Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: The Feuds by Avery Hastings

Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Feuds by Avery HastingsThe Feuds
Avery Hastings
St. Martin’s Griffin

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As a member of the privileged, genetically enhanced Priors, Davis lives a sheltered life in which she pursues dance and enjoys parties with her friends. As the day of the Olympiads draws ever nearer, the pressure rises for Davis to succeed in competition, but to do that, she’ll have to be perfect.

Cole has only known about Priors from the outside. As an Imp, or Imperfect citizen, he’s second-class, barred from opportunities that could mean a world of difference to him and his struggling family. Cole makes his living as a fighter, working for an up-and-coming politician. When the man asks for one last favor before financing Cole’s biggest fight yet, Cole can’t refuse. After all, what’s the harm in bringing down a Prior? Then he meets Davis, and his whole perception of her people changes. If he follows through with his job, it will destroy the girl he may be falling in love with. If he fails, he will be destroyed.

After reading the sequel, Torn, I really wanted to read this book. As I read Torn, I kept thinking, man, there’s so much history to this story! I really wanted to read the story referenced in all these little backstory hints. Then I discovered there IS a first book. So, now I’ve read it.

I wish I’d read The Feuds closer to the time I read Torn. It’s been long enough that I’ve forgotten some of the things I liked or disliked about the second book, and I know there were things I was hoping were more deeply explored in the first book in the series. One of those things was Davis’s relationship with her dad. He’s a much more present character in The Feuds, and the relationship between them does drive a few of the story elements, so that was satisfying. It made the second book make more sense in terms of what was said vs just hinted at.

I still wanted more information about the Olympiads and the Feuds. They were happening, but I think I wanted to feel like this was a huge tradition really grafted into a culture, and it really just felt like an event. Which was okay.

In terms of the story, I think I liked Cole better in this book but Davis better in the second book. Over all, I think I liked the second book better. I’m not sure if that’s simply because I read it first?

Readers who liked the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld might like this series. The writing is very different, but some of the themes explored in terms of what makes a person beautiful or valuable are similar.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Cole and Davis have a powerful, immediate connection. They share passionate kisses. Davis is still a virgin when the story begins, as if she’s waiting for someone special. It’s implied that she and Cole have sex on a rooftop in what could be their last moments together.

Spiritual Content
Davis comments that she wishes she could believe in God sometimes because of the hope that faith offers. Her world has proven that God does not exist.

Violence
Cole provides for his family by fighting in an arena. He’s brutal and gifted. The fights are briefly described, one through a terrified Davis’s eyes. One fighter is killed in the arena.

Drug Content
Davis and her friends have fancy parties where alcohol and drugs are consumed. When one of her friends seems to be in some kind of medical distress, Davis assumes she’s had some kind of drug or too much alcohol.

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Review: Bad Luck by Pseudonymous Bosch

Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

Bad Luck
Pseudonymous Bosch
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Now that Clay has adjusted to his new home at Earth Ranch, a school for magical *ahem* unusually gifted students, he just needs his magical ability to finally show itself. As fishy things begin happening on the island, Clay finds himself in the middle of a new adventure. He meets allies he couldn’t have anticipated, including the Jell-O-parfait-loving boy from a cruise ship. But they’ll have to act fast if they’re going to protect the island and its secrets from intruders.

I’d heard about Bosh’s Secret Series from some big-time fans, but this book was my first time reading anything by this author myself. I liked the playfulness and upbeat feel of the story. Even when things were dire, Bosch keeps it light with jokes and silliness. Though there’s some brief speculation about whether a girl has a crush on Clay, the story mainly revolves around the development of friendships, especially between Clay and Brett. Though it’s the second in the series, I almost couldn’t tell from the way it was written—it could have been a standalone novel. The story is light and uncomplicated, which might make it a great pick for reluctant readers. The first ten chapters of the series opener, Bad Magic, are available for free here.

Language Content
A few crude comments about bodily functions.

Romance/Sexual Content
The kids briefly discuss a situation they believe involves two girls crushing on the same boy. Nothing further comes of it.

Spiritual Content
Each child attends the private school on the island because he or she has a magical gift. One girl can steal things without being detected. One boy can start fires anytime he wants.

The children discover a mythical creature which also possesses magical power.

Violence
In the heat of an argument, a boy is thrown from a cruise ship. A rock slide injures a boy.

Drug Content
None.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Nightingale’s Nest by Nikki Loftin

Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, , , ,

Nightingale’s Nest by Nikki Loftin
Penguin Young Readers

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Twelve year-old Little John spends his summer days helping his father care for trees on Mr. King’s property so they can scrape together enough money for the rent. There he meets Gayle, who loves nothing more than to sing from her nest high in the branches of a sycamore tree. But Little John isn’t the only one interested in Gayle and her song. When Mr. King hears the girl’s voice, he asks for Little John’s help to get the girl to sing for him. He’s willing to pay enough money to solve all of Little John’s family troubles, too. But when Gayle refuses to cooperate, Little John begins to wonder if there’s more than creepiness making her shy away from the old man. He finds himself caught between two impossible choices: his family’s survival, or his dearest friend.

