Divergent

"Divergent"
Veronica Roth
dystopia
(Divergent #1)

Summary
War, mature, crime, and suffering are all cased by the weakness in human kind. We often fail to live up to the most important attribute that would lead to an end to all of this. But what attribute would that be? The world has divided itself in to five factions based on which human attribute leads to a better world. Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent).

Beatrice is a young Abnegation who is turning sixteen. At that age all children must choice whether to stay with the faction of their birth or choose another. Luckily there is a test given to all children before their choosing telling them which faction would be best.

Like all children before there test Beatrice was scared for her test. But knowing that after this test she would know what to do made it better. Sadly for her she was wrong. During her test something went wrong after it the tester told her that she different, she was divergent. This meant that unlike most people Beatrice was equally suited to mutable factions and that was dangerous.

To protect herself Beatrice picked a new faction against her parents’ wishes. But will her new faction saver her or put her in more danger.

Review
I know I'm a little late on this book. With the movie coming out and the books popularity there are a lot of reviews out there, but a friend gave me this book and I had to review it.

I really loved this book. Throughout the story I feel with the main character. She is both strong and vulnerable which leads to a feeling of connection that is often hard to create in novels. I also really liked that the main love interest is a strong male role model.

I also enjoyed the basic concepts of the book. It feels both real and futuristic. The story builds on basic human ideas that we all know and understand. This leads to a thought provoking story that is not to difficult for the average man to understand and enjoy.

I do have one problem with it over all. As good as the book is and as much as I liked it there was just something missing. I got to the end of the book and felt a little lost. The writer fits a lot of the most powerful stuff in to the end chapters and it creates an awkward feeling for the reader.

Over all I would give this book 8.2 out of 10.

Ship Breaker

"Ship Breaker"
Paolo Bacigalupi
Post-Apactoliptic

Summary
In a post-apactoliptic world a young boy names Nailer works as a ship breaker, taking apart old ships ships for the metal and oil. Nailer works on a small crew ripping out copper wires from the inside of the ship. In the crew loyalty is everything so when one of his crew mates leaves him to die in the belly of the ship, he thinks that would be the end of him.

When he makes it out alive he starts to see the world in a new way. For the first time in his life he sees others as more then threats. He starts to see all human life as worth saving so when a rich girl washes up on shore instead of killing her and taking her money he fights to save her and this choice changes his world forever.

and just maybe help change everyone else world as well.

Review
This is a really great young adult novel. This book does something that has been lost in much of modern litterateur. In the pursuit of telling a fun story the writer forgets to look for something deeper. With more and more books coming out everyday the stories often become cheaper and cheaper. Ship Breaker "breaks" away from this this new trend and brings something more powerful to the table.

The main character shows a powerful and believable growth throughout the book. As I read the book the story and writing pulled me along. The original ideas and creative setting made for an interesting combination.

If I was to give this book one critique it would be that the flow is a little choppy. Although I ate right through the book, there where times when I was bored or the writer would add something out of place into the story line. This created a brake in the flow of the book that was sometimes annoying.

I would give this book a 7.7 out of 10.

The Way of Shadows

"The Way of Shadows"
Brent Weeks
High Fantacy
The Night Angel Trilogy

Summary
Azoth was nothing. He was born in to nothing and nothing is all his destiny held, until he met the great assassin Durzo Blint. Born on the street as a guild rat Azoth lived in constant fear of death and abuse. With only two friends to his name he knew that one day he would have to betray them or they would betray him, which was the way of the street.

Seeking a better life Azoth approached the greatest assassin alive, Durzo Blint. Durzo says he will take him on but only if he first shows that he can kill when ordered to. Azoths most overcome his kind nature and kill the most feared boy in his rat’s guild.

But even if he can do it Azoth does not know how different his life will be, or the challenges that face all assassins for being an assassin is a lonely life, for the best killers have no friend’s only targets.

Review
This is a great book. The writer has a power mind for details and colorful descriptions. He can get a little wordy at times and the build up in the book takes a little too long. By the time we really get in to the book 200 pages have passed of build up.

