Tag: booktime

All Of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman

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All of Us Villains
by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

Seven families. Seven champions. A tournament to the death. Only one victor.
            The prize? The last of the most powerful magic in the world.

Do you like how that sounds? I sure as hell do. Well, to be frank, I wrote that. I was trying to some the plot up and I hope that did a good enough job of it.
That is, actually, the plot. And I totally fell in love with it.
I mean, how can you write a book that good?!! The plot! The action! The sad backstories! The magic system! EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING IS JUST THAT GOOD! The plot was so well written, I swear that the entire time I was reading this book, I couldn’t bear to be torn from it. I needed to know. This entire year, I have not read a book that has kept me this invested. The thing that is funny, though, is that this book is marketed as The Hunger Games but with magic, and I did not like The Hunger Games. But I loved this book! I honestly could not stop reading this book, thinking about it when I was not reading it, and then thinking about its sequel once I finished it. THIS. THIS is the sign of a really really good book. It was honestly just so fun to read this book. I can say honestly that it has set a standard for me. It was exhilarating to read this book. Yes, exhilarating. This book had me crying with the characters, laughing with the characters and the sheer amount of investment I put into this book literally speaks for itself. It was action packed, entertaining, at times quite sad, at times quite cute and at all times really enjoyable. It was written really well despite being written by two authors, which doesn’t really work for me sometimes. That ending, however. That ending was the cruellest ending I have EVER read. WHAT WAS THAT, HUH?!! HOW COULD THE AUTHORS DO SUCH A THING?!!
*dissolves into sobs of heartbreak and despair*
I mean it. Do all my favourite characters have to suffer like that? I mean, is it the authors’ prerogative to make sure that I suffer emotionally on the behalf of the characters?! And it’s not just in THIS book. IT’S IN EVERY SINGLE BOOK I READ, GODDAMNIT! Like in one book, he dies. In the other book, her music never gets recognised and people take the credit for her music! In yet another one, literally EVERY SINGLE PERSON betrays her. I mean, is there any justice in this world?! And as for this book, one of them LITERALLY dies (and comes back to life but we don’t talk about that here) and another one is cursed to die soon. By soon, like, in a few days’ time. See what I mean?! I swear, my choice is jinxed (though these are, like, the favourite characters of quite a lot of people, so, maybe not). In short, all authors want to emotionally damage us, but we still love them, because their books are epic. Anyways, coming back to this book. All of the characters were soooo well written!! I didn’t like all of them, but I could understand where there were coming from. Like, Gavin Grieve? I disliked him quite a lot but I could still get why he was the way he was. His family was literally so underestimated that it was actually really sad. I literally HATED Briony Thorburn, but I could understand why she thought what she was doing was right. It actually was right, but her hero complex was literally so annoying. In the beginning, she was THE WORST. She got better throughout the book, but still. I just do not. like. her. But Isobel, on the other hand? She was my favourite. Even after that ending, and that’s saying a lot. Isobel Macaslan was so brave, and practical, and ruthless that she was just THE BEST. If the tournament was still on, she would probably have won by a mile. And as for Alistair Lowe? Well. Who does not like Alistair? There’s no point even getting into why. His grandma, however, literally makes my blood boil. She is evil. That’s it. That’s all I’m going to say. She is evil. Well now, I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THE SEQUELLLLL!!! I need that sequel, like, yesterday! Yes, now I shall go on a warpath to buy that book. Even if it hasn’t come to the bookstores here yet. But I will buy this book! I will!
*maniacal laughter*
So, in short, best book I’ve read this year. It is just perfect for people who love fantasy, adventure and magic. I loved, and I will forever love it. YA, 12+.

#Book Series Review- The Red Queen By Victoria Aveyard

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Red Queen (series review)
Victoria Aveyard

This review does not include Broken Throne (Red Queen #4.5) because I am yet to read that (I absolutely can’t wait to do so), it includes the 4 main books in the series, which are, in order,
book #1 – Red Queen (my favourite!)
book #2 – Glass Sword
book #3 – King’s Cage
book #4 – War Storm (also my favourite)
book #4.5 – Broken Throne (tbr)
This review also contains some spoilers, so be warned!

Blood is what marks people as different in this world – while some people, the nobles, have silver blood, the ordinary people have blood of the color red.
The Silvers. And the Reds.
The Silvers are the kings and queens, the nobles and more valued members of the society in general, while Red kneel in front of them, scared of the deadly powers those with silver blood hold. The Silvers can drown you with just an intent and some water, can explode you with just a touch and thought, can burn you with some fire and rage, and much, much more. The Reds live under centuries of oppression, being told they are inferior and forced to do the actual, menial work of cleaning the nobles’ houses, keeping the kingdom running and fighting its battles. The battlefields of the war between the kingdom of Norta and the neighbouring one of the Lakelands is drenched, in most, in Red blood.
No one thinks anything will change. Not the Reds, and certainly not the Silvers. But when a Red with Silver powers, Mare Barrow, reveals herself to the world, when the power struggles between the noble Silvers reach their highest, when the war rages between the two kingdoms, paid now, with young blood, and the sparks of a rebellion flare in Norta, everything may just change – forever. But will it? And will it change for good or just create an even worse world?

