Amos Daragon: the key to Braha by Bryan Perro
181 pgs.
Target audience:  Ages 8-12
Rating: Griffin

 In his second mission as Mask Wearer, Amos receives a gift from a mysterious young girl ending his life and  allowing him to travel into Braha, the City of the Dead, where souls await to be judged for heaven or hell. The Gods have shut the doors leading in either direction and Braha is overcrowded with souls needing to move on. His mission is to find the key to Braha and unlock the doors. The key’s whereabouts are unknown and Amos must rely on his wits and cleverness to follow the clues since his mask powers are useless there. The key can only be retrieved by someone who has died and come back to life. Amos is lured into this quest by factions in Braha wanting the key for themselves. He is aided and tricked by a kaleidoscope of stock and mythological characters. The main storyline gets bogged down in the petty rivalry between the gods and ruling powers in Braha making it a little confusing. Aside from Amos and his best friend, Beorf,  who are wonderfully fun heroes and easy to identify with, the secondary characters are one dimensional and don’t add much to the story. Although this story is fairly predictable and simplistic, young readers will delight in Amos’s adventure and the many fun mythological characters that appear. The author includes a mythological lexicon.  This would be a good series for kids who are testing the waters of the fantasy genre for the first time. (This book provided for review by Children's Lit www.childrenslit.com)

Read More

Wonder show by Hannah Barnaby

274 pgs.

Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Wizard

It’s 1939 and the circus has come to town, bringing wonders for all ages. Young Portia goes with her father who is so enamored with what he sees that when the group pulls up stakes to leave, he takes off as well promising to return. Thirteen-year-old Portia, now run all out of family members, is shunted off to live at McGreavey’s Home for Wayward Girls. She and her fellow occupants are treated as little more than slaves by the miserly director, only known as Mister. Driven to desperation, Portia sets out on her own determined to find the one family member she has left, her dad. Her only clue is an announcement for a nearby circus and sideshow. This is her chance, she thinks, surely she’ll find her dad there. Among the freaks, marvels and normals she finds a home. Her role is to help Jackal with the bally where she uses her storytelling skills to win over the crowd. The story is told predominantly from Portia’s perspective with occasional chapters told by performers at Mosco’s Traveling Wonder Show. Although this makes for a disjointed style, it gives more depth to her growing relationships with those at the circus and shows how her new family evolves. This is a unique and quaint story which will ignite young imaginations and foster dreams of living under the Big Top. (This book provided for review by Children's Lit www.childrenslit.com).

Read More

Xor: the shape of darkness by Moshe Sipper

295 pgs.
Target audience: Ages 9-14
Rating: Griffin

 On the day Lewis turns twelve, his life changes forever. His house is burned down killing his dad, leaving him alone, his mother having died in a car accident four years earlier. But that’s not all, Lewis is told he’s Lord Shaper from another planet, one which is in dire peril. Before he can come to grips with this alarming information, he’s taken to his home planet, Xor, where he receives shaper training. Things move pretty quickly for Lewis after this. Along with the Grand Magician, K’Bol, Professor Nand and Master Long, Lewis sets out on a quest to save Xor from the Realm Pirates who are destroying it piece by piece. This is a funny, imaginative and clever adventure perfect for middle readers, especially boys who love gadgets and inventions. The plot skips along at a nice pace right  up until the surprise ending. Lewis is a strong and likeable character, but the transition from curious, wide-eyed boy to the leadership role he plays in the quest is abrupt and feels unrealistic. The prologue about his mother’s accident though interesting does little to enhance the story. The dialogue could use some polishing to make it flow more naturally. The humor threaded throughout falls short when relying on popular culture, but zings with originality and authenticity when it stems from the author’s imagination. Moshe Sipper shows tremendous potential with this interplanetary debut. Recommend to fans of The true meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex and The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.
(Book provided for review by the author)

Read More

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

320 pgs.