Even with all of that the book pulled me through page to page. I had trouble putting this book down it is so well written. The main character is familiar and reminded me of myself in many ways. Inside of us all is light and dark and the struggle within Azoth mirrors in a more pronounced way, the fight we all have to deal with inside ourselves.

One thing to keep in mind is that this book is written for an older audience. The book handles and covers a large range of adult ideas and concepts that would not be good for someone under 16 years of age.

Over all I feel that his book is a 8.2 out of 10.

Dragonsbane

"Dragonsbane"
Barbara Hambly
Winterlands #1
High Fantasy

Summary
Tales are told of the mighty knight from the Winterlands who single handedly slow the she dragon that had attacked his people. He called the dragon out of its cave and with sword in hand, killed the monster in honorable combat.

When a new dragon invades the kingdom a young man named Gareth travels to the Winterland to find this legend as he is the only dragonsbane alive. When he gets there he finds a normal man just trying to live his life and get by in a land that is hard and cruel. He finds a man not a hero.

With the kingdom on the line the hero and his witch have no choice but to go and fight the dragon or die trying.

Review
This is a great book. I loved the whole thing. From the beginning to the end the book has full characters, a strong plot, and powerful writing. The writer has created strong characters both male and female. and in the end the book has a strong positive message.

For some time I have not been reading a lot. There were not a lot of books that could hold my interest. But I picked this one up at the DI for less than a dollar, and within a few pages I was hooked and my love of reading returned. This book was so good that it inspired me to read several more books.

I would give it 8.7 out of 10.

The School for Good and Evil

"The School for Good and Evil"
Soman Chainani
Fairy Tale Fantacy

Summary
Two best friends form the village of the Woods Beyond wait for the most feared day off all. The day the head master of the school for fairy tales comes to take two children away. One of the children taken is always the best, sweatiest, nicest and all around good. The other is always the worst, most evil, meanest and an all around bad person.

This year two friends where taken together. The first one was born to be a princess. With her blond hair, blue eyes and open smile she new she would be taken to the school for good. The other girl has dark hair, bad skin and no friends other then the one. Everyone in the village new she would be taken to the school for evil.

That night as everyone Predicted the two friends where taken. They went to the land of fairy tales and joined the school for good and evil. Sadly there is only one problem... they where both put in to the wrong schools.

Now they most work together to get home and escape the mistake the school master made.

Review
This book is very well written and powerfully creative with its original concept around a classic idea. I loved this book when i first started reading it and I could not put it down. I had gone a long time without reading. I got tired of reading the same thing just by different writers and I could not find a good book to get me started again. When I found this one I got really excited and read it in just a few hours. Sadly in the end it failed.

At the end of the book the writer adds an political statement, and i felt that it was inappropriate for a children's book. Literally in the last paragraph off the book she just adds this in and it ruined the whole story for me. The problem is that even if you agree with the political statement it still felt awkward and out of place. It felt thrown together and personally I wish I had stopped reading a paragraph before the end.

If I had stopped, this book would have been one of my favorites ever. It also would have greatly improved the book. This small change would have changed this book from being one in a crowed of so many book. In to a book that would be remembered and talked about for years.

If the writer had stopped one paragraph before this book would have get 9 out of 10 from me. As it is right now the book gets 3 out of 10, and i would not recommend this book to anyone.

The Outcasts

"The Outcasts"
John Flanagan
Brotherband Chronicles
Low Fantasy

Summary
A young man, named Hal, is about to join brotherband, the right of passage for young men in Skandian to become men. Brotherband is hard for most young boys but for Hal it is even harder. His father died when he was young, and being half Araluen, most of his people don't think of him as Skandian.

As Brotherband starts, all the boys are sorted in to groups. By default Hal is put in charge of the third and smallest brotherband named the Herons. Together this rag tag group of forgotten and unwanted boys will find the strength to overcome all things through at them.

At the same time an evil pirate is seeking to steal the Skandian's greatest treasure, the Andomal. When there destinies come together an adventure will start that will lead Hal and his friend far from home.

Review
John Flanagan has done it again. He has created a story and characters that pull the reader in and keep them read and wanting more. Brotherband is a companion series to Ranger's Apprentice. Both Series take place in the same world and at about the same time.