I absolutely LOVED the way the author wrote the battle scenes – everything was written in great detail, and it honestly felt like you were actually there in the moment, fighting alongside the characters through the battle, and whenever something happened, like oooooh the bridge collapsed! What are we going to do now?! And now?! AND NOWW?!! There were a lot of battle scenes/fight scenes in War Storm, and I adored all of them. I WANT MOREEEE!!!!! King’s Cage did not have so many battle scenes, mainly because Mare was stuck in Whitefire Palace after being taken prisoner by Maven, so most of her pov chapters were her trying to survive the machinations and assassination attempts in the Silver Court, but there weren’t as many lengthy battles. Glass Sword was action-packed, but nothing like War Storm was. Glass Sword mostly has small, calculated skirmishes, with a few large-scale battles in between. Red Queen, however, was set almost entirely in Whitefire Palace, and it was more politics and planning than anything else. While the climax was quite eventful, and there was a lot of action, it was mostly aiding the rebellion in small steps. But I swear, War Storm and Red Queen were my favourites in the series. They were just EPIC. This is the Best. Series. Ever!!!!! (Well, till I like another series more than this one. I’m not exactly loyal, per se. But at the moment, it’s my favourite because it is AMAZING) I can’t wait to read Broken Throne, because even though it’s a novella collection it sounds really very interesting. Another thing I loved was the multiple povs. I was literally just so excited to be FINALLY getting multiple povs in King’s Cage. Sometimes multiple povs can be rather irritating, but in this case, I loved them. It was really very fascinating to see things from the other characters’ perspectives, and how they viewed Mare. A lot of people say that povs like Iris’ don’t really add much to the story, but I didn’t actually mind them. It was actually quite interesting to read everyone’s povs. Also, the covers. Have you seen the covers?!!! THEY’RE SO PRETTYYY!!! I just can’t choose my favourite (though I think I know which one is my least favourite. I’m really sorry, King’s Cage! I love you otherwise!)
Now, for the characters. Mare Barrow, was, to be honest, not my favourite. I didn’t love her, but I didn’t hate her either. I was just never sure what I felt about her. Well, at some points I did like her quite a lot, while at others I hated her with a passion, but both of these moments were few. Mostly I just felt indifferent towards her. Which is strange, I know, because she is the main character and everything depends on her choices, but I never quite cared for her. I loved or hated the others, and I always felt MUCH more invested in them than in Mare. If I had to rank all the characters, she’d probably be somewhere in the middle. And that is more than I can say for our next contender – Tiberias Calore. Yes! Note my refusal to call him Cal! I mean what an idiot. Like, ugh. Just ugh.
 I really, really, really hate him. He just did not endear himself to me. Like, at all. Firstly, he does not have much more depth than a toddler’s inflatable swimming pool. Like, I get it. I really do. He’s strong! He’s bold! He has a good heart! And I do appreciate that. I appreciate the fact that he’s not willing to give up on his family, which was the one touching thing about Tiberias Calore, but otherwise, what?! How or you supposedly so great but can’t make a decision to save your life?! Did we really have to wait till the end of the third book to finally hear you make a decision about your country, and, oh, make the wrong one?!! Really, Tiberias?! Oh, and even after he becomes Norta’s king he’s not sure what to do with his kingdom. Well, congratulations! This is what he wanted, wasn’t it?!! He would have made a useless king anyways. And this isn’t it! Oh no, it isn’t! What is his damn problem about picking sides?! Just do it! All that hand wringing was really annoying. I just did. not. like. him. (As you may have got). He was an insufferable, kind of insensitive, indecisive prat. If I did the ranking thing, he’d be one of the ones at the very bottom. (if you like him then I totally respect your choice, this is all my opinion.) Yes, so, anyways! Moving on to Maven Calore! (this is going to be lengthy) I literally LOVED him in Red Queen and was therefore heartbroken at the ending, Maven HOW COULD YOUUUU!!! *sobs hysterically* I mean I did not see that coming AT ALL (or I wouldn’t have seen it coming had I not already been spoiled from the net) but he made a really great villain for this series, like, really. One thing I absolutely love about this series is how the author has made the antagonist so sympathizable and justifiable, while at the same time showing how the protagonists are equally, if not more, justified in trying to stop him. I honestly think Maven Calore is a much, much better character than Tiberias Calore, and literally that ending of War Storm destroyed me. How could you, Mare?!! But again, Mare was perfectly justified in doing so, so….. eh. Oh well. I think the bottom line is, EVERYONE WAS JUSTIFIEDDDDD (well, most of the time. And now this is getting confusing. So moving on to the other characters! Kilorn was really adorable, though we didn’t see quite a lot of him. Evangeline was amazing. Her pov chapters were an insight into her life and how she, too, was struggling with her family and how she isn’t as ice cold inside as she is mostly portrayed outside. We didn’t really see much of Ptolemus, but he was nice enough. He was much nicer through Evangeline’s eyes than he was portrayed through Mare’s as in the first couple of books. He and Evangeline were a wholesome, dangerous sibling duo. Elane’s character wasn’t really explored, but she seemed sweet. Iris and her family were ruthless, power minded and cunning. Go, strong female leads! Talking about those, Cameron Cole and Diana Farley – different, but really bold and ready to do what she believed in and bring equality for all. Two great characters! Anabel Lerolan (Tiberias’ granny) was a biased, narrow minded old silver who I didn’t really like much. Elara Merandus- ELARA MERANDUS WAS HORRIBLE. I literally hate her so much right now. She was indirectly responsible for the death of two characters and directly responsible for the death of many others. Horrible is not a strong enough word. Julian Jacos and Sara Skonos were quite supportive of Mare. I’m almost sure I’ve missed someone out, but I apologize for that, whomsoever it is! All in all, Red Queen was a really, really, REALLY great series, and I thank the stars for the day I started reading it. It’s got a really interesting web of a storyline and great characters (well, most of them). It’s very nicely written and I loved it!!! If you love fantasy and struggles for the throne, please try this series! And now, onto Broken Throne for me! 😀
12+

The Cruel Prince – The Folk of the Air #1 by Holly Black

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I have read a book series written by Holly Black before, called the Magisterium series (it is actually pretty good, you should check it out, I think I have written a review on it before…) but that series was co-authored by Cassandra Clare along with Holly Black, and maybe that’s the reason why, but I can’t believe that the same author wrote that and The Cruel Prince. Don’t get me wrong, I love both of the series, but omg what?! To me, the writing style really differed in both the series. Infact, I love both the styles. Magisterium had a more modern vibe, fun, adventurous, like in the 21st century, while the Cruel Prince is like more old fashioned with slightly more formal language in conversations, it’s not really noticeable most of the times, but at others you get that the author wanted a more ancient vibe, even though the elven world in question (where the story actually happens) co exists with the modern mortal world. I loved the ideas of gowns and dresses and doublets and more old-fashioned clothes than t shirts and jeans, and also that details such as this are mentioned, it’s not all assassinations at coronations (and that rhymed, coincidentally) or typical stuff, it’s got a lot of details that actually immerse you in the story. Details count. I love that the notion of the fey (elves and such) being capricious and deceitful was explored fully in this book, and that the plot was like, really well thought out. As it is the first book, the personality of all the characters hasn’t yet evolved fully, but you just know that these are intricate, planned characters from their actions and words, and glimpses of their personality. All the subtle hints that are dropped, don’t seem at all relevant initially and later be like – ‘oops, my plan to ruin the kingdom and secret letters of correspondence have been read! Never mind, its too late for anyone to stop me now! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!’ (I’m being melodramatic here, but in all honesty, I wasn’t able to pick up on them until the whole thing was revealed and when you look back and you see that tiny detail there that you didn’t pick up on, and you just feel like ‘omg yes! It clicks!’ and that feeling of satisfaction, well, it’s hard to match). I’m going to be rather vague here, as I really don’t want to spoil the storyline. As for the characters, Madoc and Oriana were actually characters that I liked, because honestly I feel that they are underestimated and underrated (especially after that end). They are like, both cruel and kind, the typical fey. Oak was adorable even though his page time was very little, though that increased by the end, but still. Taryn surprised me with what she did in end, I mean, what?! I didn’t think she was capable of doing that. I hated Locke by the end, I mean what a horrible boy. (Yes, again, vague). The Ghost, Bomb and Roach were great characters, I have a feeling they will have even more page time and become some of the main characters in the other books. Cardan was actually not that bad, he was very likeable by the end, you actually feel kind of sympathetic eventually. Jude was actually a character who was sort of relatable but even with the fact that she was the main character, I sort of got attached to the other characters more. Jude is a great character, but the others were just a tad bit more interesting. The royal family was interesting, it’s sad that the majority of them died without us knowing a lot about them, I would have liked to know more about all of them. Maybe their stories will be touched upon in the next books, but I doubt it. I mean, they’re dead and gone, with not a lot of relevance to the storyline anymore. I feel sure I’m missing someone at this point, but, oh well. Another thing, I LOVED the idea of putting mystical old faerie poems by old poets before the parts, I especially loved the one denoting the start of ‘book 1’ (I think ‘book 1’ means part 1, since there is another part called ‘book 2’ in this very book, even though this is the first book. Go figure). Anyway, I loved that poem of ‘book one’ called ‘I’d Love to Be a Fairy’s Child’ by Robert Graves. The poem in question is given below –

Children born of fairy stock

Never need for shirt or frock,
Never want for food or fire,
Always get their heart’s desire,
Jingle pockets full of gold,
Marry when they’re seven years old,
Every fairy child may keep,
Two strong ponies and ten sheep,
They have houses, each his own,
Built of brick or granite stone,
They live on cherries, they run wild-
I’d love to be a fairy’s child.

