Tag Archives: fantasy

The Knight’s Ransom by Jeff Wheele

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The Knight’s Ransom by Jeff Wheeler is the first book in the First Argentines series. The book is 433 pages long. The First Argentines series is currently made up of three books with a fourth to come. The whole series is a prequel to the six-book series the Kingfountain series. The book Knight’s Ransom is relatively new as it was only published on January 26, 2021.

The book follows Marshall Barton nicknamed Ransom, by his childhood friend and main female character Claire de Murrow. The book starts in a civil war over succession for the throne. It starts with young Ransom being abducted by the original king, and to make his noble father stay loyal an attempted hanging of Ransom takes place. However, ultimately the king doesn’t hang him. The story is then mainly about Ransom’s journey through knighthood as he looks to find who he is and what he wants. We see him growing up as it has multiple time skips allowing us to see Ransom get into his teens and twenties. One of the more enjoyable parts is the diary entries by Claire de Murrow as it talks about what’s happening to her and what her point of view is of the events that are happening.

This is a book I would highly recommend to people who like a fantasy about swords and magic as while as books set in the medieval era. The Knight’s Ransom has character development and has some mystery such as when Ransom hears rushing water in his ears. This book doesn’t always show a plain black and white picture allowing the reader to decide what is right. The book has fights and war, where blood is spilled and there is the point where characters drink alcohol. However, I did quite enjoy this book as it gets you intrigued into what’s going to happen.

-Luke G.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

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The Tale of Despereaux is a novel by Kate DiCamillo, and winner of the Newberry Award.  The setting is in a medieval era, and most of the events take place in a large castle.  The main plot revolves around an undersized mouse with large ears named Despereaux.  Despereaux is considered strange and eccentric compared to the other mice in the castle.  For one thing, he enjoys reading books rather than nibbling on its pages.  One of his favorite books is about a knight rescuing a princess.  Another important character is a spiteful rat named Chiaroscuro, who is called Roscuro for short.  Roscuro is unlike other rats, because he desires to leave the darkness in which rats are accustomed to living.  Roscuro decides to visit a royal banquet, but he falls from a chandelier into the soup.  This angers the princess of the castle, named Princess Pea, and she gives Roscuro a scornful look.  Roscuro’s feelings are hurt by the incident, and he plots to get revenge against the princess.  He convinces an unfortunate peasant girl name Miggery Sow to help him kidnap Princess Pea, promising the girl that she could become the princess instead.  Despereaux learns of the plan, and sets out on a quest to rescue the princess.

This book is actually divided into four books.  The first book focuses on Despereaux.  The second book focuses on Roscuro.  The third book focuses on Miggery Sow.  The fourth book ties all of the main characters together.  I think the organization of this book is very clever.  I enjoyed the way the story shifted focus from one character to another, and finally brought them all together.  I especially enjoyed the intertwining of events as the book drew toward its conclusion.

Overall, I think this book is very charming and entertaining.  The story is filled with adventure and excitement.  The characters are simple, but memorable.  The narrator presents the story in a way that seems almost interactive with the reader.  I felt like the narrator was speaking directly to me, which made this book very engaging.  I was drawn in by the binding of the book itself, which describes it as “being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread.”  It was very satisfying to read about how these elements all came together to make a unique and enjoyable story.  This book is one of my favorites and I think just about anyone would enjoy reading it.

-Oliver H.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

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The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis, is the final book in The Chronicles of Narnia series.  This is my favorite of the seven books in this fantasy series.  The world of Narnia is in danger because of evil characters roaming the land.  The most important character is Aslan, the lion.  Aslan is the true king of Narnia, but he does not appear for much of the book.  A wicked ape named Shift and his followers plan to use an imposter Aslan to gain power and control over the world.  They use the name of Aslan to convince people in Narnia to serve Shift.  For much of the book, there is a battle between people who believe in the real Aslan and people who are deceived by Shift and his followers.  Later in the story, the real Aslan appears and helps the people in Narnia who believe in him.  Finally, Aslan reveals his true identity and leads his people to his country.

Aslan is my favorite character in the series, and I really like this book because we learn more about his true identity.  I also enjoy this book because of all the action, as good characters battle against evil characters throughout the story.  This book is very exciting and filled with suspense.  There are many villains in this story, which made it very interesting.  I was surprised by the ending, but it was a rewarding conclusion to the series.  I would highly recommend reading the other books in the series before reading this book.  The Chronicles of Narnia is one of my favorite series of books and I would recommend them to everyone.

