Brightstorm (Sky-Ship Adventure #1), by Vashti Hardy – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Death of a parent, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Steampunk

Thanks to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 17th, 2020

336 Pages

Synopsis: Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm receive devastating news: their famous explorer father has died in a failed attempt to reach South Polaris. To make matters worse, the Lontown Geographical Society finds Ernest Brightstorm guilty of sabotaging the expedition of his competitor, Eudora Vane. But a mysterious clue leads the twins to question the story they’ve been told—and to uncover the truth, they must undertake the journey of a lifetime.

Joining the ragtag crew of a homemade sky-ship captained by the intrepid Harriet Culpepper, Arthur and Maudie race to South Polaris to salvage their family’s reputation and find out what really happened on their father’s doomed expedition.

Brightstorm is a propulsive and compelling fantasy adventure set among the vibrant landscapes and dynamic characters of Vashti Hardy’s vividly imagined world.

First, how gorgeous is that cover? Doesn’t it immediately make you want to go grab a copy? Well, I’m happy to say that the story lives up to that wonderful cover. Brightstorm is one of the best middle grade reads I’ve had the pleasure of reading in quite a while, and I’m thrilled to feature it as my first review of 2020!

This story is not only a fascinating fusion of fantasy, science fiction, steampunk and historical fiction, it also draws inspiration from the real life story of the Scott Expedition to the South Pole. It’s a thrilling adventure which captivated me from the very first page and had me racing to the finish in just a little over three hours. The characters, from Maudie and Arthur, Captain Harriet Culpepper, and ship’s cook and comic relief, Felicity Wiggety, to the villainous, pink-loving, Eudora Vane, are brilliantly written. Maudie with her scientific genius is a wonderful female role model for STEM, and Captain Culpepper is as well. Arthur, who was born without one of his arms, has never let that stop him from accomplishing what he wants, although his impulsiveness can get himself and his loved ones into trouble. The satient animals like the Brightstorm’s faithful winged companion, Parthena, and the thought wolves are wonderful creations and add even more to an already exciting tale. The ending perfectly sets things up for the next book, Darkwhispers, and that brings me to my good news/bad news. The good news is that the sequel is coming out in February. The bad news is that if you want a print copy it looks like it’s initially going to be released in the UK, but not the US. Thank goodness for Book Depository which offers free shipping worldwide! If you have a Kindle though it’s already available for preorder on Amazon.

So, just to be clear, I haven’t had this high level of excitement after reading a children’s book since I first read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by Rowling, and Northern Lights, by Philip Pullman. If I wasn’t retired I’d be ordering multiple copies for my library in order to push them into the hands of my young patrons, and organizing book discussion groups! Brightstorm has been receiving accolades in the UK since it was released in 2018, and in my opinion they’re entirely well-deserved. This is a book that will win both juvenile and adult fans. Vashti Hardy is a storyteller extraordinaire who weaves magic with her words and illustrations. If you enjoy authors like Rowling, Pullman, and Lemony Snicket, you need to read this. And if you’re not familiar with these authors but you like the sound of a fantastic rollicking adventure featuring intrepid orphans and plenty of villainy afoot, I urge you to try this!

 

 

The Fowl Twins (The Fowl Twins #1), by Eoin Colfer ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Fantasy, Humor, Middle School Fiction, Science Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 5th, 2019

368 Pages

Synopsis: Criminal genius runs in the family…

Myles and Beckett are eleven-year-old twins, but the two boys are wildly different. Beckett is blonde, messy and sulks whenever he has to wear clothes. Myles is fanatically neat, he has an IQ of 170, and he wears a fresh suit every day, just like his older brother, Artemis Fowl. 

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Fowl family and their adventures?

This Fowl adventure is filled with the most unusual of individuals: an immortal duke, a miniature troll, a nunterrogator, and a Police Specialist that’s 42% elf. And of course, the Fowl twins—one a certified genius with a criminal leaning, and the other possessing an unusual talent that has not been fully explored…yet!

Here begins the second documented cycle of Fowl Adventures.

The first in a breath-taking new series from global superstar Eoin Colfer. Set in the multi-million bestselling world of ARTEMIS FOWL.