Unlike the Ranger's Apprentice this story focus on sailing and seamanship then on archery. The Brotherband series also has more of a group store then Rangers. Even with these differences the book has also the same feel as Flanagan's other books.

I could not put this book down and I was looking for the next book before I had even finished the first. I loved all the characters and was pulled in by the plot. This book makes me hope that Flanagan keeps on writing.

I would give this book a 9.1 out of 10.

Milestone: 500 Page Views

Nine months ago I started this blog because I had friend after friend ask me for advice on what books they should read. So When I read a book worth talking about, ether because its really good or really bad, I do it here. Last week I finally got 500 page views, and I am really excited because this blog has become a passion of mine and I hope it keeps growing.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to look, read and/or follow my blog. You make me want to do better and write more.

Raven's Shadow

"Raven's Shadow"
Patricia Briggs
The Raven Duology
High Fantasy

Summary
A Raven Sorcerer, one of the wondering wizards, a traveler, and the protectors of all man kind, has abandoned her post to become a wife and mother. After the death of her whole clan by disease Seraph traveled with her brother until he was killed by angry villagers.

After being saved from the mob by Tier, a solder who seeks only to leave the killing behind, Seraph falls in love with him and leaves the travelers life behind and marries Tier. Together they farmed the land and built a family, but Seraph has left her magic behind.

Over 15 years later Tier and Seraph have built a life together and have had three children all gifted in some way, but now Tier has gone missing and it is up to his family to find him and save the kingdom even if no one knows that it is in trouble.

Review
I picked this book up on a whim from a used book store, and loved it. It has been a long time sense I have read a book like this. A book that consumed me in every way. A book that as I read it I lost four hours of my life because I was so consumed with the store.

I really liked the fact that in this story we follow a family and an older happily married couple instead of just young stupid kids. I also really liked how the story was built. As the story went on we learned more and more but unlike a lot of books today I never got confused.

The plot was interesting without being overly complected. Something that has been lost over time in books and is the idea of telling a story simply and it still being good. Often writers feel that a story must be as involved and convoluted as possible to be good, and I just don't think that is true.

I really enjoyed the whole family and the kind. All the characters in this book feel really and complete. I finished this book in less then 5 hours and I cannot wait to read the second book.

I would give this book a 8.7 out of 10.

Tiger's Curse

"Tiger's Curse"
Colleen Houck
Tiger's Curse Series
Paranormal Romance

Summary
Over 300 years ago in the land known today as India, a wicked king cursed two brothers to be tigers all there lives except for 24 minutes every day. After the death of there parents both brothers started to lose there humanity and Ren, one of the brother, is captured and taken to america to be a circus tiger.

In modern day, a young girl, named Kelsey, just out of high school takes a part time job working in a circus. After only the first day at the circus, she learns about the white tiger.

Kelsey quickly becomes friends with the tiger reading to him, talking to him and feeding him. A week in a mysterious man from India comes to the circus and buys the tiger. The man asks Kelsey if she would like to help him look after the tiger over the long trip back to India. Kelsey quickly agrees.

After arriving in India Kelsey learns that her tiger is really a Indian prince who has been cursed and he tells her that she has been picked by the gods and asks her to help him brake the curse. Together they head out on an adventure that Kelsey would never have dreamed of.

Review
I had a friend recommend this book to me claiming it was one of the best young adult ever written. The Tiger's Curse is a mix of Twilight and Indiana Jones. The book is well written and pulls the reader through and even though some parts of the book were not to my liking a could not put the book down. I read it in less then a day and was excited to move on the the next book.

The adventure part of the book is really fun and thrilling. At points in the book you truly do not know what will happen to the characters and this leads to a lot of suspense. The book also has a lot of emotional power to it which pulls on your own emotions.

On the other side of this book the writer describes a single kiss for three pages and it gets to the point that I got really unconformable. The main character is also a little weak. Some times why she does things makes little to know sense. The writer also does not always explain what is happening in the best way.

The other problem I have is the book has a little took much in the way of romance writing. The author gets so involved in her description of there love that I often felt like skipping whole sections just to not have to read anymore of it. It was like watching a roommate make-out in the living room and not being able to get away.