-Simon H.

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger

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Everblaze, the third book Shannon Messenger wrote for this series (and the first one with a heart-wrenching cliffhanger, might I add), was the book Sophie found out her enemies were closer than they seemed. It begins with Sophie getting a request from the Council to heal Fintan, the leader of the now-named Neverseen. Fintan used to be on the Council, but after the Pyrokisis “incident”( involving 5 Pyrokinetics and some Everblaze), he was banned. Sophie and Keefe then go to check on Silveny, the sparkly alicorn.

They happen upon a tracker in her tail and immediately rush back home. A few days after, Sophie’s Linguistics Mentor Lady Cadence figures out that the tracker had Arrowmark on it. Arrowmark is an ogre technology/bacteria that is a homing device for their weapons. All of the school had to then be tested, and Sophie’s hand skin needed to be melted off (very gross, sadly it happens more than once).

With the 9th/10th book (Stellarlune) coming out in November, I re-read this series a lot. Each time, a find more details and funny moments I never knew were there. I recommend everyone to start reading this series, it is great fun and a good way to spend your spare time.

-Izzy W.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer

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Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan, is the first book in the Magnus Chase series. The book is connected to and placed in the same world Rick Riordan’s other popular mythological series Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, Trials of Apollo, Heroes of Olympus, and a few other books.

You might see some similar names in this book if you’re familiar with the Percy Jackson series. The Sword of Summer as you might expect is another mythological fantasy book this time about the Nine realms and the Norse Gods.

The book starts off with the main character Magnus Chase as a homeless guy, who dies. No, that is not a spoiler and is actually part of the title of the first chapter. By the way, The chapter titles can be very hilarious in my opinion at times. Anyways back to how the book goes. You have Magnus Chase who is a homeless orphan and ends up meeting his uncle. His uncle tells him of his godly heritage as Magnus is about to reach the age where monsters will start going after him. To not spoil the book that is as far as will go. I would recommend this book to any fantasy and mythology book lovers. It’s filled with action and world-building, however, be warned that it might take a while as it’s a 498 paged book.

-Luke G.

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive/Libby.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

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Best friends to enemies, learning to adapt to new environments, and creating characters with unique personalities are concepts Soman Chainani effectively intertwined throughout his series, The School for Good and Evil. Sophie, a perfect young girl, and her best friend Agatha, the gloomy lone wolf, are brought into a world much different than their own. They find their fortunes reversed as they land in schools opposite of their personalities.

This series brings much thrill and excitement. Chainani takes you on an adventure full of twists and turns while creating a plot that is both complex and exhilarating. Personally, I enjoyed the different characters and how they were based off of popular fairytales. The description of each individual develops a unique image of them, and their actions throughout the story make them even more enjoyable to read. I also enjoyed the many details that Chainani included in his writing; it always made his work fun to read and easy to picture in your mind.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys plot twists, meaningful themes, and a hint of drama and romance. It’s perfect for those who love fairytales and using their imagination. It’s always been one of my favorite series to read, so I would most definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new book to read.

-Kaiya T.

The School for Good and Evil is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download from Libby.

The Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

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Mark of the Thief (Mark of the Thief, Book 1) (1): Nielsen, Jennifer A.: 9780545561556: Amazon.com: Books

Knocking other people backward, disappearing and appearing out of nowhere, and protecting yourself and your friends with an invisible shield are all things that magic can do! So, when Radulf, the Roman general, comes around to the mines where slaves work, one naughty slave is told to fetch Caesar’s Bulla from a cave. Who is that slave? Nicolas Calva, who will not back down from anyone. Not even his masters! 

After Nicolas is let down into the cave where he needs to grab Caesar’s Bulla, he meets a griffin. This griffin is not an ordinary griffin, though. It is the griffin who guards the Bulla! As Nic tries to grab the bulla, he has to fend off the half-lion, half-eagle magical creature. 

Following his successful attempt of obtaining the bulla, Nic endures many struggles. Radulf, the general, is after him and he wants the bulla for himself. Roman soldiers are ready to capture him at every cost! 

This book is a thrilling ride that does not disappoint. Nic learns about friendship and trust throughout this novel, and a lot of the lessons that he learns can be used in our lives, too. 