The Fowl Twins is a delightful beginning to this new spin-off series from the bestselling Artemis Fowl books. While there are several nods to the original series and characters, you needn’t have read them, although in my humble opinion you really should! Myles and Beckett prove themselves to be worthy of picking up the mantle from Artemis who’s off planet with the ever loyal protector and friend, Butler. This has all the sly humor of the original series and interesting new foes like Sister Geronima from the secret organization ACRONYM, and the horrid Lord Teddy Bleedham-Drye for the twins to go up against. Thankfully they have allies like a fierce miniature troll named Whistle Blower, and LEPrecon specialist Lazuli Heitz who is magic-less, or is she? The book is just non-stop action and madcap adventure that both tweens and adults will enjoy. Revisiting the Fowls seven years after The Last Guardian, had me a little anxious, but I needn’t have worried because Eoin Colfer is still in top form. Just like the original books, The Fowl Twins is a wonderful mashup of fantasy and science fiction, with enough over-the-top villains and high-tech gadgetry to make any James Bond fan sit up and take notice. While I do think this book is geared toward a slightly younger age group than the Artemis books, the humor will most likely go over the heads of children under the age of ten. There’s also a death scene (kind of), which makes me hesitant in recommending this to younger readers. Otherwise, I enthusiastically suggest this for tweens and adults who are looking for a unique and refreshing read filled with excitement and exhuberant joie de vivre!

 

 

The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted, by Conor Grennan ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Dystopian Fiction, Mystery, Tween Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 8th, 2019

368 Pages

Synopsis: Jack Carlson is dreading a class presentation, when he suddenly finds himself transported to the Hadley Academy, a secret institution that tracks teens with unlikely gifts and trains them to protect the world from an unseen squad of killers. But Jack isn’t the only one who doesn’t know what he’s doing at Hadley. Despite indications that he is the one prophesied to end the ancient Reaper War, Jack appears to have no extraordinary abilities.

So when dark, mysterious forces grow, Hadley is in a confused panic. Much to everyone’s dismay, humanity seems to depend on Jack and his new teammates. Can Hadley’s rawest recruits push past personal struggles and enormous doubts, develop their dormant powers and stop the spreading evil? And are they willing to commit to Hadley’s motto, “One Life for Many,” and make the ultimate sacrifice? The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted might be just the place for Jack after all. 

The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted is a thoroughly enjoyable story that gives the ubiquitous “chosen one” trope a refreshing new twist. 

I’m going to get the one negative I found, out of the way first, hopefully without giving away any spoilers. Jack and his team are newcomers to the Hadley Academy, and as such, don’t know anything about their dormant abilities. The other recruits have had years of training but suddenly about halfway through the book, Jack and his friends are thrust into these life and death situations that had me silently protesting “No! They’re not ready!” The whole thing had me a bit stressed at times.

But that leads me to one of the biggest pluses of this book—the characters. To say that I loved Jack and the other members of Team Thirteen is putting it mildly. While this is like a teen version of the X-Men, in addition to dealing with superpowers and saving the world, these kids are also grappling with difficult backstories, and all the trials and tribulations of being young teenagers. They’re likable, relatable and easy to root for.

The story itself is exciting and managed to surprise me more than once. The world building is very well done and has more than enough originality to make it stand out from other books in this genre. The ending while not a cliffhanger per se, still is clearly setting things up for subsequent stories.

Overall, The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted is a fabulous book for kids ten and up who are fans of books like the Percy Jackson and The Maze Runner series. I am very much looking forward to the next book!

 

 

The Navigator (Tales of the Wendy #2), by Erin Michelle Sky & Steven Brown ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Fantasy, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and the authors for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 8th, 2019

350 Pages 

Synopsis: NOT EVERY ADVENTURE GOES AS PLANNED…

Wendy’s troubles are far from over. Hook wants her in irons, the crew wants to throw her overboard, and Pan’s magical compass is the only thing standing in their way. But Pan himself is nowhere to be found. 

When a new everlost captain appears on the horizon, it will take everything Wendy has to survive.

And a tiny red dragon will set events in motion that could save or doom them all. 

For someone who never really cared for J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, I’ve read my fair share of retellings, some good and some bad. I gave the first book The Wendy, 5 stars, and The Navigator is every bit as good. 