Also, the spelling of ‘fairy’ in the book was changed to ‘faerie’ which while technically correct just makes it even more charming and mystical. And the ending?! What was that?! I can’t wait to continue this series!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m dying of curiosity here?! Holly Black has literally earned herself another fan. Seriously though, her writing is really good, and this is one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read. You should totally read it if you’re a fan of this genre (and even if you’re not). I love this book so hard!!!! It’s basically like a fantasy book which despite sounding typical is actually original and really really fun to read. This is the best book I’ve read in a while. 5/5.

#Book Review- Truly Devious By Maureen Johnson.

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Truly Devious
by Maureen Johnson

So, I finally decided to read a murder mystery novel. I’ve always sort of seen murder mysteries as really complicated stories that don’t make a lot of sense, so I never really paid a lot of attention to them. My opinion of this got reinforced by the heavily censored and simplified version of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” that our school made us read (like it was so obvious! *spoiler* Stapleton was the killer! Like duh……) But then again, I was hardly reading the original version of Sherlock Holmes. So, I decided to give this genre a try. I didn’t really want to read the old classics like Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie, so I settled for Truly Devious instead. Truly Devious written by Maureen Johnson is more of a modern-day version of the old detective stories, and it has most definitely changed my mind about this genre. These 450 pages or so take you on a journey through the alternating perspectives of Stevie Bell (the MC) and household members of the 1930’s Ellingham academy (the murder she was investigating). I really liked this sort of format, it made things a lot more understandable and interesting ( even if it made you want to scream every time one perspective ended and the other began so you had to wait for one full chapter to see what happened next in the first perspective, and by the end of that chapter in question you were annoyed that the other perspective ended and that you had to wait for another chapter for its continuation and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH) But this style of writing really kept you from being bored. Also, it is quite descriptive in everything, from the personality of characters to the design of the campus, but not overly so. I especially liked that the author had described all the architectural design and hidden passages in detail so that you don’t get confused (as all of this features largely in the plot). I fell in love with all the characters of this book – Ellie, Vi, Janelle, Stevie, Hayes, David, Nate and so many more! The ending was truly a shocking reveal and with a cliff hanger that left you begging for more. One that made you think – surely the book wouldn’t end here? – but end it did, and I can’t wait to read the next book! I’m almost sad that the series has only 3 books (and 1 extra story as a separate book) because I LOVE long series like KotLC (it has a lot of books – 8.5 to be exact and with more coming out this year I’M PSYCHED) but anyways – getting off topic……
You’re right there with Stevie as she struggles to solve the murders – the very recent one and the 1930’s one – and it is not glaringly obvious like some books – you honestly don’t know the culprit. Alongside a plot so complex however – normal academy life also goes on, and that makes it extra interesting too. I honestly wish my school was this interesting – but noooooo I get stuck with a totally normal school where homework is the biggest mystery. So if you want to try a murder mystery you should totally try this series. I LOVED ITTT. Don’t get me wrong – fantasy is still my religion – but this may be a close second. I will definitely continue this series and maybe read some other books by this author. Murders may not be so boring after all…….. Awesome!!!!
12+

#Book Review: Coco Caramel By Cathy Cassidy

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This review is about Cathy Cassidy’s novel ‘Coco Caramel’. Coco Caramel is the fourth book in the Chocolate Box Girls series, but you don’t necessarily have to read the first three books before this one, I didn’t, but I still loved it. All the books in this series can be read as stand-alone books too, which is rare in series. The story follows a 12-yr-old 8th grade girl, Coco, who lives in a small town, Kitnor, in England, with 4 sisters, her mum and stepdad. Tomboy Coco likes playing the violin, baking cakes to save endangered animals like Giant Panda, and most of all riding horses. Once, she rides the riding stable’s problem pony, Caramel, without permission, Caramel throws her off, and that’s last straw for Caramel. The riding stable’s resident trouble causer has got to go – forever. And Coco knows it’s her fault. So, when Caramel is sold to a businessman, Coco has to make sure that the pony had gone to a safe home. When she stakes out and finds Caramel being brutally mistreated, she knows she has to rescue her. She plans to bust her out of the stable, and ride away merrily into the sunset. However, things don’t exactly go to plan, and she bumps into Lawrie, the school misfit, in the stables. Quietly stealing Caramel and another pony (because the more the merrier) they hide them in an abandoned cottage on the moors. However, with the other pony in foal, the horse’s legal owner complaining to the police, and no actual plan, they might have gotten themselves in more trouble than they bargained for. Complete family dramas, hidden secrets and more, this charming book may just be what you’re looking for.
Well, I fricking loved this. This is the first time I’ve read a book of Cathy Cassidy, and I might as well read more of her books if they’re all this good. This isn’t a fantasy book, or a murder mystery or anything like the usual suspects on my bookshelf, but I loved it all the same. An adventure drama about growing up, this really takes us into Coco’s world and we see everything from her (relatable) perspective. It also shows the sad reality of animal abuse and neglect. Caramel and the other pony are adorable!! I wish I had a horse. Or a dog. Or a cat. Any animal, really. But I draw the line at insects. Anyways, my point being that for an animal lover, this is a great book!! So yea if you are like Coco and adore animals, you should try this. You’ll probably like it! Age rating- 10+ (though if you are younger you could read this it doesn’t really matter) Star rating- 5 stars!!!

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Book Review-The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne By Jonathan Stroud

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The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne
by Jonathan Stroud

This review is about the novel The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud – a great novel. The story follows outlaw Scarlett McCain, a gun toting cussing bank robber, who lives in Britain after the apocalypse event – the Cataclysm. It is a cruel and dangerous place and time, with people living inside walled surviving towns, where Britain is ruled by the Faith Houses, the government which frowns upon the slightest deviation from normality, be it birthmarks, extra fingers or the like. These ‘deviants’ are left outside the towns in the Wilds to be eaten by beasts or the Tainted – human like cannibals that evolved because of the Cataclysm. Scarlett survives outside the towns, a traveller who survives on bank raids and thefts. One day, she meets Albert Browne, a strangely naïve boy who she found among the wreckage of a bus which was savaged by some beast. They form a duo travelling through the lands, but soon Scarlett realizes there is more to Albert than meets the eye. The government is taking a special interest in trying to capture Albert Browne – because he may just bring about their downfall. Soon, Albert and Scarlett have to reach the Free Isles, where it is rumoured that anyone is accepted. This might just be his only chance at survival. They team up with Joe and Ettie – an old boat man and his granddaughter – to reach there. But will the government catch up with them before they escape? Because there’s more to everything than meets the eye……..
I have read Jonathan Stroud’s series – the Bartimaeus Trilogy and Lockwood and Co.– and they are definitely among my favourite series, with their fantasy elements, dry humorous wit and action filled escapades, so I decided to try his novel – The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne – hoping that this too will be written in the irresistible writing style, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint. I loved this! Jonathan Stroud is an amazing author! This book is a funny, sassy, and daring adventure! Everything is quite descriptive so it’s like a mind movie. This book is bound to bring a smile to your face as you read it. My favourite characters are probably Joe and Ettie, though it’s hard to choose, everyone has great character development. Do not waste your time thinking about it – just buy and read it!!! It was so good that I read it in one sitting straight!! In short – it’s amazing! I recommend it for ages 10+. I 100% give this 5 stars!!!

Book Review #Aru Shah & the city of gold By Roshani Choksi

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BOOK COVER

Aru Shah and the City of Gold
by Roshani Choksi

This review is about the book ‘Aru Shah and the City of Gold’ by Roshani Choksi.  This book came out a few months earlier this year, and this is a fabulous addition to the Aru Shah series. This series is out of the world. It’s frickin amazing!!!!

