Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

I've been on a bit of a writing hiatus; not reading; no, never reading. Only writing. I'm not the hugest fan of writing but I never take much of a break from reading! Firefight, by Brandon Sanderson, is the second installment in the Reckoners series. As a general rule I don't read books until the series is complete because I very much hate waiting for the next part of the story. I'm not a patient enough person for that. But my sister-in-law, whose taste in literature closely resembles mine, read the first one (Steelheart) and implored me to do the same. It only took a few pages before I was hopelessly hooked, and now I wait over a year for each book like a sucker. But really, these books are totally worth it. They are an awesome blend of fantasy, super-powers, the conflict between good and evil, and there's just enough of a love story to keep my inner girl happy. Oftentimes, the second installment of a trilogy (and I do believe this is meant to be a trilogy, but I could be wrong) ends up being somewhat of a dud, but Firefight is just as exciting as Steelheart. I loved it. You should go read them both, even though you'll have to wait until March 2016 its conclusion. But trust me, you won't regret it!

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Beyonders series by Brandon Mull

Jason and Rachel, middle-school-aged strangers from Washington and Colorado, find themselves in a mysterious new world, Lyrian. They learn that they have been summoned as heroes with the potential to save Lyrian, which has nearly been conquered by ruthless Emperor Maldor. Feeling under-qualified and far from anyone's hero, Jason and Rachel embark on a perilous quest that could either lead to their own destruction or save the world.

I very much enjoyed this adventure. I love Brandon Mull's Fablehaven books; Beyonders is similar in the fantasy and magic but written for a slightly more mature audience, which I liked. Throughout the series I was somewhat skeptical of how Jason, a completely average 13-year old kid, could save Lyrian; it seemed a little far-fetched. However, by the end, I was won over and actually inspired by how a normal, even unremarkable, person can effect change for the better. It doesn't take a powerful person to have a positive impact on the world around them. This should be a lesson for everyone to not sit idly through life; take a stand and change your world for the better! Anywho, I'll get off my soapbox, but I liked how Mull's characters were relatable, everyday people who have the courage to do what's right. Really the only negative I have with these books is about the pace of the story, which seemed to drag at times. Overall, fun, adventurous stories that both kids and adults will enjoy!

4 out of 5 stars

The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

If you've read the Percy Jackson series and enjoyed it, you'll definitely like The Heroes of Olympus. This series picks up not too far after the Percy Jackson series ends; the gods are at war with their two selves, their Greek against their Roman aspects. We are introduced to an entirely new Roman camp of demigods that has been kept secret from the Greek Camp Half-Blood, due to the Greeks' and Romans' inability to get along. The ancient Gaea, aka Mother Earth, is awakening and seeks to control the world. In order to heal the gods and thwart Gaea's rise to power, the Greek and Roman demigods must learn to work together.

Lots of action, humor, and fascinating mythology. I really enjoyed these books and loved the characters. I've always liked Greek mythology and I love how these books help teach old stories to a new generation of readers in such a fun way. I've seen that Rick Riordan has also written a series that goes into Egyptian mythology, which I know hardly anything about but think would be absolutely fascinating to read. They're called the Kane Chronicles, if anyone wants to go look them up. Overall I can definitely recommend this fun series!!

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Every November, on the little island of Thisby, the Scorpio Races are held. On the backs of wild water horses, riders compete in a deadly race. The legendary capaill uisce are bloodthirsty and can never be fully tamed. Each year there are casualties of the race. Kate "Puck" Connolly races to save her home and keep her family together. Sean Kendrick, 4 time race winner, races to win the money to keep his best friend--his horse, a capaill uisce. Together they help each other train for the race, knowing that only one can win. Assuming, of course, that they even survive.

I really enjoyed this book. It was dark and compelling. The story moved a little slowly in the first half, but after awhile I was hooked and couldn't put it down. The legend of the water horses is one I've never heard before. They are violent and dangerous, fast and wild and free. I was simultaneously intrigued and revolted by them. I loved the two main characters, Puck and Sean, and enjoyed both of their stories, particularly when they joined. Definitely would recommend this one!!

