Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Captives by Jill Williamson

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Captives (Safe Lands #1)
Jill Williamson
Zondervan
Published February 19, 2013

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Omar, an unappreciated artist in a village of hunters, has a plan to make everyone realize his worth. Surely once they see the wonders of the Safe Lands, they’ll crowd in to thank Omar for bringing them. But when the envoy from Safe Lands arrives and shots are fired, Omar’s brilliant dream twists into a deadly nightmare. Eighteen people are dead, and everyone blames him.

Levi returns from an errand to find his village emptied and many dead. Filled with grief and fury, he vows to enter the Safe Lands to rescue the captives taken from his home. Nothing prepares him for the reality of life in the Safe Lands.

In a city bent on pleasure and fun, Safe Lands citizens mask the effects of a deadly plague with makeup, drugs and free love. Horrified, Levi and many others from the small village of Glenrock cling to the Christian morals and values of their homeland. Their convictions come with heavy prices. As Levi turns his mind to plans of rescue, his brother Mason pursues study of the terrible plague that infects the people of the Safe Lands. Finding a cure is the only way to save those he loves, but time is running out.

The first in a dystopian series, Captives explores the consequences of drug abuse and sexually transmitted disease and contrasts this against a Christian morality and way of life. The few scenes including drug use are brief and the message that experimentation can quickly give rise to addiction is crystal clear in Williamson’s text. Though the values of promiscuity and casual relationships are explained, no graphic sexual content appears in the story. The plot contains rapid-fire twists and unexpected turns, making it a quick read. References to lines from The Princess Bride will make it unforgettable to movie fans.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None

Sexual Content
The women from Glenrock village will be forced to become pregnant through an embryo implant. The men are forced to donate sperm regularly. No details are given about how this occurs. Omar spends the night with a beautiful woman in the Safe Lands. Though no details are given, it’s understood that he has had sex with her. Characters visit various clubs and sometimes participate in dancing or watching sultry performers.

Spiritual Content
The villagers from Glenrock find their Christian values challenged by the pleasure-seeking ways of Safe Lands. Safe Lands Nationals believe that they are given nine lives on earth before a tenth of eternal bliss.

Violence
Enforcers from Safe Lands attack a village, killing several of its people. Few details are given. Omar beats his brother but later feels guilty. A woman is kissed against her will.

Drug Content
Nothing is illegal in the Safe Lands. Various medicines, alcohols and drugs are vaporized and inhaled for ease or pleasure. Omar’s experimentation with these substances quickly rockets out of control and earns him some nasty consequences.

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Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

The Maze Runner
James Dashner
Delacorte Press
Published October 6, 2009

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With limited memories of his previous life, Thomas arrives in a frightening world, trapped in a hostile maze with fifty other boys. Before he is fully acclimated to his new home, an unprecedented event occurs: a girl arrives, claiming she will be the last person to join them before collapsing into a coma. Thomas reels,feeling that this girl is familiar to him. He can’t stop thinking about her or feeling an intense desire to become a Runner, a member of the elite group of boys who set out into the maze daily, attempting to create a map to the exit.

When the group’s leader, and the leader of the Runners become trapped in the maze, Thomas rushes in to rescue them without considering the consequences: a night surrounded by fierce monsters called Grievers. As he struggles to survive the night, Thomas begins to understand what the boys must do in order to escape the maze. When the girl confesses that she has triggered the ending of the way of life the boys endure, Thomas realizes they must make their move now.

Though the opening is clouded with the intense confusion of the protagonist, the story and its world eventually becomes more clear, and readers are able to invest in Thomas and his friends. In addition to the unique dystopian setting, Dashner creates language used by the boys in place of profanity. While cleverly conceived, the words are overused to the point of obnoxiousness. The Maze Runner contains some dark elements. For instance, a Griever’s sting causes its victim to have a mental breakdown and to experience horrible memories from the past. Grievers attack the boys, and sometimes each other. However, the relationships between the characters are touching and the story’s tension builds steadily. The twist ending makes it difficult for readers not to immediately begin the second installment of the series.