Just like its predecessor, The Wendy and the companion novella Tigerlilja, everything comes together perfectly here. The characters are all wonderfully developed, but for me the standout is Pan, who before this series I never liked. The authors give him a wonderfully creative backstory which makes you much more sympathetic toward his more annoying characteristics. Wendy remains a wonderful heroine. She’s fierce and persists in fighting against society’s perception of women being weaker than men. And while she sometimes makes mistakes, she quick to admit them. Even Hook in this series ceases to be a caricature. I’m excited to see how the chemistry between him, Wendy and Pan develops. The world building continues to be phenomenal as Neverland itself is given a backstory and Norse mythology is introduced. And finally there’s a wonderful twist near the end in regards to someone from Wendy’s past who will play an important part in what happens in future books. 

The Navigator is a wonderful sequel to The Wendy, and the novella Tigerlilja. They are just ingenious retellings of Peter Pan, that for me actually are far better than the original tale. All I have left to say is that if you love retellings of fairytales and classic literature, read this. If you love Peter Pan, read this. If you dislike Peter Pan, read this. If you’re looking for a completely unique and creative story that will captivate you from beginning to end, treat yourself and read this!

 

 

The Light at the Bottom of the World (The Light at the Bottom of the World #1), by London Shah ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Climate Change, Government Corruption, Mystery, Science Fiction, Terrorism, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 29th, 2019

320 Pages

Synopsis: Hope had abandoned them to the wrath of all the waters.

In the last days of the twenty-first century, sea creatures swim through the ruins of London. Trapped in the abyss, humankind waivers between fear and hope—fear of what lurks in the depths around them, and hope that they might one day find a way back to the surface.

When sixteen-year-old submersible racer, Leyla McQueen is chosen to participate in the prestigious annual marathon, she sees an opportunity to save her father, who has been arrested on false charges.The Prime Minister promises the champion whatever their heart desires. But the race takes an unexpected turn, forcing Leyla to make an impossible choice.

Now she must brave unfathomable waters and defy a corrupt government determined to keep its secrets, all the while dealing with a guarded hotheaded companion she never asked for in the first place. If Leyla fails do discover the truths at the heart of her world, or falls prey to her own fears, she risks capture—or worse. And her father will be lost to her forever.

The Light at the Bottom of the Sea is a spectacular debut from author London Shah, and one that’s sure to be one of the most memorable YA novels of 2019!

Let’s begin with Leyla. She’s a British-Muslim teen who not only is deeply connected to her family, but to her faith as well. Reading about her devotion to her Afghan heritage and her religion was wonderful, especially in a science fiction setting. While naive, she’s also clever, brave, and resourceful, which drew me even more to her. I love the way she grows and develops throughout the course of the story, and I felt as though I was going on her journey right along with her. Her relationship with her family, friends, and her love interest, Ari, are tender and sweet. Leyla is someone who gives everything she has to protect the people she loves. This also includes her puppy JoJo, who completely had my heart melting. Which leads me to my one and only spoiler. There’s a fight scene where JoJo is hurt badly, but she does recover. It was tough for me to read though, so for anyone who has an especially difficult time with animal cruelty, you might want to skim this thankfully short section.

The imaginative world-building is simply phenomenal. Try to picture a submerged London in 2099, the victim of an asteroid and climate change. Underwater cities, without sun, under terrorist attacks by the Anthropoids, who look human but have the ability to breathe underwater, and whose citizens are now falling to a mysterious sickness on top of everything else. The way London Shah beautifully details this vast watery world, left me feeling as though I was there. Combining the majestic ocean scenery with the futuristic technology is a brilliant combination. Also included are images of how life was above the water, before the disaster.

The storyline itself is intriguing and exciting and Leyla’s and Ari’s quest to rescue her Papa absolutely captivated me. Adding to this are the real world social ills that plague us: government corruption, climate change, terrorism, and genocide. This all comes together in an entirely unique way which opens boundless opportunities for discussion with teens.

Overall, The Light at the Bottom of the World, is a brilliant introduction to a planned duology. The only reason I’m not giving it a full 5 stars is because as much as I love Leyla, Ari, and JoJo, I think the secondary characters, some of who play pretty important parts in the story, need to be fleshed out some more. But this is a relatively small complaint. I unhesitatingly recommend this to teens and adult fans of YA science fiction who are looking for a thrilling and mesmerizing adventure with fantastic main characters, an intriguing political conspiracy thriller, and beautiful imagery. I’m eagerly looking forward to not only the next book, but also any future books by London Shah.