Aru Shah has been kidnapped by the Sleeper (the nastiest villain who wants to take over the world, a.k.a Aru’s father) and now she is in for a huge surprise. Because apparently, she isn’t the only daughter of the Sleeper. Meet Kara, the Sleeper’s other daughter, who is supposedly Aru’s sister, and she wants to help the Pandavas defeat the Sleeper. But can they trust her? That remains to be seen…
First, they have to go to Lanka, the city of gold, to convince Kubera, Lanka’s king and god of, well, gold, to give them his powerful army, his secret ultimate weapon, and return their deva friends Hanuman and Urvashi. But for all this, Kubera gives them three quests. They have to succeed in all of these to win his favour, and that too  before the Sleeper’s army arrives. Can Aru and her sisters and friends succeed, survive unexpected betrayals, and meet friends old and new and not die? Because the answers aren’t always in plain sight….

This is awesome. This is the fourth book in the Aru Shah series, and the fifth (and final) book will come out next year, in 2022. I’m so excited!!! I love the Aru Shah series, because a) It’s really funny! b) It’s on Indian mythology (I’m an Indian) c) It’s amazingly interesting! So I really, really love it!! This was one of the best books in the series, and the bombshell about the Sleeper’s other daughter was really shocking. It had amazing character development and obviously the author HAD to end it at a cliff-hanger. My favourite characters where probably Aru, Mini and Rudy. The characters are also relatable (not that I’m a reincarnated Pandava, hehe) but you can totally put yourselves in the character’s shoes and feel right at home. There are a lot of stories and characters from Indian mythology which I didn’t know of, and this book told their stories too in a short and engaging way. I hope that a movie is made of this series, and that they do a good job of it. This is a ‘Rick Riordan Presents’ book series which basically means that ‘Rick Riordan Presents’ is a publishing branch which publishes amazing book series based on mythology of various cultures. It’s safe to say that Aru Shah is one of my favourite book series. I recommend this for ages 9+/10+. (Read the first book, Aru Shah and the End of Time, before continuing with the series) IT’S GREAT!!!!

This book deserves 5 stars!!!

#Book Review- Keeper of the Realms-Crow’s Revenge By Marcus Alexander.

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Keeper of the Realms #1
Crow’s Revenge

By Marcus Alexander

When I found out about this book, I thought it was going to be kind of similar to the series ‘Keeper of the Lost Cities’ series (which is like one of my favourite series ever) but I decided to give it a try anyway. And I’m really glad I did because they are NOT similar. I guess this just proves the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” (or its name, in this case). This book definitely deserves to be a lot more famous. It’s a great series! I’m just sad that there are only three books in this series. So, the main character is a 13-yr-old girl, Charlie Keeper, who lives in London with her old grandma. (Charlie is like my favourite character because of her feisty attitude). Her parents are missing, presumed dead for seven years. Their lawyer, Mr. Crow, (who is a mean, money loving, little……ahem.) takes ‘care’ of them. One day, Charlie comes home to find a blood thirsty giant waiting for her. While trying to run from it, she accidently opens a doorway to the magic realm of Bellania. She escapes through it and…. finds an amazing realm full of wonder. Three races live together, Stomen, Treman and Human. Stomen sing to stone and carve it, Treman sing to trees, and Humans…. just muddle on. Charlie Keeper is a special human, a Keeper, and Keepers always have special abilities. In Bellania, she finds out that the giant was Bane, the Western Menace who is feared throughout the lands. The reason he was after her was because she had a special pendant that her parents had given her, that could change the fate of all of Bellania. Bane might not be the only threat……
When it seems like the entire world wants her pendant, Charlie isn’t sure whom to trust. Can Charlie and her friends stop Bane and his allies before they can get a hand on her pendant, especially with Mr. Crow making a rather drastic return? ………
This was an awesome book, and of course the author had to give a cliff-hanger ending. It’s interesting, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! It’s a great book for those who love the genre fantasy (like me!), and the traitor (Bane’s ally) is extremely unexpected. It’s actually really innovative and new. I loved the game of K’Changa, and I would love to play it. K’Changa is a special game of Bellania. It’s fun to read, and I don’t think you’ll get bored reading this fast-paced ride of adventure. There are some loose ends, but I think they’ll all tie up nicely in the next books. It’s not too heavy but it’s not kiddish either. It has got a lot of action and mystery and humour and fantasy, and those are for me the best things to mix up for a book. It’s basically a fab read! Oh, and the handful of illustrations are very nice! They help to picture the characters clearly and they are really good drawings! I recommend this book for 11+. EXCELLENT!!!!!

Magisterium-The Bronze key- Book-3, By Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

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Magisterium – The Bronze Key-Book 3
by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

This review is about the third book in the Magisterium series, ‘The Bronze Key’, by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. A perfect, magical book in an excellent series.

Call and his friends attend a party hosted in their honour, for helping in recovering the Alkahest, (a metal glove that gives you loads of power), when someone tries to assassinate Call but manages to assassinate another student instead. There is a spy at the Magisterium, and he or she is growing more and more desperate to kill Call. The mages are doing their level best to catch him or her, but none of them are succeeding. A mage of the great Assembly of Mages has tried and failed. It’s up to Call, Aaron, Jasper and Tamara to catch the spy, and to defend the biggest secret of all time (read the first book). A secret that could throw the world in an uproar if they find out. Now, they set up traps, talk to elementals, break into one of the most important and heavily guarded safes in the world. And they find out that things aren’t always what they seem. After many near death adventures, false alarms and cold trails, they stumble onto the truth. A shocking, surprising truth that makes it even harder for them to trust people. One that will blow you away……

Magisterium may sound a bit like a typical magic school story, or a Harry Potter rip off, but I can assure you that it is not. But it is still extremely great. I, personally, actually liked this better than Harry Potter (though both are nice) and thought that this was lighter, funnier and more engaging than Potter. The school, the characters and situations are well defined and leading up to an excellent climax which is both unexpected, intriguing and sad. Predictable end? NOT. This series is just getting better and better! (There are five books, btw). And the school, Magisterium, is so interesting! I wish I could go to such a school, where you learn levitating and fighting rogue monsters like elementals, but I, sadly, have to learn maths and history. It’s still pretty fun to imagine you’re a student in the Magisterium, though. It’s interesting, riveting, cliff-hanger-ing (is that a word?) and basically – it’s an awesome book! My favourite character was definitely Jasper. This is the third book, though, so if you want to read it, you should read the first and second books in the series (The Iron Trial and The Copper Gauntlet). I recommend this series for all ages. It is amazing!!!! It has a great sense of snarky humour which will leave you smiling for more.
I give this book five stars!                            

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl By Stacy McAnulty.

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The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
by Stacy McAnulty

This review is about the book ‘The Miscalculations of Lightening Girl’ by Stacy McAnulty. It is amazing. A fabulous story, with an engaging style of writing. A book that will make happy and sad at the same time. It’s beautiful! Anyway, more of that later. The story all began like this….

Lucy Callahan is maths genius. No, seriously. When she was 8 years old, she was struck by lightning. She survived, but it made her a maths genius with strange habits. Lucy has always been home schooled, but now her Nana has decided to send her to… middle school. The seventh grade of East Hamlin Middle School, to be precise. She will be stuck around kids her own age, and now she has to make a friend. Easier said than done. Lucy thinks that going to middle school is a horrible idea. The worst decision ever, in fact. But is it? For some time, things still seem to be going okay. She makes a friend. Two, in fact. Levi and Windy. She even gets invited to sleepovers! But then they get a school project. They have to make a difference in their community. So, they decide to help pets get adopted. They go to a small pet shelter, where they help some dogs get adopted. But then, they fall in love with a terminally ill dog, Cutie Pi, who has cancer. He won’t live long, and because the shelter can’t afford to take care of him, if he doesn’t get adopted, he will be put down by the animal control. Now, they are in a desperate race against time to help Cutie Pi get adopted. But, to top it all off, one of her friends betray her, and soon things are spiralling out of Lucy’s control. Can they fix this mess? Can they save Cutie Pi, and become friends again, all in time?…..

