I'm having a hard time figuring out why this book isn't more popular, and why I'm not hearing about it all over the place. I mean, obviously I heard about it at one point, or I wouldn't have added it to my tbr list, but I think it should definitely be more well known. It's really good.
I have read a few reviews that call it a copy of Harry Potter. While I honestly think it's just about as good as Harry Potter, I wouldn't call it a copy at all. Yes, there are some similarities. But that's true of just about all books nowadays. There really is nothing new under the sun. There are bound to be similar elements in books, especially if you read a lot, and more especially if you're looking for them.
I think this book stands on its own, and is a fantastic addition to its genre. The setting was really fun and memorable. I loved the main character, and there were a lot of side characters to like as well. The plot moves at a great pace, and was never slow or boring. I would definitely recommend this book.
Luke Abbott's school is
the losing-est school in the history of losing. And that's just fine for
him. He'd rather be at home playing video games and avoiding his older
brother Rob and the Greatest Betrayal of All Time.
But now he's
being forced to join the robotics team, where surely he'll help uphold
the school's losing streak. He'll also meet a colorful cast of
characters, including: Mikayla, the girl who does everything with her
toes; Jacob and Jacob, who aren't twins but might as well be; the
sunflower seed-obsessed Stuart; and Missy the Cruel, Luke's
innocent-looking bully since they were six-years-old. But it's an
unlikely connection with a mysterious boy known only as "Lunchbox Jones"
that will change Luke's life. Turns out, Luke and Lunchbox Jones have a
lot more in common than just robots . . . .
This was a lot of fun to read, and even made me laugh out loud a couple of times. I think it's a great book for middle grade readers, and I think my sons (ages 12 and 9) would really like it. I think the main character would be very relatable for young boys, but girls should enjoy the story as well. I would recommend this one.
Twig lives in Sidwell,
where people whisper that fairy tales are real. After all, her town is
rumored to hide a monster. And two hundred years ago, a witch placed a
curse on Twig’s family that was meant to last forever. But this summer,
everything will change when the red moon rises. It’s time to break the
spell.
I love to read, and in general it doesn't matter what age group a book is written for. If it's well written and interesting, I like it. Having said that, this book just felt way too young to me. It wasn't very interesting, and I didn't really connect with the story. And besides that, it was a little too happily ever after.
Full of regret,
Cinderella's wicked stepmother, Flora, has founded the Fairy Tale Reform
School with the mission of turning the wicked and criminally
mischievous into upstanding members of Enchantasia.
Impish, sassy
12-year-old Gilly has a history of petty theft and she's not too sorry
about it. When she lifts a hair clip, she gets tossed in reform
school-for at least three months. But when she meets fellow students Jax
and Kayla, she learns there's more to this school than its sweet
mission. There's a battle brewing and she starts to wonder: can a
villain really change?
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. As someone who really loves fairy tales, I was expecting to like this a lot more than I did. I think it had a lot of potential, but for me it just failed to deliver. I wish the fairy tale world had been used more, but it felt like mostly it was just name-dropping of fairy tale characters. Overall just not what I was hoping for. Younger readers might like it more than I did, but I've read better middle grade books.
Meet twin sisters,
Celia and Alice, whose bid for freedom from their evil stepmother leads
them on a hilarious journey through a world of fantasy and imagination.
Join the sisters as they encounter a sarcastic fairy godmother, giants,
charming princes, an overly dramatic fox, and more! Readers will
recognize familiar themes from their favorite tales and read new ones
taken from cultures around the world. Author and illustrator Samuel
Valentino has cleverly woven together a delightful fairy tale that
teaches us resilience and creative thinking pay off in the end.
This was fun in a fairy-tale like way. I started off reading it to my husband and sons while we sat around the campfire on a camping trip. Even though the main characters were girls, and my boys usually want nothing to do with that, they were quite interested in the story. My husband even enjoyed listening to it, and he's not a reader.
