Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Title: Infinity (Chronicles of Nick #1)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Reviewer: Karen Pellett
Genre: Young Adult (a bit of every genre)
Rating:Love
Alerts/Warnings: Moderate Swearing, Moderate Violence
Premise: "Streetwise, tough, and savvy, Nick and his quick sarcasm are the stuff of legend... until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity. With his fellow students turning into flesh-eating zombies, how can he stop them... without getting grounded by his mom?" (King County Library System)
Opinions: Oh my goodness gracious me!!!!! Greek gods meet fantasy & sci-fi, where Zombies meet Werewolves and Demons everything else under the sun.  I have several friends who are huge fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon, but I hadn't had the chance to read anything yet. Then I met Ms. Kenyon while working at a booth where she was signing at FanX in Salt Lake a few months ago. Let me tell you, she is beautiful inside and out. I had thought Ms. Kenyon wrote romance with a fantasy twist. Granted, this is the only book of hers I've read so far, but I now know why there was an even mix of men and women waiting in line, eager to meet their favorite author.

All I have to gauge is by this book and my opinion is that Ms. Sherrilyn Kenyon does a briliant job of writing to all genders in a genre mash-up for the ages. The characters were multi-dimensional, creative, and fascinating. I especially recommend listening to the audio version of the book where the narrator does an exquisite job of covering many many voices. Nick by far is a favorite of mine (which is good because he is the main point of view character), but Simi and Bubba are close seconds. But what really makes the book for me is the voice. Some books read very vanilla to me even if the plot is engaging. But the author's voice and her knowledge and love for all things Southern shines through in glorious fashion. The voice is utterly undeniable and is what makes the story come a live. The voice is what makes a cast of so many varied characters and backgrounds meld so perfectly together.

Note: The only reason I could not give this book the rating of Fabulous is because of the level of violence and language. So I recommend that parents read the book first to gauge better if your children our ready for this read.

Fridays with the Wizards by Jessica Day George

To read my reviews of the other books in this series, click here: Tuesdays at the Castle, Wednesdays in the Tower, and Thursdays with the Crown (pending).




Title:Fridays with the Wizards (Castle Glower #4)
Author: Jessica Day George
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: MG Fantasy
Rating:Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: "Princess Celie and her companions have made it home safely from the Glorious Arkower, and everything is back to normal now that the Eye of the Castle is where it belongs. With more magical griffins to care for, Celie, Lilah, and Rolf have their hands full. But when the dangerous ancient wizard Arkwright escapes the dungeon and goes missing within the Castle, no one can rest until he is found. Only Celie knows where he is most likely hiding--deep within the secret passageways behind the walls of their beloved Castle. With danger lurking behind every tapestry and under every trap door, Celie must find the wizard and save her family. Readers will be swept away by another charming magical adventure featuring Princess Celie and her very special Castle" (King County Library System).
Opinions: I cannot believe that I didn't post a review of book three in this series. Seriously going to smack myself in the noggin'. Oh well, guess I'll just have to reread Thursdays With the Crown to be able to ensure the most accurate review for you. (Darn!)

Moving on....Jessica Day George just gets better with each book she releases. I mean these are middle grade books and yet my husband and I can't wait to read them together after the kids go to bed. (Though we secretly wonder if Jessica keeps blueprints in her office to Castle Glower because she knows exactly where everything is located and where everyone needs to be. I love it.). It impresses me that Celie is able to manage so many changes within her family and home, and the addition of the griffins, etc. Yes, she does have the occasional meltdown, but she is one smart & resilient young lady. I kinda want to be her when I grow up.  I loved seeing a greater involvement from the queen in this story and finding out more history and realizing that she has seriously cool hidden skills. Overall this book is a fantastic addition to the Castle Glower series and a great read for boys, girls, teens, and especially their parents. ;-)