This book is an extremely interesting one, with an excellent storyline that makes it a beautiful book. This isn’t well known enough. You will get lost in this amazing book, which was obviously written with a lot of love. It isn’t a fantastical or sci-fi book, but it has a magic of its own which keeps you hooked to the very last page. A sad but heart-warming book, this is one of my favourite books (which aren’t series). Severely underrated. My favourite character is probably Levi and, of course, Cutie Pi. It is a story that will show you the plight of many shelter dogs, healthy or sick. I loved this book. A lot. I think that this book was awesome, and even those who generally don’t read books will like it. It is a perfect book to read on a rainy day, and one which will not leave you bored. Basically, one damn good book! It’s perfect! I rate this book for 9+.

I give this book 5 stars!

Keeper of the Lost Cities #Book-7 By Shannon Messenger.

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Keeper of the Lost Cities #7 – Flashback
by Shannon Messenger

This review is about the 7th book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Flashback. It is an awesome book in a fabulous series. It has a great plot concept and nice style of writing. I really like this series, especially this book. Well, anyways, it all happened like this……

After Alvar Vacker (a traitor and murderer) was captured during the raid on the facility of Nightfall, he has lost his memories, and now has to be sentenced for his involvement in the rebel group Neverseen’s plans. The final verdict – Alvar will return to his family’s home Everglen on house arrest for some months. However, not everyone feels that this is a wise decision, especially few from his family. Whether this is a mistake or not, remains to be seen. A few days later, Sophie and Fitz are attacked by the members of the Neverseen, but they managed to escape but just in the nick of time. Unfortunately, not without injuries. They were hurt by a mysterious shadowy weapon called Shadowflux, and it will take them a while to recover. They need to learn more about this shadow force, and now they are even more determined to foil the Neverseen’s plans, but the problem is that they never seem to realize their plans until it is too late. So, time to be more vigilant. Time to rearrange their priorities, to keep an eye on their enemies, old and new. Time to defend themselves from the Neverseen’s attacks. Maybe even talk to old enemies.
Now, with the alicorn babies (the last of their kind) in grave danger, and an attack on Everglen with some bloodthirsty trolls, can they save everyone they love? Another betrayal and sacrifice follow……

Join Sophie and her friends on their quest to save their world……

This book is even better than the previous books in this series, with its extremely dangerous climax and an ending cliff-hanger. Shannon Messenger is an amazing writer who can make you feel like you are in the character’s shoes yourself. A fantastic book in an amazing series. I really loved this book. It has amazing descriptions, adventure filled situations and touching moments. An imaginative, fantastical series that will leave you wishing for the next book. With its beautiful, touching style of writing, it captures the attention of book lovers. I think that this is one of the best series I have ever read. My favourite characters in this book were probably Elwin and Dex. This series is really good for those who liked Harry Potter, The Inheritance Cycle and Percy Jackson. It is incredible, one of a kind and an outstanding series in general. I rate this book for 10+. Its genre is fantasy/adventure. I found this the best book in the series, it is really action packed!
With its great plot and characters, an excellent book.
I give it 5 stars!

My Top 5 Favourite Series.

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My Top Five Favourite Book Series

1.Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud

At the time, England was afflicted by an enormous epidemic of ghosts, had been so since decades. The only people who could see or hear them were children. No adult could do so. However, the ghosts can only appear after dark, and they are tied to a Source, something they deeply cared about or hated in life. All the kids who can sense ghost are employed by agencies, and their job is to eradicate the ghosts. It isn’t an easy job, but a necessary one. 15-yr-old Lucy Carlyle was born in a tiny town in northern England, where she grew up in the company of her six sisters and her friends. She had excellent hearing and decent sight for ghosts. She catches a train and arrives in London, hoping to get a job in a decent agency and put her talent to good use. Instead, she joins the smallest and most unknown of all agencies- Lockwood and Co. With her two friends, Lockwood and George, they solve many cases, and have many adventures, and make some new friends and allies on the way. They spend a night in the most haunted house of England, find a rare, talking ghost, stop one of the biggest ghost clusters of all time, and more. But underlying it all, they uncover a huge, horrifying conspiracy. One that could endanger the lives of thousands of people……

Lockwood and Co. is a humorous, mystery filled, slightly creepy series, that JUST ISN’T WELL KNOWN ENOUGH! It is a beautiful series that is really refreshing to read, and like, anyone can read this book. It doesn’t really have an age limit, even an adult can read it if they want, or a 9-year-old. It has a really intriguing plot, with great character variations. This is a five-book series, but I kept wishing there were more. This is an incredible, outstanding series that I really love, and everyone should read this! Basically – it’s really good, and there really is nothing negative about. It’s great!

2. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Sophie Foster is someone with a big secret – she can read other people’s minds. No one knows that she can do this, or that it is even possible. So it comes as a big surprise when a boy appears at the museum her class is taking a field trip too, and reveals that he can read minds too. How? Because neither of them are human. They are, infact elves with powers, and neither of them belong in the human world. Now, Sophie has to live in the elvin world, and say goodbye to everything she knows and loves in the human world, and stay in a whole new world. However, not everyone wants Sophie there. Sophie and her friends are in big danger, because they are the only ones brave enough to see the flaws in their world. All of them will figure out some jaw dropping secrets and have some action packed adventures, and make a huge difference in the world. But can they do all of this in time? After all, the villains are always one step ahead….

Keeper of the Lost Cities is an amazing book series, and I think everyone should read it. I LOVED this series. Full of detailed descriptions, amazing fight scenes and some really sweet and emotional moments. It has a really nice plot concept, with superb character descriptions. There are eight books in this series. These are some of my favourite books. It was really hard to choose between this series and the Lockwood series, but I liked Lockwood just a tiny bit better. Both are really good though!        I recommend it for 10+.

(P.S – the ninth book is coming out this year! I’m so excited! 😀 )

3. Artemis Fowl By Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl is a child genius and criminal mastermind, who has an unusual obsession. Fairies. He believes in fairies, and is determined to find one, and loot it of its gold, with the help of Butler, who is his faithful bodyguard and….well, butler. Only, these fairies aren’t your typical wish granting fairies who dance around rainbows and sing. They are dangerous, with high tech machinery that humans can’t even dream about, who live under the surface of the Earth, and have, somehow, managed to evade detection for millennia. But not anymore. Artemis Fowl has found them out. Now, Artemis Fowl kidnaps Captain Holly Short, the first female elf in the police department of Recon. In ransom, he wants one metric tonne of gold. A desperate battle commences. And as for who won? No spoilers. But this won’t be the first time the fairies and Artemis meet, as allies or enemies, they have a rollercoaster ride of adventures, like riding a radioactive train across the arctic, breaking into one of the most secure industries on the planet, travelling to the demon dimension and much, much more. But there is something more important than gold –  friendship…….

