Tag Archives: fantasy

Book Review: Circle of Cranes, by Annette LeBox

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circle_of_cranes_coverAsian legends about cranes and real life in New York during 1999 and 2000 are two subjects I would find very interesting to be in the same story. In this book, Circle of the Cranes by Annette LeBox, the author masterfully combines the two to create an amazing tale that is both rooted in truth and fiction,

The story is about a thirteen-year-old orphan girl by the name of Suyin who is sent away to New York by her Chinese village. Her life is far from easy in New York. She works in a sweetshop earning barely pennies each day. She also finds about her connections with an ancient Crane Sisterhood that is high above the earth in a place called He-Shan. She goes through the trials and trouble both with the Sisterhood and in New York. Suyin perseveres through all of this and eventually the good things start to happening.

It books is personally one of my favorites of a combination of real life and legends. Suyin is just a normal 13-year-old girl but she seems so much older. Some stories I have read have a really hard time with combining Chinese legends with American history due to the fact that they are barely related to each other. This book pulled it off amazingly. All the characters were well created and fleshed out in a way that you get to know them really well and they seem to come to life.

Other than Suyin, my favorite character is a boy named Pang because he is a normal boy who plays a large part in the story. His personality makes him very likeable too. This book deals with the fact of unfair labor laws and there is somethings that only slightly more mature teenagers might be able to understand. Well, for me this is a great book to read but you might think differently– so read it for yourself.

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: Starling, by Lesley Livingston

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starling_coverI’ve never been to New York, but in the novel Starling, author Lesley Livingston made me feel as if I was there during the cold, wet winter of the 2000s. It was at this time and place that an academy was attacked by strange creatures called draugr that two unsuspecting teens meet and are found to be drawn by each other’s embrace. The conflict of man against self is played out in how one young girl battles between her lovers and her fate.

This fantasy is told in the third person by 16 year old fencer Mason Starling, The Fenrys Wolf, a stunningly good looking 19 year old, Mason’s mentor and companion fencer Calum Aristarchos who is also in love with Mason, and Mason’s older brother, Rory Starling, who all go through a maze of love and loyalty. The two main characters Mason Starling and The Fenrys Wolf exemplify the author’s theme of love and loyalty; their actions gave suspense and kept my eyes glued to the pages as I traveled with them through the novel.

Fenrys is one of the reasons I loved this book. Though, he is not just a regular 19 year old and he tells the reader all about it. Fenrys has completely lost his memory, but discovers that he may be the one to determine the beginning of Ragnarok. The perilous adventure of Fenrys and his true love is just one of the reasons I wanted to keep reading the book that kept my eyes fixed upon its pages.

Mason Starling is another character that I appreciate in the novel. Her words are contradictory, self-explanatory, compelling, but at the same time annoying as I tired over this character. Her brave, but egotistic, demeanor and actions demonstrate that she greatly yearns to be the best person she can be as she fights over her feelings and love for Fenrys. Mason made me want to fall down and cry as she rejects the one who had loved her most dearly.

If you want to know how Mason and Fenrys face their fate, love, past, or how Calum Aristarchos copes with his unrequited love in Starling, you’ll just have to read the book!

-Christina B., 7th grade

Book Review: The Magic Thief, by Sarah Prineas

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magic_thief_coverThe Magic Thief is one of my all-time favorite books. It really keeps me hooked. I recommended it to both my mom and my dad, and when they read it, they liked it too! As you can clearly see, this is a good book for all ages, though I think that it is geared more towards readers in their teens.

The story opens with the introduction of a young thief named Connwaer. He sees a man in the streets, and pickpockets him. What he gets is a wizard’s locus magicalicus, a special stone that lets a wizard use magic. The stone begins to glow brightly, and the man who we now know as a wizard comes back and invites Conn to dinner. While at the dinner table The wizard, whose name is Nevery, tells Conn that his locus magicalicus will probably kill him. Suddenly, the stone becomes cold and heavy and begins to pull Conn into a dark hole. Nevery asks Conn what his name is, and then shouts a spell that saves Conn from certain death. Nevery says he is interested in Conn because his locus magicalicus didn’t kill him right away, and takes him in as his apprentice.

This is only the first book in a trilogy. The second book is The Magic Thief: Lost and the third book is The Magic Thief: Found. Those books are just as good, maybe even better than this one. I love this series a lot and I believe that if you read it, you will love it too. There are currently three copies in the Mission Viejo Library; I recommend that you place a hold or pick up a copy and read.