Over all I would give this book a 7.5 out of 10. The book is great but not one of the best I have ever read.

The Wolf and the Watchmen

"The Wolf and the Watchmen: A Father, a Son, and the CIA"
Scott C. Johnson
Autobiography

Summary
This is the true story of Scott C. Johnson growing up with a father in the CIA. All his life Scott had moved around a lot. he had lived in many countries before the age of 14 when his father told Scott his dark secret. Scott's father was a spy.

At first it was fun his dad was James Bond but over time the secrets and the lies started to way him down. By the time Scott was an adult the pain of secret keeping had become to much and Scott needed a way out. In many way to fight off this father's heritage but it equal parts to follow it, Scott became a journalist working as a war corespondent.

Now Scoot uses the skills he learned and picked up from his father to find secrets and bring them to light, but the only real secret he wants to know is who is his father?

Review
To be completely honest i did not think I was going to like this book, but i did. This true store is amazing and even a little hard to believe. I just loved his writing style. In college I minored in journalism and I have always loved the way that journalist's write. It is always so straight forward and easy to read. And i feel that Scott does not hold anything back.

Even though this book is not an adventure story it still pulls the reader through the book hoping to see what will happen next. This is the story of a truly amazing man and I feel blessed that he took the time to tell us not only about himself but about his father and the things he has done.

I have only one problem with the book. At the beginning of the book there is a note from the author saying that this story is true that names have been changed but nothing else, and that he did not add in any fake people to the story of his life. My problem is that this note is really hard to find. The note is on the copy right page and is in really little print.

That note from the author needs to be on its own page and really easy to find. That note almost more important then the rest of the book. because without that note its a nice tale but with it this book becomes a revelation of human power and dignity.

I would give this book a 9.2 out of 10.

The Pillars of the World

"The Pillars of the World"
Anne Bishop
Tir Alainn Trilogy
Fairy Tale Fantasy

Summary
Ari is a young witch in a long line of witches. After her mother's and grandmother's dies she is left alone and the local village treats her very poorly. One day when visiting the village a local mystic puts a love cures on her. The spell forces her to give a totem to the first man she sees. the man who get the totem can have her for the next mouth. But what man will come across her path first?

The fairy folk's world is starting to fall apart and no one knows why? the leaders of the fae is a brother and sister, one the sun and the other then moon. As they try to understand what is happening to their world Lunian the fire-bringer confined in his sister that he feels lost and that although the clans of the fae expect him to be with the women of their clan he can find no joy in it. but is there someone else he could come to love? if the fae can love at all.

At the same time an evil priest has been traveling across the land turning the people against the witches the old places that they guard. In his own land her has killed all the witches and he now seeks to cleans this land as well of there "evil" kind. but what he's doing is causing unforeseen problems and he could being more evil then ever before.

Review
This is a hard book to judge. On the one hand I could not put the book down I wanted to keep readying and never stop, but on the other hand some of the plot points and words she used ware really uncomfortable for me to read. to be honest the book talked about sex a lot and at the beginning I almost put the book down.

In the end I'm glade I did not because about half way through the book we move away from the sex and get in to important things and the book gets a lot more interesting. About 25% of the way in to the book the writer stops giving you a lot of worthless information and sexual commentary and gets down to the true telling of the story. The next 75% of the book I loved and I look forward to reading more of her stuff.

So should you read this book? I would say its worth a read just not of younger readers and just give it 100 pages it get a lot better.

I would give this book a 7.3 out of 10.

Silverwing & Sunwing

"Silverwing" & "Sunwing"
Kenneth Oppel
The Silverwing Series
Animal Fiction

Summary
Shade is a young Silverwing bat who is a little small for his age. One day on a dare from his rival shade brakes the bats oldest and most important law. Shade looked at the sun.

At the beginning of time there was a great war between the birds and the beasts. During the war the bats did not take a side and when the war ended the birds and the beast punished the bats by banning then from ever seeing the sun again for he rest of time.

When Shade saw the sun he upset the balance of power and angered the owls. In revenge the owls burn his colonies home to the ground and set all the bats early to hibernaculem. The bats winter Hibernation cave. On the way Shade is lost in a storm but this event sets him on the path to becoming the bat he wants to be and the hero the world needs.

