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.