But then we had no more campfire time, and I finished it off myself. I will probably finish reading it to them in the future, though. I think this book is definitely aimed more at children with a short attention span, because there really just wasn't a whole lot to it. It moved very quickly, with no real danger to it. Which is perfectly fine for a children's book.
The main characters (twin girls) were fine, but I honestly had no idea who was who. There just wasn't a whole lot of character building, or character distinction between the sisters.
The illustrations looked like they would be a lot of fun and add to the story, but they didn't work well with my Kindle. They were spread out over three or four kindle pages, which made them not at all as fun to look at.
This had a very Disney movie type feel to it, for me. I could see it playing out as a fun children's movie, and it's a fun read aloud book for the family, but don't go into it expecting great literature.
Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields.
The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate
tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and
that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she
can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the
401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than
Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult
prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy
who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.
I'm just not quite sure how to rate this, or even really review it. I think it's aimed at middle grade readers, but I also think they'd find it a bit boring. It definitely reads "young". There were some interesting concepts here, and I thought at the beginning of the book that it was going to be better than it was.
The meteor showers dropping stuff from other worlds seemed really interesting. And then what we got was a chase with a train ride, a bit of a reveal at the end, and that's about it. I kept waiting for more, but it just wasn't delivered.
The world building could have used a lot more work. And I never really connected very much with the characters. A lot of my disappoint could be that I'm reading at the same time Brandon Sanderson's Words of Radiance. And this just extremely pales in comparison with the richness of his writing. But at the same time, I think I would have been disappointed in this one regardless.
A few days ago I read the third book in the Fairyland series (one of my all-time favorites) by Catherynne Valente. With that so fresh in my mind, this felt like Fairyland lite. The writing just wasn't anywhere near as good.
I wanted to like it more than I did. I know this is a children's book. They are not always as fleshed out as adult fantasy. But I just felt like it had potential to be more than it was. I wanted to care a little more than I did.
It was still a pretty fun read. Young girls will probably like finding a heroine like Ophelia they can look up to. She did the hard things that needed to be done, even when she was scared. And she helped the Marvelous Boy, even though she didn't have to.
*I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley
12-year-old Hope lives
in White Rock, a town struggling to recover from the green bombs of
World War III. The bombs destroyed almost everything that came before,
so the skill that matters most in White Rock—sometimes it feels like the
only thing that matters—is the ability to invent so that the world can
regain some of what it’s lost.
But Hope is terrible at inventing
and would much rather sneak off to cliff dive into the Bomb’s Breath—the
deadly band of air that covers the crater the town lives in—than fail
at yet another invention.
When bandits discover that White Rock
has invented priceless antibiotics, they invade. The town must choose
whether to hand over the medicine and die from disease in the coming
months or to die fighting the bandits now. Hope and her friends, Aaren
and Brock, might be the only ones who can escape through the Bomb’s
Breath and make the dangerous trek over the snow-covered mountain to get
help.
For once, inventing isn’t the answer, but the daring and
risk-taking that usually gets Hope into trouble might just save them
all.
I'm honestly not sure how to rate this. I thought it was quite slow, and not terribly interesting. I tried to think of how my middle grade aged son would like it, since he is the target audience, and even still, not sure if he would.
It's easy to say I'm not the target audience, and it's only a middle grade book, so I should go easier on it. But there are some killer middle grade books out there.
The plot for this one was different, and there were some elements to it that I liked, but overall it was very forgettable, and I definitely wouldn't continue on with the series.
*I received an e-galley of this from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Library copy Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged. In
the faery slums of Bath, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister Hettie live
by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings--Peculiars--and
neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them. One day
a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow
Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does
she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a
whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the
alley--Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed. First
he's noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly
magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful
Mr. Lickerish . . . and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip
through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers
Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong.
I liked this more than I expected. It was very fairy tailish, and it's pretty clear that I like fairy tales. I've read other books by younger authors, and have not been impressed, but with Stefan Bachmann, I was very impressed with his writing style. It was pretty fantastic.
It seems that this is the first of a series, but that's okay with me, because the writing was good enough that I will happily continue on. I would definitely recommend this one to fantasy fans. It's a super quick, fun read.
