Posts Tagged 'evil'

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Published November 25, 2013 Fantasy , RAC , Science Fiction Leave a Comment
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Scarlet

Genre:  Science Fiction

# of Pages:  454

RAC:  Yes

In this sequel to Cinder, Scarlet is introduced as a brassy red headed girl who becomes alarmed when her grandmother goes missing.  The police believe she ran away and will not look for her, but Scarlet knows something is wrong.  Then, she meets a mysterious man who comes to her defense after she makes some remarks defending Cinder, who is all over the news and considered a traitor.  Cinder, meanwhile, has been given the tools to escape her maximum security prison and she takes advantage of it.  Along the way she picks up another prisoner she believes might be helpful in the journey.  The evil Lunar queen tells the Emperor that if he does not produce Cinder for her to punish as she sees fit in three days time they will launch a devastating war on earth.  Will Cinder let countless others die just to save herself?  Will Scarlet ever find her grandmother or the reason for why she disappeared?  Will the prince give in to Levana’s demands?

In my previous post on Cinder I spoke very highly of a book that frankly did not sound that appealing initially.  Scarlet might be even better than that one.  It is so rare for a sequel to continue to build on the momentum acquired in the first one.  Meyer managed to continue Cinder’s story while also introducing many great new plot lines and characters in a way that connected and did not seem confusing or forced.  The action in the book is so exciting and tense that you cannot help but keep reading because the suspense of not knowing is just too much to handle.  Highly recommended.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Published April 19, 2013 Adventure , Award Winners , Fantasy , RAC Leave a Comment
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fire

Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  461

RAC:  Yes

In this companion to Graceling, Fire is half human and half monster.  She is amazingly beautiful and has the ability to control people’s minds, but due to the horrible things her father had done she chooses not to use her abilities and often covers her multi-colored hair.  She lives in a remote area with her best friend, Archer.  The Kingdom Fire lives in is in great turmoil as other kings are trying to take control of King Nash’s land.  After offering a warning Fire sensed to Nash’s mother he extends an invitation for her to come to the castle and help him identify other possible threats.   Fire chooses to go to the castle even though she is terrified of how people will react to her after the heinous deeds her father committed because she believes she must help save the kingdom she has grown to love.  As time goes on, however, it appears that whoever is out to get the king also wants her.  Can she save them all from certain destruction?

Fans of Graceling have enjoyed this title since its release and it has been named an Iowa Award Winner for 2013-2014.  Fire’s story is compelling as she struggles against a reputation she did not earn simply because of who her father is.  She is surrounded by strong, open minded people who yearn to overcome their bias of her, which is refreshing.  The plot is fast paced and involved an elaborate plot that most readers will not figure out too early.  The ending is very satisfying.  Recommended.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Published January 4, 2012 Fantasy , RAC , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy/Romance

# of Pages:  484

RAC Book:  Yes

Bethany, Gabriel, and Ivy are all angels who have been sent on a mission to watch over a small town.  Gabriel and Ivy have participated in several missions on earth, but this is Bethany’s first one.  As such, Gabriel is very concerned that she is not ready to live among the humans.  Bethany does have some trouble adjusting to simple human tasks such as eating and grooming because these tasks do not exist in heaven.  When she meets a boy at school she instantly feels an attraction.  While she tries to hide from her feelings, Bethany cannot stay away from Xavier and he begins to fall for her as well.  She has been warned repeatedly that an angel and a human dating can lead to disastrous results, but she cannot help herself.  The only problem is that she does not want to mislead him.  Can she tell Xavier who she really is?  Will he accept her?  Can she stay focused on the evil forces around her that are her mission to stop?

This angel romance story has become extremely popular among high school girls who enjoyed Twilight, Fallen, and Shiver.  The threat towards the couple seems a bit predictable at times, but will entice young readers nonetheless.  The story is definitely unique compared to other similar stories on the market right now.  Bethany’s sweet demeanor and strength to go after a love she knows is special will keep readers begging to know more about what happens to Bethany and Xavier.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Published February 26, 2010 Fantasy , RAC 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages: 471

RAC:  Yes

2010-2011 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Katsa lives in a world where some people are born with special powers called Graces.  Katsa believes her grace to be one for killing and hates herself for fulfilling the terrible tasks her King makes her do.  One day she meets a man named Po from another country who is looking for his grandfather who was kidnapped.  Katsa had already rescued the old man, but they did not want to release that information due to the fact that they still do not know who kidnapped him in the first place.  As Katsa and Po start to investigate who might want to hurt his family, they become fearful that they may have to save everyone from a corrupt king using an immoral grace.

This fantasy story was original and unique in a way that makes the reader want to keep reading.  The story contains interesting and colorful characters as well as an exciting, and at times suspenseful, plot that is full of surprises until the end.  Recommended for students and adults who like fantasy books.  The idea of the graces is interesting and lends an extra layer of intrigue to this tale that will no doubt be around for a long time.

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

Published January 12, 2010 Fantasy , RAC 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  371

RAC:  Yes

In this sequel to The Looking Glass Wars, Redd is struggling to find her way back to Wonderland in order to battle her niece, Alyss, for the throne.  Meanwhile, Alyss is trying to rebuild Wonderland after Redd’s reign of terror and destruction.  Alyss wonders if they will ever be the happy and secure place that Wonderland once was.  Dodge, Alyss’s best friend, is now the head of security and desperately wants to find time alone with Alyss (which is difficult now that she is queen) so that he can tell her how much she means to him.  Hatter Madigan is holed up in a cave far away mourning the loss of the love of his life without plans to ever return to combat until a diary with a surprising message convinces him otherwise.  When Wonderland is attacked and Alyss’s personal bodyguard is taken captive Alyss must decide if it is Redd or if a new nemesis has in fact revealed himself.

This sequel is action packed and every bit as exciting as the first.  Alyss’s struggles as queen are believable despite taking place in a fantasy world.  Readers can identify with many of the characters because their motivations and feelings are written in a way that anyone can understand why they feel the way they do.  The ending is a bit abrupt, but luckily the third installment is ready to pick up where that one leaves off.  Recommended for anyone who loves fantasy and fantasy series such as The Lightning Thief or Maxiumum Ride.

Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson

Published November 9, 2007 Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  415

RAC:  Yes

Silver is living in her family home, Tanglewreck, with her evil aunt, Mrs. Rockabye when the book begins.  Silver’s family was killed when she was young and now she is forced to watch as Mrs. Rockabye takes over her house in every way.  Silver must scrounge for food and do her chores constantly.  When a mysterious man comes to inquire about a clock, Silver hears him promise her aunt a lot of money if she can locate it and turn it over to him.  Unfortunately, no one knows where the magical Timekeeper clock is and because of that time has begun to fall apart.  Sometimes time stand still and other times it speeds up.  Most disturbing of all is when there are time warps and people and things disappear and go into another time and place.

Silver must go on a journey to find out where the Timekeeper is and what she is meant to do with it.  There are two main characters who want the clock for two different reasons and it is unclear to Silver at times which is the lesser of two evils.  Silver meets a lot of friends along the way and learns more about how she needs to fix the issues with time the world is having before it is too late.  This book was entertaining, but some of the explanations of how time can be manipulated might get a little confusing for younger readers.  The ending seemed a little abrupt after 400 pages.  Readers who have been along for the leisurely story up until now will either be happy for the quick resolution or feel jilted out of a proper ending. 

 

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