Tag Archives: fantasy

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.

Comparing Series: Shatter Me Series vs. The Cruel Prince Series

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The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi and The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black are both amazing fiction book series. The Shatter Me series consists of 6 books and 5 novellas while The Cruel Prince series consists of 3 books.

The Shatter Me series involves the main character, Juliette, who has the ability of the touch of death. Meaning that whoever she touches dies. We follow her through her challenges of finding herself and struggling with being wanted. As a child Juliette was neglected for being they way she was. Throughout the series she finds connections with many characters and she truly finds meaningful relationships. The series has a big plot twist that no one expects in the last 3 books. Each book keeps you wanting more. The first 3 books are in Juliette’s POV while the others are in multiple POVs.

The Cruel Prince series follows a human named Jude. She wants to live in the High Court of Faerie instead of the human world. To live at the court she has to trick the cruel prince named Cardan. Cardan is the youngest prince and he and Jude hate each other. Jude throughout the series finds out she is good at defying people and causing bloodshed. Later in the series Jude becomes the brain behind all of Cardan’s decisions and finds she is a powerful political leader. She has to maintain order in Faerie and keep everything under her control.

In both series there is a powerful female character that is in charge. Jude and Juliette have to maintain order and to do so they have to face many challenges. They overcome their troubles and do what’s better for society instead of themselves. Jude and Juliette learn to sacrifice their own happiness for the better of society. Being powerful rulers, they need to be selfless and Jude and Juliette show this trait throughout the series. Both series also have major plot twists towards the end of the series.

The series have their differences as well. The Shatter Me books are more science fiction while The Cruel Prince series is more fantasy with non-human creatures. The Shatter Me series is focused around overthrowing the corrupt government controlling everyone and everything. They have laws restricting the people in the series and the main character’s main goal is to make the world return to normal. The Cruel Prince series has non-human creatures that are cut-off from the human world. They are separated and the main character, Jude, is a human trying to maintain peace in the non-human world. So, though both series are fiction, they are different types of fiction.

Both series still reflect the same messages. The main characters learn to form relationships with the people they love, showing the message of not having to be alone forever. You will find people that respect you and want to be a positive influence on your life.

Both series were a 5/5 star rating and I definitely recommend reading them!

-Kaitlyn D.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson

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The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson is a fantasy novel, filled with thrills, twists and lies. The story is narrated from the point of view of the main character, Sage. Sage is a fourteen year-old orphan and thief. One day he is caught stealing from a butcher but is saved by a nobleman named Bevin Conner. Sage is then kidnapped by Conner to be used in his devious plan. Sage is to undergo training with three other orphans. They are forced to impersonate the long lost son of the late king; Prince Jaron. If they don’t, they will definitely be killed.

At first I saw the book as somewhat predictable, but as I continued reading, I found other twists and surprises in the story that you wouldn’t have been able to find out unless you read the whole book. I appreciated the main character; Sage. He was lighthearted, witty, clever, but sometimes rude and cheeky. He was sly but could be honest at times. I really enjoyed reading from his perspective and it really fit with the storytelling. I also enjoyed Mott. Mott was one of Conner’s assistants. He was loyal and kind, but had a tough exterior. He was smart and helpful. Many of the characters made impacts on the story, and they all had interesting personalities. The personalities of characters changed the story in different ways and I liked that they all had a sort of impact. At certain points in the story, I thought some things in the story were a bit far fetched and unrealistic but still enjoyable nonetheless.

The False Prince is a young adult and middle grade book with relatively short chapters and is a quick read. My expectations when beginning this book were low but as I continued reading, I really enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. I didn’t expect that I would want to finish the book when I had started reading, but I ended up finishing the book the same day I started it. The story captivated me and I couldn’t put it down.  After reading the book I looked into the series and found the Ascendance Trilogy. The False Prince is the first in the Ascendance Trilogy and I can’t wait to start reading the second book, The Runaway King.

-Nicole R.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer

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It was oddly surprising. I had read the entire Twilight series and even though I already knew the story, it was intriguing to read it from a different perspective. It gave a lot more depth to the story and allowed me to get a full picture. Honestly, it was a little creepy because you realize that you’re reading it from the view point of a blood lusting creature and not a teenage girl. I found it oddly thrilling and sickening at the same time.

It wasn’t a new story but the new perspective definitely made me change how I saw the relationship as a whole. It’s funny I use to be team Edward because I liked Edward. Then was team Jacob. Then became team Edward solely because I believed Jacob deserved someone 100% better than Bella. Now I think she shouldn’t have ended up with any of them. I believe that would have some how been a cooler ending now that I have perspective. However, still an interesting read, would for sure recommend.

-Coralie D.

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Six of Crows is a YA fantasy novel written by New York Times bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo. The story follows six criminals that come together to take on a nearly impossible heist. This novel takes place two years after the events in the Grisha trilogy. 