My nine year old son and I have been working our way through the Harry Potter series. It's been a long time since I've read these books on my own, and I have truly loved re-discovering them with my son. There are days when we only read one chapter, and days like last Monday (Memorial Day here in the U.S.) where we read for three hours.
So, I thought as a new feature on my blog, I would (try to remember to) post when we finished a book, and my son, Kevin, and I would do a little interview type review for each one. I thought it would be fun to look at books through the eyes of a nine year old. WARNING: May contain spoilers.
If you were telling a friend about Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, what would you tell them it's about?
A person got out of Azkaban because he turned into a dog.
What was your favorite part?
When he was saved from the people who were going to give him the kiss thingy.
Who is your favorite character?
Harry Potter.
Least favorite?
The guys that were trying to take him away.
If you could change something about the book, what would you change?
Black running away. I would have him not run and join Harry and help him.
Were there any scary parts?
Nope.
Funny parts?
No.
Who would you recommend this book to?
My friends and family.
-------------------------------------------------
Do you ever read with your kids? If so, what have been some of your favorites to read together?
Publication Date: March 13, 2012
by Simon and Schuster
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Source: ARC from publisher
The second epic installment of Brandon Mull’s #1 New York Times
bestselling fantasy series! After the cliffhanger ending of A World
Without Heroes, Jason is back in the world he’s always known—yet for all
his efforts to get home, he finds himself itching to return to Lyrian.
Jason knows that the shocking truth he learned from Maldor is precious
information that all of his friends in Lyrian, including Rachel, need if
they have any hope of surviving and defeating the evil emperor. Meanwhile, Rachel and the others have discovered new enemies—as well
as new abilities that could turn the tide of the entire quest. And as
soon as Jason succeeds in crossing over to Lyrian, he’s in more danger
than ever. Once the group reunites, they strive to convince their
most-needed ally to join the war and form a rebellion strong enough to
triumph over Maldor. At the center of it all, Jason and Rachel realize
what roles they’re meant to play—and the answers are as surprising as
they are gripping.
I was hoping to post this review yesterday, on the release day, but life got in the way and I just got too busy. One thing I was busy doing was attending the launch party for this book. I'm lucky to live in a place with a lot of local, talented authors, and Brandon Mull is one of them. I took my almost nine year old son with me, and I loved seeing the joy and excitement in his eyes. He's gotten really into reading, and was so excited when I bought him his own copy of the first Beyonders book to get signed. He loves the cool fantasy covers, and is always asking why he can't have more books with cool covers.
Anyway, onto the review. One thing I really like about Brandon Mull is that his writing is so inventive and it feels different. He's got a crazy good imagination, and it shines through in his writing, especially in this series. There are none of the typical elves, dwarves, and wizards. There are fantasy races in this book that are completely different, and if I'm honest, so different I can't even picture them. But that's not a bad thing. It's great to read something new and fresh.
The writing is solid and there's a lot of action here. The characters are dealing with one thing after another, and things very rarely slow down for them. There were so many different areas of Lyrian that we visited in the first book that you'd almost think there'd be nothing new to explore in the second. Not so, as we visit new and exciting places and get to experience new adventures right along with the characters. Okay, not literally, which is probably good cause I'd be scared out of my mind if I was living this story. Curled up in a ball hoping to wake up soon kind of scared. But of course, in books, characters are always braver and able to do things that normal people just don't do. That's why we all love these stories. We get to live adventure after adventure and travel the world and visit fantasy worlds and it's wonderful! And this is one of those books that makes me happy that I read.
Twelve-year-old Kat Stephenson may be the despair of her social-climbing Step-Mama, but she was born to be a magical Guardian and protector of Society--if she can ever find true acceptance in the secret Order that expelled her own mother. She’s ready to turn the hidebound Order of the Guardians inside-out, whether the older members like it or not. And in a society where magic is the greatest scandal of all, Kat is determined to use all her powers to help her three older siblings--saintly Elissa, practicing-witch Angeline, and hopelessly foolish Charles--find their own true loves, even if she has to turn highwayman, battle wild magic, and confront real ghosts along the way!