At the same time two meat eating jungle bats are loose in the city and killing birds. This angers the owls even more. The owls close the skies to all bats and start gathering for war against the bats. Will Shade be able to defeat the jungle bats? Stop the war? and bring the sun back to his people?

Review
I put the first two books of this series together in the review because these two books really should be read together as if they are one book. The end of the first book really does got anywhere and I did not really like it but after readying the second book I loved them. So I recommend reading both books back to back as if the first book is really just the start of the first it will make it a much better read.

I really liked this book. I like that as a reader we get to see in to the likes of bats. there culture, religion and there relationships with others. It was really fun. The book reminded me of "Watershipdown" in a lot of ways but just more for kids and a little less political.

I loved getting in to shades head. In the first book he is a little whinny but by the end of the second book I loved him and was really attached to him. I also really liked his friends and colony members. everything felt very natural and I was just pulled through the book from end to end.

I would give the books as a set a 7.8 out of 10.

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Warm Bodies

"Warm Bodies"
Isaac Marion
Zombie Apocalypse

Summary
R is not like other zombies. Were most zombies are happy to walk around, grown and ever so often take a bite out of some one, he wants more. It does not help that R and his best friend M are both some of the most vocal zombies in the airport, or that he still thinks about life before and has a drive to learn more. But in the end what more can a zombie in a suit living in an old airport hope to find?

One day R and M take a walk to go find food. During the hunt R kills the leader of the group of humans. A young man who may have been living but was dead on the inside. After R eats the boys brains he starts to see with his mind and his feelings.

After this R realizes that he has amazing feelings, love, for Julie the the human boys girlfriend. These feelings are so strong that R saves Julies life and brings her back to his home in the airport. Soon Julie sees that something is different about R and she starts to have feelings for hims.

Will there love be enough to keep them together? and if this can happen to R then can it also happen to the rest of the zombies?

Review
Warm Bodies is a classic retelling of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", but with zombies. They don't even try to hide it the book uses similar names, identical scene, and the political statements are very inline with each other. That being said the book adds a lot to the zombie mythology and creates a unique story.

I really liked this book. R is an amazing character and for a guy who can't say much more then "Braiiins" he has some really powerful words. I also really liked the setting that the writer created for the reader. This book combines the best parts of zombie lore and the words of Shakespeare.

A movie version of this book came out in February 2013 under the same name. The movie and the book have a lot in common the basic feel and plot are the same, also they are both really good. There are three big differences between the book and movie.

First, in the book R is in his late 20's early 30's and in the movie he is college age. Second, the movie is a lot funnier then the book. The book is funny and has some really amazing parts but the movie just focuses more on that. Third, the book is a lot more insightful and the points that the book makes about people and s.ociety just are not in the movie.

For me I liked both a lot. the movie was more fun but the book had a lot more power to it. I would give the book a 8 out of 10.

In Shade and Shadow

In Shade and Shadow
Barb & J. C. Hendee
Noble Dead Series 2
High Fantacy

Summary
Wynn Hygeorht returns to her sage guild after her adventure with the half-vampire, Magiere and her half-elf partner, Leesil, but the guild is not the same as it was before she left.

Right after coming home to the guild, Wynn's journals and the books she took form the old Noble dead castle are taken by the masters of her guild and she is not allowed to even see them or help in the work of translating them. This makes Wynn mad and after a few months of doing nothing she must act.

When two of her fellow sages are killed for the small pieces of the translation that they where taking back to the guild and the killing has all the signs of being the work of a noble dead.

Wynn must for the first time hunt on her own but along the way she will run in to some old friends and meet some new ones, but will it be enough to stop the killer from taking more lives?

Review
This is the first book of the second Noble Dead Series, but in stead of following Magiere and Leesil we follow the tales of Wynn, and her guild.

I really like this book and what it adds the over all series. Its also nice because this book has given the series new live. At the end of the first Noble Dead series the books had started to get a little boring and predictable, but after this restart the books are good again.