Because this is a retelling of a Hans Christian Andersen story, I think I expected a more of a whimsical style in the writing. Once I acclimated to the way the story was written, I enjoyed it. The narrative has a very frank feel, middle-grade-boy-story feel to it. Which works, I think.

I liked that right away there’s tension between Little John’s past—the death of his sister, for which he blames himself and hates trees—and Gayle’s constant flitting around in the upper branches of the tree she loves like a friend. That tension definitely kept the story moving forward and kept me asking questions and reading on to see them answered. Does Little John’s mom really blame him for his sister’s death? Is Gayle’s nest really going to get her rescued from an unhappy foster home?

One element was difficult for me to grasp. Little John is supposed to have recently had a major growth spurt, so that now he’s extremely tall for his age. Between his height and the reserved, careful way he acted, I kept wanting him to be fourteen. It’s possible, I guess, that a twelve year-old could behave the way he does, but I couldn’t seem to stop expecting him to be older than he was, so it was always a little jarring to me to be reminded of his actual age.

I’m a huge fan of fairytales retold, and this one definitely didn’t leave me disappointed. I haven’t read the original version, so I’m not sure which parts would map to the original story, but this retelling didn’t turn out the way I expected. I liked that not everything was neatly resolved, but the story still felt complete.

You can order a copy of Nightingale’s Nest by Nikki Loftin on Amazon by clicking here.

Language Content
A couple references to swearing, like ‘a cuss almost slipped out.’ No profanity in the telling of the story.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Gayle says that her parents have “flown away” and Little John takes this to mean that they have died.

Violence
Mr. King has this weird obsession with Gayle. It’s not entirely clear whether he poses physical danger to her, but he’s certainly a bit creepy. Gayle appears to suffer rough treatment in her foster home. Little John suspects that her foster mother and possibly her foster brother have hit her.

Drug Content
Little John’s father sometimes overindulges in alcohol, leaving his family without money for rent and basic needs.

Review: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Ice Like Fire
Sara Raasch
Balzer + Bray

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After Angra’s defeat, Meira’s people find themselves deep in debt to Cordell. The king commands payment in the form of jewels from Winter’s mines, so Meira sends her weary citizens to work. What they unearth is far more dangerous. In a dangerous cavern miners discover the lost chasm of magic. While Meira believes opening the chasm will unleash the decay on all of Primoria, Theron, her betrothed sees it as the world’s only hope. When Meira leaves on a mission to gather allies for Winter, those closest to her choose their own courses rather than her commands. She must sort friend from traitor before her enemy destroys her.

This was a tough read for me. Some of the things that really drew me to the first book actually kind of repelled me from this one. I don’t want to give away the plot, but there are some shifts in allegiance that felt… I don’t know. Forced? I can see why Raasch chose to take the story there, because it really sets up a huge conflict for the next book. I think I really liked Meira in the first book for her verve and her commitment to what she believed was right. This time, I don’t know… she seemed lost at certain moments when I really needed her to lead. It definitely didn’t hook me the way the first book did.

There were two things I liked, though. I really liked the team of soldiers Mather trains up and especially the girl among them. I think she hit that note for me that I lacked in Meira. Also Ceridwen, the rebel from the kingdom of Summer. I was definitely a huge fan of hers.

Overall, I feel really torn about this book. I wish I liked the major characters more. I like that the plot has sort of opened up into this world-wide stage of politics and alliances. Will I read book three? I’m not sure yet. I might listen to the audiobook version because I can do that at work.

Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. In one kingdom, casual sex is a high value of the culture. The king is found holed up with several partners and offers to provide partners to the envoy from Winter as well. We know what they’ve been up to, but we don’t get a scene showing any of it. Meira’s pretty disgusted, refuses to have anything to do with the Summer king as much as possible.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Battle scenes. In one, a woman is killed, pierced through the chest by a sword. In another, a woman uses powerful magic to destroy enemies. A man is decapitated. Some people are sold into slavery in the kingdom of Summer.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Midnight Thief
Livia Blackburne
Disney Hyperion

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Kyra’s survival on the streets of Forge stands on a knife’s edge. She’s constantly scraping for the coin to make ends meet. A talented thief-for-hire, she often works for dangerous clients. When one such client offers her a job too good to be true, Kyra’s tempted by his ability to protect her and by the pull of attraction she feels for him. But James quickly proves to be more than he claims, and Kyra finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into the web of the Assassins Guild, and there may not be a way out alive.