Throughout his encounters with Caela the griffin, Nic learns how to care for someone else other than himself or his sister. After living in the mines for 5 years and not knowing life other than difficult days and starving stomachs, Nic was able to understand that there are things in life that are enjoyable, too. The bulla helped Nic get out of the mines, and as a result, Nic learned about the lives of the Romans. 

This novel is the first of a 3 book trilogy, so Nic’s journey is longer than just one book!

The author, Jennifer A. Nielsen did a great job making these stories really intriguing and exhilarating. This book is definitely one of my favorite books that I have read this year and I recommend it to anyone interested in stories about magic.

I would give this novel a 10/10 rating because of how the author added important lessons using events and characters. She did a great job of including plot twists to create excitement for the reader just as the story started to slow down. 

-Mert A.

The Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen is available from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Flashback by Shannon Messenger

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Shannon Messenger’s (soon to be 10) book series called Keeper Of The Lost Cities is a series about a 12-year-old girl named Sophie Foster who finds out she is an elf. She goes through many tribulations (with and without companions), makes and loses friends, and tries not to get killed when she leaves the safety of those she trusts.

In Flashback (the seventh installment and the book I’m reviewing), Sophie goes to a hearing for one of the Neverseen (the bad guys). The elf on trial, Alvar, was a spy from the most prestigious family, the Vackers. Since elves have an indefinite life span, the entire Vacker family was there. Also, there were Sophie’s best friends Fitz and Biana Vacker (siblings), and Keefe Sencen, whose mother is the leader of the Neverseen. Alvar claims that he has no recollection of anything, and he wants to prove himself worthy of earning everyone’s trust back. The Council (the governing system of the elves, consisting of 12 members) rules Alvar half-guilty for reasons of amnesia. Fitz (and his anger issues) finds this completely wrong and sore, so he stomps out of the trial chamber. Sophie follows him to a desert cave, where they start to train with weapons. 

As not to spoil the book, I won’t summarize anymore, but I give this book a 10/10. It is a fabulous book to read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy/fiction.

-Izzy W.

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Flashback by Shannon Messenger is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

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The Ruins of Gorlan, written by John Flanagan published on November 1, 2004, is the first book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. The series is made up of a total of 11 books. There is a sequel series of 5 books as well and also one other series that take place in the same world and has some connections and some of the same characters, as well as a few others. In total the three series make up a total of 26 books, so if you enjoy it there is plenty to look forward to.

The book takes place in a medieval-like Europe-like place, with some fantasy of some monsters showing up. The story is set around 15 years after a large-scale war. The book focuses on an orphan Will, it is unknown who either of the parents is but assumed the father is assumed to have died in battle. He lives in an orphanage that the lord runs for children whose parents died in the war. Now that he is 15 he is expected to learn a job or become a farmer. Failing to become get into knight school and become a warrior in his father’s image. He instead gets chosen by an unexpected person. He learns the skills of a ranger in a mysterious job.

This book while slow at the begging as it sets up the story for the series does eventually pick up and bring in some action. It is more about Will learning the skills of his position and surviving. It is nicely written and one of the best of its kind. If you give it a chance past halfway you’ll get to the point that you can’t stop if you like this type of book. I give this as a great recommendation to anyone who likes medieval-era with slight fantasy types of books.

-Luke G.

Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Tower of Nero – Book Review

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The Tower of Nero is the final installment of Rick Riodan’s most recent series called The Trials Of Apollo. In the last book, Apollo travels with his 12-year-old master/companion Meg, who is the daughter of Demeter. They both get jumped by an old friend of Meg’s, Lu. Lu helps them escape from the Germani, who were sent by Nero to capture them. They then get the 2nd line of Apollo’s final prophecy. It tells them to go to the place of the “7 layer dip” (Percy Jackson’s house). Turns out Percy isn’t home, and Lu, Apollo, and Meg instead just stay the night and plan to go to Camp Half-Blood in the morning. They take a ride on the Gray Sisters Taxi and make it (barely) to Camp Half-Blood. Meg went off to the Demeter cabin, Lu decided to go explain what happened to Nero, and Apollo gets a visit by Mr. D and his son, Will, before promptly collapsing.

As not to spoil the ending of this fantastic book, I’ll have to stop the review here. But, If you appreciate mythology books (or just fantasy books), I highly recommend reading this series. It is packed with many emotional moments and fun easter-eggs from his other books.

-Izzy

The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.