The movie based on the book The Maze Runner is expected to hit the big screen in September 2014.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. Characters use alternate words in place of swearing.

Sexual Content
When the girl arrives, a few of the boys make comments claiming her. Before anyone can lay a hand on her, the leader makes it clear that harming her in any way will not be tolerated.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Half-machine, half-animal creatures called Grievers roam the maze at night, attacking and stinging any boys in their paths. Stings cause a reaction referred to as the Changing, which can cause some mad or violent outbursts.

Drug Content
A serum must be taken to save anyone stung by a Griever.

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Ten Books I Can’t Wait to Read

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Historical, Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

Outcasts by Jill Williamson

Release date: 1/7/14

Three brothers and a young girl fight for survival within the towering walls of the Safe Lands. Despite its name, the city is ravaged with disease and infested with corruption. Each brother follows a mission: to find a cure for the sick; to free the captives; to take down the Safe Lands in a rebellion.

The second in her Safe Lands series, Outcasts is quickly earning a reputation as an intense story set in a captivating world. As a fan of Williamson’s fantasy series, Blood of Kings, I’ve been eager to get lost in another story by this worthy author.

The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

Release date: 11/9/13

Lonely Gisela spends her days serving her stepmother and grasping at memories of a happier childhood. When a handsome Duke throw a grand ball, Gisela is determined to attend and to have one last glimpse of the beauty of her past.

Dickerson won my heart as a reader with her debut novel The Healer’s Apprentice, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The beautiful simplicity of the story and the lovely characters she creates are difficult to resist. I am eager to get my eyes on her latest happily ever after story, inspired by the familiar tale of Cinderella in The Captive Maiden.

 

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer

Expected release date: 2/4/14

The third novel in the Lunar Chronicles series, Cress follows the story of a girl briefly mentioned in the series’ acclaimed story, Cinder. The story features unforgettable cast members, including Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, Wolf and the dreadful Queen Levana.

With Meyer’s gift for a perfect meld of sci-fi and fairy tales retold, this series is one not to miss. Cinder was a fabulous story and very clean content-wise. I’m very hopeful to find Cress to be another gem.

 

Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Expected release date: 2/25/14

The day of Lady Daylily’s wedding draws near. Unlike the princesses of fairy tales, she will wed not her true love, but his awkward and foolish cousin. Daylily has always been the dutiful daughter. This time, however, she rebels, disappearing into the legendary Wilderlands and the land of Faerie. Though not her true love, her betrothed pursues her into peril, determined to rescue her.

If you’ve followed my blog long, you’ll be familiar with this name. Stengl continually amazes me with her brilliant characters and sharp dialogue. She possesses an elusive ability to seamlessly draw symbolism into her stories without distracting from the tales. Shadow Hand revisits a fascinating character from an earlier novel in the Tales of Goldstone Wood called Veiled Rose. I can hardly wait until this one hits the shelves.

 

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

Release date: 2/1/11

A young Japanese boy dreams of one day being a Samurai warrior It seems impossible, since he is the son of a fisherman. When he is stranded and then rescued by sailors on an American vessel, Manjiro begins a grand journey that will take him across the globe.

I stumbled upon this inspired-by-history novel on a rack of books for sale at the public library last summer and was immediately intrigued. My mother recently added it to her library, and has raved about the craftsmanship of the story and the power in its telling. I may have to snag this one as soon as she finishes the last page.

 

Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne

Release date: 3/25/14

From the author who penned The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an unforgettable tale of two boys who become unlikely friends during World War II comes an intriguing story about the son of a World War I soldier. His father promises not to go away, but then he leaves on a secret mission. Four years later, the boy discovers that his father is being treated in a local hospital. He vows to find his father and bring him home. I’m hopeful to find this novel every bit as engrossing and moving as Boyne’s WW II story.

 

 

Interrupted by Rachel Coker

Release date: 3/27/12

In the midst of the Great Depression, Allie’s whole life implodes. Her mother succumbs to illness and Allie is sent to a new family far away. Still lost in her grief, Allie isolates herself from the new family faces around her. The last person she hopes to see is the one she blames for her mother’s death, but her former best friend isn’t going to let Allie off so easily. Interrupted landed on my reading list when it was nominated as a finalist for the 2013 Christy Award.

