Book Review: A School For Sorcery

 
Summary: Welcome to the Leslie Simonton School for the Magically Gifted. A school where students can expect the unexpected. But be careful. At this school the final exam could be a real...killer.

Thoughts: While the summary tells you next to nothing about the book, readers will get the joke...which kinda defeats the point of a summary. In this book a young farm-girl named Tria  enters a school to further develop her previously oppressed magical gifts. Here she makes friends and enemies, mostly enemies, and starts focusing less on learning and more on surviving. All in all, this was a unique book. A different setting with rather ordinary characters made for a fun if not intriguing read. Without getting too spoilerish I will warn you that things got rather confusing by the end and there are some rather shocking events leading up the a big revelation, so brace yourself. The characters themselves were neither amazing nor repulsive, simply ordinary and a little boring. The plot, in my opinion, made this story the wonderfully intruging read that it is!

Content: Aside from lots of magic (and some rather dark bits of it too) I can't recall anything worth mentioning.

Book Review: 13 Treasures

Summary: No one else can see the evil fairies that rouse Tanya from her sleep, torturing her at the slightest mention of their existence, but they are as real to the 13-year-old as anything she's ever known. She cannot rid herself of them, nor can she ignore them. But it is her insistence on responding to them that has her banished to her grandmother's secluded countryside manor.
 There is much to explore and even more to fear in the woods surrounding the estate. But, the forest isn't the only source of dark secrets, and Tanya soon finds herself entangled in a mystery that could trap her in the fairy realm forever.

Thoughts: Hm...well, this book wasn't a favorite. I wasn't captivated by plot or characters (though Fabian was nice) but it did have one thing going for it. The use of fairies, actually the use of faeries to be exact. Not your sweet fun little Disney fairies but the old kind, the faeries that stole children, played pranks, gave strange gifts, and may or may not want the best for you. All to often in literature today (I'm not judging, I'm guilty of it too) we create the fun, light hearted sprite that goes around making everything better or at least frillier! In here we see, once again, the older darker side of faery tales. I greatly appreciated that, in fact I even learned a teensy bit of lore! So, if you're looking for your next favorite character or best plot I'd have to suggest looking elsewhere, but if you don't particularly mind either and are interested in a new take on old stories, this might be just for you!

Content: The fairies themselves can get a little frightening and there's plenty of magic. Other than that, perfectly clean.

Book Review: A Charmed Life

Summary: Cat doesn't mind living in the shadow of his sister, Gwendolen, the most promising young witch ever seen on Coven Street. But trouble starts brewing the moment the two orphans are summoned to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Frustrated that the witches of the castle refuse to acknowledge her talents, Gwendolen conjures up a scheme that could throw whole worlds out of whack.

Thoughts: First off, I'll just warn you. Two things: 1, I really like Dianna Wynne Jones' books. 2, I also love great siblings. Those two didn't mesh well here and I found that a little frustrating. Now don't get me wrong, this was a fun light read and I did enjoy it. I found the main character, Cat, a fun and adorable protagonist. The rest of the cast though...I wasn't amazingly fond of them and a certain twist at the end had me feeling both vindicated and at the same time betrayed. Over all, I do suggest this as a great read but not if you're looking for amazing siblings but rather an interesting romp through a strangely familiar world!

Content: Again, D*** once or twice but that's about it as far as language goes. The rest of the book is clean so long as you understand that it focuses heavily on magic and Cat's sister is a witch. If you find overkill of magic offensive this book may not be the best for you.

Book Review: The Thief

Summary: The king's scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king's prison. The magus is interested only in the thief's abilities. 
 What Gen is interested in is anyone's guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

Thoughts: One of the best books I've read in a while! The Thief is full of rich wit and humor that I love! While, granted, the story drags a bit, the characters are what really make the book. Smart, crafty, loyal; they each have their goals, their purposes, their secrets, and they numerous twists and turns of the plot (not to mention the big reveal at the end!) make this book a fantastically unique experience! Needless to say I liked it, a lot, and fully intend to read the rest of the series as soon as I can get my hands on them!

Content: A tiny bit of language (D*** on occasion, I think that's all though). Half the plot revolves around ancients gods and goddesses and some people might find it offensive though they were more along the lines of the Greek myths.

Mark My Soul

Here's a brief blurb for a short story, MARK MY SOUL, I'm hoping to have available for free on Kindle sometime in the next month or so. And as I'm in need of a cover... here's also for the contest.

An age old tradition. A few offline cameras. Shadows in the alley. 

Lance works in a busy city, watching out for disturbances and things out of the ordinary. He has no idea just out strange things have gotten until he looks into a missing child case and discovers dark secrets in the shadows. Inhuman creatures seem to appear out of nowhere and are devouring the city. And the only way to stop them...is a tradition no one believes in anymore.

Book Review: Keeper of the Lost Cities

Summary: Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.
 Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.
 Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.”
There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.
 In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Thoughts: I feel much the same way about this book as I did about The School for Good and Evil. In other words, I'm not sure what I think. I was bored out of my mind for the first half (or two-thirds) of the book and didn't like characters or plot. Things started to become semi-interesting and then I found two characters I liked. And then it ended. First off, let my say this: I'm pretty sick of modern romance. I mean, for goodness sake, the main character is twelve! But when it comes to boys she acts like a sixteen year old! I really wouldn't have disliked the main character so much if her heart didn't do that 'stupid fluttery thing' every time she meets a new 'cute' boy. Also...how many of us haven't already read the common trope of I-hate-my-life-Mr.-Perfect-has-come-to-take-me-to-where-I-belong-at-last? (Sigh) And then she just let's herself get bullied out of home and family...out of her own world! I would've asked a few more questions before running off to another world no matter how handsome the fellow whisking me off! And can I just say that I'm absolutely sick of people trying to claim mythological creatures as their own! Elves were not invented by the author for her story so she doesn't get to rewrite her culture and bash the commonly known tales where the elven folk came from! If you want a new species to work with, make up you're own! (I'm sorry, didn't mean to rant there, personal peeve, feel free to ignore). As things progressed I did come to almost enjoy the story...about ten chapters from the end things got interesting. I did my best to like it but this book just annoyed me mostly. Of course, because I found minute enjoyment my curiosity is piqued. I'll probably try to read the rest of the series to see where this goes. After all, a good ending can make even a bad beginning something to remember fondly. 

Content: Clean so long as you don't mind a twelve year old diving head first into a love triangle.

Book Review: Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstitskin

Summary: In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.
 To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.

Thoughts: This was an adorable retelling of the age-old fairytale Rumpelstiltskin! Thoughtful characters, a simple but original plot, and a handful of magic wound around to make a sweet and humorous story! While a little thought provoking on occasion, it's over all an easy light read and has something there for readers of all ages!

Content: I think there might have been the slightest bit of crude humor involving some trolls but nothing offensive. This is a clean read and fun story for younger readers!