This lighthearted, action-packed series will captivate the reader. It is really an amazing series, full of humor and adventures. Again – really hard to choose between this and Keeper, both are really good. It is full of adventures with unpredictable endings, and with every twist and turn of the plot, you really can’t tell what will happen next, and that is one of the things that makes it so fun to read! It also really fires your imagination up, and makes you wish you could join them on their adventure. This series has 8 books. I recommend this for 9+.

4. Land of Stories By Chris Colfer

Alex and Connor Bailey are twins – but have different personalities. On their twelfth birthday, their grandma gives them the ‘Land of Stories’ book, that has been in their families for ages. After a few days, they find out something strange – the book glows. And hums. And if you keep something on top of it, it goes inside the book! The twins accidently fall in the book themselves and find…. they are in the Land of Stories! They can see and meet characters they had read about when they were younger, like Snow White, Prince Charming and Goldilocks. But everything is slightly different –  Goldilocks is a fugitive and the Evil Queen is on the loose! And now they only have one way to get home – they need to collect all items of a Wishing Spell. However, they are not the only ones who want it…. Can they reach them in time?
They will have amazing adventures in the fairy tale land, and make lifelong friends with the characters. But as for the ultimate battles, who will win? Can they save the worlds from colliding?….

This is a really funny, fabulous series,with an originality of it’s own, and an beautiful style of writing. It has an intricate, interesting plot line. I really liked this series. Again, no real age rating, any age can read it. It is a laugh out loud, touching book with complex plots, and clever changes in the actual fairy tales. It has delightful characters and great storyline.It is a six-book series. I think even an adult would like it. It’s awesome and engaging, but the last book ended kinda abruptly. But it’s still pretty good.

5.Percy Jackson By Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is 12-yr-old who is no stranger to trouble. But one very strange thing that happens on a class field trip to a museum takes the cake. His algebra teacher turns into a monster and attacks him. He manages to escape, but then a few days after that, he is on vacation with his mom, when a minotour (a big monster) attacks them, his mom get kidnapped and he finds out that his best friend is part goat. Yippee. You see, he isn’t normal. He is the son of a greek god, Poseidon. The god of the sea, storms and water in general. Now he has to attend a camp called Camp Half Blood, with other kids who are like him, demigods. Percy with the help of his friends, Grover and Annabeth, must complete quests, fight ancient Greek monsters, try not to die and rescue his mother. But there is a danger no one know about, a traitor no one suspects…..
Kronos, the worst titan in greek mythology, is waking up, and soon a great war will happen….

I really liked this series. It took the best aspects of Greek mythology, and blended it with normal, likeable characters, with a lot of humour and A LOT of action. It is a five book series (why?!! 5 books are too less!) and really good for learning more about Greek mythology, but it’s also really fun and original. It’s really good! Also unpredictable plot, but it all ties together nicely at the end. It’s great for 9+. A fabulous story with great characters.

Lockwood & Co -The creeping shadow( Book-4).

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This review is about the fourth book in the ‘Lockwood and Co.’ series, ‘The Creeping Shadow’. This is an amazing book in an awesome series, which is not well known enough. I love this series. Well, anyway, it all happened like this…..

Lucy Carlyle – a talented girl who can hear ghosts, formerly employed at Lockwood and Co. agency, is now a freelance agent after the incident in Aickmere Brothers department store. She is now working with any agency that needs her help – Rotwell, Grimble and all the rest. She lives in her own apartment with a skull in a jar. Yes, that’s right. She has a phantom in a jar – a ghost who can talk, which is rare for a ghost, and Lucy is the only living person who can hear and talk to it. One day, out of the blue, Lockwood turns up. He needs her help with an important job, an assignment given by Penelope Fittes, one of the most important people in London and head of the extremely prominent Fittes agency. An assignment involving the ghost of a murdering cannibal. Lucy agrees. After some considerable work, they manage to find the ghost’s source and safely dispose it off. Or so they think….

The next day, someone steals Lucy’s friend – the phantom in the jar. On top of it, she finds out that all the ghosts the agencies think are being safely disposed off, are actually being stolen and used in black market auctions. This going on for some months. Someone she used to trust, turned out to be a turncoat, and is part of the theft. After a narrow escape from attempted murder by the thieves, she goes to Lockwood and Co. Her true friends. They then find out; this whole thing is far more complex than it seems. They receive a distress call from the village of Aldbury Castle. The village is being plagued by ghosts, and they ask Lockwood and Co to help them. Can they rescue the skull, stop the auctions and help the village, all in time? They will fight against unsuspected enemies, and take the help of unexpected allies, and find out that this whole thing is interconnected somehow. Can Lockwood and Co. save the day?

This book is so good! I couldn’t put it down! This series is really underrated. It definitely deserves to be as famous as Harry Potter. With subtle, sarcastic humour and an intricate plot, this book keeps you hooked. The fantastic style of writing of this book is paired with an interesting story. All the scenes are really well described. It may seem a bit scary, but it’s more like mysteries, but with ghosts. The skull’s ghost is definitely one of the best characters. This is a one-of-a-kind series. All in all, this is one nice fat book that will keep you engrossed. This series is perfect for those who like creepy mysteries. It is original, imaginative but also quite realistic. You’ll see the plot taking place in a world that really isn’t that different from our own. I found it fun to see the book version of our world. You can reread these books, over and over, and not get tired of them. In short – I loved this book because everything is good about it! It is a captivating, beautifully written book, that is perfect for ages 9+. Everyone should read this series, it is amazing!

I give this book 5 stars!

Aru Shah and the End of Time By Roshani Chokshi

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This review is about the first book in the Aru Shah series, Aru Shah and the End of Time. This was a fun and adventurous book following the adventures of a girl, her soul sister and a talking pigeon. It is really good, and now let me tell you more about it!

One morning, in her school break, Aru’s classmates turn up to catch her in a lie (or rather, several lies), and start filming a video, catching her in the lie. It’s not Aru’s fault, she loves spinning tales, and lying about having a chauffeur and spending the break in Paris is the only way to fit in at her snobbish school. And now the only way to get out of her own stupid lie, is to light the museum’s cursed Lamp of Bharata. Something her mother has told her to never ever do. Her mother runs the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, and Aru lives there with her. The Lamp of Bharata is just a lamp, she thinks, what is so special about it? So……. she lights it. And her world officially turns upside down. To begin with, her classmates are frozen in time, and so is her dear mother. And to cap it all off, a sulky pigeon appears in the giant statue in the hall, who insists that Aru is the reincarnation of one of the historic Pandava brothers. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any weirder, a mystical door appears and another girl appears, who is also another Pandava. Her name is Mini, and the pigeon’s name is Boo. And now, they have to stop the world from ending, as a mysterious demon called the Sleeper has apparently been freed, after Aru lit the lamp. Now they have to go to the Otherworld, and go through a Claiming, to see whose daughters they are. Mini turns out to be the daughter of Dharma Raja, the god of Death and Justice, while Aru …… is the daughter of Indra, the god of thunder, sky, lightning and the King of the Heavens. Now they have nine days to stop the Sleeper, and to do that they have to find three things –

  • The spring of Youth,
  • The bite of Adulthood
  • The Sip of Old Age.

And then they have to face the Sleeper… Piece of cake!!!!