I loved the way this book really got in to the mind of Wynn and got in to a whole new way of looking at the world. I also liked seeing the guild and more of the world. This created an even fuller world for the reader and added to the power of the story.

I loved the new characters that this book added both Wynn's new friends and enemies. We also got to see some old friends and I think the blend adds something to the over all book.

I would give this book a 7 out of 10.

Invincible

"Invincible"
Robert Kirkman
Image Comics
Superhero

Summary
Mark Grayson is the son of the most powerful super hero on earth. Sadly his powers have not come in yet but when they do he will seek to live up to, not only his fathers actions, but also his own knowledge of right and wrong.

After his powers come in, young mark starts discovering all his powers and learning what he can do with them. At first he has trouble being a super hero, but quickly he learns how to control his powers.

He must now balance being a super hero, High school, girls, friends, homework and growing up. Taking the name "Invincible" Mark starts on his super hero adventures, and we will have to see where that take him.

Review
The best way of thinking of "Invincible" is Superman mixed with Spider-man. Being the son of the Superman hero in this universe Invincible's powers are just like superman's, but because he is young his personality is more like spider-man.

This is a great comic and is worth every page. For me this is the comic to read. If you are in to super hero's and love a good read this is the story for you. Every time I read these comics I can't stop with just the first one, I have to read them all.

I would give this comic a 9.1 out of 10.

The Last Unicorn

"The Last Unicorn"
Peter S. Beagle
Fairy tale Fantasy

Summary
A unicorn that has lived for hundreds of years in forest learns that she might be the last unicorn left in the world. At first she fights the idea but soon she can't help it she must find the others or at leased what happened to them. So she heads off in to the world to find her people but the world is not the way she remembered.

As the last unicorn heads off in to the world she finds a few friends to help her. A powerful wizard who can only use the most basic parts of his powers, a royal lady who ran away at and young age turned old and bitter, and a young prince who seeks after what he cannot have.

She also find enemies who will do anything to stop her, and although her journey will take her far from home and show her things know unicorn was ever meant to see she will find a way through.

Review
When I was a little boy I had four favorite movies I always wanted to rent from the store "The Hobbit", "My Neighbor Totoro", "Flight of Dragons", and "The Last Unicorn". So when I found the book The Last Unicorn at a book store I was really excited.

The book is very close to the movie in a lot of ways but it is even better. In the book we have the opportunity to really get in to the unicorns thoughts and her feelings. As a reader we also get to understand the world a lot better. Unlike the movie the book gives us depth in to the lives and the magic of the world.

This story is built like a fairy tale and even the characters in the book talk about it like that. This is a story that both children and adults can really enjoy. The book is also less then 300 pages and it is a fairly easy read I would say at about a 9th or 10th grade level.

I love this book and have taken the opportunity to reread the book several times in the last 6 years I have owned it and after reading it again last week I know it will be a book I will have forever.

I would give this book an 8.75 out of 10.

Pathfinder

"Pathfinder"
Orson Scott Card
Pathfinder Series
Science Fiction/Fantasy

Summary
On the other world of Garden a young man with the amazing power to see where all living things have been is trained to by his father to save his sister. After his fathers death Rigg goes to his father's best friend and gets his inheritances, a bag full of gems all worth millions of gold.

Rigg then travels with his best friend to the city of "O" under the protection of an old solder. there his is pulled in to an age old game of social rules and political war.

But something is coming even larger then what is happening now and if they can survive this then will they survive what is coming next.

At the same time the pilot Ram is flying the first hyper drive space ship. Earth is no longer a good place to live so the human race has no choice but to seek out a new planet. Can we do it? and what does all this have to do with Rigg and the people of Garden?

Review
This is Orson Scott Cards newest book series and I loved this it. The story is interesting and I really came to love the characters. Rigg and his friends fight for a new world and I think everyone can respect that. This is also a story about a brother finding his sister and the love that can grow even from a distance.

The book does have some weaknesses. With the divergent time lines the book can get bogged down and at first its almost boring before you know why ram is there. Also it is hard to follow some of the logic when it comes to time travel but over all it just took a little bit more work then some books

The book is hard to put down I had to fight myself to not read it when I was driving and at work and supposed to be sleeping. The story is powerful and the plot is strong. This book is a little long but is worth the work.

