Tag Archives: Werewolves

Review: Dreadlands by Jaimie Engle

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

dreadlandsDreadlands: Wolf Moon
Jaimie Engle
JME Books
Available April 22, 2016

Amazon |  Goodreads | Author Web Site

On a hunt, Arud faces one of the ferine, a terrifying wolf with serrated teeth and murderous heart. He escapes home, but the wolf follows, and his mother begs him to go, taking his sister with him, to a village weeks away. Confused and frustrated at the secrets he knows his mother keeps, Arud takes Lykke and together they travel as quickly as possible. They must reach the village before the next moon frees all the ferine from the Dreadlands and allows them to hunt freely. A beautiful girl joins Arud and Lykke on their way. She tells him of a prophecy and a ritual which could alter the course of humanity. If Lykke is captured by the ferine, a powerful sorceress will perform the ritual and the ferine will be free to hunt and kill at will.

Right from the opening pages, this story takes off. I was immediately hooked. Arud’s family practically bursts with secrets, from his grandmother’s strange ways to his sister’s mysterious illness, to his father’s disappearance. Add to that deadly wolves already on the hunt for Arud, and I could not stop reading.

I liked the characters. There are a lot of named characters, but it didn’t feel like a lot to me as I read the story because they’re introduced at a nice pace, and for the most part, each contributes something to the story that makes that person memorable. Scalvia, the girl who accompanies Arud and Lykke, was definitely my favorite. She’s every bit the warrior, but still kind and sweet, especially to Lykke. Sometimes when story features a small child character, they end up unrealistically good. I felt like Lykke’s character had a great balance of being a good kid, but also still acting like a kid and wanting her own way sometimes.

Werewolf stories aren’t my usual go-to, but I really liked the unusual way those elements were worked into the story. The Viking mythology added some interesting elements, definitely something I don’t see often enough. This is sort of How to Train Your Dragon meets Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls series).

Fans of teen paranormal should definitely check out this book. I liked the fresh take on the werewolf lore and the complex, suspenseful plot definitely entertained.

Cultural Elements
The story contains a lot of references to Viking culture and lore.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A few kisses between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters pray to Odin and Freya. Arud talks to Scalvia about his own belief that another god, a Creator exists. He often talks about the importance of faith. Some of the lines about faith are paraphrased from the Bible.

A powerful sorceress leads the ferine. She seeks to perform a ritual that will free the ferine from captivity in the Dreadlands and let them roam freely.

Violent Content
Arud hunts and cleans the animals he catches. Some of the descriptions are a bit vivid. The wolf-like animals who hunt Arud and his sister attack animals and humans. Arud and his allies fight back in several battles. Descriptions range from brief to moderately detailed. I’m a bit sensitive to violence, and it was definitely at the upper edges of what I’m comfortable with, but other readers may not have issue with it.

Drug Content
Brief mention of elderberry mead included in table fare.

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

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Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

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

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published March 25, 2008

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Clary just needs a little normal. Her days are filled with hospital visits to her mother, who is still trapped in a self-induced coma and with avoiding Jace, since their romance is now doomed by the fact that he is actually her brother. Jace wrestles with not only Clary’s addition to his family, but also in the identity of his father, Valentine, who seeks to destroy the only world Jace knows. But Jace may be expelled from the Shadowhunter world even before Valentine has a chance to make his move when a powerful leader questions Jace’s loyalty and isolates him from his adopted family. As Valentine gathers evil forces to him in an attempt to build an army that will destroy Shadowhunters and mythical creatures alike, Clary, Jace, and their friends frantically search for the key to his plan in time to unravel the whole thing.

Filled with the same snappy dialogue and wittiness as the series opener, City of Bones, this novel is wildly entertaining. Though a few of the plot turns are a little too conveniently accepted by the characters, overall City of Ashes is packed with the unexpected twists and unforgettable characters fans of Cassandra Clare have come to expect from her work.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate but infrequent.

Sexual Content
Clary and Simon explore their new identity as boyfriend and girlfriend. They discuss sex and go to bed together, but very few details are given. Clary and Jace still experience intense attraction toward one another despite Valentine’s claim that both are his children and therefore brother and sister. They smooch a few times, and realize that their relationship can’t be understood by anyone else because it would be considered incest. Is it too convenient that they never really doubt Valentine’s claims?  Also, Jace’s close friend Alec becomes romantically involved with an older man/wizard, Magnus Bane. Nothing much happens between the two on camera beyond some longing looks and a wordless argument.