 

 

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

Release date: 9/17/13

Henkes captured my household with his delightful children’s stories about two charming mice in Chrysanthemum and Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse. The quirky characters and layers of humor meant for adult and child alike made these oft-repeated bed-time tales. I was thrilled to see this book announced and can’t wait to see what glories he brings to middle grade fiction.

 

 

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Expected release date: 3/25/14

Piper scrapes out a meager existence by finding and selling scraps on Meteor Fields. When she finds a strange girl amidst the flotsam, she immediately recognizes the mark that changes everything. The girl’s arm bears the Mark of the Dragonfly, an emblem which means her return home will mean a payday to trump paydays for Piper, if she can just get there. Thus begins a grand adventure.

Something about the description of this book reminds me of the magical world created by Marissa Meyer in the Lunar Chronicles. Without having read the book, it’s difficult to say whether this is an accurate hunch. But two girls on a dangerous journey, one returning to the past and the other grasping at the only hope for her future… what’s not to like? I’m intrigued.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Release date: 5/20/09

This book may well turn out to be one of those good ones that somehow slipped past unnoticed. I’ve heard some buzz about it lately, and since it was first recommended to me by a friend, I’m more curious than ever to get into this story set in a world in which parents of a child who reaches the age of thirteen have the ability to choose whether to keep the child or to have them “unwound,” and essentially destroyed.

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Review: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
Karen Foxlee
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published January 28, 2014

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About Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

Eleven-year-old Ophelia’s father brings her and her older sister Alice to a magical museum in a city in which it always snows. When science-loving Ophelia wanders off to explore the museum in search of dinosaurs and fossils, she finds a boy locked in a small room. He tells an impossible story and asks for her help. Ophelia, who only believes things that can be scientifically proven, is torn about helping the boy, who says he must find a magical sword, and the One Other, who can kill the evil Snow Queen before the queen’s clock chimes and the world ends. Deciding to at least free the boy, Ophelia embarks on a strange journey filled with mysterious creatures.

Since her mother’s death three months ago, Ophelia, her father, and sister have been isolated from one another. The quest to save the strange boy proves to be a journey toward healing for Ophelia and her family as well.

My Review

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy is a whimsical tale full of fascinating creatures and loveable characters. Though Ophelia herself is the real hero, her father finds his strength and stands with her in a demonstration of protection and solidarity. Middle grade readers will enjoy Ophelia’s tale, and the emotional journey she faces is sure to encourage readers dealing with losses of their own.

Profanity/ Crude Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Ophelia faces a horde of ghosts who were once young girls captured by the Snow Queen. Later Ophelia feels herself guided by an inner voice she believes is her mother speaking to her from beyond the grave.

Violence
When the queen’s clock chimes, the Snow Queen will destroy the Marvelous Boy unless he and Ophelia can find the One Other, who can use an enchanted sword to kill her. This culminates in a battle scene, but very little blood is shed.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

The 5th Wave
Rick Yancey
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Published May 7, 2013

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Most of the human population has been decimated by the first four waves of a highly intelligent alien attack. Though no one has learned to identify the enemy, the ominous shape of the mother ship hovering in the sky above the earth strikes fear in the hearts of the few who survive.

Sixteen year-old Cassie trusts no one. She survives by moving from place to place, reliving the past, when the most terrible conflict she faced was her unrequieted affection for Ben, fellow student and popular athlete. Now Cassie simply bides her time until she can no longer run from the last promise she made. A promise to rescue the last person alive whom she loves. When something sinister begins tracking Cassie, she knows she can’t hide for long. Her best option is to find cover and prepare a counter-attack, one that will hopefully end her pursuer before he can end her. But when Cassie finally faces her enemy, she discovers that things are much more complicated than she could have imagined.

Ben has lost everyone dear to him. Then he is rescued by a special forces group and trained to fight the alien invaders. Revenge seems just within his grasp, but something isn’t right. And the more Ben thinks about it, the less certain he is about who he is really working for.