 Aru and Mini battle through the Otherworld, the Land of Death, a mysterious forest, the Bridge of Forgetting, and many other amazing, magical places. It will be journey they’ll never forget. But, can they do all of this in time?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

This book showcases some of the not-so-well known aspects of Hindu mythology, and makes it really fun and interesting to read. Even if you are an Indian, and know a lot about it, you will still find something new. Pair this with its quirky sense of humour, it is an instant favourite. For those who love Hindu mythology, this book is a must!! You’ll see the characters and their super cool abilities, and wish you had a superpower like that! Its storyline is kinda sad and happy at the same time, it has the perfect balance. The reader will get swept along in the enchanting, magical and dizzying world of Aru Shah, and with amazing characters and places like a talking pigeon, the reincarnation of the legendary Pandava brothers (reincarnated as girls!) and the fact that all villains are never fully evil. You will take great delight seeing the beautiful realm of Hindu mythology, written in a way that is both interesting and easy to understand, and meet great characters, and want to buy the next book immediately! The author paints out the scenes in vivid detail, and you will love Aru’s bravery and Mini’s smartness. This is definitely a remarkable book! I hope all the other books in the series are this good. I will try the other’s, and I urge you to read this book! This is perfect for those who love comical, fantastical books. I recommend this book for ages 9+.              

I give this book 5 stars!!

The Graveyard Book By Neil Gaiman

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This review is about the book, The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. This novel is one of the best books I have read, and its creepy, imaginative plot story line is an entrancing one. It all started in the way the best horror books do – with a murder……

One cold, dark night, a man Jack was attending to some business – killing an unsuspecting family in their beds. He had just one person left to attend to – a little baby boy. The most important of the lot. Not a very difficult task. Or so he thinks. However, his satisfaction on a job about to be well done turned into panic and fury, when he discovers the child is not to be found in the house. He hurries out into the dark, misty lane, to try and find the boy, and salvage the job before it was too late……..

What of the boy, then? An adventurous boy, he had fallen out of the cot and stumbled out of the house, in hope to explore. He goes into the graveyard next to the lane, and stumbles into an unsuspecting ghost couple. Mr and Mrs Owens have been quite happily married for about a few hundred years, in life and now death. Suddenly the spirit of the baby’s mother appears, and begs Mr and Mrs Owens to take the child, hide him and raise him as if he was their own. A kind-hearted couple who had wanted a child to raise, but had never had one, the Owens agreed. The entire graveyard pitched in to take care of the child, and Silas, a friend of the ghosts, agreed to become his guardian. They agreed that the child should draw as little attention to himself as possible, and the christened him as Nobody. Nobody Owens, Bod for short, who would be raised, taught, and educated by ghosts. He was given the Freedom of the Graveyard and was allowed to go anywhere and meet any ghost in the graveyard. He was safe, and the man Jack was thwarted. At least for now….

Bod grows up, quite happily, amidst the ghosts and Silas and even makes a living friend, Scarlett. He has some interesting adventures, with ghouls, an underground monster, a witch and a dance. But soon Scarlett has to leave for Scotland. He soon wants to learn more. He wants to go to school, out of the graveyard, and be around other living people. However, the outside world is not safe for him. The man Jack is still looking for him. But he still goes to school and nothing untoward happens.

Scarlett moves back from Scotland to her old city with her mom when she is about fifteen. She meets Bod again and become friends again. However, danger is lurking around the corner, and Bod’s enemies are closer than anyone realizes……

Can Scarlett and Bod save themselves and end the threat of their enemies?

This creepily fantastic novel is an amazing one. It has beautiful descriptions that make you feel as if you yourself are in that situation, with touches of sarcastic humour in between. You get lost in this book as take a journey in Bod’s world. This is an awesome work of Neil Gaiman’s. I will definitely read more of his books if they are this good. My favourite character was Liza. A beautiful story, slightly creepy with a bittersweet ending, this is definitely one of the best books I have read. It is perfect for a rainy afternoon, or if you are bored since it will certainly shake the boredom away. It’s originality makes it a must read, and even the people who do not like reading, will like this book.
I hope that he continues writing such good books. It is perfect for people liking creepy, fantastical stories, and I really hope you read and like it. You won’t regret it.

I recommend this book for 9+.

Keeper of the Lost Cities. Book 1 By Shannon Messenger

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This review is about the first book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. This book is amazing, and I am so glad I decided to read it!! This book is unputdownable!! Anyways, let me tell you more about it!

12-year-old Sophie Foster has never fit in. To begin with, she is an extremely intelligent child prodigy who studies with high schoolers, and is still smarter than them. Another thing, Sophie has a secret. She can hear the thoughts of others. She can’t explain it. She never told anyone about it. She didn’t want to become even more of a freak in their eyes. Her abilityis always giving her headaches. One day on a typical school trip to a small science museum, she meets a strange boy. (Who was apparently looking for her?!) In a matter of a few hours, her entire life is turned upside down……………

She realizes she has this strange ability because…… she isn’t human. The other boy (whose name is Fitz, by the way), also has this ability. She is an elf, and so is he, and she doesn’t belong in the world of humans. Her human family, with whom she lives, isn’t her real family. He takes her to a beautiful world……… the world of elves. All this, and more, forces her to believe what he is saying…. is real. In this new world, everything from telepathy to travelling at the speed of light to alchemy is real, and trivial things like the most major laws of physics aren’t a hindrance. She is forced to leave her human family, which turned out to be one of the hardest things she has ever done, and start a new life in the elven world, with extremely different rules and traditions. She has to start at the most prestigious elven academy, Foxfire. A school year full of twists and turns awaits, full of friendship and joy, sadness and disappointment, and mystery and intrigue.

However, it isn’t long before she is in grave danger. Not only her, but the people close to her too….

A book full of surprises, this will keep you captivated till the last sentence. It is so well written that you will feel as though you are in the character’s shoes, facing the situation that they are facing. It is super original, funny and interesting. It is really fun to read and it is perfect for a rainy day. It is so suspenseful sometimes, and it makes you wait breathlessly for the next chapter/scene. It has just the right amount of suspense, humour and, well, pretty much everything else that is essential for a great book. My favourite character is Keefe, who is yours? It is amazingly imaginative, and I loved every word of it! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and hopefully write a review ‘bout it!

This book is perfect for fantasy/sci-fi lovers. I recommend this book for 10+.

This book deserves full five stars!!

HEROES OF OLYMPUS BY RICK RIORDAN

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Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Heroes of Olympus is a superb series!!!!!!!!!! Its protagonists are Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Piper Mclean, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, Reyna Ramirez, Gleeson Hedge and Nico di Angelo. The series in order-

  1. The Lost Hero
  2. The Son of Neptune
  3. The Mark of Athena
  4. The Blood of Olympus
  5. The House of Hades

A prophecy has been spoken –

“Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, to storm or fire the world must fall, an oath to keep with a final breath, as foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.”

Seven half-bloods – that is seven demigods (that is, sons and daughters of gods and goddesses) have to work together and save the world from an evil ( but sadly, powerful) goddess all in a couple of months, sailing in their spankin’ hot war machine ( get the reference ?? ) or, in other terms their warship, the Argo II. They may achieve peace, but at what price??? Who will make the final sacrifice, and how high will the cost be???…….

Meanwhile a war is already going on, between the roman and Greek demigods, and bloodshed may be inevitable…….

They also have side adventures , like, oh, freeing death from his chains (long story) , rescuing a magical statue from a giant spider, falling into and trying to survive Tartarus ( which is like the Greek equivalent of monster hell) to name a few. Being demigods, this is what they are born for….

They have to survive, save the world, prevent a war that would cost hundreds of lives……

No pressure!

This series was amazing!!!! Though if you want to read this series, I recommend that you read the Percy Jackson series first, (otherwise you will be really confused). This is fantastic, and the author has a style of writing that keeps the reader interested throughout the series (the series is huge) and excited, and the books have so many unexpected twists and turns and side plots it’s impossible to predict what will happen next. You feel like you are actually in the character’s shoes, his/her feelings and situations are so well described.

