Sorrow's Knot
by Erin Bow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
On the world were Sorrow's Knot take's place, the tribe of Free Women, think they live on the edge of the earth, Nothing goes beyond the forest. It is their job to protect the tribe, or at least the binder's job. The story tells us of three you kids who are trying to find their places in the tribe, but they aren't going to stick to the old rules. Otter feels that she is going to be a binder, her mother is a binder, but little does she know her mother has other plans for her, she refuses to let her learn to be a binder. The shock and sadness causes her to move into an old hut that was abandon, followed son after by her two best friends, Cricket and Krestel. They each use the magic they have to find their way, to understand the old stories and to unravel the mysteries that are their world. Erin Bow wraps the unknown of a foreign world with the familiar and weaves a story that will keep you glued till the very end.
Sorrow's Knot is a fantasy book because it takes place on another world, but you will forget that as you read the book. As you start reading it feels more like an old Indian Folk Legend from long, long ago that wraps around you as you read. There are mysteries in the old stories, and Cricket finds them first, and I think I enjoyed that because he was the least valued in their tribe, it only made sense that Erin Bow would bring him to the top. The characters are teenagers, which is what puts it in that coming-of-age story group, but it so much more. Teens and adults alike will love this book, and enjoy the world that has been created.
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Reviewed by Tasha Saecker
Divided against Yourselves
by Bill Hiatt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Divided Against Yourselves is the second book in the Spell Weavers series, but unlike a number of series this book can be read on it's own without having read the first book and without feeling lost. Tal is a teenager dealing with reincarnation, in fact he is the reincarnation of the original Taliesin, a bard in King Arthur's court. Tal has successfully to this point merged his past lives together with his present life quite well. His best friend Stan is also a reincarnation, but his is not going so well. He past life as King David wants to take control too often. Even after defeating the witch Ceridwen last Halloween, Tal and the guys think they can relax and go back to normal life, only for Tal to be surprised by the appearance of Morgan Le Fay, who help Ceridwen at Halloween. Tal and his warriors work to figure out what Morgan wants and how to protect everyone at the same time. Bill Haitt does a wonderful job of weaving a magic tale into a modern day high school and making it work.
This is the first book I can remember reading that took on the reincarnation topic as a theme to the magic. It was novel of Bill Haitt to think of that plotline for a story, and it made this story compelling and interesting. It also opened a number of question that have me asking what is the next book after Divided Against Yourselves. I found the teenagers in the book to be real and remind me of my own teenagers at home, some of the bantering between the boys is stuff I hear coming from the boys in my sons room all the time. I felt the story was well developed and the action scenes would entertain and keep a good range of boys interested in reading. There is a puppy love vs. true love kind of thing, you know the kind that happens when you're sixteen through that along with the magic would keep girls reading. There are so many different side stories and themes in the book that are weaved together so well into a complete story that it will appeal to a great variety of readers.
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A Voice to Be Heard
by Dell Brand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Travel back to the 1800's to a time when society was ruled by men, and women were window dressing. A Voice to be Heard starts with a young girl, Florence who is well educated, which is not common for that era. Yet she is seduced and becomes pregnant by the Lord of the house's son, only to be held in high regard by the Lord, who takes care of her and her twin daughters for the rest of his life. Within days, grandfather is killed in a freak carriage accident and mother dies after and run-in with her seducer. The twins go to their grandfather's lawyer with a plan, he having heard all about the intelligence and education that grandfather and mother imparted on them. The lawyer is more than happy to help and sets plans into action, within a month the girls are on a boat to Australia. Despite all society conventions,the girls proceed on their own, and buy a house, build another, turn the first into a hotel, and thus an empire is created. Along the way, each twin runs into problems with men. Joey falls for a married man, has his child, but never tells him about it and lets Maddy raise her as her own. Maddy marries a thug who hides his true intentions from her until after their marriage. He drains their bank account and beats up Maddy, only to later try to rape Joey and get knocked over the head and killed. Happier times and sadder times follow, just as in life. Dell Brand does a wonderful job making you feel like you are really living in Melbourne in the 1840's.
A Voice to be Heard is an inspirational read to any woman, allowing them to realize that they can accomplish whatever they want, no matter what society says. It won't be easy, there will be hurdles and bad times, but good times too, you just have to stay focused. Dell Brand cover a long period of time, from the early 1800's when Florence is young, to the 1850's after the death of Thomas, the twins father. It's truly a family saga, although it does skip huge parts of time, which of course you would have to, to cover the length of time it does. I enjoyed Joey's drive to be held under no ones thumb, to be her own person and to build this empire for her family. Maddy is more the romantic of the two and craves marriage and children. Yet for all Joey's strength, one man can still bring her crumbling, her first and only love. She never stops loving him. Overall the family saga, historical nature of the story first drew me in, but the characters kept me there until the end. It had me wishing I could have been there, almost. I couldn't handle the fashion!
