Huntress

Review by Mo
Title: Huntress
Author: Malinda Lo
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2011

Quick Summary:
The Huntress is about two girls who have to travel to a distant land to end the endless winter in their land. Their kingdom's crops are dying and the sun hasn't shone for years. Strange, unknown creatures are appearing on the fringe of the kingdom. The two girls, who attend an Academy where they are learning to be sages, travel with the Prince and three loyal guards to attend an invitation sent by the Fairy Queen.  Taisin is powerful and filled with magic, while Kaede is down-to-earth. Taisin shares her vision which is the reason the two girls are sent, and while she's scared of what it might mean, she's terrified of the feelings she experienced in the vision and the chance they might come true and be revealed. Throughout the journey to visit the Fairy Queen, while their whole group struggles against wolves, dark magic and the hostile territory, Taisin grapples with her new feelings. On the journey, Kaede and Taisin grow closer and closer, until finally they're forced to separate.

Review:
I thought this book had a gripping, suspenseful plot that kept me reading, but I didn't like all the romance. I thought it distracted from the story and that most of it could have been removed. I liked the twist at the end, and how the end was a cliff-hanger. I also liked that it had an omnipresent narrator so I could see what all the characters were feeling throughout the story. I liked the main characters, so I cared when they were injured or faced danger. I thought parts of the story moved a little too slowly, and I thought at some points there wasn't enough action, but a lot of thinking. I was surprised by the ending, because I thought it would have reached a conclusive ending, but instead it set the scene for another book, which I'll read. Even though I thought it had too much romance, I still thought it was a good story and want to see how it ends.
Rating: ****

Emperor Mage

Review by Edan

Title: Emperor Mage (Immortals Book 3)

Author: Tamora Pierce

Published: 1995

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Quick Summary:

     Diane has wild magic and can talk to and heal animals, and also shape shift and enter their minds. Everyone else around her just has the Gift (some more than others), like her teacher and close friend Numair. In the past few books, the gods are becoming angry and Diane uncovers her newfound magic. As Diane and other ambassadors from Tortall are invited to Carthak, everything becomes confusing. Diane is sent to heal the emperors birds and the others are trying to sign a peace treaty. As she works, Diane learns a frightening secret: she can bring back the dead. With the gods unsettled, immortal beings walking about, a emperor with a secret plan, and new powers to uncover, will Diane be able to put everything at rest without losing her life?

Review:
     I really like this book, but the first and second books were better. This one was rather confusing and I didn't have the same connections and feeling toward Diane and her friends. I still love this series as a whole and cannot wait to read the last and final book, The Realms of the Gods. This book felt rushed and I think Pierce should have taken her time explaining and connecting everything a bit more. I still understood everything, but it took some more time to get it all and understand the plot. Maybe that was the intentional, having to wait a long time until the major problem was uncovered. I also found the emperor's nephew's character slightly drawn back. I got a good understanding of him, but I didn't get a very strong connection.

I still loved this book and it was just another piece in this story. Obviously some books will be better than others in one series, and this was a action full (not packed) book with new discoveries, characters, information for the reader to add to their understanding of this series.

Rating:****

Peter and The Starcatchers

Review by Edan
Title: Peter and The Starcatchers
Author(s): Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Published: 2004
Publisher: Disney Editions

Quick Summary:
     Peter and his four other orphan friends are sent onto a boat to sail away from London. Peter finds something odd about a trunk being guarded on the boat. With the help of his new friend Molly, he learns of starstuff, a powerful powder from the stars. The trunk is brimming with it and as a pirate learns of a treasure aboard the ship danger comes. They land on a island and face new threats. Will Molly and Peter be able to save the trunk from the ship captain and pirates without being killed?

Review:
   I really liked the twist on Peter Pan. It gives you another sense on how Peter Pan, Neverland, Captain Hook and Lost Boys came to be. Everything came together in a understandable sort of way. When I was reading it, I felt as though the story could take any turn, but still explain the story of Peter Pan. The book was full of adventure and every chapter switched to somewhere else, explaining what is happening to everyone. There are many characters and all of them are fighting for the same thing, each one having a different intention for it.
     This is a magical, understandable, adventurous, explanatory book about a group of orphaned boys, pirates, sailors, and a rather different girl.

Rating:****

Crossed

Review by Mo
Title: Crossed
Author: Allie Condie
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 2011

Quick Summary:
Cassia and Ky are both in work camps on the Outer Provinces. They miss each other desperately, but can't find each other. They both run towards the Carving. They're in the same place, but haven't met up. When they finally do, Ky has to decide who he values more: Cassia or his freedom. She wants to join the Rising, but he doesn't. Cassia is almost decided about choosing Ky over Xander, when Ky's betrayal and reluctance make her uncertain once more. Cassia starts to see just how hard everyone who doesn't live in the Society feels and realizes how easy her life has been. She starts to question things she's always know. While Ky has always been mysterious and wild, Xander has been sturdy and dependable, but now it turns out he has his own secret. Meanwhile, Cassia keeps thinking about Xander, who she left behind.