-Linna C., 7th grade

Book Review: City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare

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city_of_bonesHave you seen “The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones?” Well, the movie is based on a saga of six books. These books and soon-to-be movies, are written by a famous author named Cassandra Clare. She has also another series called The Infernal Devices. They both are based in a world within our own. There are half human, half angel people named Shadow hunters, there are also Warlocks which are magical beings like wizards. They also have demons, vampires, werewolves, and a whole bunch of other creatures.

City Of Bones is about a young girl, Clarissa Fray, who collides into this other world. Clarissa, otherwise known as Clary, meets up with her friend Simon to go to a club named The Pandemonium Club, in New York, and she witnesses something no ordinary human would see. She saw three people- or she thinks are people- kill a boy or rather, a demon with strange weapons. She thought she was having a mental breakdown, because nobody else can see them. When she sees one of the three people, she questions why she can see him and nobody else can. He tells her that he is a shadow hunter: half human, half angel. He was made to get rid of the demons that are coming into  Earth. Clary goes home and her mother has disappeared and the house is destroyed. Clary has to team up with a group of shadow hunters to find and get her mother back at all costs.

This series is my personal favorite series. The characters are perfectly thought out, the scenes are amazing. This book is also great for guys, because it has a lot of action and it’s not about the love. My mother told me to read the books because she said I would like them. So I read them and I totally loved it! I told my friends about the books and they love it. My friend said that “The one thing I loved about the books is that you never really know what going to happen next, so you get pulled into the book and you feel what the characters feel during the time. I loved it and I couldn’t put the book down.”

The books are truly amazing and well thought out. I highly recommend this series!

-Meagan R., 8th grade

Transitioning from Young Adult Novels to the Classics

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bookstack2The transition from young adult novels to classic novels can be difficult. I started reading classic novels when I was in eighth grade. However, I still read young adult novels. I love both genres!

The key to transitioning from reading young adult novels to reading classic novels lies in the plot. Many young adult novels are affiliated with the supernatural, be it vampires, werewolves, zombies, or magic. The common factor is an element of fantasy. Most teens dismiss classic literature as boring but what they might not know is that classic novels were catalysts for contemporary young adult novels. Examples include Dracula by, Bram Stoker and Frankenstein by, Mary Shelley. Dracula and Frankenstein are two of the oldest fantasy novels. Frankenstein is considered by some to be the first science-fiction novel and Dracula, of course, was the first novel to debut vampires. They are also two of the most famous classic novels– cult classics, even.

dracula_coverDracula was written in 1897 and Frankenstein was written in 1818. Dracula is the story of a vampire who moves from England to Romania. Jonathan Harker is in charge of Dracula’s move but after spending time in his castle, he starts to suspect that Dracula is a vampire. Once he comes to this realization, he also realizes that he’s trapped in the castle and barely escapes with his life. He makes his way back home but little does he know that Dracula is now terrorizing his fiancee Mina and her friend Lucy by drinking their blood. Lucy begins to become very sick and Mina calls Dr. Van Helsing for help and he realizes what is happening to her but does not reveal it. Mina then becomes sick herself and it is then when Van Helsing and others try and put a stop to Dracula and they follow him back to Transylvania for a final battle.

frankenstein_coverFrankenstein is the story of a mad scientist named Victor Frankenstein who creates a creature. Frankenstein is commonly mistaken as the monster when in fact, Frankenstein is the creator of the monster. Victor has been passionate about science since he was a child and gets the idea of reanimation from watching lighting strike a tree. He reanimates a creature with expectations of beauty and is disappointed with how the creature turns out and rejects him, so the creature flees. Victor sees his creature again framed for his brother’s death. The creature explains his innocence and says that if Victor would make him a female companion, he would leave him alone forever. Victor agrees and makes him a companion but kills her out of fear of them breeding and creating a race. The creature sees Victor kill his companion-to-be and the two fight for the last time.

While it is true that classic novels start off slow, it is worth it to read them until the end. It is easier to ease into classic literature with novels that include aspects of what you’re already used to reading. The familiarity is essential in transitioning!

-Sarah B., 12th grade

Music Pairings: The Fairyland series, by Catherynne M. Valente

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This wonderfully-written small series starts out with a 12-year-old girl, September, living her own life with only her mother and her father away at war until one night she falls into another dimension where she meets the best of friends and starts the adventure that has been waiting for her since the day she was born.

girl_who1The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making

She woke up to world full of vibrant colors and rich foods with birds and all sorts of animals welcoming her to Fairyland.  She learns many things including an expedition of her own and also finds out things she might not have wanted to know.  September discovers the ‘enemy’ is just a mirror of herself.   She battles her own brains and wits.  Her time has run out in Fairyland.  She must return to civilization.

