The Crystal Key
by T. L. Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Do we believe in tolerance or is it one way or no way? In The Crystal Key we travel to a fantasy world created by brother and sister God's, but at the moment one rules and the other is completely left out. The time for the choosing, which one will rule has come and only those high in the temple even know it is real, not just a myth. This follows Rasmusen as he tries to become the Chosen for the brother God and the path his journey takes him on to the Choosing. We also follow Mirah, a young girl as she makes her journey to the Choosing learning and coming to terms with being the Chosen. All through these two tales of travel T. L. Howard weaves a story of true faith and what happens when we let power and greed get in the way of faith.
Of course neither Chosen one could journey on their own, so you have to meet a whole cast of characters for each set of travels. T. L. Howard writes it in such a way that it almost looks, in my mind, to be a medieval knights and castles kind of place. You easily come to know who to route for and who is a traitor. It's so easy to come to like the people, wishing they were real. The Crystal Key is a long book, about on par with a Harry Potter book, but it really didn't take that long to read, it kept me going to the end. Teens and adults alike will enjoy this story and it's strictly g-rated too! Even a better plus for the book.
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The Art of Forgetting - Rider
by Joanne Hall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed by Michelle Randall for Reader's Favorite.
Take the stories of knights on horseback, armies defending the Queen, and those crusader type stories from the 11th and 13th centuries, now place them in another world and you have The Art of Forgetting. Rhodri is a young boy, found in the woods, who no one quite knows what to think of. He has a perfect memory, but the people are scared of him, so life in his village is rough. Enter the Kings Third army troop and Rhodri's life is about to change forever. You follow him as he joins the army, trains and becomes a good solider. Watch as he makes new friends, grows and creates a relationship with someone much older than himself. Joanne Hall does a wonderful job of writing so that you forget this takes place on another world for the most part, it could be the story of anyone of the 11th to 13th centuries.
Joann Hall is a wonderful writer and has done a beautiful job in crafting a fantasy story that almost feels like a historical novel. The Art of Forgetting is set on another world, with two moons; yet for most of the book you almost forget that focusing solely on the army life of this young boy and his friends. If you like the adventures of the crusaders, the bravery of the knights and romance of the early centuries, then you will enjoy this novel. It brings all those elements together, places them on another world and adds some modern romantic situations to make for a compelling new novel.
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The Silver Arrow
by Larry Itejere
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed by Michelle Randall for +Reader's Favorite.
Part knights of the round table, part knights of the templar, part historical, part fantasy, part paranormal powers and a classic good vs. evil storyline is what defines Drops from the Kingdom. Most of the book tells the story of Isesac, and how he came to be the guardian and guiding figure that he is today. There is some history of the world this story is being set in, which is a mix of old world, nordic and fantasy. There is also the story of Samuel, and his gifts. How he finds out about them, Iseasc's search for him and later his search for Iseasc. +Larry Itejere has set this up along the lines of a grand adventure like the knights of the round table, or King Arthur. Even better still, it is only the beginning of the story. The epilogue entices you to wait to continue the journey with Jayden.
+Larry Itejere has written a well-balanced story that has adventure and intrigue, mystery and suspense and just enough paranormal powers to draw in just about every pre-teen and teen boy. Drops from the Kingdom reminds me of a better version of the Knights of the Round Table, only set in a different location, a different time period, and with a different story. The paranormal powers and the idea of patrons and guardians will interest all those kids that are looking for a slightly magical twist in their stories. There is adventure and warfare, enough to keep the boys reading, but not so much has to drive the girls away. This is a great book for that pre-teen set, as the characters range from 12 to 17 for the most part during the story.
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