Kat was such a fun character, and one that younger teens and tweens are going to adore. She is spunky, curious, and gets into all kinds of trouble, but she's also very caring and mostly just wants to help the people she loves. The side characters were also wonderful, and although at the beginning I was worried that some would be too stereotypical, I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't the case.
The story itself was absolutely charming, and reminded me a bit of Pride and Prejudice. The upside was that it is more accessible to younger readers than P&P is. The other bonus, if you like that sort of thing, is that it has magic. Luckily for me, I like anything that adds a bit of fantasy into my books.
I would highly recommend this to younger readers who are looking for a fun, sweet story, and to older readers like me who remain young at heart. This is the first in a series, and I will definitely continue.
Cover Thoughts:
My ARC had a different cover, but I like this one much better. I'm guessing this is the one that will be on the published book. Very cool looking!
My Review
Jason is a middle school student who is great at baseball and works at a zoo (I don't know how someone in middle school gets a job at a zoo, but we move past that very quickly). One day while working he is transported through the hippo cage to another world called Lyrian where an evil wizard emperor holds all the power. There he meets Rachel, who was also transported from Earth to Lyrian. With the help of scattered rebels, they must find a secret word that can be used to destroy the emperor.
One thing Brandon Mull does well is write characters to engage his readers. Jason and Rachel are likable characters that will draw in young boy and girl readers. At times I felt that Jason seemed to be quite older than his thirteen years, but maybe it's because I underestimate what young teens can do. Rachel is a little more secondary as a character, so we don't find out what she's thinking as much as with Jason.
Lyrian is a very interesting world with a lot of different settings. The world building was very creative, and very much a part of the story as Jason and Rachel search for the secret word. They travel to many different places, but I don't want to go into too much detail because I think part of the fun of reading is discovering the world with the characters.
A Sample of the Writing: " My people are right. Indulgence is emptiness. I have probed the limits with food and frivolity. There is no real fulfillment in meaningless rushes of pleasure. You try to conceal the emptiness with more extravagance, only to find the thrills becoming less satisfying and more fleeting. Most pleasures are best as a seasoning, not the main course."
If you enjoyed Fablehaven, you'll definitely want to give this one a read as well. This book is aimed at ages 8-12, and I think those ages will enjoy it, but older readers will like it as well.
A World Without Heroes is a very fun, creative fantasy and I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series. There were a few slow spots, but overall it's quite an engaging story that the reader will have a hard time putting down. This is definitely one to watch for.
My Review Why I read it: received e-copy from Netgalley for review The Plot: Two twins named Coke and Pepsi find that they are targets of assassins. As the plot unfolds, they find out that they are part of a secret group called The Genius Files. All of this happens as they finish up the school year and head on a cross country trip in an RV with their parents. Obviously the whole plot was fairly unbelievable, but the target audience should find it fun. The Characters: Besides having quite possibly the most ridiculous names I've ever seen for characters, Coke and Pepsi are your regular almost teenagers (they turn 13 during the story). Except that they are both exceptionally smart. It comes off somewhat in the story, but they're not annoyingly smart, if that makes sense. Kids should be able to relate to these characters, mostly. The Setting: This was the fun part of the story. The family sets off on a cross country trip, leaving from San Francisco and ending up in Washington D.C. (although they don't make it all the way in this book). Throughout the book the author interjects cities you can plug into google maps to follow along with them on their trip. There are also pictures throughout of the places they visited. And if that's not enough, since both Coke and his mom are lovers of useless facts, we learn a lot of things about different spots in the U.S. Who Should Read This? This is a great book for the middle grade audience. Parents who like to read to their younger children might like this one as well, just for its silliness and fun. Final Thoughts: I'll be honest here. If I was judging this book purely on it's entertainment level for me, I wouldn't rate it very high. It was very silly and very young, especially the humor. That being said, this book wasn't written for my age group. It was written for kids, and I think they'll really like it. So while it may not go on any favorite lists of mine, it's great for what it was meant to be: a fun adventure tale for middle grade readers. Grade: B Cover Thoughts: The cover has a cute, cartoonish look that will definitely appeal to kids.