Target audience: Ages 8-12

Rating: Wizard

This is a stunning modern-day version of the snow queen. Hazel doesn't fit in either at home or at school. Nobody seems to see things the way she does. The truth always pales in comparison to what she can imagine and she can imagine quite a lot. Then there's Jack, the one person in the whole world who understands her. He lives next door and life, especially her dismal school with all its mundane occumpans, seems brighter. One day at school everything changes after Jack gets a piece of glass in his eye at school. Now Jack won't even talk to her and then simply vanishes. His parents won't tell her what happened and Hazel is beside herself with worry. Her parents try to explain that sometimes friends grow apart. Hazel is not convinced and panic sets in when she sees Jack at the edge of the forest with a mysterious woman made out of ice. So ignoring everyone'sadvice Hazael sets out into the wood on a journey to rescue her best friend. He's certainly under some sort of spell she thinks. This a heartfelt story of friendship, loyalty and determination. The frightening forest presents dangers both real and magical. Hazel is a very strong character who knows who she is and what she wants. Very likable and believable. Recommend to fans of Lewis' Narnia books.

Read More

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

432 pgs.

Target audience: Young adult

Rating: Dragon

The latest in the Sevenwaters series by Marillier introduces us to Sibeal, the fifth daughter of the Lord of Sevenwaters. She is a seer and druid in training. Her mentor, Ciaran, sends her to the island of Inis Eala to spend time with her sisters and determine whether the contemplative life of a druid is what she truly wants. When a ship suddenly shipwrecks on the island, she rescues a man who's washed up on shore and can remember nothing. The two other survivors, a Norseman and his mute wife add to the mystery of what happened to the ship. As Sibeal helps the stranger recover his memory, she finds herself emotionally drawn to him. The rich characters and compelling plot leave you wanting more. You need not read the first four books to enjoy this one. Some of the characters carry over from previous books, but there is enough explanation that it doesn't marr the reading experience. Although the first three of this series must be read in order, after that the stories become enough removed from the original three that they can be read independently.

Read More

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

304 pgs.

Target audience: Young adult and adult

Rating: Wizard

This was a wonderful melange of Victorian England and a bit of artistic magic. Enter two sisters who couldn't be more different. Jane, or as she calls herself Plain Jane, has a talent for magical glamour while the beautiful and flighty Melodie gets all the attention from the gentlemen. This is perfect for those Jane Austen fans who like a bit of fantasy. The magical element, which is purely to decorate and entertain underlines the romantic thread and doesn't overwhelm the story. It was a fun story to read and I had all sorts of imaginings of what type of glamours I'd create if I had that talent.

Read More

Impossible and Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin
384 pgs. and 400 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon for both

Impossible and Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin I was about to read Extraordinary when I glanced at the inside jacket which called it a followup to Impossible. I'm usally a stickler for reading books in order, but sometimes I'm not aware and read them out of order anyway. So I read Impossible first and loved it.

Then I read Extraordinary and loved it just as much. Although they both deal with the fairy world affecting the human one in some significant way, they are very much separate stories. Neither the plots nor the characters are the same. So, if you happen to have access to Extraordinary and not Impossible, don't fret - you'll enjoy them no matter what the order. In Impossible, the story revolves around the family curse based on the ballad "Scarborough Fair" in which each woman in her family will become pregnant at the age of 17 and once the baby is born, go mad. After discovering the curse in her mother's diary, Lucy races to find the cure before it's too late. It is a gripping story urging you on until the end.

In Extraordinary, the problem begins with fulfilling a long ago pact with the Faerie Queen. Phoebe's new best friend, Mallory, isn't what she seems. Though she's a bit odd with her strange clothes and peculiar behavior, Mallory becomes like a sister to Phoebe. As the bond strengthens, Mallory loses sight of her main objective. Enter Mallory's brother, Ryland, who starts to make the moves on Phoebe. Although the last couple of chapters drag a bit, it is an charming story of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal.

Read More