The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter by Frank L Cole

I knew Frank Cole's name from his books, Hashbrown Winters. I had gotten them for my son and I wanted to get the next Hashbrown Winters book for him at an Authorpalooza. I saw the cover of this new book and I was instantly interested. I couldn't get it at the time but I was happy to see Frank at another signing and I made sure to get my hands on it then. 

Here is the synopsis:

Amber never dreamed her archaeology class would turn into a top secret mission that would take her across the globe, but when her teacher goes missing, Amber realizes it's up to her to protect the Hidden Scepter or risk unleashing an ancient power too terrifying to imagine. 


I enjoyed the book from the beginning. The characters were fun to meet and get to know. I automatically thought that Amber and Joseph would get together at the end, only to find that there would be twists and turns I didn't expect. I was quite thrilled! Trendon was my least favorite character at first because of his sarcasm and laziness but I grew fond of him and liked him by the end. Amber was smart and I loved her photographic memory, where she could go back and find clues in different places she had originally looked past.


I was very interested in the places they visited and the description allowed me to go there in my mind. I wanted to travel to visit those places! The story was intense and the bad guys were truly bad. Overall it was a very fun story and great for kids. I can't wait to have my son read it because I know its a book he will enjoy.


You can purchase Frank's book here: www.amazon.com


You can find his website here: http://www.franklcole.com/
  

Partials by Dan Wells

Dan Wells has a been a favorite author of mine since reading I am Not a Serial Killer. I stared at the cover of the book for quite some time as it sat on a bookshelf in my bookstore, begging me to read it. I finally sat down and read it, enjoying every second of it.

When I found out he was coming out with another series, I was thrilled. Partials is completely different from his original trilogy but it's still his incredible writing that pulls you in.  Here is the synopsis:

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

I went to Dan Wells' book signing, where he read chapter 10 to us. I was excited to get my hands on the book. As soon as I got home, I pushed all of my other books aside and dug in. I was not disappointed.

Kira is a strong willed girl who wants the best for her patients. She did what she could to fight for what was right for her city and those in it. I loved the support from her friends as they helped her fight to find the antidote for RM. 

There are a few different "enemies" that are portrayed in this book, which I like because it keeps you turning the page. The government is doing everything they can to keep control of the people, including questioning your comings and goings, and lowering the age when they want you to start having children to sixteen years old. The Voice wants the government to repeal the law and allow more freedoms. And then of course, there are the partials. Kira must do everything she can to find a cure, even if that means going against her government and everything that has protected her.

The imagery of what New York and the rest of the east coast could look like if the world was wiped out was just amazing. I could see the vines taking over buildings and the wild animals wandering the streets.

This is a must read. I can't wait for the second book in this series.  

You can learn more about Dan and his other books here: http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net/

You can purchase his books here: www.amazon.com

Time Gangsters by Berin Stephens

I went to an Authorpalooza at Barnes & Noble to find more books and to visit friends. I found out that Berin Stephens had a new book coming out, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  Time travel and 1920's gangsters. What more could you want in a book?

I was excited when it finally came out this February and headed over to his book launch. After taking quizzes about events in the 1920's and another about gangster terms (which I royally failed), I headed home to read the book.

I loved it! Here is the synopsis:

When Billy discovers a hidden cache of ancient coins, it isn't long before a gang of thugs swipes them right from under Billy. Plotting to use the magical properties of the coins to seize power in the past, these power-hungry gangsters will do anything to reach their goal. Their future threatened, Billy and Danny must race through time to steal back the coins---before history is changed forever!

There's nothing like waking up to a guy holding a tommy sitting at the end of your bed. And the action just goes from there. It isn't just Billy's house that was broken into either. His next door neighbor, and cousin, also had someone break into her room. They meet up and try to figure out what's going on.

They discover coins that are magic, hidden in Danny's room. Each coin (or medallion as Billy's friend, Wheezy, liked to remind them) has a magical property and Billy wanted them all for himself. Soon he, Danny, and their friends are mixed up in time travel drama.

This was a very fun, well written YA novel. It's a great read for any age and I can't wait to share it with my son. The terminology was great and the way he characterized the gangsters allowed you to hear them speaking gangster talk. Now if only I could borrow their teleportation medallion...

You can purchase this book here: www.amazon.com
                                      and here: www.deseretbook.com

His website is here: http://berinstephens.com/

On Little Wings By Regina Sirois

I was excited to try a new book called On Little Wings.  I'm always looking for a new book and was thrilled to dive into this one.  I was rewarded with a beautiful story that captured my attention and had me entangled in the world until the last page. 

First the synopsis:

Jennifer must do the impossible – bring her mother home. When a family is torn apart by death, two sisters take violently divergent paths and the story of their family appears to end terribly and abruptly. Two decades later Jennifer never dreams that the photo she finds stuck between the pages of a neglected book will tear open a gaping wound to her mother’s secret past. Abandoning her comfortable life with her parents and best friend in the wheat fields of Nebraska, Jennifer’s quest for a hidden aunt leads her to the untamed coast of Maine where she struggles to understand why her mother lied to her for sixteen years.

Across the grey, rocky cove she meets Nathan Moore, the young, reluctant genius surrounded by women who need him to be brother, father, friend, provider, protector and now, first love. The stories, varied, hilarious, and heartbreaking, unfold to paint a striking mural of the shattered past. As Jennifer seeks to piece together her mother’s story, she inadvertently writes one for herself.

