Dragon Slippers (series review) ~ 4 stars

     The Dragon Slippers trilogy by Jessica Day George consists of Dragon Slippers, Dragon Flight, and Dragon Spear. It's the story of an unlikely heroine who uses her dauntless spirit, courage, and embroidery skills(!) to save her country, save her friends, and save the dragons.

     Creel has never been what you might call a damsel-in-distress. After her aunt tried to foist her off on the local dragon in hopes that some prince would rescue her, Creel set off on her own to make her fortune as a dressmaker. Wearing a pair of slippers given to her by a dragon, she soon finds a job and seems about to realize her dreams. She even strikes up an unlikely friendship with Luka, prince of Feravel, as well as befriending another dragon named Shardas. When the normally peaceful and solitary dragons suddenly attack the people of Feravel, Creel is the only one who believes that they might have been forced to attack. Together, she and Luka discover that not only are Creel's slippers far from ordinary, but that the dragons are being controlled by a foreign princess who intends to conquer Feravel. It will be up to Creel to rescue her friends and point out the person who is really behind the Dragon Wars.

     Dragon Slippers happens to be my favorite of this trilogy. Creel is just getting started on her dressmaking business, and she still has a lot to figure out about dragons. I liked the atmosphere of Feravel, and in this book, you get to find out a lot about Creel and what she's like. In the other books, there's more focus on action and on dragons - and while I love dragons, I really liked Creel. Also, since the romance with Luka is just beginning and Creel's two friends Alli and Marta are more involved in this book, we get more interaction with people in this book.

     In Dragon Flight, everything has just returned to normal, and the humans are beginning to get used to living side by side with dragons again. Creel divides her time between her new dressmaking shop, her reward for ending the Dragon Wars, and spending time with her friend Shardas and his mate Velika, who were both wounded during the war. Then the neighboring country of Citatie declares war on Feravel, and Prince Luka learns that Citatie intends to use dragons in their impeding invasion. Creel, Feravel's resident expert on dragons, is sent to Citatie to find out what she can about this invasion force. Once there, she discovers to her horror that not only are the dragons enslaved and alchemically controlled by the king of Citatie, but that the king of Citatie is being controlled himself - by a white dragon. Before the two countries go to war, which would certainly result in Feravel being destroyed, Creel has to find a way to free the enslaved dragons and defeat the white dragon, who is none other than the brother of Shardas. The fate of dragons and of Feravel hangs in the balance.

     This book definitely concentrated on dragons quite a lot, as well as the strange culture of Citatie. I enjoyed this book because this time, although alchemy was used again, the villain wasn't a person. It was another dragon, and so this was more of a dragon civil war than a war between humans. That aspect lends a voice to this book that is different from the previous one. I really liked this book, but not quite as much as I liked Dragon Slippers.

     Peace between humans and dragons has been restored as Dragon Spear begins. The dragons have flown away to remote islands overseas where they no longer pose a threat to the human kingdoms, even if someone were to find a way to control them again. Creel and Luka, soon to be married, fly to these islands to visit their friends, and arrive just as Velika, Shardas' mate and the queen of the dragons, is kidnapped by rogue dragons. These dragons keep humans as slaves and believe they are the chosen followers of the true dragon queen. Though they consider Velika a pretender, their own queen has died and their eggs are poisoned by the fumes of the volcanic island where they live. Desperate, they have kidnapped the pregnant Velika and intend to raise one of her hatchlings as their new queen. Somehow Creel, Luka, and Shardas will have to find a way to rescue Velika and her eggs, and time is running short. The volcano is about to explode and when it does, no one on the island will survive - not the rogue dragons or their human slaves.

     As different as Dragon Slippers and Dragon Flight were from each other, Dragon Spear is even more different from each of them. I actually like that, because although I get the same characters back each time, I don't have to read a repeat of the last book. Every time I get something fresh. Dragon Spear was definitely a book about the dragons - only three humans really have any significant roles in the book: Creel, Luka, and Creel's brother  Hogan. But as far as dragons are concerned, a lot of the ones from the first two books have returned once again, and some new ones are introduced. I also liked getting a little bit of the background story of the dragons - where they came from, how they governed themselves, what things had happened in their past.