4.5 out of 5 stars

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

This was a very cool book. My husband is obsessed with Brandon Sanderson's work but I've always been a little intimidated by them, mostly because the books are all absolutely gigantic and teeny tiny print. I couldn't imagine really getting into them. But my sister in law recommended this one and she and I have pretty similar tastes in literature so I thought I'd give it a try. Boy am I glad I did because Steelheart is fantastic!!

Sadly, it's the first of (I believe) a trilogy so there are plenty of loose ends at the finish. Typically I won't start a series that isn't already finished because there's nothing worse than cliffhangers when you don't have the next book handy. Thankfully, this one wraps things up enough so you're not out-of-your-mind-crazy for the next one, but still want more.

Brief synopsis: People have been gifted with powers that turn them evil and they become the rulers of the world; they're called Epics. One particularly powerful and evil Epic is Steelheart, who has turned the area previously known as Chicago into his domain. Steelheart is supposed to be impossible to hurt, let alone kill, but David, an 18 year old, is the lone witness in the destruction of a bank where he was wounded. David, convinced he can discover how to kill Steelheart and get revenge for his father's death, seeks out the Reckoners, a group of rebels who kill Epics whenever they can. Together he knows they can fight to end Steelheart's grip on the city.

This was certainly a page-turner, jam packed with action with a healthy dose of humor. Can't wait for the sequel!

4.5 out of 5 stars

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

I am currently experiencing an extremely rare moment when my newborn and my toddler are asleep at the same time. Highly unusual because my toddler doesn't nap anymore (man, grocery shopping really wiped her out today!) and my newborn rarely sleeps anywhere but my arms, so this post will be quick.

Just finished this new book by Shannon Hale, my favorite author, this morning. Quite different from anything else she's done but as usual it was very entertaining. Dangerous stars a girl named Maisey Danger Brown, an intelligent home-schooled girl with only one arm who wins a trip to an astronaut camp from a contest off the back of a cereal box. Camp turns out to be something more than the standard, and she and 4 others are gifted with supernatural powers, intended for them to save the world from an alien invasion.

Yes, very different from Hale's typical fairy tale, happily ever after stories. Lots of action and plot twists. I was engaged for the entire ride. Definitely recommend!

4 out of 5 stars

Divergent series by Veronica Roth

I've been rereading a lot of my favorites lately, hence the lack of blogging. I actually finished the first two parts of the Divergent trilogy months ago but there was a wicked-long wait for Allegiant at the library. Now that I've finished, I can't say I'm all that impressed with the series as a whole. It has a few redeeming qualities, but overall I don't think Veronica Roth distinguishes her novels to stand out among the vast collection of other dystopian trilogies out there.

Definitely my favorite book of the three is Divergent, where we are introduced to Beatrice "Tris" Prior and the world in which she lives. Each year, all 16-year-olds take an aptitude test that will tell which faction he or she is best suited for. The brave go to Dauntless, the honest to Candor, the peaceful to Amity, the smart to Erudite, and the selfless to Abnegation. Tris's results are inconclusive, revealing an aptitude for 3 different factions. Unfortunately, it's not safe to be different and Tris must hide who she is if she wants to survive. She joins Dauntless, meets Tobias and other friends who help her realize her strength and desire for justice in the world.

Insurgent is all about revolution; the people rise up against their oppressors and strive to make their city better for everyone.

Allegiant continues after the revolution reveals that nothing has truly changed because the problems run deeper than they realized. Tris and co. learn what's outside their city and continue to fight the good fight for freedom.

My primary problems with the series are mostly in book 3, Allegiant, though Insurgent isn't too fantastic either. I felt the overall story (in book 3) was really weak. Its basically book 2 plot but on a larger scale. The main characters are running around the whole book but not accomplishing anything. Their end-all solution to the "bad guys" in charge who are about to do horrible things is just as unethical and wrong as what the bad guys are doing. If I'm going to root for the underdogs, they better have the moral high ground. It's inconsistent because, in the previous books, Tris and her friends do honor ethics, so it's weird that they all of the sudden abandon right and wrong in the name of the greater good.

