The Outcasts - 4 stars

Review requested by Alaina Bach


     The Outcasts is the first book in John Flanagan's Brotherband Chronicles. It's set in the same world as his bestselling Ranger's Apprentice series, and focuses on the Skandians, the Viking-like barbarians of the north. It has all the hallmarks of a Flanagan series: dry humor, fast-moving action, engaging characters, and plenty of plot twists.

     The Outcasts centers around Hal, a half Skandian/half Araluen boy who's father died in a raid. Raised by his mother and his father's best friend Thorn, Hal is about to begin his brotherband training, a Skandian method of training boys in the skills they will need to become full-fledged Skandian warriors and sea-farers. If Hal doesn't do well in his brotherband training, he can expect to have a difficult time being accepted aboard a ship when he becomes an adult. Unfortunately, Hal has been chosen as the leader of the most unlikely bunch of young Skandians, and the chances that they'll win the brotherband training are very slim.

     I enjoyed several things about The Outcasts. First, the concept of brotherband training was interesting - what kind of skills do boys need to become Skandian warriors, and how do they acquire those skills? John Flanagan is particularly adapt at writing those things and making them both fun to read and funny to read. I also liked the other boys in Hal's brotherband. They were definitely the most unlikely bunch of heroes I've read about, and the way Flanagan turned them into something heroic was well-written. Also, Flanagan has a certain style of dry humor that makes fun of a situation in a way that I really like - it's clean, it's genuine, and it's everyday humor, the kind everybody can relate to. The humor and the characters are what makes The Outcasts a good read for me.

     The reason I only gave The Outcasts 4 stars is because it was very similar to Ranger's Apprentice. Some of the similarities are simply because he's still the same author writing in the same world, but in my opinion, John Flanagan didn't make his Brotherband Chronicles separate enough from his other series. I saw the same kinds of jokes being made, and the characters of The Outcasts had many of the qualities of some of his Ranger's Apprentice characters. Ranger's Apprentice fans might find the closeness between the two series enjoyable because the Ranger's Apprentice story continues in the new Brotherband Chronicles. I had been hoping, however, to read something different from John Flanagan and see him write some new idea, and so I was somewhat disappointed that he only came up with a spin-off of his previous series. But if you are a fan of Ranger's Apprentice and are looking for more of the same, the Brotherband Chronicles are a must-read. They have all the qualities that made Ranger's Apprentice such a great series, and I've always liked Skandia, so reading about that part of Flanagan's world was also great.

Link to Brotherband Chronicles website: http://www.worldofjohnflanagan.com/the-brotherband-chronicles/

Delirium Trilogy - 2.5 stars

     The Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver is set in a futuristic version of the United States. It centers around a teenage girl called Lena, who is living with her aunt and uncle in Portland, Maine, and is on the verge of undergoing a procedure called the Cure. This procedure is mandatory for all citizens once they reach eighteen years of age, and Lena is anxious to get her's. Under the current government, love is considered a disease, and the Cure is the only known way to render one immune to it's effects. Everyone who has not been Cured is at risk.

     Delirium, the first book in the trilogy, sets the scene by introducing Lena, a fairly typical girl in all aspects except that both her parents died when she was young, leaving her to live with her aunt and uncle. Lena follows the rules that the government has set up to protect young people from the disease of love - like everyone else she's terrified of it. But before she gets the Cure, she falls in love with Alex. Alex is secretly spying on the government because he is an Invalid, one of the uncured rebels who are forced to live in the Wilds, the unexplored territory beyond the walls that protect the cities. Alex is also part of a rebellion against the government, because the Invalids believe everyone should be free to love. Lena realizes that once she has the Cure, what she feels for Alex will be gone and she will be paired with a suitable young man for the rest of her life. To escape that fate, she and Alex try and escape together to the Wilds, but they are caught, and Lena sees Alex go down after making sure she will get away safely.

     I found Delirium to be a fairly decent book - not particularly slow moving or boring. I wasn't sure I liked the way the story was going, but the idea of love being a disease was new and fairly interesting, so I decided to read on. Delirium is probably worthy of 3.5 stars from me.

     The second book, Pandemonium, takes off and continues the story with an alternating timeline. Each chapter alternates between Lena's mission within Portland, spying for the Invalids, and her recent struggle to adjust to life in the Wilds. This tactic allows Lena's growth as a character to be gradually revealed from a variety of aspects - a writing strategy that I liked. While Lena recovers from her flight from Portland in the Wilds, she goes from being a heartbroken girl to someone who is stronger, more determined, hiding her love for Alex under a tough exterior. At the same time as this aspect of Lena's life is revealed, her mission within Portland also continues, and she ends up saving the life of a boy called Julian, one who strongly supports the Cure. During her attempt to keep him alive and escape from detection, she and Julian also fall in love.