     This trilogy was a real gem. For those who like books about dragons but are having a hard time finding a good dragon book that they haven't already read, this is one to try out. I also want to point out that it's not just a dragon book, it's also a very good story as far as plot, setting, and characters go. Even if you're not one of those people who comb the library and bookstore for the latest books with dragons on the cover, this is a trilogy worth adding to your summer reading list.

     I've reviewed another series by Jessica Day George, the Castle Glower series. Dragon Slippers is more complex and detailed than that one, aimed at a slightly higher reading level, but both of them are definitely Jessica Day George series. She always has characters who aren't just characters, they're individuals. They always have plenty of attitude and spice, which keep the story moving even if it isn't action-packed. Also, I like her romances because for one thing, they never dominate the entire story, they just provide another layer to the plot. And for another thing, the guy character in the romance isn't just there to be the other half, he's a person with as much personality as the girl character. That's something that's missing in quite a lot of books, so its one of the reasons I like her romances.

     Another thing I like about Jessica Day George's books is that she adds that little extra touch to make her characters and her stories definitely different from the books they share the shelf-space at the library with. Yes, there are dragons, a country in peril, wars, and even a romance with a prince. But don't forget that Creel makes dresses for a living. That's her special skill. And actually, her talent for dressmaking and embroidery remains a constant and important feature of each of the books, so you never forget that she's more than just a friend of dragons. In other words, this is definitely a trilogy worth reading, especially for the dragon-loving readers out there.

Link to author website: http://jessicadaygeorge.blogspot.com/

The Dark is Rising (series review) ~ 4 stars

Review requested by Katie

     The Dark is Rising sequence, by Susan Cooper is a mix of Arthurian legends and Irish/Scottish/Welsh folktales where good battles evil in an epic battle that spans all time. Will Stanton is the youngest of the Old Ones, and he is vitally important to this fight. The three Drew children, Simon, Jane, and Barney, are also connected to the fight between the Light and the Dark in ways that even they don't understand.

     In Over Sea, Under Stone, the three Drew children are staying in the seaside village of Tressiwick with their Great-Uncle Merry, who, although he isn't actually related to them, has been a part of their family for as long as they can remember. When Barney finds an ancient map in the attic of the cottage they're vacationing in, it sets them off on a dangerous quest to recover something that will help the Light defeat the Dark forever: the grail. But agents of the Dark have learned about the map as well and they are closing in. I liked the atmosphere of this one - when I started I expected some fluffy story about three kids having a wonderful vacation on the seaside. What I got was just the tip of the iceberg of a very epic, fantastic story that just got bigger and better the further into the series I went.

     The Dark is Rising introduces Will Stanton for the first time, probably my favorite character. The youngest of the Old Ones, beings who wield incredible powers, Will is the last of the Old Ones, the Sign Seeker. It is his task to find the six signs that will be the second of the important tools that the Light can use to defeat the Dark once and for all. The Hunter, a fearsome champion of the Dark, has been assigned to stop Will and steal the signs for the Dark, and Will will need all his wits about him, as well as the help of the first of the old ones, Merriman Lyon. This book was the most complicated of the books. Will goes from a completely ordinary boy to something entirely different, and his journey involves a lot of far-fetched stuff that Susan Cooper somehow makes completely believable under the circumstances. This would be the book I'd reread the most times, just because so much happens.

     Book three of this series, The Greenwitch, is where Will and the Drew children meet for the first time. There's some tension at first as the four of them figure out how to work together, but they've got a very important job to do. The grail has been stolen by the Dark and they have to get it back. Also, a being that belongs to neither the Light or the Dark has possession of a clue that will help strengthen the Light. The Greenwitch is a creature of wild Magic, reborn every year by the women of Tressiwick in a ritualistic ceremony. Together will Merriman Lyon, also known as Great-Uncle Merry, Will and the Drew's have to retrieve the grail and strike a bargain with the unpredictable Greenwitch. What I liked about this book was that this time around, the Old Ones didn't hold all the answers, and the Drews played a very important part in the story, even though they were basically ordinary human beings.