I also don't enjoy what Roth does to the main character in the end. I don't want to give any obvious spoilers, but I'm an advocate for happy endings and I can't think of a single character who truly got a happy ending. That's depressing. I also always liked Tris's brother, Caleb. While their relationship is rightfully strained, it annoys me how Tris never takes an opportunity to make amends with him until it's too late. What a waste.

I think the first book is probably the best because it feels new and different with lots of mysteries still to uncover. In book 3 all your questions are suddenly answered in the first several chapters, leaving no more intrigue and a weak story line. I'm disappointed in the series as a whole; it showed so much potential but lost momentum and became a trilogy that I will forget about in no time.

Divergent: 4 out of 5 stars
Insurgent: 3 out of 5 stars
Allegiant: 2 out of 5 stars

Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

Ah, now this was a fun series! My aunt recommended these so I put them on my list for future reading. Then my parents went to visit her in California and she sent my mom back with the first 3 paperbacks to give me, so they got bumped to the top! Once I started reading I didn't want to stop. Now, don't misinterpret me--these are not amazingly well-written, sophisticated stories. But they are a whole lot of fun and I enjoyed them immensely.

Our heroine is a one Mercy Thompson, a shifter who can change into a coyote. Abandoned as a child by a teenage mother who had no idea what to do with a coyote pup, Mercy was raised by a pack of werewolves in rural Montana. As an adult, Mercy lives in the tri-cities Washington area and works as a mechanic in her own garage. Despite her best efforts, Mercy can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. Throughout the series she has run-ins with vampires, fae, ghosts, demons, Native American monsters, government conspiracies, and even her own werewolves.

With plenty of action and a healthy splash of romance, these books kept me thoroughly entertained. Book 6 got a little sleepy, but the rest were great. Really, the only negative for me was the somewhat promiscuous book covers. Not that I really mind for myself, but it was a little embarrassing to read these at the gym or have people come over to my house and wonder what the heck I'm reading. The covers are a whole lot more suggestive than the actual reading material. Overall, fun books! Thanks Aunt Mary!

4 out of 5 stars

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

This is a story I've had on my mental to-read list for years. Really, ever since I read the Twilight series I've been meaning to read The Host, but I kept putting it off. I'd been told that it was sci-fi and had to do with aliens and I couldn't really psych myself up for it, even though I kept hearing that it was "so good." Last week I asked my facebook friends for book suggestions and I received several. After cross-checking with my library and finding that The Host was the only one available, I decided it was time.

Now after reading it I'm not sure why I didn't read it earlier. It actually was "really good," even perhaps great. The world has been invaded by tiny alien life forms who implant themselves in human bodies and take over their "hosts'" consciousness. There are rebel groups scattered across the world who haven't been invaded yet, and Melanie Stryder is one of those rebels. When she is captured and implanted with a Soul named Wanderer, she fights with all her strength to keep knowledge of her brother and boyfriend hidden so they won't also be captured.

I thought the story was really interesting. It is told from Wanderer's point of view, but myself being human, I was sympathizing with Melanie and how wrong it is for these aliens to come and rob humanity of their free will. Though as the story continues, Melanie's personality starts to grate my nerves and I sympathize with Wanderer and all she is going through. Wanderer and Melanie learn to work together to accomplish their joint goal of keeping Jamie (the brother) and Jared (the boyfriend) safe from harm. I loved how Wanderer and Melanie's relationship grew throughout the story from hateful enemies to like sisters and how they learned to take care of each other. I also enjoyed the rather bizarre (at times) love triangle, or I guess it was more like a square...but in any case, it was entertaining.

I definitely would recommend this, even to those who may be hesitant to jump into a fad that might become as crazy as Twilight was (or is...). I can only hope that this great story doesn't get ruined by bad acting/directing/scripting in the upcoming movie like others I've seen.