Nyxia Unleashed (The Nyxia Triad #2), by Scott Reintgen ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Diversity, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

400 Pages

Synopsis: Getting to Eden brought Emmett and his crewmates one step closer to their promised fortune. But surviving Eden may be the biggest reward of all. Discover book two in the trilogy Marjorie Lu called, “a high octane thriller.”

Emmett Atwater thought Babel’s game sounded easy. Get points. Get paid. Go home. But it didn’t take long for him to learn that Babel’s competition was full of broken promises, none darker or more damaging than the last one.

Now Emmett and the rest of the Genesis survivors must rally and forge their own path through a new world. Their mission from Babel is simple: extract nyxia, the most valuable material in the universe, and play nice with the indigenous Adamite population. 

But Emmett and the others quickly realize that they are caught between two powerful forces—Babel and the Adamites—with clashing desires. Will the Genesis team make it out alive before it’s too late?

Nyxia Unleashed picks right up after Nyxia’s cliffhanger ending. In the previous book, sixteen-year-old Emmett Atwater, an African American from Detroit, spent the last year with nineteen other disadvantaged teens from all over the world on Genesis, the Babel Communications spaceship. Promised wealth beyond their imagination in exchange for traveling to Eden to mine nyxia, the teens are promised that after a year or so they can return home. But they quickly discovered that Babel care only for their own wealth and power. While they embark on the year long journey to Eden on the spaceship Genesis, the teens are forced into a deadly competition for a coveted spot on the final team that would land on Eden. While the sequel shifts away from the life and death competition that was prevalent in the first book, for me it was even more exciting, as the Genesis teen survivors are now caught between the sinister plans of Babel and those of this new Adamite, or as they call themselves, Imago population.

The teens, caught between the dueling interests of Babel Communications and the Imago, also have to learn to trust one another if they’re to survive on this alien planet. I loved Emmett, the main character and narrator in Nyxia and my feelings remain the same here. While he justifiably harbors hatred and vengeful thoughts toward Babel, he also strives to remain the good person his family raised him to be. Although I wasn’t thrilled with the insta-love between Emmett and Morning, they truly are a perfect match. She’s so powerful yet is kind and compassionate. I don’t usually ship couples, but I’m making an exception in this case. The secondary characters are diverse in terms of race, religion and sexuality. In Nyxia I thought the diversity faded into the background at times, but here it’s front and center. While this is a work of fiction, seeing these young people from different backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities gave me hope. They’re well-rounded and add quite a bit to the storyline. 

The planet Eden/Magnia and its inhabitants have some creative qualities to them, but I wish they were a little more alien. The Imago are very similar to humans as are their society and culture. Additionally, they’re also able to communicate with each other thanks to nyxia, and even breathe the same air and eat the same food. This is a very minor complaint though.

Underlying the fictional story are the realistic issues of colonization and oppression. It also explores social classes with some fortunate to be born into the right families and with what is seen as physical perfection, and others who are seen as unequal.

Nyxia Unleashed is even more fast-paced as its predecessor and ends with an exciting cliffhanger, which has me anxiously anticipating the final book, Nyxia Uprising, which sadly doesn’t come out until April 19, 2019. In my opinion these books are for ages 16 and up due to its complex and dark themes. In addition to the previously mentioned ones, there’s also: PTSD, torture, genocide, animal death, loss of friends and loved ones. There’s also plenty of blood and gore. But balancing the darkness are themes of support, trust, loyalty, and love. Fans of Nyxia will not be disappointed by this phenomenal sequel, and if you haven’t read these books but you’re a fan of science fiction with wonderfully written, diverse characters and nonstop action, then I HIGHLY recommend you give these a try!

 

Furyborn (Empirium #1), By Claire Legrand ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: May 22nd, 2018

512 Pages

Synopsis: When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental action. The only people who should perform this extraordinary power are a pair of  prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now she believes herself to be untouchable—-until her mother vanished without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them will determine the fate of their world—-and each other.

Hi everyone. This is going to be a mini-review as I’m still not feeling peachy, but as Furyborn is a hugely hyped book coming out tomorrow, I wanted to be able to give all you YA fantasy lovers out there, at least a quick snapshot of what I thought.

So, I love Claire Legrand and have been breathlessly awaiting this new book. There was a lot I loved about it, namely the characters. I LOVED both Rielle and Eliana, who are both strong female characters, yet at the same time extremely flawed. I thought the alternating chapters between them worked fine and didn’t slow down the pace one iota which can happen at times. I was completely enthralled with both their stories, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Eliana who seemed more developed as she went through a much more redemptive journey.