One might think a story which begins with a girl wandering the woods remembering the recent past would be uneventful, but Yancey’s novel is anything but. Though the flashback sequences can be lengthy, they paint a picture of a world totally unprepared for the cunning enemy it faces, a world which quickly falls into destruction. As Cassie and Ben pursue survival and revenge, they learn values of self-sacrifice and trust. The plot is packed with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader eager for just one more chapter all the way through the end.

Cassie and Ben’s story will continue in The Infinite Sea. The sequel is scheduled for release September 16, 2014.

Language Content
Extreme usage, mild frequency.

Sexual Content
As Cassie and her peers gather in the high school gym and rumors of the end of the world circulate, a friend suggests that Cassie approach her long-time crush and ask him to have sex with her, because, well, the world is about to end, so what does she have to lose? Cassie doesn’t follow this suggestion, but as survival becomes less of a guarantee, many people experience a shift in moral values. Cassie does spend some time kissing a boy and sleeping next to him.

Spiritual Content
The events of Cassie’s life cause her to ponder whether or not God exists. More questions than conclusions.

Violence
Alien attacks become more direct and devastating as the story progresses. One wave consists of a deadly disease which in late stages causes bleeding from all orifices. Yuck. Some battle scenes and weaponry are described in graphic detail. Children are recruited as soldiers and are both treated brutally as well as commit some brutal acts in the course of training.

Drug Content
No recreational drug content.

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Review: Primetime Charity Anthology by Curiosity Quills Authors

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, New Adult 18up, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Primetime
Curiosity Quills
Published October 7, 2013

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A crow with a taste for blood, a computer playing a deadly game, a terrifying Mothman, and a killer refrigerator, among many other bizarre and frightening villains feature in these dark, suspenseful short stories. An unlikely team of heroes includes a zombie and son of a witch. On a devastated planet, a young princess fights for her life, seeking hope for her people. A man whose bodily functions elicit a broad range of powerful emotions begs for death before his anger-inciting burps cause the world to destroy itself. A struggling “ghost-relocation expert” makes a deal with a murder victim only to discover he’s made a deal with something else entirely.

Some of the stories are simple suspenseful fun, while others flirt with a deeper darkness, exploring the minds of murderers and sexual predators. A few feature characters from full-length novels, no doubt hoping to pique the reader’s interest. Most compelling in this vein is the story of the Beggar Princess and her desperate resistance against powerful enemies who would destroy her people and home by titled “The Last Carnivale” by Vicki Keire. “Trevor,” the story of a bored spaceship computer who wreaks havoc on its crew was another highly enjoyable tale, though a little dark.

It should also be noted that 10% of the proceeds from this collection and its sister collection titled After Dark, will be donated to selected No-Kill shelters across the USA.

Language Content
Severe; moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
In one story a man briefly confesses to abuse committed on him by his mother. He makes love to a woman he has just met. The scene is brief and includes some sensual descriptions. A woman discusses falling in love with and sharing an intimate relationship with another young woman. In another story, a terminally ill prostitute recounts his life, beginning with abuse at the hands of a church leader. Details are brief. Other stories reference sex or characters off-scene who are having sex, but do not describe the events in detail.

Spiritual Content
In one story a group of unlikely heroes must recover a stolen religious symbol which contains power of both Heaven and Hell before forces of either side can get their hands on it. A demon and angel emerge as characters but without the context of much Christian doctrine, and neither side is seen as good. Another story features characters who sense ghosts and ghostly presences. In still another story the protagonist finds himself surrounded by friends and acquaintances who’ve departed before him. He wonders, as the crowd contains those who’ve helped and who’ve hurt him, whether he is in Heaven or Hell.

Violence
Several stories feature fierce attacks against protagonists, though most are brief with regard to details and only some are deadly. One story features a computer as its mass killer. Two stories reveal the identities of serial killers and describes the death of the latest victims. In one story, the victims are mutilated (details are brief, and bodies are discovered by police, so there is no little description of what happened to the victims at the hands of the killer.) Two stories feature characters who commit suicide.

Drug Content
At least one story delves into cocaine addiction, and a character overdoses on illegal drugs in a suicide attempt.

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

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