4.5 out of 5

The Hunger Games; Catching Fire; Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Wow. I just finished the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy this afternoon and I'm not entirely sure how to blog about it. I was recommended these books months ago and told that I HAD to read them because they were amazing. I put off reading them primarily because they were never available at the library and I always had something else to read. My mom was the first person to recommend them to me, she heard about them from her book club. Then my sister Teresa read them and advised that I have all three books on hand when I started because the story is continuous and we all know how frustrating it is to finish a cliffhanger ending and not have the sequel available. So when I visited my family for Thanksgiving I was able to borrow all three books at once since my dad had recently purchased them. I read the first 2 chapters of The Hunger Games on Sunday night after coming home from Thanksgiving with the family and knew right away that these books were going to be a dangerous read with my upcoming full-time work week. I finished book 1 Tuesday evening, Catching Fire on Thursday evening, and Mockingjay on Saturday afternoon (today). I read for a few minutes in the morning before going in to work, during my hour lunch break, my evening work out at the gym, and for about an hour or so after dinner before bed. These were some intensely difficult books to put down.

I don't want to tell much about the plot because I don't think I could do it justice and I also don't want to give anything away for those who are currently reading them or will soon do so in the future. If you'd like a plot synopsis you can read about it here for The Hunger Games, and just do a little snooping on Google and you can easily find reviews for Catching Fire and Mockingjay. But just as a warning, I probably will end up giving things away unintentionally, so if you really don't want any spoilers whatsoever you should probably stop reading now.

There are a few things that I've been thinking about since I finished reading. For one, I am impressed by how much I care about the characters Collins created in her story. I felt genuine anxiety when Peeta was captured, sorrow when Finnick was killed, amusement with Haymitch, inspired by Katniss' courage, fear when I could see no way out for the heroes. Katniss, who is the voice of the story, became an especially real character, almost like a best friend or a sister, or perhaps myself in some strange, alternate reality. I often became frustrated by her inability to see her relationships with others clearly and her ineptitude in communicating her feelings to those she cares most about. I really, really love Peeta. Collins did a beautiful job in developing his character and relationship with Katniss. I think I was somewhere toward the end of book 1 when I decided that I really wanted Katniss to fall in love with Peeta, even though we had been briefly introduced to her best friend Gale (who I was initially rooting for as the love interest) before the hunger games started. There were also several minor characters who were introduced briefly in the beginning and after making multiple brief appearances throughout took on a great significance toward the overall story. Particularly Darius, the redheaded Avox girl, Madge, Greasy Sae, Rue... I loved Collins' use of her characters to tell the story.

Upon my completion of Mockingjay I felt like I had read a story of deep significance, though I can't really put in to words what it is. Sort of making me want to take more interest in politics, but while also making me think about all the good things I have in life. It reminded me a bit of the gladiator games in ancient Rome, how people took entertainment in forcing people to fight to the death. Collins was inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus, where the city of Athens was forced to provide boys and girls to be killed by the minotaur. The idea of taking pleasure in watching children kill each other was a horrible one to deal with. In fact, there were a lot of horrific things that Katniss and the others had to experience. I can't imagine having to live the kind of life that was common in Panem.

I really loved how Collins would quote or allude to things throughout all of the books; it really made the story stronger and made you pay attention to every detail. It was kind of fun to find obscure references to previous events and remember where they came from and what had happened. Her use of symbols was also fabulous; I particularly loved the theme of the mockingjay.

I think that everyone should read these books. They are moving, exciting, inspirational, sad, humorous, disturbing, and beautiful. They were all I could think about for the 5 days it took me to read them. They fully captivated me and left me happy I had chosen to take the ride.