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Entwined Courage
by Tracy Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
For centuries two worlds have existed in peace and harmony, the world of magic, a crystal city that floats high above the planet. Down below, on the planet, the common folk, who have no idea that the crystal city really exists believing it to be a myth. In the crystal city there are two forms of magic, the light and the dark, and they have stuck an easy balance and rule together for the good of both worlds. +Tracy Lane brings us into this world and introduces us to a young squire who is duty-bound to obey his master no matter what he asks of him. The problem is that his master is a greedy power hungry dark mage who wants all the power for himself and cares for no one else. He orders his squire, Kayne to steal a powerful artifact which he must do, but he cannot fully comply with his master and breaks his duty by hiding the artifact instead of giving it to the master. Entwined Courage is the ensuing story of Kayne's struggle to right the wrong he did by obeying his master and protect a young girl, Aurora who he involved in this plot without thinking.
+Tracy Lane does a wonderful job of describing the characters so vividly that you can imagine the evil in the eyes of Kronos and the compassion in the eyes of Iragos, As Entwined Courage continues the friendship between Kayne and Aurora grows, and much to Aurora's dismay she finds that she has magic in her. When she and Kayne work together to get away from Kronos, even with Aurora never having any training, they can do some amazing magic. Along with the story of righting his masters wrong, there is another story. This one is the one that involves Aurora's misguided belief in what the mages really do. She is sure they only protect the resources of the planet. She never thinks to consider that the common folk are the biggest resource they protect. As they work to right the wrong, Aurora must also grow up and figure out what she really believes about the mages and where her place in the two worlds really is.
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The Whitechapel Secret: Who Was Jack the Ripper?
by Martin Loughlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Who really was Jack the Ripper? Even after 125 years theories abound but no one really knows.
This novel takes a new perspective on the Ripper slayings, leading the reader on a scavanger hunt to find clues left by someone who was there at the time of the killings, some information that will finally reveal who Jack the Ripper was.
The story starts in the modern day, Ian is a freelance writer and he also gives guided walking tours of famous Jack the Ripper locations. Some have even said that he is the best of the Ripper tor guides. This night should have been like any other, but one lady on the tour is determined to talk to Ian. Ruth Walker has a interesting family history that has been passed down for generations. She truly believes that her ancestor knew who Jack the Ripper was, and left clues to solve the mystery.
Ian listens to her tale, and although it would be wonderful if it was true, he just isn't sure. At the train station on his way home, he is stabbed and almost killed. After talking to the police and getting stitches he arrives home only to find a message on his machine from Ruth's daughter. It seems Ruth had been killed by a hit and run driver earlier in the evening
Well, the death of Ruth and the attempt on Ian's life is just too much to be chance, so Ian and Ruth's daughter Lindsey set out to find and follow the clues, all across Europe.
This story gives a whole new perspective on Jack the Ripper and is filled with travel and adventure. I found it was so easy and quick to read because it made for a compelling story. No matter how many stories about Jack the Ripper you have read, you must read this one.
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James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra
by Colm McElwain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra is a pleasing, fictional mix of Narnia, Harry Potter, and the classic, Knights of the Round Table. With these favorite elements comes a fresh new tale from a debut author sure to capture the middle-grade reader’s attention.
James considers himself an average orphan, if there ever was one, with an old grandfather he looks forward to seeing each Christmas. His two best friends, Ben and Mary, also orphans, and James are a family (kind-of); and they look out for each other. When the psychic (who James believes might actually be psychotic) foretells that he and his family “are in terrible danger. I sense there is a man trying to find you. He’s trying to hurt you!”
When James, Ben, and Mary visit James’ grandfather, Wilmore, for Christmas—they learn that the psychic Belinda was extremely correct in her prediction. They are led on a chase to Orchestra, which he knew he recognizes from a painting and the stories his grandfather entertained him with each Christmas. When they finally find, what can only be described as a “secret portal to another world,” James learns of his destiny and will do anything to protect his birthplace.
As a young adult book, with the main characters in their pre-teens, I feel that kids would really relate to the story. The chapter where James, Ben, and Mary explore Orchestra is strikingly vivid and fun. It has plenty of adventure and action, including bloody battles that may be too intense for the elementary-aged reader but perfect for the middle-grades.
Even as an adult reader, I was entertained by the story and compelled to keep reading, not wanting to put the story down until finished. With the book ending on quite a cliffhanger, I do hope that there is another book in the works.
*This review was done for the author. In no way, shape or form did that influence my review.*
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The Appearacne of Truth
by Rosemary J. Kind
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Her mother passed away a year ago, and Lisa is still having trouble figuring out what to do now that she is on her own. A chance meeting at the cemetery brings new hope to her life, in the form of a budding relationship with Pete. A casual discussion about family, and a bet to research their family tree's will lead to unknown events for Lisa. She finds that what she thought she knew was not the truth, and she is not who she thought she was. +Rosemary Kind does a wonderful job of bringing to life the search for the truth to Lisa's identity as well as telling the heartbreaking tale from her parents side of the story as well. The Appearance of Truth will challenge you to understand the pain of parents, and the confusion as Lisa searches for the truth.
The idea that maybe you actually have a rich and famous ancestor in your family tree has sparked many a person to research their genealogy. An Appearance of Truth takes the idea of family tree's and turns it upside down, as Lisa sets out on a normal quest only to unlock a mystery that has be hidden for thirty years. +Rosemary Kind brings to life the many sides of this story, with each getting equal time, and none being slated as being the better side. The story takes the fears of finding out a secret and packages it into a novel worth the read. This was an engaging story that kept me interested to the very end.
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
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