Book Details:
Genre: Juvenile Fantasy
Page Count: 308
Publication Date: Oct. 1, 2007
Why I read it: I like the author
Grade: B
The plot: A hero with an incredible talent...for breaking things. A life-or-death mission...to rescue a bag of sand. A fearsome threat from a powerful secret network...the evil Librarians.
Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. Alcatraz must stop them!...by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutziness.
My review: Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors. So I was curious to see what this childrens fantasy series would be like. I can't say I like it as well as his adult fantasy, but it was highly enjoyable for sure. It's written in the style as if the main character is writing his story, and there are a lot of instances of the character (as the author, or is it the author as the character?) talking to the reader. This type of thing can be done well or it can be incredibly annoying. Fortunately, it was done well and was very fun.
Alcatraz is a great character, and I think one that older children especially will love. The whole book is very clever and creative. Here's a quote that I particularly liked:
Now, actual torture is frowned upon in civilized society. Fortunately, the authorial community has discovered in storytelling an even more powerful--and more fulfilling--means of causing agony in others. We write stories. And by doing so, we engage in a perfectly legal method of doing all kinds of mean and terrible things to our readers.
Take, for instance, the word I used above. Propondity. There is no such word--I made it up. Why? Because it amused me to think of thousands of readers looking up a nonsense word in their dictionaries.
This is the writing style of the book, so if the above quote sound fun to you, you'll probably like it. If it seems annoying, steer clear. This is not a book for everyone. I would say that just because you enjoy Sanderson's adult fantasy does not mean you will like this. It's completely different in style. But if you like silly, fun children's fantasy, or you're looking for something fun for your kids to read, this is a great choice.
Title: The Farwalker's Quest
Author: Joni Sensel
Genre: Juvenile Fantasy
Page Count: 372
Why I read it: wanted to
Grade: A-
Synopsis: Ariel has always been curious, but when she and her best friend Zeke stumble upon a mysterious old telling dart she feels an unexplained need to figure out what it means. Magically flying great distances and only revealing their messages to the intended recipient, telling darts haven’t been used for years, and no one knows how they work. So when two strangers show up looking for the dart, Ariel and Zeke realize that their discovery is not only interesting, but very dangerous. The telling dart and the strangers lead them on a journey more perilous and encompassing than either can imagine, and in the process both Zeke and Ariel find their true calling.
My review:
The Farwalker's Quest was a Cybils Awards Nominee for Middle Grade Fantasy and Science fiction in 2009, which is where I first heard of it. It started off a little slow, and I was afraid it wasn't going to be my cup of tea, but things picked up a bit, and I quite enjoyed it.
It's pretty much your typical quest story. There was a lot of walking and camping and questing, but it was very well done. I found Ariel a bit petulant and annoying, but I had to remind myself that she was young, and going through trying times, and that it was okay. And once I could get past that, I really loved the story. There were some interesting elements, and some that I've read before (Naming Day at age 13, or the like, has been done already), but none of it felt like it was just a copy of previous books.
Looking on Goodreads, I see that this is the first of a series, or at least that it has a sequel, which is nice because I'd like to re-visit this world. I would recommend this one to fans of YA or juvenile fantasy. It deserved to be nominated for the award, even if it didn't win.
Title: Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo
Author: Obert Skye
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 339
Why I read it: saw it featured in the back of Fablehaven
Grade: D
Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps (a.k.a. "Lev") lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds -- the real world and Foo, a place created at the at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Lev, who alone has the power to save Foo.
My review:
I really didn't like this one. It was so bad that I had to skim heavily to even finish it. The author was trying really hard to be clever, but it just didn't mesh with my sense of humor, I guess. I found it more grating than funny. It seemed that the author was going for a really quirky, fun story, but I was mostly bored.