Review:
I enjoyed this book, but I don't think it was as good as either Matched or Reached, the other books in the trilogy. This one was exciting, but it seemed a little repetitive. It moved a little too slowly for me. Cassia and Ky kept thinking of each other before they were reunited, and the same afterwards. I get that they're supposed to be madly in love and obsessed, but I still found it a little boring. I wished there was more adventure and less romance, which the other two have. There was some excitement, but a lot of decisions to be made and choices to be considered. It was also nice to see how Ky thought, instead of just what Cassia thought about him, like in the first book. I also thought it was kind of boring because they were isolated from the rest of the Society so it was more about their romance than the rebellion. It was cool, though, seeing how complicated and ordered the Society was. It made me more concerned for the Rising, because the Society seemed so strong and invincible.  It wasn't my favorite, but it was still pretty good and worth reading, though I did like the other ones better.
Review: ****

Wolf Speaker

Review by Edan
Title: Wolf Speaker (Immortals Book 2)
Author: Tamora Pierce
Published: 1992
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Quick Summary:
     Diane has Wild Magic. Other people have the common magic, The Gift, but she has Wild Magic and a lot of it. This gives her the ability to speak, connect and heal animals. In the first book, she grasped her magic and worked with her new friends, the Queen's Riders, mages and animals. Now, she had gotten a urgent request from Brokefang, the leader of a wolf pack that is good friends with her. She and Numair, her friend, a fantastic mage and leader, come to find something fishy going on. Trees are being cut down, mines are being mined and ogres and other immortal animals coming from the Devine Realms are being enslaved. Can Diane and her friends figure out and stop what is going on....

Review:
     Like the first book, I loved this book. I like animals, and the idea of this animal related magic is fascinating. The books have a interesting twist on magic I have not read about yet. The never ending adventure and excitement keeps the book in your hands and the love for Diane and her friends (human or not) is strong. I could never stop reading this book and loved everything about it. There is a realistic feel, even though it takes place in another world and includes immortal beings and magic. If you are interested in a exciting, animal related, magical adventure, this series is for you.

Rating: *****

Wild Magic

Review by Edan
Title: Wild Magic (Immortals Book 1)
Author: Tamora Pierce
Published: 1992
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Quick Summary:
     13 year old Diane has always had a "knack for animals," as she call it. As she runs from her destroyed home with her horse Cloud, she is thrown into an adventure where she learns her ability to speak to animals comes from wild magic. Other people have the Gift, the common magic. She helps the royal horsemistress and soon joins the Queen's Riders she begins learning from one of the best mages. She begins to realize her newfound powers and friends. Diane struggles to push her way through hardships, find where she belongs and who she can trust.

Review:
     I loved this book. I had picked it up at a book sale and assumed it could be a good book, but probably not. I started it and was thrown into a wild adventure where the reader can connect and love all the character. The different world and wondrous plot made the story exiting. Pierce makes you feel a strong love and connection for Diane and her friends. The idea of the types of magic and immortal beings (monsters, creatures, and gods) are fascinating, crazy and believable. Wild Magic has a great plot, characters and beings.

Rating: *****

Mistwood

Review by Mo
Title: Mistwood
Author: Leah Cypress
Publisher: Greenwillow
Published: 2010

Quick Summary:
Mistwood is about a Shifter, Isabel. Her job is to protect the king, no matter what the cost to herself. She can shift and has powers that no human can rival. When the new prince comes to her wood to bring her back to the castle to protect him, she finds she cannot remember her past. She finds her powers weaker than the legends say and that everyone remembers. She struggles to protect her prince and conceal her weakness. Slowly, she begins to unearth a conspiracy that may be the reason for her inability to fully shift as she used to.

Review:
I really liked this book. It was a really unique plot to have a creature with so much power, and yet be struggling with human emotions. I thought it was really cool how even thought Isabel can do things no human can do, she's also really human. The end brings a startling twist that answers the question of why Isabel is no longer like her legends. I liked this book because it was full of mystery, treachery, conspiracies and loyalty.
Rating: *****

The False Prince

Review by Mo
Title: The False Prince
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2012

Quick Summary:
This is a story about a orphaned boy. He is forced to participate in a treacherous plot to seize the throne, even though he has no desire to rule. His name is Sage, and he's very stubborn and difficult. He, along with two other boys have to compete against one another. Sage doesn't want to cooperate, but eventually gives in when he realizes the horrible consequences of losing. The end comes with a shocking twist.

Review:
I really enjoyed this book. It was action-packed from the beginning and kept me reading the whole time. Sage was a complicated character; he was kind hearted, but self-centered. His character really developed throughout the book, and as a result, I felt like I really understood Sage. As difficult as he is, I'm rooting for Sage throughout the entire novel.  This book is full of mystery, suspense, sarcasm and action. I really liked this book.
Rating:*****

Pirate Wars

Review by Edan
Title: Pirate Wars (Wave Walker Trilogy - Book 3)
Author: Kai Meyer
Publisher: Margaret T. McElderberry
Published: 2008

Quick Summary:
     Jolly and Munk, two pollywogs in the Caribbean (meaning they can walk on water and breath under it), need to go on an adventure to close the Maelstrom, an entrance to the a endless sea where monsters are born and live. Meanwhile, Griffin, Jolly and Munk's friend, faces his own challenges with other monsters. There other friends are also helping protect a floating city on a sea star from monsters, pirates and cannibles. Will this batch of fearless heroes win their war?

Review:
     I think this book was the most action pact book in the trilogy. The entire book is about the battle. It never got boring though, because all the characters were doing different things. Meyer let you visit each  character and see what they are doing. The book kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to keep on reading. Meyer would be talking about someone and leaves you hanging, wondering what happened. You have to read through the other people to get back to them and learn what happened. This may sound like a confusing read, but it is easily understandable and exciting. Once you start it, you have to finish.

Rating:*****