Over all I would give this book an 8 out of 10.

His Majesty's Dragon

"His Majesty's Dragon"
Naomi Novik
Temeraire Series
Historical Fantasy

Summary
In an alternate history where dragons are used in war as there own form of aerial combat. Napoleon is trying to take over all of Europe and England is one of the last countries standing against them.

Capt. Will Laurence commander of the ship Reliant captures a French ship on its way back from china. On board the french ship, Laurence finds a dragon egg, but unluckily the egg is about to hatch. If a dragon hatches and is not bonded to a rider at birth then it becomes wild.

Because of the war with France, England needs all the dragons it can get. So when the dragon hatches and chooses Laurence for his rider he accepts and most now rider his new partner Temeraire for king and country, but to do that he most leave everything he knows behind and fly for England.

As his life changes Will finds that he loves flying and he loves his dragon Temeraire and although he was not born to this life like most riders he finds that he is born to it.

Review
This book follows the Napoleonic wars and is historically correct up to the dragons part. The level of research and knowledge in the book makes it a really interesting read and helps to make the world more real and believable for the reader.

The way the dragons are described in the book and the combat used in the book by the dragon riders is not only cool but is also very believable. Throughout the book the writer pulls the reader with exciting events and interesting facts.

The writer does take a lot of time to explain things that are interesting but it does sometimes slow down the plot and makes the book move more slowly. Over all the this is the only weakness of the book and its not really a large weakness.

I would give this book an 8.25

The Crimson Crown

"The Crimson Crown"
Cinda Williams Chima
A Seven Realm Novel
High Fantasy

Summary
Han and Raisa must are still under attack from all sides. The clans are not happy that they seem so close. The wizards want to kill Han and control Raisa. The vial folk are losing everything in the fighting.

The wizard killings are still going on and everyone thinks it is Han. Even his closed friends think it is him, and are working on talking the queen in to think it as well. The wizards council is fighting to destroy Han but he is fighting for greater control to protect the one he loves.

Han's and Raisa's love it so strong that nether of them can resist it, but if they sub come to there feeling the clan's and the wizards council would kill them both. With this over both of their heads, together they must save the Queendom from enemies within and enemies without.

Review
This is the fourth and final book in the seven realms novels. This book does not disappoint. A lot of final books in a series do not work. The leaves things open and I Don't get the feeling I was looking for. The Crimson Crown is amazing. This book not only lives up to series as a whole but it also stands alone as a great book.

This book ties up all the lose ends from the series and left me with a feeling of completeness. I was pulled through the book page by page, chapter by chapter until after only six hours I was at the end. The book keeps you guessing right up until the end with twist and turns that will please all readers.

If the book has one flaw it was that I guest the ending two books ago. And although it was the ending I most wanted, it was still a little hard.

Over all I would give this book a 9 out of 10 but now that I have read all the books I would give the series a 10 out of 10. This series is a must read.

Green Rider

"Green Rider"
Kristen Britain
Green Rider (Series)
High Fantasy

Summery
A young girl is expelled from school for fighting with another student. After running from school she comes across a green rider, one of the kings messenger, with two black arrows in his back. With his dying breath the rider asked her a favor.

The green rider talks Karigan in to taking his massage to the king for him. The rider swears her in as a green rider and she starts on the mission to bring life and death information to the king. Quickly she came to the realization that is was going to be a much more dangerous mission then she thought.

Now Kiragan must ride for her life as monsters, solders, and traitors hunt for her, and the message she has. With the help from the ghost of the dead green rider and her horse she will deliver the message but will it get there before it is too late to save the kingdom?

Review
I was ably to pick up this book from the D.I., which is like value village or good will, for only 50 cents. It was really cheap but after only a few pages I was already hooked in to the story.

Over all I felt that the book is really strong. I love the main character. She was very believable and even though she does a lot of amazing things throughout the book she still gets hurt a lot. Everything that happens in the book feels natural and the store moves

The book does have a few slow parts and the how magic works in the book is a little confusing and odd, but over all I loved the whole thing.

I would give it a 7.5 out of 10.