It's labeled (at least at my library) as young adult fiction, and I think that was definitely a mis-label. It's definitely juvenile fiction. Compared to some of the really awesome YA fiction I've been reading, this one just seems really amateur. I'm sure there's a market for this kind of book, but I'm not it, so I won't be continuing with this series.
Title: Doppelganger Chronicles: The Secret of Indigo Moon
Author: G.P. Taylor
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Got it from: Tyndale Publisher
Why I read it: Received review copy
Grade: B
Synopsis: Erik Morissey Ganger, famed explorer and detective (well, in his dreams), and his mischief-making sidekicks, twins Sadie and Saskia Dopple, didn’t go looking for a secret tunnel beneath the school. They never intended to make the acquaintance of a shifty private eye with a nose for trouble. It wasn’t part of the plan to come face to face with an old enemy, one with an agenda of his own that could destroy them all. And unraveling the “secret of indigo moon” was the farthest thing from their minds.
My review:
I read this book to my kids, ages twelve and six, and they both really enjoyed it. My six year old has a pretty short attention span, but he was interested enough in the story to sit still and listen as we read up to 100 pages in one sitting. On it's own, at least for me, the story was not that interesting. Of course, it's a children's book, so that's not necessarily surprising. My kids did love it, after all.
But I think what they really loved about this book, and what makes it special is it's format. It's part illustrated novel, part graphic novel, with the format changing all throughout the book. And it was a beautiful book. This was the second of the series, and we hadn't read the first, but didn't feel lost or anything. I would recommend this book, but on the caveat that it's not really one of those children's novels for adults, but it's a wonderful book to read to your children.
Title: Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
Author: Brandon Mull
Genre: Juvenile Fantasy
Got it from: library
Why I read it: fourth in a series
Grade: B+
Synopsis: Two hidden artifacts have been found. Three more remain unrecovered. More preserves face destruction as the Society of the Evening Star relentlessly pursues new talismans. Reading in Patton s Journal of Secrets, Kendra learns the location of the key to a vault housing one of the artifacts. In order to retrieve it, the Knights of the Dawn must enter a death trap a dragon sanctuary called Wyrmroost.
My Review:
I love the imaginative aspect to these books. There are so many different kinds of fantasy creatures that it really makes things interesting. If that were the only focus (and sometimes that's all I let it be) then these books would be excellent. The problem that I have found is there is very little character development. For one thing, the main characters, Kendra and Seth, have grown hardly at all over the last four books.
But the bigger problem lies in the fact that besides Kendra and Seth, I hardly know or care about any of the other characters. It seems they only exist to help the two children, or to move the story along, but we don't get to hear about who they are beyond a name and a few basic defining characteristics. I think that makes the story weaker, and it could be so much better.
I am really enjoying this series. It's a fun read, but that's about it. It's not anything I'll really be thinking about after I finish.
Title: Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague
Author: Brandon Mull
Genre: Juvenile Fantasy
Got it from: Library
Why I read it: third in a series
Grade: B
Summary: Strange things are afoot at Fablehaven. Someone or something has released a plague that transforms beings of light into creatures of darkness. Seth discovers the problem in its infancy, but as the infectious disease spreads, it becomes clear that the preserve cannot hold for long. In dire need of help, the Sorensons question where to turn. Meanwhile, Kendra and members of the Knights of the Dawn must journey to a distant preserve and retrieve another artifact.
My review:
I was a little bit disappointed with this book. I thought the first half was quite slow. There was too much figuring things out and looking for things, and not a whole lot of action. The thing that works for me with the Fablehaven books is that there is a lot of magic, creativity, and imagination. Without that, the books fail. I felt the first half was lacking in that aspect. I just didn't feel motivated to pick up the book, so what should have been a quick read took me a long time to read.
The second half picked up quite nicely, though. The magic that I loved from the other books was there. It was action packed, and kept me turning the pages. Maybe the first half needed tighter editing, or maybe I am just spoiled and demand action every second. :) I'm not sure. I would recommend this book to those who have been reading the series, but honestly, if this had been the first book of the series, I may have given up without getting to the good second half, and wouldn't have continued the series.
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