Spiritual Content
Shadowhunters are supposed to be the descendants of angels and are charged with keeping peace on earth and killing demons. No real mention of God or spirituality much beyond the lore about angels.

Violence
Valentine gathers a demon army to himself and destroys anyone who stands against him. Battle scenes are scattered throughout the story and though often brief do contain a few harsh descriptions.

Drug Content
No recreational drug content.

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Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published March 27, 2007

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When fifteen-year-old Clary witnesses a murder, she is determined to find out what’s happening. Unfortunately, she’s the only person who can see the perpetrators and the victim literally disappeared post-mortem. As she tries to reconcile herself to the strange happenings, she encounters one of the vicious youths again, only to discover that he belongs to an elite and mysterious group called Shadowhunters who protect ordinary mortals (which they call mundies, or mundanes) from demons. What they still aren’t sure about is why Clary can see them.

Before they can figure it out, however, Clary’s mother is kidnapped, and Clary is wounded by a poisonous demon. Jace, Clary’s newfound demon-hunting friend rescues her and brings her back to the Institute. There Clary learns about the history of Shadowhunters and about the ruthless former Shadowhunter who will torture her mother until she reveals the location of the Mortal Cup. The only way to stop him is to find the Cup first, but the location is buried in memories Clary has been forced to forget. Jace and Clary set out in a race to unlock her memories and find the Cup before it’s too late.

In a series opener that’s tough to put down, Clare introduces a hidden world within the familiar landscape of New York City. The story rockets off to a quick start, leaving readers scrambling to turn pages. Snappy dialogue and imaginative creatures spring from nearly every scene. There were a few moments in which characters’ behavior was a little incongruous with the rest of Clare’s descriptions of them, but overall, this is a high-action story of drama and heart worth the time it takes to cross from cover to cover.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate/infrequent.

Sexual Content
Clary battles a strong attraction to the mysterious Jace, and the two share a couple of intense lip-locked moments, but nothing beyond that physically.

Spiritual Content
Clary and Jace briefly discuss whether Jace believes in God. After all, the existence of Shadowhunters is based on a story involving an angel, and they have been tasked with killing demons. Jace doesn’t think this adds up to the existence of real angels, demons, or God.

Violence
One expects a bit of violence in a book about hunting demons, and Clare doesn’t disappoint. Clary and her newfound allies face no shortage of monsters, and a few are not so pretty, but over-all fairly brief in description of their dispatch.

Drug Content
For her birthday, Clary visits a Goth club known for access to drugs and alcohol. She and her best friend Simon do not participate in these activities. At a party filled with supernatural guests, Simon ingests a strange drink with rather catastrophic results.

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Review: Fall by A. K. Morgen

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

Fall
A. K. Morgen
Curiosity Quills Press
Published October 5, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Arionna wakes in a hospital bed, wisps of memory from a brutal attack still clinging to her mind. Her wolf form lacks the strength to emerge, and Arionna isn’t sure she, her partner Dace and his wolf form will be able to survive when their enemies, Skoll and Hati, next appear. If they should fail, Skoll and Hati will free Fenrir from his chains and send the world spiraling into destruction unto its end. They must not fail, but at every turn, it seems their enemy is one step ahead, and Arionna’s injuries leave Dace nearly paralyzed with fear that he will lose her, a fear that only adds to Skoll and Hati’s advantage.

Dace and Arionna scramble for information, knowing they fight a battle ultimately doomed. One day they will fail and Fenrir will be unleashed. But now they fight to preserve the world they know and the lives they’ve created together. If only Arionna could piece together the memories of her past lives, she might be able to understand how to free the wolf inside her and beat her enemies back for another generation.

This second book in Morgen’s Ragnarok Prophesies series is laced with Norse mythology and supernatural beings. In the wake of the vampire/werewolf fan-craze, it’s refreshing to experience werewolves explored through a different framework, pushing toward a less common goal – saving the world – rather than struggling to survive and be understood.

Like many series seconds, Fall has moments in which characters wallow in the past or over-analyze the present, wondering what to do over and over. As the story threads weave together in the last fifty or so pages, Morgen regains strength and momentum and pulls out some pretty compelling twists for the story’s climax, making it likely that readers will be eager for the next installment of Arionna and Dace’s story.