The book begins in the fictional city of Ketterdam, the capital of Kerch, where Hoede (a member of the Kerch Merchant Council) tests a drug called jurda parem on a Grisha healer. The drug dangerously amplifies the Grisha’s power and results in them also having the ability to manipulate minds. When a wealthy merchant and member of the Kerch Merchant Council, Jan Van Eck, discovers Hoede’s experiment he hires Kaz Brekker, gang leader of the Dregs, to rescue the inventor of the drug, Bo Yul-Bayur, from the Ice Court to prevent the drug’s existence from being exposed. Since the Ice Court is an impenetrable prison in the fictional country of Fjerda, Kaz recruits a crew to successfully accomplish this heist. He eventually recruits Nina Zenik (a Grisha Heartrender), Jesper Fahey (a sharpshooter), Wylan Van eck (Jan Van Eck’s runaway son), Inej Ghafa (a Dreg member and his right-hand spy), and Matthias Helvar (a Grisha-hunter). From this point onward, the crew has one mission: to rescue Bo Yui-Bayur and for all to successfully return home. Breaking into the Ice Court is already a challenge, but it becomes even more difficult when new information is revealed through the heist. 

I honestly wasn’t a big fan of the Grisha trilogy––the prequel series to Six of Crows––however, I really enjoyed this book from the moment I picked it up. More than anything, I liked the character development the most. The book is written in third-person with the point of view switching between the main characters with each chapter. The writing style allows the author to reveal what led them to do what they are doing now––breaking in an impenetrable prison––and how they became who they are now. I truly believe that each character has a beautifully written story. 

I highly recommend this book to readers who love and enjoy an action-packed, fast-paced, and a character and plot driven story. 

**The Grisha are the magical elite in the fictional country of Ravka.

-Dulce M.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is available from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Book Review: The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta

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The fictional novel The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta tells the tale of a sixth grade girl named Kiranmala who is told that she is an Indian princess from another dimension. Readers are introduced to Kiranmala at the beginning of the story when she is complaining about always having to be an Indian princess for Halloween. However, once the Rakkosh demon shreds her home and her parents go missing, Kiranmala is taken back to her “home dimension” by two princes. There, she meets a girl of her age who is supposedly her cousin, winged horses, moving maps, and an irritating talking bird. To Kiranmala’s surprise, everyone helps her throughout her journey to find and save her parents. On her way, she finds out astonishing things about her heritage that had been hidden from her. 

This novel incorporates elements of many different cultures. I think that such novels, although fictional, can teach readers a lot! The story of the main character includes suspense, mystery, adventure, and humor. This novel is a hilarious and emotional rollercoaster, and a story everyone should read.

-Ayati M.

The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Book Review: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

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Another break off series from Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone, this new duology starts off three years after the end of the Grisha Trilogy. King of Scars, an epic fantasy novel, follows the new King of Ravka, Nikolai Lantsov.

After his parents’ and older brother’s death, the weight of his country now lays on his shoulders. Nikolai along with the Triumvirate representing all Grisha take on the burden of keeping Ravka alive and intact. Plagued with the aftermath of the Darkling’s schemes, Nikolai looks to reunite east and west Ravka as well as keep the Shu and Fjerdans happy. Not only this, but every night he fights against the monster dwelling within him; a scar on his soul.

As war brews with Ravka’s northern and southern neighbors, Nina Zenik finds a way to survive behind enemy lines. As she tries to come to terms with a tragic death, she finds herself on a journey that will set the course for Ravka’s future.

To be completely honest, this book is very content heavy. It acts more as a prequel to the next book in the duology, Rule of Wolves, and took me quite a while to read. The first half of the book was interesting, as the reader follows three different characters, but it lacked any page-turning excitement.

By the second half of the book, the largest plot twist occurred and this definitely picked up the pace. With so many events happening, it left the reader wondering why each of them occurred, and Bardugo masterfully answers every one of them.

I really do recommend pushing through this book, especially if you have read the other Grishaverse books, because the ending is so worth it! There is one more book to this duology, one of my favorite out of all of the Grishaverse books, and I hope everyone who wants to read it gets to!

Happy reading!

-Katherine L.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Convergence by Stan Lee and Stuart Moore

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Convergence is the first book in the Zodiac Legacy series, and is written in graphic-novel format by Stan Lee, the mind behind Marvel, and Stuart Moore.

In modern-day America, twelve superpowers, each corresponding to a sign in the Chinese Zodiac, are released onto Earth. The protagonist, a Chinese-American teen named Steven, is quickly launched into an epic journey across the world to help find the humans imbued with these powers- befriending the good ones, and bringing the bad ones to justice. Throughout the course of this adventure, he learns to harness his own power- and the mysteries of the Zodiac.

I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely an action-packed thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat, and the ending (hint hint: it’s a cliffhanger!) left my brain reeling! This is a great fantasy novel if you’re looking to diversity your bookshelf as well, and I’d recommend it to everyone.

-Vaidehi B.

Convergence by Stan Lee and Stuart Moore is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.