5 stars

Fang (A Maximum Ride Novel) by James Patterson

I just read the newest installment of the Maximum Ride books by James Patterson. For those who have not read these books, this is a Young Adult series about a group of kids who were experimented on by evil genetic engineering scientists who basically combined human DNA with bird DNA to create people with wings and some other cool stuff like super strength and speed. (whew! how's that for a run-on sentence??) Max is the leader of the family of bird-kids and throughout the series they are constantly on the run and fighting their way out of disasters. It's pretty exciting and full of action. In the last couple books there was a bit of a love connection between Max (who is in fact a girl) and Fang (the tall, dark, and handsome guy in the flock) and this book really focuses on that connection. In the beginning of the story the youngest sister Angel (she has some special powers including mind reading and some kind of future telling ability) predicts that Fang will be the first of all of them to die and he will die soon. dun dun dun... Max is really upset to say the least. She meets this crazy doctor who wants to save humanity from an upcoming apocalypse by giving people superhuman abilities with a drug that he tests on human children. He wants Max to join forces with him, which she clearly refuses. This guy has a hard time accepting 'no' for an answer so Max and the flock go into hiding for a bit. The story focuses in more on the Max and Fang relationship and the flock decides that Max should no longer be the leader because she's too distracted. She's basically banished and Fang comes with her. They go to Las Vegas together and are confronted by the evil doctor again. They hear on the tv that the rest of the flock is in trouble and they go to the rescue. I'm going to cut the details and just say that there's more fighting and trauma where Fang's life is in serious jeopardy. Even though I found this book to be fairly predictable and very similar to the other books in the series, I definitely teared up at the end. Oh I forgot to mention that the love connection between Max and Fang is strained by the addition of a new character who was genetically designed to be Max's perfect other half. He's perfectly charming and tries to win over Max. He doesn't really succeed by the end of the book but I have a feeling he'll be a consistent character in any upcoming books.

I really really enjoy the Maximum Ride books; all of them. This one followed suit with the others and was fairly predictable, but I feel like each book is a single episode of a television series that I love, like LOST or Heroes or something. I only wish that these books were a little longer, a little more complex. I read Fang in a single afternoon/evening. Started around 4 pm and finished by bedtime at 10:30 pm. Probably could have finished it sooner without dinner, bathroom, or internet breaks. My point is that I read the book quick and I wanted more. Definitely a fun read but it ended too quickly, like all the rest of the Maximum Ride books.

4 out of 5 stars

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

I finished reading The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull (author of Fablehaven) yesterday and am not feeling jazzed to write about it like I usually am when I finish a book. I found The Candy Shop War to be a fun and easy read but overall it lacked that special something to keep me fully engaged in the entire story.

The story starts by introducing the reader to four 10-year-old kids: Nate, Trevor, Summer, and Pigeon. They go by a new candy shop in town and become acquainted with the owner, Mrs White, who begins to solicit their help in doing odd jobs in exchange for magic candy that gives you special powers while eating it. The kids love this new candy and agree to do some jobs for her, but eventually Mrs White asks them to do things that become increasingly more sketchy all in the name of trying to find a certain treasure. The kids realize that she's dangerous and get help from another candy man in town, who turns out is also magical and also after this treasure. The kids are caught in the middle of this race to find a treasure and are forced to be rather creative in how they get out of trouble. Things all work themselves out in the end.

I guess technically there wasn't anything wrong with the book, I just had a hard time sticking with it because I felt it was geared toward a very young age group. With the Fablehaven books, even though they were written for kids, as an adult they gripped my attention from the very beginning. The Candy Shop War was a little too simplistic and predictable, but still a fun and easy read. My 9-year-old nephew Tyson enjoyed the book, if that's any indication. Overall, a light and easy read with some clever conflict-resolution scenarios dispersed throughout the story. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone under the age of 14 but not necessarily to other adults.

2.5 out of 5 stars

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

This book was recommended to me by an old friend from high school. I have never heard of this book before but was feeling in desperate need (a result of finishing Fablehaven and being left wanting more) to read something with a really good and satisfying love interest in it. I'll say now that this book left my need for a tender and TASTEFUL love story satisfied.