     Pandemonium seemed to me to be a decent story in some ways, and a terrible one in others. I admired Lena's recovery and her determination to do something about the Cure now that she knew it was evil. But at the same time as I was admiring that, I was hating her romance with Julian. I felt it was too sudden and not founded upon anything. To me it seemed like a reaction to a very stressful and dangerous situation, but not built on a real and lasting affection for each other as something other than friends. The romance seemed like a plot device meant to cause Lena further anguish more than anything else. Largely because of this, Pandemonium was only worth 3 stars.

     Requiem I approached with the hope that Oliver would turn the story around and make it come out satisfactory. Lena, Julian, and Alex (who did not die at the end of Delirium - surprise!) are working with the rest of the Invalids to make the rebellion a reality, but as the days go by, the futility of their actions seems more and more obvious. Lena is also trying to decide which she loves best: Julian or Alex. I found this particularly agonizing, since it took the entire book for her to make up her mind and she was constantly dwelling on it. Thankfully, Lena's chapters were alternated with chapters narrated by her childhood friend, Hana. Since Lena left Portland, Hana has had the Cure and is about to be married to her match, a wealthy and influential young man who is important to the fight against the Invalids. Hana's chapters provided me with some relief from Lena's brooding, and I found Hana's side of the story to be intriguing. 

     The ending of Requiem wasn't particularly thorough - it left all the major questions answered, but although the government had been overthrown, Oliver only hints at what the future holds for Lena, Julian, Alex, Hana, and the rest. I was somewhat dissatisfied with this way of ending the story, but I think that winding up all that had happened would have taken too long to do well, and would have ended up boring. Still, Requiem didn't meet up to my expectations, and I would only rate it 3 stars.

     I happen to have reasons for my less-than-favorable opinion of the Delirium trilogy. First, the love triangle between Lena, Julian, and Alex was a disappointment to me. Stripped of most of the details, the love story went like this: The girl falls in love with a boy who represents something she's been afraid of all her life, but when they run away from everything she's ever known to be together, he 'dies'. She's heartbroken and becomes a very toughened character, but then falls in love with a boy who's the complete opposite - and just when everything seems to be working out between them, the first boy shows up again. Now the girl has to choose between two boys she loves and who still love her. 

     I generally don't like love triangles, and although I liked a few things about both boys, neither of them really impressed me. Put those two things together, and the combination was not appealing. The other thing which I disliked about the Delirium trilogy was that Oliver used swear words frequently - and not little ones either. That really disappointed me, because beyond that she has a very beautiful style that makes for really good reading. The swearing definitely lowered my opinion of her. And the other thing that I wasn't happy with about the Delirium trilogy is that it has many of the characteristics of a dystopian story, and I've never been fond of those. 

     However, there were good things about the story, or I wouldn't have kept reading past the first book. The characters were excellent, and although there were a few I personally did not enjoy, they were still well-written. Lena - though she had moments when she seemed weak - is a pretty scrappy character, and she doesn't give in when things get really bad. Alex and Julian made good partners for her in different ways, and I liked that Oliver at least made them different instead of having both love interests be nearly identical. I actually enjoyed Hana because she had more snap and fun to her in Delirium than Lena did, and in Requiem she wasn't as brooding as Lena was. The other Invalids that Lena meets were also good characters, particularly Raven and Tack, the two leaders of the Invalid band Lena joins up with in the Wilds. 

     My final opinion of the Delirium trilogy is this. The characters were all very good, although not all  fit my personal tastes. The world - particularly the idea that love is a disease - was half of what kept me reading, because I wanted to see that resolved. However, the romance wasn't written the way I like it, and I didn't enjoy the swearing and misery that the characters had to go through. I would not read the Delirium trilogy again, but for older readers who enjoyed other recent dystopian-type stories (Hunger Games & Divergent), this trilogy might be something you would enjoy.

Link to author website: http://laurenoliverbooks.com/

Delirium Trilogy ~ 4.5 stars (guest review)

Guest post by jayden robyn

     Lauren Oliver’s Delirium trilogy, consisting of Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem, for young adults is one of the many popular dystopian trilogies of recent times, and is quite possibly my favorite young adult trilogy. This review will cover all three books. 

     In Delirium, we meet Lena Haloway, a girl who is approaching her eighteenth birthday—and the “cure.” In Lena’s futuristic world, love has been declared a disease and must be eradicated. When everyone turns eighteen, they must receive the cure that renders them forever unable to love. They are then paired with someone who will be their spouse and basically live their lives as they are told. This twist on the dystopian world easily could have gone wrong, but Lauren Oliver presents it in a fashion that is very believable, and she gives us background on how her world works without ever bogging the story down. 