What made me give this only 3.5 stars was the world building, which having read the author’s previous books, really shocked me. For those of you familiar with Legrand’s writing style, this has all the originality and creativity she is known for. What’s lacking is detail. This world is complicated and from the beginning I felt as though I was thrown into the deep end of the pool and left floundering for much of the book. While there are some aspects explained throughout the course of the story, at the end I was still confused about some things.

Despite my frustrations with the world building, I still enjoyed Furyborn and I’m hoping more will be explained in the next book. I would recommend this for older teens and adults as there are some sexual scenes that are little more graphic than what you typically find in a YA novel. 

Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Quartet #1), By Roshani Chokshi ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Diversity, Hindu Mythology, Humor, Middle Grade Fiction, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Rick Riordan Presents/Disney Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

368 Pages

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she’ll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?

One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru’s doorstep and catch her in a lie. They don’t believe her claim that the museum’s Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. ‘Just a quick light,’ Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again. 

But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it’s up to Aru to save them.

The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, ‘Mahabharata,’ and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?

Aru Shah and the End of Time is a phenomenal beginning to this new middle-grade series by YA author Roshani Chokshi (The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes). A fantasy based on Hindu mythology, the two main characters, Aru and Mini, are completely relatable and despite their vulnerabilities, wind up putting the “Grrrr” in girl power. The story is beautifully told and is fantastically diverse. It also has all the thrilling action, adventure, and laugh-out-loud humor that Rick Riordan is himself famous for.

This is the first book in the new Rick Riordan Presents imprint which empowers other authors to write stories inspired by mythology and folklore of their own heritage. Roshani has three more books planned for the Pandava Quartet, which I can’t wait for. Sadly the next book, Aru Shah and the Song of Death doesn’t come out until next April so I’m going to be on pins and needles waiting for that. However, as part of this new venture put together by “Uncle Rick”, J.C. Cervantes’ book, Storm Runner, which is a contemporary mystery based around Mayan mythology is coming out in September. And in January 2019, Dragon Pearl, by Yoon Ha Lee goes on sale. This is said to combine Korean mythology and space opera! To say I’m excited about this new imprint, doesn’t quite do my feelings justice. These are the kinds of books that if I was still a children’s librarian, I’d be pushing them into the hands of every middle-schooler who walked through the door!

Happily, by Chauncey Rogers ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Fairytales, Humor, Juvenile Fiction

Thank you to Chauncey Rogers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 3rd, 2018

314 Pages

Synopsis: 

If the shoe fits, wear it.

If it doesn’t, make it.

Laure is a street urchin just trying to get away. Where the rest of the world sees an enchanting love story, Laure sees royal incompetence and an opportunity to exploit it. She’ll have wealth and a way out of a life she detests., if she can only manage to hoodwink the royal family and live to tell the tale.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, you know you’re reading something special when you’re doing everything you can to put off getting to the end of a book. Happily is one of these treasures. 

Back in January, I read Chauncey’s thriller/horror novel, Cleaving Souls, which kept me up reading until the wee hours of the morning. Happily did the same thing only for entirely different reasons. This isn’t quite a fairytale retelling, as Cinderella doesn’t even make an appearance until the end of the story. To give you an idea of how different this book is, here’s how it opens:

Before I start, however, we need to get a few things straight. First, I don’t like questions. They get people off track, they almost always would have been answered if the person had just kept listening, and they’re usually stupid. Yes, stupid. Whoever says otherwise is an idiot. Second, I’ve been told to tell you my story. Not my life story, so forget about learning about my childhood. Just the story of the glass slipper and my engagement to the prince—-the whole story. I don’t want to do this twice; let’s get it right the first time, shall we? There are only a few hours until the wedding ceremony, so sit down, get comfortable, and let’s get this over with—-that way you can leave, which will be great for both of us. Because the third, final, and perhaps most important thing for you to understand is this: I don’t like you.Try not to take it too personally—-I don’t like most people. Really, you’re probably in good company. You’re probably in pretty bad company, too, since there are a lot of idiots, creeps, and perverts who I don’t like either. There’s a group of people that I particularly dislike, however, and my story starts with them.

