The throne of glass  by Sarah J. Maas

406 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan’s most notorious assassin. Why has she been retrieved from the slave mines of Endovier and brought to the king’s castle? She has been chosen to compete against other worthy opponents in a series of tests to become the king’s own champion. Victory ensures her freedom after serving four years as champion. The task seems simple enough to someone whose skills are that of legend. For this reason she is made to enter the competition under an assumed name so her opponents will only see a common female thief. The Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall, oversees her training while Prince Dorian has his own motives for supporting her. As the tests begin, an evil magic stirs in the castle and one by one the competitors are found brutally killed. What once started as a means to secure her freedom, now has become a race to find the culprit behind the attacks and avoid becoming it’s next victim. Celaena struggles with her growing feelings for her handsome trainer and Prince Dorian’s romantic overtures. This is a fabulous first entry in a compelling new fantasy series. It has mystery, suspense, adventure, magic and romance. What more could you ask for?

 

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Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

410 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon

Elisa, the newly appointed queen of Joya D’Arena, struggles to maintain her power. Despite her recent victory over an army of the Invierne sorcerers, her authority is met with resistance from Lord Conde Eduardo and Lord General Luz-Manuel who have been the ruling power for decades and who are not willing to give it up. They view her as too young and inexperienced and thwart her decisions at every turn. Her only recourse is to marry and the Quorum members eagerly put forth their favorite candidates. But Elisa, whose heart still belongs to Lord Hector, balks at taking any of them as a prince consort. Multiple assassination attempts by the Animagi force Elisa to harness the power of her Godstone and fulfill her destiny. In order to  accomplish this, the young queen, Lord Hector and her nurse Ximena  lead a small party south on a secret quest to find the mythical source of her power. They travel through tunnels, catacombs, over a dangerous sea, up treacherous mountains following cryptic clues and paths. Faith, love, loyalty, betrayal and a healthy dose of adventure complete this stunning sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns. The dramatic ending leaves the future of Elisa and Hector’s love and the fate of Joya D’Arena hanging in the balance. There is enough detail for  first time readers to enjoy it, but be assured they will then rush back to read the first one.

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Adaptation by Malinda Lo

386 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon

The sky is falling! – well not really, but flocks of birds are falling to earth after causing planes all over the world to crash and burn. The airports are locked down, curfew is imposed and Reese and David on their way back to San Francisco after a debate tournament are trapped in the Phoenix airport. Their debate coach secures a rental car, but the exit routes are clogged with other travelers desperate to reach home. They finally end up making it as far as rural Nevada where their coach is killed in a carjacking at a gas station. Terrified, Reese and David flee north, but a bird flies into the windshield sending the car tumbling into a ditch. Reese and David wake up in a strange military hospital right in the middle of Area 51. They’ve both been operated on and appear completely healed. They sign non-disclosure statements and are escorted back home. Things get even weirder when Reese notices that her scars aren’t just healed, they’ve disappeared as if the accident never even happened. Her memories are sketchy except for a bizarre reoccurring dream. David is experiencing similar anomalies. Reese meets and falls for the beautiful and alluring Amber Gray, while harboring feelings for  David. This brief romantic  interlude seems random,  but Amber is later revealed to be at the center of the government’s web of secrecy. Disaster, government conspiracies, miraculous medical procedures, create a heart pounding science fiction thriller.

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Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris.

445 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon

They say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. But for seventeen-yr.-old Tenner, that slideshow is cut short when her heart starts beating again and she opens her eyes to see the face of a boy she hardly knows from high school looming over her. Even as she tries to return to her regular routine, the knowledge that Ben brought her back to life gnaws at her to the point that she goes snooping in her FBI father’s files about the accident that should have claimed her life. She discovers that the driver of the truck suffered horrible burns not consistent with a head on crash and evidence of a mysterious countdown. Somehow she knows that all this is connected with Ben’s healing powers. After someone she loves is killed, Tenner stops at nothing to get to the truth. Who is Ben and why did he revive her? Where are all the burned bodies coming from? As she slowly uncovers Ben’s secrets, she unravels the mystery, but will it be in time to save her world and the boy she’s falling for? This is a great page turner, I couldn’t put it down.

 

 

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Revenge of the scorpion king by Tony Abbott

103 pgs.
Target audience: Ages 7 to 10
Rating: Wizard

 Owen, Dana, Jon and Sydney know that in order to save the elementary school and their beloved hometown of Pinewood Bluffs, they must do whatever it takes to stop the Norse trickster god, Loki, from bringing the battlefield aboveground. Stowing away on Loki’s sledge seemed like a good idea until they arrive somewhere they’ve never been, the dark and mysterious Babylonian branch of the Underworld. The powers of Orpheus’ magical lyre, one of Loki’s armored gloves and a copy of Bulfinch’sMythology may not be enough to fight the trickster god. Loki is recruiting heavily from the Underworld. Among his new soldiers are the Fire serpent, Scorpion King, Birdman, the Mammoth, and the seriously creepy Thornviper. This volume continues the non-stop adventure and action of its predecessors. Mythology was never so much fun as this. For kids chomping at the bit for Percy Jackson, the Underworld series of books is the perfect teaser. A glossary at the end completes the mythological picture.
(This book provided for review by children's lit - www.childrenslit.com)
 

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The secret zoo by Bryan Chick

307 pgs.
Target audience: Ages 9-12
Rating: Wizard

The Clarksville zoo is not your normal everyday zoo, hidden in its bowels is a secret zoo protected by a secret society. During the day Noah, Megan, Richie and Ella attend the nearby Clarksville Elementary School while under the guise of volunteering at the zoo, they serve as Scouts for the secret society. The return of the shadowist, DeGraff, someone intent on a path of destruction with the help of his sasquatch army, has everyone high alert. DeGraff uses the shadows and fog to elude capture until Halloween night when he leads the Scouts and their new allies, the four teen Descenders, on a spine tingling chase through the secret zoo right into the middle of Clarksville Elementary. Here the children make their last stand  using their costume accessories to battle the sasquatches – a fake sword, an ink squirt pen and a special key. Their beloved animal friends, Blizzard the polar bear and Little Bighorn the rhino add their talent to the mix. DeGraff uses his shadow skills to escape leaving the school looking like a war zone.  The fourth installment in the Secret  Zoo series builds on the close friendship of the scouts and their bond with the wonderful animals of the secret  zoo. There’s plenty of mystery and clues to be followed. This is an action packed animal fantasy series sure to appeal to young readers. Recommend to fans of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. (This book provided for review by children's lit - www.childrenslit.com)
 

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