     Lena is eagerly awaiting her cure—that is, until she meets a young man named Alex. At first, Lena is wary around him; after all, until they are cured, boys and girls are segregated and do not have contact with each other except for family members. But Lena is intrigued, and soon she begins to doubt the world she has grown up in. Alex tells her about the Wilds, a place outside the borders of the U.S. and how “Invalids”—those who are not cured—live there, free to choose for themselves and free to love. Then Lena discovers that she has fallen in love, and decides once and for all that she will not be cured, and she and Alex plot a daring escape to the Wilds. 

     The entirety of Delirium’s 441 pages covers Lena’s journey to realizing that her world isn’t all that it is made out to be. It is relatively slow-placed, though it does have its exciting moments, and the ending is definitely a major cliffhanger. I found the pacing to be much less bothersome and the story itself more enjoyable the second time around. I would rate Delirium 4 stars. 

     Pandemonium, fortunately, does not fall victim to the “second-book syndrome” that many middle books in trilogies do. I found it even better than the first. Its pacing is much quicker, and the storyline goes back and forth between the brewing rebellion during the present time and Lena’s adjustment to the Wilds during the not-too-distant past. This presentation was smooth and allowed us to follow Lena’s journey without getting bogged down. 

     Pandemonium also introduces several new interesting characters, including Raven and Tack, leaders of the group that Lena joins in the Wilds, and Julian, a likable young man who was raised his whole life believing that love is a disease, just like Lena. Together they take part in the rebellion that is being formed by the people of the wilds to bring down the loveless world that Lena formerly inhabited. A love triangle also begins with Lena, Julian, and Alex. I normally do not like love triangles in the slightest, but Oliver pulled it off well enough that I didn’t mind. I would rate Pandemonium, which ends with another huge cliffhanger, 4.5 stars. 

     Requiem, the conclusion of the trilogy, didn’t disappoint. In this installment, the story alternates between the point-of-views of Lena and her childhood friend Hana Tate, who has been cured. Writing point-of-views, particularly first-person POVs, that sound unique is tough to do, but Oliver pulls it off well. The separate paths of the two girls eventually meet near the end of the novel, which is somewhat darker than the first two but not overwhelming. The rebellion is growing stronger each day, and Lena also has to choose between Alex and Julian, as well as reunite with her mother, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

     The ending of Requiem has been hit-or-miss with most people, and I personally liked it. Oliver wraps up the majority of the story’s loose ends, but leaves her characters’ futures uncertain while still ending positively. I wasn’t sure that I would like that, but in the end I found myself satisfied. I would rate Requiem 4 stars. 

     Lauren Oliver is a talented writer; her words flow smoothly and she has a unique way of describing things without ever feeling stilted or forced. I could easily picture in my head what she was writing about. Her characters are well-rounded and believable, with their own distinct personalities and motives. I liked Lena, Alex, Julian, and Raven, and while I didn’t totally like Hana, she was still interesting. Lena was probably my favorite character overall, and probably my favorite heroine of all the young adult trilogies. She is strong and capable, but she is far from perfect. I felt that she reacted believably to her circumstances in all three books. The romance is also clean. 

     My main complaint about this trilogy is the language. Oliver consistently uses curse words throughout the trilogy, and occasionally she’ll use big ones, too. They came often enough that I couldn’t just ignore them, and it detracted from the story somewhat. In fact, if Oliver hadn’t written the curse words, or at least not so often, I would’ve rated Pandemonium 5 stars and the other two books 4.5 stars. Overall, however, the Delirium trilogy is one of my favorites, and Lauren Oliver is still one of my favorite authors. I’d recommend this trilogy to anyone 14 and up. 

Link to author website: http://laurenoliverbooks.com/

Shadowfell ~ 4.5 stars (guest review)

Guest post by jayden robyn.

     Shadowfell is the first in a trilogy for young adults by respected fantasy author Juliet Marillier. It is set in Alban, a world not unlike a fantastical Scotland, and follows the story of a sixteen-year-old girl named Neryn.

     Neryn has been on the run for the last three years of her life, because of a secret she holds: Neryn can call the Good Folk, fairy-like creatures that inhabit Alban. A Caller is born only once a generation, if even that often. If Neryn’s magical ability is revealed, she will be captured and sent to the cruel King Keldec, and she will be forced to do his bidding.

     Alone and wary, Neryn is searching for a place called Shadowfell, rumored to be the hideaway of the rebels who seek to bring down Keldec’s rule. With help from the Good Folk and a mysterious stranger, Neryn journeys to find Shadowfell, which she worries may just be a rumor.