     A new character is added to the group in The Grey King, a Welsh boy called Bran. Will has been sent to Wales for the summer to recover from an illness, and together he and Bran will go on a quest of their own to find a golden harp which must be used to wake the six Sleepers. In this book we get an entirely new setting with its own forces of High Magic, Light, and Dark. There were plot twists here, too, such as Bran's mysterious mother and a dog who can see the wind. What I enjoyed here was getting to see Will working mostly on his own. Merriman was busy elsewhere and wasn't able to help Will directly, unlike in the previous three books. As much as I liked having Merriman show up to save the day, it was good to see Will taking charge in this one, and really learning how to be both an Old One and an (almost) ordinary boy.

     The final installment of The Dark is Rising sequence is Silver on the Tree. In this book, the story takes a more fantastical turn as the allies of both Light and Dark start to gather. Will, Bran, and the three Drew's have a few final tasks to complete, but they are short on time and their enemies are everywhere. In this book, the adventures of Will and Bran are even more magical than before - not only are they stepping out of time, but they're also going to a new dimension in search of the crystal sword. Then the five of them, along with Merriman, have to finish what was started when the grail was found. The Dark is rising, but the Light has gathered everything they need to destroy it once and for all.

     The Dark is Rising sequence was a thoroughly interesting read. It was a pretty epic adventure, but didn't meander on for hundreds and hundreds of pages. It was to the point, which I appreciated because I could really get at the good parts of the story without having to read 2000 pages to get there. I also really liked Will, Bran, and the Drew's. Sometimes Merriman saved the day once too often, but he is the first of the Old Ones, so he has been around for basically forever and it would take a lot to defeat him. Also, the prominence of Arthurian legends and old folktales in the background of these stories was really intriguing. I've always loved mythology of any kind, and Scottish and Irish mythology isn't involved in stories as often as Greek mythology is, so it was a treat to find it here. And lets not even get started on Welsh folklore! After reading these books, I'd really like to see Wales and read some old Welsh stories.

     In other words, thank you, Katie! If you hadn't suggested this series I might never have picked it up on my own!

Link to author website: http://www.thelostland.com/works/yabooks/bk_dircollector.html

Rebellion Under the Stars ~ 3 stars

Review requested by Copper Dirt.


     Rebellion Under the Stars, by Katherine Marie, is another recent read for me. It's a story of adventure, rebellion, loyalty, and perseverance. The kingdom of Zaracor is about to be attacked by a mysterious and relentless force, led by a man driven by ambition and greed. Help must come if Zaracor is to survive the rebellion - and help is far away. An attack will soon be launched on the City, the home of the King of Zaracor.

     A varied cast of characters find themselves burdened with the task of saving the kingdom. Selena, a commoner girl, and her close friend, Prince Johnathan of Zaracor. Master Jolan, a man with many secrets, but still the closest and wisest advisor of King Charles of Zaracor. MacKenna, the daughter of a blacksmith, who has strange and frightening visions of the future. And Marzena, a powerful and mysterious woman who lives in the forest just outside the City. Working together and separately, its up to them to find out how Zaracor can be saved - or if that's even possible.

     Rebellion Under the Stars is a brand new book that was just published in December of 2014. In fact, it was self-published by Katherine Marie, a blogger and writer and now new author that I follow. The fact that Rebellion Under the Stars is a self-published book, and also the first book Katherine Marie has ever had published makes it more of a challenge to review than other books I've done, but I'll give it my best shot.

     First of all, as a self-published book, it was better than some I've seen. Often I find self-published authors to have poor spelling and punctuation or tons of typos which aren't in books published and edited by big companies. Also, I've read books where the self-published author was too lazy to make sure their formatting was consistent throughout the book - sometimes words are spaced widely in one place and indented from the page in another place. This is just confusing to read and jolts the reader out of the story. Rebellion Under the Stars had none of these problems - there were two or three typos, but formatting was consistent. 

     One other thing I noticed is that there were no chapter breaks. Instead, there would be a bit of a page break when the story switched narrators or an important event was completed. This was a bit exhausting to read after a while. I found that when I didn't have chapter breaks to mark my progress, the story would drag a little bit. Still, it was an interesting choice and gives the book a distinctive voice. But as self-published authors go, Katherine Marie did a good job making sure the outward appearance of Rebellion Under the Stars wasn't disruptive to the story.