Tristam serves as a Palace knight, defending against fearsome Demon Riders, warriors with giant cats who terrorize the people. When important documents begin inexplicably disappearing from the Palace, Tristam uncovers the identity of a thief who may be the best chance at bringing down the Assassins Guild. If he can convince her to betray them.

I’ve been curious about this book since before it came out. I started trying to read it once before, and just didn’t get hooked enough to continue. I must have been really tired or something, because this time when I started reading, I didn’t want to stop. Kyra’s character captured me from the first page. She’s too smart for her own good, with a soft heart and a deep loyalty to her friends. Loved her. I loved her best friend, Flick. I really wanted him or James to be the big romantic interest, but it was clear (because he has his own point-of-view) that Tristam was going to be the hero. He grew on me. At first he was too clean and neat and predictable.

The plot moved really quickly and I kept turning pages to see what would happen next. There were several revelations that I didn’t see coming. The resolution was satisfying but also left me eager to pick up the sequel. I liked that there were moments that turned my perceptions of characters and situation on their heads. I feel like that’s a pretty true-to-life experience (things not being what they initially seem), so I’m always interested when I find that in literature.

Would I pick up the second book in the series? Yes. I’m curious what happens next to Kyra, Tristam and their friends, but I’m not so desperate that I have to read it right now. I think it was a good book definitely worth reading. I think especially fans of Robin McKinley will enjoy this story.

Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
There are a few hints that some women live as mistresses to knights or powerful men, and that perhaps that life comes with high costs. Tristam’s superior asks if he intends to take a mistress, but he says he will not.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Kyra joins a guild of assassins whose assignment grow steadily more brutal. She doesn’t want to kill anyone, but an accident wakens a hunger for violence in her that plagues her nightmares. She dreams about killing, choosing to kill. The scenes are brief but a bit disturbing. The barbarians who invade her city are fierce warriors who kill mercilessly. Giant cats kill and devour villagers or soldiers in a couple of brief scenes. There are some gory or intense descriptions.

Drug Content
Kyra learns about the use of poisons from her time in the Assassins Guild.

Review: The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

Book Review and Content, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
Delacorte Press

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Prenna lives a closely guarded life of secrecy, a tightrope walk between fitting in and remaining unnoticed. Twelve unbreakable rules govern her behavior. Those who break them meet accident or relocation. So when Prenna befriends Ethan, a boy from school, she risks everything. Then she discovers that her people, immigrants from more than eighty years in the future, aren’t trying to stop the terrible future from happening, as they once claimed. And her father, who failed to make the journey with her, didn’t abandon the family as she’s been told. If she and Ethan are to save them all, they must follow the careful trail of clues he left behind before her leaders find her.

The idea of this group immigrating to the US illegally, not from another country, but from another time, really fascinated me. Prenna’s whole life exists in this cult-like environment. She’s watched. Punished for every infraction. Carefully taught to follow strict behavior. She struggles to fit in well enough not to be noticed at school. But Ethan can’t stop noticing her. His determined friendship is immensely charming. The way he accepts her without making her feel odd or lame? So sweet. If you’re a ‘book boyfriend’ type, he’s one for the list.

I ripped through the first half of the book, staying up WAY too late to read. I was about to force myself to put it down and go to sleep when this crazy plot twist happened and totally blew my mind. Then… the second lost steam. There’s a long passage in which Prenna explains what happened to the world between now and her time. That intense plot element that left me gasping? It gets resolved, but in a weird way. I felt like it needed a bigger moment or something. There is a moment where things get dicey, but the issue was the something terrible was supposed to happen on a particular day. And the day hadn’t ended when everyone was like, Whew, that was close. So I was kind of like, wait!! It’s not over yet!! Only, I guess no one else felt that way? I felt like that diffused the momentum.

The way the story concludes left me thinking there must be a sequel. I can’t find any information saying there will be one, though. I liked the first half of the story much better than the second, but I felt like the end didn’t satisfy if there’s no further story to look forward to. C’est la vie, I guess.

Fans of time traveling stories should consider giving this one a read. I liked that it had those elements of cult-ish-ness and the immigration issue. Definitely presented issues surrounding time travel in ways I hadn’t considered before. There’s a little bit of preaching about how important it is to save the planet no matter how expensive or inconvenient it may be. I agree, so it didn’t bother me.

Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Sexual Content
Prenna and Ethan discuss whether they should have sex. They share a bed and the back seat of a car, but for sleep. (He does get a teeny bit frisky with her in the bed, but she shuts it down. They plan to have sex, but then decide against it for safety reasons.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Prenna finds a man who has been beaten to death. She and Ethan try to stop a man from brutally murdering a woman. He attacks them. It’s brief and not particularly gory.

Drug Content
Prenna’s leaders give her pills each day that they insist are vitamins.