All friendships have some rocky spots, a few bumps in the road, and I was so happy to see how both these characters overcome the obstacles in their way, and it makes them better people, and makes their friendship stronger! Continue reading →

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: 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: Deerskin

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Deerskin
Deerskin by Robin McKinley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was upsetting to read because the story focuses on a princess who is beaten and raped by her own father, runs away to survive a harsh winter alone in the mountains, where she is assisted by the magical Moon Lady, who gives her a dress made of deerskin. The dark subject material is handled well, because the princess eventually confronts her attacker and finds some emotional healing, but it’s rough reading about all that pain and abuse.

Usually I love this author’s books, but this one was not enjoyable because of the subject material. Her writing style is excellent, but there were many redundant paragraphs and too many details, which made the story slow.

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