     As for the story, I have a few comments to make about that, both positive and negative. The things that bugged me about Rebellion Under the Stars was partly the big cast of characters. In most books, there are lots of named characters, and sometimes more than one narrator. I've read books with as many as four narrators, and that can be hard to cope with. Rebellion Under the Stars had seven or more narrators, I may have forgotten one or two. With that many narrators, you have to use a somewhat omniscient style of writing, otherwise you risk blending the characters together in the story. Unfortunately, in a story the length of Rebellion, I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters very well, which is important. Primarily, though, my difficulty was that I couldn't decide who the main character was out of so many narrators.

     Also, each of these characters has their own story, and with seven or more to deal with, I as a reader wasn't able to discover much about their histories. By the end of the book, I was left with tantalizing hints of secrets and hidden pasts for several of the characters, but nothing concrete. However, Katherine Marie has talked about a sequel/prequel for Rebellion, so maybe another book will clear that up.

     The positive things I have to say about Rebellion Under the Stars have to do with the writing style of Katherine Marie herself, not specifically Rebellion. I enjoyed the story, don't get me wrong, but I just felt like there wasn't enough for it to be special to me. Her writing style and grasp of story mechanics: characters, scenes, dialogue, action - all the stuff that make a story stick with you - were good. She wrote scenes that made sense, she knew what her setting was and could describe it and the characters inside it. And although I doubt she had a professional editor paid to edit her story, Rebellion shows that she put the time and effort into editing herself and did a good job. If she writes more stories, which I hope she does, I'd definitely be willing to try them.

     In the end, Rebellion was a pretty good book from a first-time self-published author. It shows bravery from the author to be willing to make herself the face of her book, and not some publishing company, since she'll have to do all the footwork to get her book known (though maybe my reviews and other reader responses will help). I thought the story was interesting, and though it could have used a bit of tightening to clearly bring the plot together and showcase the characters ideally, it was a nice debut novel. Good job, Katherine Marie!

Link to author website: https://kmariecreativity.wordpress.com/
Links to Rebellion Under the Stars page: https://kmariecreativity.wordpress.com/rebellion/

Ascendance Trilogy - 5 stars

     In these past few months, I (Noodle) have been reading some new books, ones I see suggested on the blogs I follow or that I find at the library or on Amazon. Some of those have gotten reviews, and more reviews of these new books are coming still. For instance, Poison is a book I found on another blog, and Snow White and Rose Red and The Grimm Legacy were both stumble-upons. As you can see by recent reviews, I have liked some of these new books I've been reading, while others have been duds. But just a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a real gold-mine.

     The Ascendance Trilogy, by Jennifer A. Nielsen has suddenly become one of my very favorite trilogies. Ever.

     It's going to be hard to review this trilogy, though, because a lot of what makes it good is that it kept me guessing the entire time. Not just in the first book or the second, but the whole time, in every book. Furthermore, part of what makes this trilogy so brilliant is the slow reveal of secrets. I actually sort of ruined one of the biggest secrets of The False Prince for myself by reading the little summary of it that's up on Amazon. So the most important advice I can give you about this series is: Don't read anything that's been written about the books. Basically everything will be some kind of spoiler.

     I know that sounds weird, but it really is true. 

     With that kind of warning, I'll try and do my best to write some sort of review of this trilogy. It won't be my best, or my most thorough, but I'll give it a shot.

     First of all, the Ascendance trilogy is one of the most impossible series to put down. It's one of the most suspenseful stories I have ever read. And in my book, any story that I hate having to put down and step away from is one that's worth reading and rereading. Secondly, I can't and won't write much about the events of The False Prince, The Runaway King, and The Shadow Throne. It would give away way, way too much. But I think I can safely give a little starter for The False Prince, just so you know what you're getting into when you start reading. Because I know you will.

     Sage is an orphan boy, quick on his feet, quick with his tongue, quick with his hands. A few days before he turns fifteen, a nobleman called Connor buys him as a servant. But instead of serving tables for the rest of his life, Sage has become a part of a daring scheme that Connor has concocted. A scheme which treads very close to being treason. Sage has no choice but to cooperate with Connor, however, because if he doesn't, he'll never be heard from again.

     Sage's secrets are slowly revealed all the way through the first book,and you never quite know what he's getting at and what his plans are until the very last pages of the very last chapter. I can't/won't say a word about the other two because that would give away way too much of the story, but they're very bit as good and suspenseful as The False Prince. 