The perfect soundtrack for this scene would be Get Back by the Beatles because the song shows that life is not perfect, and sometimes you have to ‘Get Back to where you once belonged’. She returns to a place where there is smog everywhere, the food on her plate is not good quality, and where the birds sing a sad tired song instead of a skipping happy one in Fairyland.  Will September accomplish what she set out to do?  Would the final song be We are the Champions by Queen while the credits roll?

girl_who2The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There

September has been waiting for almost a year to go back to Fairyland.  If this were a movie, I think as they start the movie when the producer and executive producer–and the other almost ‘annoying’ information is displayed that just delays the start of the movie–the song should be You Can’t Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones because she was expecting that she was going to be able to go to Fairyland again in the spring.   But like it says in the song ‘If you try sometimes, you just might find… you get what you need!’  September got what was needed.  On the night of September’s 13th birthday, she was called into the delight of Fairyland.  Instead of Fairyland-Above, she fell beneath Fairyland where she went on another adventure, but this time without her normal friends.  She strived to get the one part of the puzzle that will satisfy her forever.  I picture the song We are Family by Sister Pledge connected with this scene for the emotion.  When she walked back home that night, she saw two figures talking under the porch light.  She ran toward them…

I would recommend these 10-out-of-10 novels to any middle grader who thinks they have a spark of adventure in them.

-Maya S., 6th grade

Book Review: Her Majesty’s Wizard, by Christopher Stasheff

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her_majestys_wizard_coverEveryone knows the qualities of a fantasy story: a hero, a dragon, a damsel in distress, an evil wizard, and people who can choose to be helpful or harmful to the hero. However, what happens when the hero is a couple of smidgens higher than useless in a world that he doesn’t know much about?
All that-and more-happens when Matthew Mantrell recites poetry that’s written an old piece of paper in a language that doesn’t exist. And so Matthew gets pulled into a world where reciting poetry performs magic. Since he has also promised Princess Alisande to help win back her kingdom from an evil sorcerer, he has to travel through an unknown land where evil clearly rules.
Her Majesty’s Wizard can be inappropriate for some audiences, especially for kids under 13, because there are some scenes of violence and women that try to take off their clothes. Also, this book goes into depth about the Catholic religion and emphasizes the fact that God exists. On the other hand, no one says any bad words because just saying “Damn” would bring an angel’s wrath upon you.

However, fans of famous historical events, such as the  Crusades, might love how Stasheff rewrites history, such as saying that Remus won instead of Romulus. Since there are also magic and dragons, fans of Eragon would like this book, too.

Besides historical references and having relations to other books, Her Majesty’s Wizard is written with:
  • Comedy, especially when Matt says something about his world that no one else knows,
  • Famous songs and poems, such as Greensleeves,
  • And some real life advice about love.
Finally, as an example for love advice, Stasheff writes when Matt meets a girl who doesn’t, “Matt felt his chest puffing out a bit; this was the first time in his life he’d really had a chance to impress a girl! Then he remembered what pride goeth before,” (Stasheff 49).
Whether you’re a history geek or devoted to religion, Her Majesty’s Wizard will capture your heart and always remind of its remarkable characters.
-Megan V., 8th grade

Series Introduction: Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull

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fablehaven_coverIn a wonder of a series, Brandon Mull wrote a 5 book masterpiece called Fablehaven. The books are in the same league as Percy Jackson or The Emerald Atlas. With funny, personable characters, this book will appeal to both girls and boys.

Book #1: Fablehaven

Kendra and Seth go relunctantly to their grandpa’s estate in New England while their parents go on a cruise. Although they originally find it boring, Kendra soon discovers a curious journal titled, “Journal of Secrets.” In the journal is one cryptic line: Drink the Milk. Once they find out what this means, their eyes are opened to the world of Fablehaven- a world of creatures from all branches of mythology and Brandon Mull’s imagination combined. Seth, ever the troublemaker gets into some trouble with a witch and some fairies. He also is the reason for his grandpa’s abduction. I won’t say anything about the rest of the book except this: it is amazing!

Book #2: Rise of the Evening Star

Kendra and Seth are back at Fablehaven for the summer and have three new teachers due to the fact that the society of the evening star is rising. The society is trying to open Zzyzx, the demon prison. Kendra also has some cool new powers, which she finds out after a meeting with the Sphynx. Along with all the tutoring they are getting from Tanu the potions master, Vanessa the animal guru, and Coulter, the relics collecter, there is a spy at Fablehaven. But will they be able to fing out who it is before the society gets Fablehaven’s artifact? Read the second book to find out

Book #3: Grip of the Shadow Plague

in the third book, Kendra and Seth are having trouble convincing their parents to let them stay at fablehaven. School is about to start and they have been gone all summer. But something terrible is going on. A shadow plague is beguiling the creatures of Fablehaven, but Seth may be the person to help stop it. Meanwhile, Kendra is traveling to the Painted Mesa reserve in Arizona to try to retrieve another artifact, only to find out they have sacrificed a mission in vain. The ending of this book is too wonderful to spoil.