Language Content
Extreme word usage but moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Several heavy make-out scenes and references to sex in the past.

Spiritual Content
Main characters were created by the god Odin to protect earth and its inhabitants. In order to do this, they must fight powerful enemies Hati and Skoll and keep Fenrir from escaping his chains and destroying the world. The heroine reflects briefly on spirituality and the existence of one god or many and wonders what this means to her.

Violence
Wolf attacks and battle scenes appear throughout the story, sometimes told in detail. Descriptions are not overly gory, but the scenes are important to the story, so they are not usually brief.

Drug Content
None.

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

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My Thoughts on Twilight and The Graveyard Book

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

Poll Question: Should Christian teens read books about characters of spritually questionable origin?

  • Maybe. Mature kids can discern the truth without being spiritually compromised. Other kids aren’t ready. (4 votes)
  • Yes. Reading about a vampire doesn’t do any harm. It’s just fantasy! (2 votes)
  • No way. The origin of vampires isn’t “questionable.” It’s evil. Don’t even go there. (2 votes)

My Vote
I’ll be honest– this is a tricky one for me. When I began this blog and posted my first poll, a friend left several comments on my facebook account about teen fiction and what it should and should not contain and she said two very key words: age-appropriate. (maybe that’s technically one word, hyphenated…)

I think there’s something to that. Absolutely. In the case of Neil Gaiman’s book, we’re talking about a story set in a graveyard with a small child as a character. (I’m so resisting the urge to revisit that too often quoted line from the movie that will haunt Haley Joel Osmet for the rest of his life.) I’m not sure this is what I’d call appropriate content for middle grade readers. It’s an intensely dark story. (A beautifully written one, but dark nonetheless.) I mean let’s talk reality here for one second– kid grows up in a graveyard, raised by ghosts… anyone see a complex coming for little Bod? Okay, I know, it’s just fiction…(I’m the girl who loved the movie Meet Joe Black, but came away at the end thinking, dude, that guy is going to have one serious complex.)

But I know for myself, as a young reader, stories inspired me and even to a degree became a part of me in a deeper way than my reading does today. I think young readers moreso than older ones tend to idolize the characters they read about. Does reading The Graveyard Book encourage a fascination with death and the dead?

Here’s another interesting thought from a blog I read this morning. She blogged concerning Bella and Edward’s relationship and its similarities to abusive/co-dependent relationships. Is this a relationship we want teens to emulate?

Honestly, I think the romance genre itself often does a poor job presenting a healthy view of a romantic relationship. I have seen it even in Christian fiction. But that’s another topic altogether!

One of the things I liked about the Twilight series is that purity was important to Edward and that he and Bella waited until their marriage to consumate their relationship. In a culture where sexual purity is so out of style, it was exciting to me to see a YA series promoting abstinence take the bestseller list by storm.

Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, , , , , , ,

The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
HarperCollins
Published September 30, 2008

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

They say it takes a town to raise a child. Or in this case, a graveyard.

After his family are murdered by a stranger named Jack, a toddler escapes to a graveyard where he is adopted by a pair of ghosts who name him Nobody. A vampire speaks up as Bod’s guardian, eventually sharing this responsibility with a werewolf.  Bod befriends other ghost children and even a witch buried on unconsecrated ground near the graveyard. But the mysterious man who murdered his family still seeks him and intends to finish the task he set out to do the night Bod came to live in the graveyard. Bod and his friends must find out who this man is and why he is determined to kill Bod before it’s too late.

Neil Gaiman recently received the Newberry medal for The Graveyard Book and has also been nominated for the Hugo award. The characters are well-crafted, memorable and endearing, but the story is very dark. I found it so easy to care for Bod and root for him throughout the story. It’s a pretty quick read with illustrations throughout. Sensitive readers might find the dark elements to be too intense. See below for other content information.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None

Sexual Content
None

Spiritual Content
Ghosts, ghouls, a vampire, werewolf, and a witch are included in the story’s cast of characters and save Bod from harm. Bod literally lives among the crypts and tombs of the graveyard and spends most of his life among the dead (and undead?).

Violent Content
The story opens after a man has murdered Bod’s parents and sibling. While the murders themselves are not graphically described, the killer is cold, complacent about their deaths, even the death of the other child. He intends to kill Bod as well, though he is only six months old at the time. While not graphic, the nature of those intentions seemed harsh to me.

Drug Content
None

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