     I can say a few things about the characters of the Ascendance trilogy. Sage, the main character and narrator, is funny, quick-witted, and probably the smartest fictional person I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. He's very distinct, and I was constantly on that fine line between laughing at his jokes and groaning at his seemingly stupid mistakes the whole time I was reading. Sage is genuine. He has a good sense of what is right and wrong, and although sometimes he seems like a no-good thief, he's probably one of the most honest people in the entire trilogy. He's also the kind of person that naturally takes the lead and comes up with the ideas and plans. Sage is what makes the Ascendance trilogy as good as it is. They wouldn't be the same without him. 

     Other characters, such as Imogen, the mute serving girl, Mott, Connor's bodyguard, and the other two orphan boys, Tobias and Roden, are also incredibly varied and unique. Nielsen did an amazing job when she created them. They're complex and well-rounded characters who all add so much to the story just by being there on the pages. 

     As for setting, there are king and queens, as the titles should indicate, but the story isn't set in a medieval world. I suppose I would have to say it has some of the characteristics of 14th century Europe. There are swords and chain mail, but there was also the one cannon, so it's not strictly a Middle-Ages type of setting. And although it qualifies as a fantasy story, there is not magic - Sage gets out of every one of his scrapes through sheer luck and his sharp mind.
     In the end, I have to say that in the Ascendance trilogy, Jennifer A. Nielsen did a wonderful job of bringing together a cast of unforgettable and entertaining characters, a complex and mysterious plot, and a mastery of the art of suspense. I can't speak highly enough of them - though maybe that's obvious by now. They're complicated enough to be satisfying for adult and teen readers, but there's so much action going on all the time that my younger siblings will probably like them a lot if I can just get them to read them. I rarely advise people to buy books, especially when it's so much easier to just check things out from the library. But with this trilogy, I'm going to make an exception. These are definitely worth buying so that you can have them around all the time. If I could rate higher than 5 stars, I would.

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

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (guest review) ~ 5 stars

Guest review by Eli Hansen

     Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is the title of an epic fantasy series by Tad Williams. The title is deceptive, since the name of the trilogy is not the name of the three books, which are titled The Dragonbone Chair, The Stone of Farewell, and To Green Angel Tower. My name is Eli Hansen, and epic fantasy is definitely my cup of tea – perfect for my guest review on my sister's blog.

     One thing we can all agree on is that this is an exceptionally long story. Altogether, the edition of the series that I own was about 2600 pages long. That's close to even the Harry Potter series, and I can assure you that Tad Williams' writing is much more complex than J. K. Rowling's early work. 

     In fair warning, this series was also one of the slowest series to "get in to" that I've ever read. Some reviewers say it takes 100 pages in to the first book to really get moving, others say 200 pages, and others say it takes half of the book before the story really get started. In my opinion the story really didn't get so exciting that I didn't want to put the book down until I was 600 pages in, almost all the way through the first book! Even for a seasoned reader, that's a long time to stick with a book that just doesn't seem all that great at first glance before you get to the good part. I would almost have to say it was poor writing. To me, the set up for the rest of the story was worth it, but I've had a hard time getting other readers (like my sister!) past the long intro to the rest of the trilogy without losing their interest. 

     Once you do get past the intro, however, you get to all the good things that I enjoy about Tad Williams' writing. For one thing, he keeps it real. The protagonist of his story starts out as a servant boy at the castle and over the course of 2600 pages, he develops from a simple adolescent who dreams of achieving great things, but would rather avoid responsibility, to being a strong leader and actually becoming the ruler of the human kingdom. But the development of this young man's character is never as if the author waved a magic wand and suddenly made him into a saint with all the virtues of a fairytale hero. Through the experiences he faces, the character actually comes to adulthood. I don't know any better example of character development in a piece of fictional writing.

     The other fantasy races that Tad Williams uses in his story also help to keep it real. He takes races like elves and dwarves and succeeds in making them really unique and distinct. Their motivations, their thoughts, and their culture are different and much stronger than the stereotypes that are typically portrayed for those races. 

     Another characteristic of Tad Williams' writing is that it's very dark. The situations his characters encounter can be very desperate, and you never actually know which ones will survive to see "happily ever after." Personally, I enjoyed the dark style of writing in the series; however, I know it can be offputting to some. Who wants to read about more suffering when there's already plenty of it to go around in the real world? As a sidenote, of all the books that Tad Williams has written, this is actually the least dark and grim.