I recommend this series for 10-11+ yrs. One great thing about this series is that both adults and children can read it. I give this book series 5/5 stars!!!

The Green Ember by S.D.Smith

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Hi friends!

Today I will be talking about the book called “The Green Ember”.  I know it has been ages since I wrote the last blog. Sorry for the delay. This book is the first book in the Green Ember series, and it is really incredibly good. It is more of a war story than a fantasy which is my favourite genre. I hope you will try it reading like I did. It is excellent. Let me tell you all about it!

The story begins like this…

Heather and Picket are two extraordinary rabbits, but they are not aware about it. They are content with their life and family in a place called “Nick Hollow “and they could not be happier about it. Their father is from the east, and their mother is from Nick Hollow only. Heather and Picket have a baby brother too named Jack. Heather is the eldest and Picket the middle one is the fastest rabbit. They thought that their life was perfect. However this was not going to last for long. In a span of few days their life turned upside down. Their families are torn apart, and their lives can never be the same again.

The Wolves……wait wait… I need to give you brief history before I go on with the story!

Once upon a time, there lived a wise and good king called King Jupiter Goodson. It was a golden era under his rule. However, it soon ended sadly because of a traitor called Garten Longtreader who betrayed the King by colluding with the enemy. The king was murdered at a spot called Jupiter Crossing. There are two sides which have been warring since the dawn of history- Rabbits (the good fellas) and wolves/hawks (the bad ones). Morbin is the evil hawk king who wants to rule everyone and become emperor. They are at war since centuries.

Now, back to the story. The wolves who were actually looking for slaves(slavers) came for their family. Only Heather and Picket escape with great difficulty and timely help from other rabbits, one of whom is their Uncle Wilfred, an uncle they didn’t even know existed. WOAH!!

They have to reach to the safety of a mountain called cloud mountain, and fight with unity for their freedom. However, things are not as they seem, and they struggle to tell apart fact from fiction. Heather and Picket get tied up in strange plots of family secrets, traitors, liars, and true heirs.

Will they ever come out of Morbin’s evil shadow?

This story is awesome and really original.  It will certainly captivate you so much that you will read the whole series. I certainly will do. I understand that the rabbits and wolves sound really kiddish and lame, but it is actually a rather good read. Beside the fact that the characters are animals, the narration is pretty realistic and actually pretty much everything is realistic too. This fast-paced book takes you along the journey of Heather and Picket and will have you at the edge of your seat. Sadly, this is not famous enough but certainly deserves to be. S D Smith is a superb author. This book shows you that you have to be loyal, work hard and never lose hope. Hope is the definitive theme of this book. I recommend it for the ages 10 (and above). I hope that you enjoy reading my blog. I really enjoyed writing it and love this book a lot!

Thanks!

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

On By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

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Today, I will be reviewing the book “Eragon” by Christopher Paolini. This book is the first book in series” Inheritance Cycle“. and it is truly amazing. This book is perfect for those who like myths and fantasy. You can’t put it down.It captivates you as you enter the magical world of Eragon. It is set in medieval times.Let me now tell you a little bit about the story.

Eragon is a poor farm boy who lives in the village of Carvahall. The evil and mad king Galbotrix rules the land called Alagaësia. He has black dragon Shruikan and his wicked followers, “the Foresworn” by his side in the capital Urû’baen. The opposition,the Varden, are deadly enemies of the empire and are forever fighting to rule the land. Eragon and his family ,however, are battling to survive the winter. One day when Eragon was hunting in the huge and dangerous forest called “The Spine”, he finds an exquisite stone with an intricate pattern all over it. He has never seen anything like this before. He takes it with him in the hope that he could sell it and buy meat for his family. However, when the stone is declared worthless in the market, he takes it home. At night , a strange noise started coming from the stone. A piece of it breaks and from it emerges a baby dragon!!!

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It’s not a stone, he realises…but an egg. He touches the dragon hatchling and they are bonded for life.His life can’t exactly be normal anymore. After all, he just hatched a dragon!! His life has changed, forever. Fate chose him. It was his destiny to become a legendary dragon rider. Alas, his family ,who has been kept in the dark about the whole thing, are unknowingly in danger as the empire caught wind of the dragon. They burn down his house and then murder his uncle. This was all done by Ra’zac- the emperor’s elite evil force. Eragon now travels with the dragon Saphira and an old storyteller Brom (there is more to Brom than what meets the eye) to avenge his Uncle’s death. The war between the empire and the Varden is being fought for the next generation of riders as the side which has them will become the unconquerable rulers. He has to choose- the Varden or the current evil monarch.He gets tangled up in dangerous situations and plots, with unlikely allies. Also, his dreams are troubling him. He sees a mysterious girl in the prison in his dreams.Who is she? What should he do?

This book is extremely good and I love it. Everything is really vividly described, so you can almost see it. This book is really imaginative. The way it is written helps you visualise the scene. It is also teaching us to be brave and hard working. There is a lot of shades in the characters, that balances out things nicely. It may not have humour element but it is excellent none the less.  It takes a lot of hard work to write something original and interesting and this book is both. Did you know that Christopher Paolini was only 15 years old when is began writing this particular book. It is amazing. This is so exciting and it is full of adventures that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is full of twists and turns and a lot of GASP moments.  I may sound like an advert for this book but believe me it is worth it. I am sure if you like the fantasy genre this is right up there.  You will love it.I definitely did.

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I can’t wait to read rest of the inheritance cycle and write reviews of them!! Hope that this review was helpful and you liked it.

Artemis Fowl & the Arctic Incident:Book 2 By Eoin Colfer

On By KavyaIn book review, books2 Comments

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I am so glad that I continued with the series because this book is super good. I really like the first book in the series but this 2nd book transported me in a whole new world. I really wanted to know how it ended and at the same time I didn’t want it end! But hey. I bet you are dying to know what’s the story like…so here  it goes..

Haven, the fairy city, has started being frequently attacked by Goblins. They are becoming more and more rebellious and are using outlawed dangerous guns called Softnoses. Pathetic name, I know, but really dangerous guns. And to top it all, these guns are powered by human  AAA batteries which means that there is a human involved at the end of the deal. It means that someone know about the existence of fairies. As suspected, all finger point towards Artemis Fowl since he is the only human who knows about the fairies.

But for once, he is not the culprit. He is just trying to get his father back from Russia where the Russian mafia has captured him after the Fowl Star exploded in the Bay of Kola.

Anyway, when the fairies realize that Artemis is not behind these Goblins attack, they decide to co-operate with each other. Artemis will help them with their Goblin issue and they will in turn help him in the rescue of his father.

Now Artemis and fairies have to find out who is behind Goblins attack… I won’t tell you more.. Read the book to find out how interesting it gets from here…

I loved this book. I know I have said this many times…but still.It’s written in such an absorbing way that it keeps you hooked until you finish it. I actually liked it better than the first book since in this book, Artemis is actually a  much more nicer person  and in Holly Short’s words…

” Under those layers of deviousness, there is a spark of decency. Perhaps you could blow in that spark some times.”

In the first book, he was a gold obsessed person an in this version he is so much better. Earlier it was more like a waiting game with the LEP sending in stuff like a troll, bio-bombs and  farting dwarf etc. In this book it was more hands on action and Artemis in in the thick of it.

Action and drama are the words that describe Eoin Colfer’s book in the nutshell. Any adult, teen, child with little taste of Science fiction and fantasy will and should love this. It has also got great humour as well. Love it.!