This story begins with Jennifer just having heard a secret that had been kept from her all her life. She thought her mom had been an only child, only to find a photograph of her mother and her aunt. She was furious and left the house to go talk to her friend.  On a whim, she and her friend decided to call her aunt and find out if her aunt even knew Jennifer existed. Her aunt was thrilled to hear from her and they enjoyed their talk on the phone.

Jennifer decided that she wanted to get to know her aunt, so with her mom's grudging permission, she headed off to Maine to meet the family she never knew she had.  She met many people from her mother's past and learned more about her mother than she ever thought she would.  She fell in love with the scenery, the way of life, and the people in the small town of Smithport and had a hard time leaving when the time came.

Along came Nathan, a shy, intelligent neighbor boy. He was tutored by her aunt and he would go and "read lines" each night with her aunt. It was a great way to share a line from a poem, story or anything else they'd read for the day and discuss what was on their mind.  Jennifer got caught up in the line sharing and it helped her learn more about herself and those around her.  Nathan captured her heart, even after promising her best friend that she wouldn't find a boyfriend while she was gone.  She also met Little, a spunky old woman that lives next door. I loved Little. She was a great character that kept the story going with her wonderful tales she'd tell.

I have always been in love with Maine. It's a place where I want to visit someday. Having the story set in Maine just makes me want to go even more.  The imagery in this book was amazing. You can hear the waves, smell the sea air, and feel the emotion running through the town - the sadness, anger, longing, and eventual peace. 

Regina's website is here:  http://reginasirois.com/

You can purchase her books on Amazon here: Paperback

                                                             and here: Kindle

Variant by Robison Wells

From the first time I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I needed to read it.  When I finally had it in my hands, I couldn't put it down.  I enjoyed every second of it and was sad when I hit the last page.   Here is the synopsis:


Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.
He was wrong.
Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.
Where breaking the rules equals death.
But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.


It sounds fantastic, right? The synopsis can't do it justice.  He does such a great job of shaping Benson. You felt for him and just wanted things to be good for him.  Which, of course, in this type of book just doesn't happen. 


Imagine arriving at what promises to be a nice, posh academy, only to have two students try to escape as soon as the doors open.  There are no adults and all the students have their own jobs - which includes teaching.  


There are specific rules that they have to follow and if they don't they get detention - which you really don't want to get!  The students decide to team up and get their specific jobs in order to keep the peace because of the violence in the past.  Benson comes in and messes it all up by trying to do jobs his own way - resulting in chaos.


I couldn't get enough of this book. The writing style was amazing. I felt that I was there and I could feel the adrenaline rushes along with the characters in the book.  The horror of some of the experiences just made me want to keep reading until the very end - late into the end.


I highly recommend this book. I can't wait for the sequel!


You can buy his book here: http://www.amazon.com


His website is here: http://www.robisonwells.com/

Servant of a Dark God by John Brown

When I first heard the title of this book, I hesitated to read it, not knowing what it would be about. However, I was fascinated by the cover.  I had even worn the t-shirt a couple of times that I had received when John came to sign books at my bookstore.  I finally decided to read it and I was instantly pulled into the story.   Here is the synopsis:

Young Talen lives in a world where the days of a person's life can be harvested, bought, and stolen. Only the great Divines, who rule every land, and the human soul-eaters, dark ones who steal days from man and beast, know the secrets of this power.

Now a being of awesome power, whose Mothers once ranched human subjects like cattle, feeding on their souls, has arisen in secret. And her monstrous, murderous pawn, a soul-bound creature created of wood and grass and rock roams the land. A massive and mis-directed hunt for soul-eaters is launched and Talen finds himself a target.  Trapped in a web of lies and secrets, Talen must identify his true enemy before the new Mother takes back what is rightfully hers. 

This book was fantastic. It was well-written and had a new variety of characters I had never seen before.  As I've stated in past reviews, I love when I can read something different.   The character building was well done.  You could feel the strengths and weaknesses of each of the characters.  I also loved that you got to see inside the mind of Hunger, the beast who is required to collect people for his master.  You feel bad for him, at the same time you despise him for destroying families.

First you meet Talen's family. His brother, sister and father are all big and strong, while Talen is small.  He has a fun loving personality that wants to make a name for himself so that he's no longer unimportant.   I loved watching him develop into a stronger person by the end.

This book is excellent and it is meant for older audiences. If you're a fan of fantasy, you will want to check it out.  I can't wait to read more from John in the future.

His website is here:  johndbrown.com
You can buy his book here:  www.amazon.com

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

I love castles. I may have mentioned this before in my reviews. I even told my husband the other day that if we ever build another house, I want it in the shape of a castle. I want the secret passages, the tapestries, the whole thing. However, I've now changed a few details. I now want a castle like Castle Glower. Too bad I don't have magic to make it happen.

Here is the synopsis:

Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom.


This book is a great book for any age.  In fact, I may just read it to my children before bedtime.  Its such a fun story with great characters, big adventures, and a magical castle!! The perfect bedtime story.

I loved the characters in this book.  Each of them were well-written and easy to love.  Lilah is the older sister who feels the burdens of keeping things running.  Rolf has been trained well and makes an excellent prince and king-to-be.  And I just plain love Celie. She's feisty, she's curious and she has a good head on her shoulders.  It's no wonder that the castle loves her so much.

The twists and turns of the story make it a fun read.  I loved the hallways and the way the castle moves things around to assist the children in saving their kingdom.  The castle is quirky and makes rooms more luxurious or tiny dungeon-like rooms, depending on much it likes the people staying in those rooms.  It also places the bedrooms as close or as far away from the throne room as it thought the people should be, depending on how fit they were for the throne.  Yes, I think I need a Castle Glower.

You can learn more about Jessica Day George here : www.jessicadaygeorge.com