     The plot of the series is definitely archetypical of the classic fantasy or fairytale type of story. It has some elements of mystery mixed in as well. I guess the reason I like it so much is that it is such an epic fantasy tale, but it does not resort to the kinds ofdeus ex machina and implausibilities that are so common in the genre, like waving the author's magic wand to change a formerly shallow and selfish character into a brave and self-sacrificing hero with no explanation for his change of heart. The characters, though, are the best part of the story – all very realistic in their choices and their motivations.

     The length of the story and the dark style of writing definitely make it a series for an experienced reader. There is some adult content; while it's not too overt, nor is it the focus of the story, it's there, so beware. The best thing I can say about the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series is that it will blow you away with its depth. It takes a plotline that really is a classic example of fantasy and makes it so much more than its stereotype. A piece of "easy reading" it is not, but if you like writing that challenges you and really makes you think to keep up with the author, you will really enjoy Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. I encourage you to give it a read!

     Noodle: Thanks, Eli! He has is own website and blog over at www.elihansenart.com which you should really check out. Eli asked me to review this series, but I really think we can all agree he did a better job of it than it than I would have.

The Other Boleyn Girl ~ 1.5 stars

The Other Boleyn Girl, by Phillipa Gregory, is a book I picked up at a friend’s house. It’s a historical fiction set in England during the time of King Henry the VIII, the English king who is known for having six wives. The Other Boleyn Girl is the story of Mary Boleyn, the sister of King Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn.

Note: This book is what I would consider an adult level book, so while I will try and be discreet in my word-choice, I don't intend to beat around the bush in stating the facts of what this book contains.

I won't go into much detail describing the incredibly complicated plot, which is full of surprising twists and turns and a great deal of intrigue. I thought the plot was pretty good, with a very human main character with human feelings - although her moral code wasn't quite up scratch, according to me. Basically, this book is set in a time period when people behaved very immorally, and any historical book written about King Henry VIII’s court would have to at least mention a few of these immoral practices. The Other Boleyn Girl, narrated by the sister of the second wife of the king, does more than mention - the plot of the book revolves around them. The Other Boleyn Girl is also a very character driven. Most, if not all, of the characters in the story participate in highly immoral practices, and so these get a fair amount of pages dedicated to describing them.

For these reasons, I didn’t find it to be a very pleasant story. I have never been fond of stories that contain much of this sort of material because to me it's highly inappropriate and distasteful to read about. I can tolerate a certain extent of the kinds of immoral material I found in The Other Boleyn Girl, as long as the story itself is still interesting and entertaining. But because The Other Boleyn Girl was, at least the way I see it, entirely about sinful people and their sinful actions, I didn’t enjoy it very much at all.

In other aspects, such as how well it was written and how well the characters were developed, I’m sure the author did a very good job. Mary Boleyn was a very human character, and very well-developed - I just didn't approve of the things she did. In other respects, it seemed to be a very historically accurate book. I'm no expert of 16th century England, but if she was faking the details, she did a very impressive job of it. If it hadn’t been for the central role that unappealing immoral and improper behaviors played in the story, I might have given it a higher rating that 1.5 stars. This is a book I’d only advise to people who enjoy that sort of material or are very interested in that historical period, and it’s certainly not a book I’d suggest to readers younger than seventeen or eighteen.

The Goose Girl - 5 stars

     The Goose Girl is the first book in Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series. It's actually a retelling of the classic 'Goose Girl' fairy tale, but Shannon Hale has done a marvelous job of expanding the story into a wonderful story about a girl who can speak the languages of animals and elements, a girl with an inner strength she never knew she had. 

     Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, has listened to her aunt's curious tales about a time when people could understand the languages of animals and even speak to the wind since she was a little girl. Ani possesses this gift of languages which has been almost lost, and she learns to speak to the swans in the royal pond and a lovely colt called Falada born in the royal stables. But as she grows, so does her gift, and there are murmurs about the oddities of the Crown Princess. Ani's mother feels she has no choice but to send her away in marriage to a prince of a distant land: Bayern.