     Marillier’s writing is lyrical, and her characters are well-written and multi-dimensional. Neryn is a likable heroine; she is tough, and despite going through tragedies at a too-young age, she stills retains a kind heart. Neryn is not your typical heroine—she has no fighting ability, rather slipping away into the woods whenever danger approaches. While this starts to become a bit of a problem for me in the second installment, I liked this aspect of Neryn in this book.

     Flint, the troubled anti-hero of the trilogy, is very well-written and likable. While he struggles with the double life he leads, he is kind to Neryn and respects her. The romance that develops between these two is clean, as well as slow burning, a relief from the cases of instant-love that appears in many books today.

     There were several very likable characters among the Good Folk, and although they talk in thick Scottish brogues, I found them easy to understand for the most part. In fact, several of the Good Folk were probably my favorite characters out of the entire book.

     The story, your traditional quest tale, is slow-paced, but it never really dragged despite its 410 pages. Marillier manages to balance Neryn’s book-long journey with meetings with the Good Folk, close encounters with Enforcers, the men who do the king’s bidding, and finally, meeting the rebels of Shadowfell. Despite its dark moments, Marillier keeps a beam of hope shining throughout the story. The ending is not a cliffhanger, rather wrapping up the story of book one while still leaving more to be discovered in the second book. There was only one small instance in the book that I think would probably not be age appropriate for some under 14—however, the particular moment was not presented crudely.

     Shadowfell is my favorite book by Juliet Marillier, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good fantasy read—I’m not sure that it would appeal to those who aren’t into fantasy.

Link to author/Shadowfell website: http://www.julietmarillier.com/books/shadowfell.html

Imager - 4 stars

     Imager by L.E.Modesitt, Jr. is the first book in the Imager Portfolio, a series of books revolving around the imagers of Solidar. It's set in a world that could be classified as steampunk (a blend of magic and Victorian age technology), but has a far more complicated plot than most steampunk novels I've read. While they are generally full of fast-moving action and brilliant clashes between opposing sides, Imager takes a different route. It has vibrant and unique characters, but not conspicuous ones. It has action, but that action takes time to wind itself up to its full strength and speed. I found the change refreshing and highly entertaining. Imager was another book I had difficulty tearing myself away from to get jobs done.

     Rhennthyl, the eldest son of a wool merchant, was a very talented journeyman painter until his master was killed in an explosion. Out of a job and with no way to support himself, he realizes that he has the ability to image - he can visualize things and make them real. The Collegium, a school, home, and workplace for people with talents like his takes him in and he begins learning how to image. It doesn't take Rhennthyl long to learn two things: he is a very talented and very strong imager, and he is the target of several assassination attempts. Although he doesn't know why someone is trying to take his life, or who that someone is, he has no choice but to try and find out as much as he can. With the help of his lady friend Seliora, his tutor Master Dichartyn, and his own intuition and skills, he gradually uncovers more of the mystery and finds that its more complex that he could ever have imagined.

     The first book ends in a cliffhanger - thankfully Rhennthyl isn't in any immediate danger, but I know it's just around the corner. I found the story to be engaging, especially as the plot picks up pace with more assassination attempts. Rhennthyl was an interesting character and quite unique. Unlike many characters that could be considered interesting, he has no noticeable major flaws and is a strong, determined, and practical young man. To make up for that, however, he spends most of the book struggling with the fact that he doesn't have enough information - and some of that information is being withheld from him by his instructor, Master Dichartyn. I had to sympathize with his repeated frustrations. 

     The world of the Imager Portfolio is complex and detailed - the names of decidedly foreign and suggest some sort of European culture. The design of the world extends to even the little things like the days of the week and the months of the year. There are names for wines, places to eat out, foods, even the method for measuring time is different! In some books this would be too much to remember and would make things too confusing for a good story, but Modesitt does a very good job of balancing those details and actually uses them to make the sense of complex intrigue even more obvious throughout the book. Complex worlds are something I admire, and I definitely admire Modesitt's way of handling the world he created and making it fit with the story he was telling. 

     Imager was a fairly slow-paced book to start out with, and it never really achieves the breakneck speed of some steampunk novels, but what it lacked in fast-moving action scenes it made of up for in a plot that has more twists and turns that I can count. For those who are interested in a thought-provoking story, the Imager Portfolio is one I'd recommend. It will require digestion and thorough reading, but the story was highly rewarding and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading the next several books.

     Another thing I have to say about Imager is that although I label it as "teen", "adult", and "epic" this is only mean to convey the language level and the length. There's nothing inappropriate in these stories - in fact, they're cleaner than some books for 8-12 year-old's that I've read. So although my labels may indicate otherwise, Imager is a good, clean book that younger readers could enjoy safely - as long as they were willing to stick with a slow moving, complicated story.

Link to author website: http://www.lemodesittjr.com/