So the story is set in the late 1800's in London and we follow a group of 6 people who have been given the task to protect the city from evil spirits and demons. Upon being given abilities to help them protect the city they were also given a prophecy telling of a seventh person who will join them and be a totally awesome and powerful member of their group. They are told to watch for specific signs in order to know who the right 7th person is because if they choose wrong then bad stuff will happen. The quasi leader of the group is named Alexi and when he's not protecting the city he is a professor of alchemy at a private school. At this school Alexi meets Percy, a 19-year old albino girl who can see and talk to ghosts, has visions, speaks tons of languages, and is terrible at alchemy. Percy has to take individual tutoring lessons with her professor to improve her abysmal math and science skills and the two begin to develop a relationship. In time Alexi becomes convinced that Percy is the prophesied 7th, even though she has no idea that she is special or why she can communicate with ghosts and has visions. The two fall in love (yay!) and it's all very sweet and tasteful. Only problem is that the rest of the group thinks they've found the real 7th and make Alexi sever all ties with Percy (shoot!). Well when they try to initiate this other girl (Lucy) into the group they find out that she's an evil form of Medusa (at least I think she was supposed to be Medusa, I was a little confused with the particulars) who tries to let loose a bunch of evil creatures from the Underworld into London. Percy shows up in the nick of time and has sweet powers that baffle even her and saves the day! Alexi convinces Percy that he loved her all along and knew she was the real 7th and they live happily ever after for all I know at this point since I haven't read the sequel.

This book was definitely not something I would have picked out for myself had it not been recommended to me. It was a different kind of story for me, gothic style with lots of chanting and praying and demons and spirits, but I really liked it. The beginning is kinda confusing because she (the author) just starts the story so fast with no explanation as to what's going on, but after getting through the first couple chapters I was completely hooked. I started the book on Saturday reading the first few chapters and then I couldn't put it down all day Sunday after church at noon until bedtime at 10:30 and then I finished it after work today. Chris even mentioned that he hasn't seen me so engrossed in a book like that since the first time I read Twilight, which I beg any of you who read this to not judge me too harshly by: I really do enjoy reading Twilight! It's a fun story. And you know, I don't think I'd have to defend my liking those books if the movie madness didn't get so out of hand. In fact, I think it'd be better if they'd never made the books into movies. The books are so much fun and the movies are stupid. Plus the fact that now everybody is obsessed with vampires makes those of us who are normal and like the books look bad.

Hmmm...where was I??? Well to sum up, I really enjoyed this strangely beautiful tale. The love interest Alexi reminds me of Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre, whom I have always had a secret crush on, and Percy is a sweet and gentle character that any girl who has ever felt shy can relate with in some way. Plus reading this book gave me strange/cool dreams both nights I read it; the first night I dreamed of dragons! even though there are no dragons in the book... but it was still pretty cool.

Final consensus: good book! Refreshingly different and a satisfying love story intertwined with ghost stories and inexplicable phenomena. Definitely recommended!

4 out of 5 stars

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

I've been putting off this post for a little while because I wanted to write about all of the books together, but then I realized that this might mean a really long post and I've never been particularly long winded, so I'll do my best. These books were recommended to me by several people, the latest being my sister Teresa and brother-in-law Frank. The author, Brandon Mull, was actually on of Frank's roommates at BYU, which I think is funny because he also knows Stephenie Meyer from his home ward in Arizona. I guess Frank just has awesome connections to people who write books that I really like! Moving right along, the Fablehaven series was SOOOO GOOD!!!! I recommend it to everyone; I absolutely loved it.

Book 1: Fablehaven

Fablehaven sucked me in right away and I quickly fell in love with the two main characters, 14-year-old Kendra and 12?-year-old Seth. They are fun, real kids who actually act like siblings. Their banter is very entertaining. The world that is set up in such a beautiful way and I was so quickly drawn in. In this story Kendra and Seth discover the secret world of magical creatures that live around them during their visit to their grandparents, who happen to be caretakers of the magical preserve Fablehaven. Fun first story!




