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. ;-)

One Horn to Rule Them All: A Purple Unicorn Anthology

 

Title: One Horn to Rule Them All: A Purple Unicorn Anthology
Author: Various (edited by Lisa Mangum)
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings:  Mild Violence
Premise: "Unicorns, with their single ivory horn, are elusive and magical creatures of myth. Yet even more elusive are the purple unicorns. First sighted at the Superstars Writing Seminar, their legend has grown year after year until it could only be contained in this anthology. Nineteen storytellers, including Peter S. Beagle, Todd McCaffrey, and Jody Lynn Nye, as well as new and rising authors, invite us into worlds both near and far, across a desert oasis, a pet shop, a Comic-Con exhibition floor, and more, and show us the many variations of purple unicorns, from the imaginary to the actual—and one very memorable half-unicorn, half-potato. One Horn to Rule Them All is an unforgettable collection of imagination and creativity. So, saddle up, and take a ride beyond the rainbow" (GoodReads).
Opinions: Wow. If you want to see dragons in a whole new light from a variety of talented writers, then this book is perfect. This book has everything from a discussion at a bus station between two people wondering what the graffiti purple unicorn means, to a human detective solving mystical crimes with the feel of The Godfather, and even a rampaging purple unicorn turned into a potato. The imagination and creativity in this book is remarkable and showcases brilliant new authors on a shining stage. Then the book throws in stories by Todd McCaffrey (Dragons of Pern series), Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn) and Jody Lynn Nye (Mythology 101, Imperium, etc), editing by Lisa Mangum (the Hourglass Door series), and artwork by James A. Owen (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica). It's perfect to read while waiting for your bus or at the doctors' office, or whenever you can sneak a peak.  Fair warning, The Last Dregs of Winter left me sobbing. . . and I was in the waiting room of a doctor's office. ;-)  So YES, I most definitely recommend this anthology. And, to top it off, the proceeds from its sales go to fund scholarships for other writers to learn the business side of writing.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy #1)
Author: Kiersten White
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Rating: Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: "When a dark prophecy begins to come true, sixteen-year-old Evie of the International Paranormal Containment Agency must not only try to stop it, she must also uncover its connection to herself and the alluring shapeshifter, Lend" (King County Library System).  
Opinions:One of the best parts of this book is the voice of the character/narrator. Told in first person (I believe -- I'm really bad at labeling voices) she is quintessentially snarky teen with a most unusual twist. I love being able to see inside of Evie and how her mind works, and her growth throughout the story. I love the creativity of stylistic paranormal characters seen with a new eye and a new way. 

It was hard for me to narrow down in this book who where my favorite characters. There was Lish, Evie's BFF who was a mermaid in charge of command central and had as much of a love of Easton Heights, the equivalent of Beverly Hills 90210, as Evie. Lend, the incredibly complex and multi-handsome (you'll have to read the book to understand why I write it this way) first ever teenage boy Evie has come in contact.  The deep and mysterious Reth, a faerie who has plans of his own for Evie. Requel the strict librarian looking head of IPCA who is the equivalent of the mom Evie's never known. . . and oh so many more.

If you love YA Paranormal at all, then I suggest you pick up this fun read immediately.

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

For my review of book one of the Kane Chronicles please click here: The Red Pyramid.


Title: The Throne of Fire (Book 2 Kane Chronicles)
Author: Rick Riordan
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Mid-Grade Fantasy
Rating: Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: "Carter Kane and his sister must prevent the chaos snake Apophis from breaking free in a few days' time or the world will come to an end. To have any chance of battling these Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra." (King County Library System)
Opinions: I am LOVING this series. Now that I'm used to the switch between point of views each chapter I have really gotten into the plot a lot easier this time around. I love the intensity/urgency that Sadie and Carter must keep up to reach their goal. I love the underlying humor. I LOVE BES!!!! I mean how can you not love a speedo wearing dwarf god. Rick Riordan is brilliant with his characters.

Sadie and Carter continue as strong characters as they work together to try and revive the Sun God Ra in time to fight off his arch-enemy Apophis. I love the strength they find while working together, but also the truths they discover about themselves when alone. I love seeing new magicians working with the Kane's and the new talents that they possess. This sequel is a definite must read.