And that sassy, sarcastic voice belongs to Laure, the snarky, stubborn, cranky heroine of this book. As the story begins, she’s a street urchin who thinks of no one except for herself. But as the story develops it’s obvious that behind her self-absorbed exterior lies so much more. When she meets up with the adorably sweet Luc, he brings out the best in her and before you reach the halfway point, it’s obvious these two are soulmates.

As always, I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but let’s just say the story has a lovely romance, rollicking adventure, plenty of humor, fantastic world-building, and one of the most imaginative plots I’ve come across in a very long time. The only reason why I’m giving this less than a perfect 5 stars is because I thought everything came together a little too quickly at the end. But this is a very minor complaint.

In the end, I cannot recommend Happily highly enough for children and adults. Chauncey has taken an often retold story, and given it a unique and refreshing spin, filled with teachable moments. If you’re a fan of fairytales like: Ella Enchanted, Ever After (with Drew Barrymore), The Princess Bride, and Aladdin, you need to read this ASAP! It’s a beautiful escape from real world woes, and I guarantee you’ll be utterly captivated. And if you read this review Chauncey, I’m putting in my request for a sequel now. PLEASE! Oh, and I’d like to thank Chauncey’s young daughter for requesting that her dad write a story for her. Because of her wish, we are all beneficiaries of this fanciful tale.

 

Moonbreaker (Secret Histories #11) by, Simon Green ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Ace for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

352 Pages

Synopsis: My name is Eddie Drood, aka Shaman Bond, the very secret agent. And I am a dead man walking.

I’ve been poisoned by Dr. DOA. There is no cure, no treatment, no chance of a last-minute miracle. So all that is left to me and my love, Molly Metcalf, is to track down my killer and stop him before he can murder anyone else.

So whether that means fighting a secret army on another world; or searching for a forgotten weapon in the Museum of Unattached Oddities; or facing off against Grendel Rex, the Unforgiven God, in the hidden heart of the Moon, for the terrible secret that is Moonbreaker…I will do whatever it takes, while I still can. Because the game isn’t over till I say it’s over–and I still have one last card to play.

Moonbreaker is another fantastic entry in the long-running Secret Histories series. If you don’t remember my reviews on previous books, this series is a magical and science fiction play on James Bond. As always I caution you that if you haven’t read the previous books you need to start at the beginning, or as what’s happened to Eddie on occasion, you may become hopelessly lost on another world or in another dimension.

Whenever a series goes on this long, there’s a danger of monotony setting in due to a lack of fresh ideas. But this isn’t the case here. Simon Green is an author who continually amazes me with his seemingly boundless imagination. The Secret Histories books are constantly fun, roller-coaster thrill rides filled with plenty of humor, snark, and sass amidst all the bloody mayhem. Each book begins with a new danger that undoubtedly will not only wipe out Eddie and the intimidating and scary Drood family, but quite possibly the world, yet Eddie, with the able assistance of his enemy turned true love, wild witch Molly Metcalf, always manages to save the day. You would think this would get old but it doesn’t. This is due to the way Green effortlessly creates new creatures, villains, magics, and science. And the powerful Drood family who has been around for millennia, has no shortage of enemies, even Eddie, who’s the moral one of the family. 

Picking up where the previous book, Dr. DOA left off, Eddie is slowly dying from a seemingly incurable poison that not even his powerful family can decipher. Even his soulmate the magic of his soulmate Molly comes up short. For the first time, it seems like this could be curtains for Eddie, who up until now, has seemed to have more lives than a cat. I was actually nervous going into this because honestly, this time I just didn’t see anyway out for him. But, in the end, and yes this is a spoiler, he perseveres. Just like all his other perilous adventures, it’s not quick or tidy, but he lives on to fight another day, although not before making my own heart stop a few times. 

I honestly cannot convey how much I LOVE this series and Moonbreaker once again proves why. If  you’re new to this series and you love exciting science fiction and fantasy mixed with tongue-in-cheek humor, you simply have to try these books. Do it for me! Please! I 100% guarantee you will not regret it. I’m both looking forward to and dreading the finale of the series, Night Fall, which is due out on 6/12/18. It looks to join with Green’s other popular series, the Nightside, so this should be the mother of all endings. I’m prepared to have a box of tissues handy because I know I’m going to have a downright impossible time letting go of Eddie, Molly, and even the those insufferable, yet likable quirky Droods.