Book 2: Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star

This was a step above the first book on the "exciting" scale. I feel like the first book could have stood on it's own as a single, fun book without any sequels. So I enjoyed how Book 2 brought you back into the story at the end of their school year to spend their summer break at Fablehaven. We start to experience what betrayal feels like by characters you think you can trust, which becomes a theme that the author tends to touch on quite a bit. Kendra and Seth do make some lasting relationships and encounter some creative difficulties in this second book, including surviving being eaten by a huge demon, finding an artifact, and destroying an evil revenent. Always good times!


Book 3: Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague

In this book the adventure and trials get stepped up again in intensity and excitement. The preserve is being taken over by a plague that is turning all the creatures dark/evil. In this book we get to know a greater variety of the kinds of creatures that live on the preserve. And just so we're all clear, the centaurs are total jerks! I would not want to have anything to do with them. The satyrs are fun; highly immature and add a lot of spunk to the story. They help lighten the mood when things get too serious. Seth and a character named Warren also have fabulous senses of humor. Throughout their adventuring in the last couple books Kendra and Seth have acquired some new and useful abilities that help them save the preserve from the source of evil that is threatening to take over. Of course they save the day while meeting more fun and exciting characters along the way. Fun story! Oh, and Kendra totally meets a cute boy in this book who we quickly fall in love with. At least I did, but then I'm a total sucker for adolescent romance.

Book 4: Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

Again, a large step up in excitement from the last story. You can feel the tension growing as you get a feel of what they need to accomplish before the end of the series in Book 5. Getting an idea of the overall purpose behind the adventuring made it more intense for me. This book was definitely the most....I don't wanna say emotional but I guess it was in the sense that it toyed big time with your connections with the characters. Brandon Mull was very successful in making you fall in love with several particular characters so that you really come to care about their well being and how they relate to other characters. Because he was so successful in creating meaningful characters, the ending in this book REALLY pissed me off!!! I haven't been so angry from reading anything in years. In fact, it's possible that I have never been as angry as what happened at the end of this story. I'm still fuming, even though I know everything works itself out by the end of Book 5. But holy cow! I don't want to put in too many details here in case anyone who might happen to read this blog actually reads these books, but man, it was intense. So even though it made me really mad, there were some seriously creative and fun adventures in this story, including being kidnapped, escaping from vampires, and breaking into a dragon sanctuary to steal an artifact. Brandon Mull created such a crazy twist ending and again visited his theme of serious betrayal, which I suppose is safe to say what caused the emotional roller coaster I went through in the last couple chapters. I hope I'm not giving away too many details; I'd really hate to spoil the story for anyone...maybe if you read this and want to read Fablehaven take a break before reading so you can forget everything I wrote about the story.

Book 5: Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison

So in all the previous books Kendra and Seth and a bunch of others have been trying to collect 5 artifacts that serve as keys to the demon prison Zzyxz. A bad guy is trying to open the demon prison which would basically mean the end of the world cuz the demons would get out and slaughter everyone. So the good guys are trying to get the artifacts and make them safe to save the world from the demons. Basically in this book they fail to keep the artifacts safe and so now have to prepare for how to keep the world safe from the demons. There is an epic battle at the end, very exciting as should be expected. And there is also a new love interest in this story for Kendra! which I was very happy about. This guy is really cool and we like him a lot. The sap in me wishes that there had been more details about their budding romance, but I have to remind myself that these books were written for 10 to 12-year-old kids who have no desire to read about how Kendra and (I won't ruin the story for anyone by saying his name here) hold hands or how he puts his arm around her. But the story ends very well and the world doesn't get destroyed by demons. I definitely read this book in 3 days while simultaneously hanging out with my family. I had a really hard time putting it down at all. Captivating read!

Overall summary: Fablehaven is fabulous! I'm already considering buying all the books because I think I'll want to read them again. Plus I think Chris should read them and someday I'll read them to my kids. I think they're just as fun as Harry Potter and I have all of those books. I love adding to my library when I find truly entertaining (and clean!) literature. Everyone needs to read these stories!


Rating: 5 stars! (I rarely give 5 stars, so this must be big.)