Haven Lost
The Dragon's Brood Cycle, Book One
by Josh de Lioncourt
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Emily is a high school hockey star in Minneapolis, with an extremely dysfunctional family life. For the most she is a typical teenager, except for her strange ability to know when and where another player on the ice is going to move. One day it all changes when she starts seeing the reflection of a boy in mirrors and windows, and when she gets home finds her mother dead of a drug overdose. She runs away and when she awakes she is in another land, another time, another world? Haven Lost is the tale of Emily's discover of what is important to her and her life in this strange place. She makes friends, decides without any prior knowledge of people who is good and who is evil and sets out on a quest she doesn't understand. Along the way she picks up a best friend in Celine, a ward in Michael and someone who just might become more than a friend in the future, Corbbmacc. Together they travel the land, looking for the answers that they need to understand what is going on. Josh de Lioncourt has done a wonderful job of mixing history, fantasy, and magic together into a tale that is compelling and exciting.
Haven Lost is set to be the first book in a series titled The Dragon's Brood Cycle. This first book sets the story up very well, you have a grand adventure, and it is not a short adventure either. It takes time to tell, yet the story never seems to get bogged down or drag, it is always moving along and begging you to turn the next page and keep going. The answers always seem to be on the next page. Josh de Lioncourt is a wonderful storyteller in that he is able to keep your attention and have you guessing the entire book. I never saw the reveal from the last three pages coming until I got to them, and that is not usually the case with mos books. This book and series has the potential to sky-rocket into the forefront of youth and teen reading, becoming the next Harry Potter series.
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The Shayton Chronicles Book 1:
Destiny Sets
by Karen Fainges
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Here on Earth the stories of vampires are a bit twisted and not so true, but in another parallel dimension there is a world called Shayton that is inhabited by real vampires and they are nothing like the stories. On Shayton the world is in danger of collapsing and the ruling Council is always on the lookout for ways to correct the issues and stave off the collapse. Lisa is the daughter of the king, but she has been banished from Shayton and lives on Earth. Now the council wants her back, and selects a human to bring with her for a purpose, providing a godChild. The Shayton Chronicles Book 1: Destiny Sets follows Lisa as she is brought back and conceives not one but two children and the lives of Lisa and Tony, the children and Shayton that follows their conception and birth. Karen Fainges takes a paranormal or fantasy novel and adds the elements of a family saga to give a new and different novel on the idea of vampires and their coexistence with our world.
The Shayton Chronicles Book 1: Destiny Sets begins what promises to be a unique and fun novel series. Even though it could be called paranormal or fantasy, I think the best genre label for it should be family saga. It follows Lisa and Tony, then their children around through life to the point where they are once again reintroduced to their parents. Talkar is followed as he fights for his place in the world of Shayton, then as he leaves and finds a fulfilling life on Earth with Molly, and later a child with another species. Karen Fainges does a wonderful job of creating a story that you want to follow from the beginning, characters that you relate to and feel for. Although this book spans a great deal of time, it almost feels as it is all happening within moments of each other. This is definitely a good book for adults, highly mature young adults and those loving the idea of a new approach to vampires.
The Shayton Chronicles
Book One - Destiny Sets
Book Two - Tamal's Journeys
Book Three - The Children of Tamal
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Riduna
The Riduna Series, 1
by Diana Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Harriet always thought she had her simple life planned out. She would grow up on Riduna, marry and raise a family never leaving her tiny island home. Sometimes dreams aren't enough to face the realities of life, and the harsh realities of life can change even the best of dreams. Edward grwe up next door to Harriet and he had always dreamed of traveling, going to sea and adventuring but he always thought he would come back to the safe port of home in Riduna, and Harriet. When tragedies occur and Edward is far at sea and nowhere to be the rock that Harriet needs, his cousin Joe becomes her rock and protector. Riduna follows these three people through life and the developments of the world and war and all the changes that occur to change all of their dreams. Diana Jackson does a wonderful job of giving a family saga that touches your heart with love and heartache. You become involved in the family and want to know more and want to see what occurs.
Riduna is such a small island, but among the friends we met in the beginng, some can't wait to leave, some can never see leaving, and some who never planned to leave find things that they have no control over can change even the best of plans. Diana Jackson is a great writer and develops a wonderful story that has you feeling part of the lives of these people. You can almost imagine yourself on the island of Riduna right in their lives. There are historical events that truly occured mixed into the story that makes it feel even more real, and like this could really be someone's actual life. This is a great book, the first of two book in the series, and would be a wonderful read for anyone of interest.
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One: A New Beginning
by Lennie Stanfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Zack and his dad, Jim were good friends. They had always been close, but after the passing of Zack's mom and Jim's wife Deann, they grew even closer. It was a bound that got them through the tough times. This weekend they were going caving, a new cave no one knew about. Zack and Jim were always careful when caving, and took great care with their supplies and safety precautions, but no one could have foreseen what happened. One has been dormant for so long, many, many centuries and yet something is happening around him. Something that he feels he needs to check out. One observes Zack and the aftermath of the caving accident, he is moved to help. What follows is an unbelievable blending of faith and sci-fi. One is from another planet and together he and Zack rebuild and plan out Zack's life. Lennie Stanfield uses the people around Zack to confirm his faith and at the same time, One is part of the story that confirms the faith Zack has known his whole life. One: A New Beginning is also the story of a new life for One, his old life gone and a chance and a reason to become active again.
One: A New Beginning is a superb blending of faith and another planet with life on it. I have never seen it done in a book before, especially not like this, and yet it worked. Yes, I had to go bad and reread of of the pages where One is talking because of the more complex computer like language he uses, but it was worth it. The bond between Zack and his Dad, amazing! Not only that, but every family relationship you meet in this book, Lennie Stanfield has made a strong family relationship. I would love to find a place where all the relationships are that strong, but it was just so comforting to read about them. Zack is just graduating from two-year of college, so to say this could also be a coming of age book would be true, but I also think teens and adults would enjoy the story.
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