Book #4: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

In the beginning of this book, Kendra is kidnapped by the society. Later, Kendra and stowaway Seth go to the dragon sanctuary to retrieve another artifact. To retrieve it they must also “borrow” the first horn of a unicorn. Their many adventures in the dragon sanctuary culminate in a great victory and a great betrayal- much worse than book 2. The cliffhanger ending on this one is also killer.

Book #5: Keys to the Demon Prison

With the opening of Zzyzx imminent, all of them end up in the dungeon of the secret fifth preserve which is where the last artifact and their greatest enemy lies. The artifacts are all collected and there is just one obstacle to the opening of Zzyzx- the eternals. 5 immortal humans who must be destroyed and Kendra and Bracken (a super awesome unicorn… Yes, UNICORN) are determined to defend them. Eventually they end up on the island of Zzyzx and… You’ll have to read them to find out!

-Becka O., 9th grade

Book Review: Everlost, by Neal Shusterman

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everlost_coverEverlost is a fantasy book, the first in the Skinjacker trilogy, that takes place in a dimension between life and death, populated by spirits of dead children and teenagers who failed to cross over to the true afterlife.

Main characters Nick and Allie meet when they die in the same car crash, and befriend a long-dead younger boy named Lief. The three of them travel the country and learn the rules of Everlost: they can no longer be seen by the living, objects with sentimental value can cross over to their plane, and anyone who stands still for too long will sink to the center of the earth. Allie learns the criminal practices of moving objects and possessing the living, intending to go home and visit her family, but when her friends are kidnapped aboard a ghost ship, her plans are derailed by a rescue mission.

The major strength of this book is the author’s creative ideas regarding the properties of ghosts. Spirits in Everlost are never older than fifteen or so, because adults are too focused to get lost on the way to the afterlife. Dead children arrive in Everlost wearing the clothes they died in, but after months in ghost form, their appearances can change as they forget what they looked like in life. They can easily get locked into a pattern of doing the same activity over and over until the end of time, especially if encouraged that this is their natural destiny.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes imaginative worldbuilding, adventure, and a focus on friendships rather than romance.

-Miranda C., 12th grade

Book Review: The Dream Thieves, by Maggie Stiefvater

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dream_thieves_coverIf you could take anything from your dreams, what would you steal? But what if you couldn’t always choose what you took, and you brought back a nightmare?

Ronan has this talent. As far as he knows, he is the only one besides his deceased father, who was killed by this secret. But it isn’t the only secret out there. The ley lines, a kind of energy source for spiritual activity, have awakened, so they should be stronger than ever. Why then are they weaker than before?

Any fans of Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver trilogy should definitely read this book. There is an air of mystery and magic that pulls the plot along. I liked how this is the second book in a series, yet I felt everything important in the first book, The Raven Boys, was explained well without being repetitive. If at all possible, this book was even better than the first. Although, reading the first book made me appreciate the characters’ growth more than if I hadn’t.

Speaking of characters, they were all distinct and complemented one another in their differences. Blue, the only girl, destined to kill her true love with a kiss; Adam, who feels like nothing, but has a greater importance than he realizes; Ronan, forbidden to return to his childhood home; Gansey, obsessed with an ancient Welsh king, Glendower, and will probably die within the year; and the Gray Man, the most mysterious of all, always remaining inconspicuous in order to complete his job as a hit man. The only question is: who is his target?

From the very beginning, the story had me completely hooked. It is one of those books you can’t put down and end up reading late into the night. I only had a couple of issues with this book. The first problem was there were several chapters where Blue wasn’t mentioned once. With such a prominent role, it was strange for her to go missing for chapters on end. Instead, characters who were more secondary had bigger roles, like Ronan and Adam had major parts to play. I understand they were doing important things in that time, but I would have preferred just one chapter from Blue’s perspective intermixed with those chapters. (Everything is in the third person, so you never have to worry who is talking.) Another thing was, even though it wasn’t everywhere, there was too much cursing for my taste. Ronan is the main perpetrator, so with more chapters about him, it makes sense there was more cursing than the last book. Even with those complaints, it a truly amazing read.

-Nicole G., 10th grade