     Who would have guessed that along the road to Bayern, Ani is betrayed by her lady-in-waiting, Selia? Selia has pretended to be her friend, but all along she has planned to murder Ani and take her place as the Queen of Bayern. Luckily Ani escapes, and with the help of a forest woman and her son, finds her way to the capital city of Bayern, the city that was to be her home after she was married. But instead of being received as a princess and a bride-to-be, Ani is a stranger in a strange land. Selia has beaten her to the capital city and fooled everyone into believing she is the real Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee. Ani makes a living as a goose girl and tries to hide from Selia's hired mercenaries as she develops a new gift: a connection with the wind.

     But it's not just Ani's life that's at risk. Her homeland of Kilandree is suddenly in peril when the much larger Bayern begins to muster troops for a surprise attack. Selia intends to destroy everyone who could possibly give away her real identity and take away her new title of Princess. And Selia can do all this because she has people-speaking, a gift like Ani's understanding of animals and the wind. This gift gives her words special weight, and she can convince people to do anything she wishes, no matter how vile it is. It's going to be up to Ani to save her native country from Selia, with only the help of her unlikely animal-herder friends and a wounded captain of the guard.

     The Goose Girl is a book I admire for a variety of reasons. It has a wonderful plot and a captivating, magical story premise because of the idea of languages. It also has amazing characters, and the characters are what make Shannon Hale's stories so enchanting. Ani became so real to me after reading The Goose Girl. She's kind and gentle and not particularly brave - unlike some of the more macho heroine's that I regularly find in other recent publications. This is refreshing and makes the story all the more beautiful. Enna, Finn, Razo, Conrad, and other characters are also fresh and distinct, all of them with a rich background that flavors their actions and even the words they say. I love how Shannon Hale draws you in with her words. She writes in a way that feels as natural as breathing to me, and it makes her books comfortable to read and read again. 

    Shannon Hale also incorporates very deep meanings into her stories - this isn't just a casual novel, but a story with meaning. Ani has the qualities of a queen, and The Goose Girl tells the story of how she realizes this and becomes a leader of a people she has made her own. Selia has chosen to do what's wrong to get what she wants, and she has allowed herself to hate Ani because she has what Selia wants most: a title and a throne and a country of obedient subjects. The contrast of these two characters and their goals are part of what make The Goose Girl shine as a story.

     I cannot recommend The Goose Girl highly enough. For people who enjoy a high-quality retelling of a classic fairy tale, this books is one of the best I have ever read. For readers who enjoy a good fantasy, this is that book. I found The Goose Girl to be a highly entertaining, captivating story full of meaning and characters who feel like family. It's definitely a must-read.

Link to author website: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html

Behold the Dawn - 5 stars

     When I first got Behold the Dawn by K.M. Weiland, I didn't really have any expectations for it. I thought it might be a fun read and an interesting story, but not necessarily something which would rank among my favorite books. Within three chapters I literally could not put it down. Eating and spending time with people was reduced to the bare minimum, and I don't think I even got myself anything to drink. I didn't put the book down unless I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely had to, and then I was back as soon as possible to keep reading. That's how good it was. 

     Behold the Dawn has a lot of aspects that I enjoyed reading. First of all it was set during the Crusades, right around the time period of Robin Hood, and I enjoy reading fiction set during that time period. I was also captivated by the main character, Marcus Annan, a champion tourneyer. He's a strong and silent sort of person with a lot of pain in his past he's trying to hide from, and he is also one of the best-written characters I've read in a long time. Behold the Dawn is also a story of redemption, not the cheesy, sugary kind I've read in some books, but the kind that really rang with truth and resonated with me. 

     There were other aspects of Behold the Dawn that were very, very good as well, such as the characters, so genuine and real they should be walking off the page. There's also a slow-burning romance, strong enough to change Annan's life but not the defining feature of the book. I enjoy romance in a book, but I don't like that to be the entire focus of the story. There's also plenty of gritty action, and when Annan fights I can feel the battle. Weiland writes with passion and captures the little moments of her story masterfully. And there's suspense on every page - the secrets the characters carry will drive you mad until they're finally revealed in an stunning climax at the very end.

     The only negative thing I have to say about Behold the Dawn is that no one told me I shouldn't read it as fast as I did. It's the kind of book that should be taken at a reasonable pace so that all the details can sink in - I devoured it in about four hours. Another thing I noticed was that the book did allude to some unpleasant details of real life, and those things affected the past and present choices of several of the characters. These hints don't detract from my opinion of the book, but it was a detail I noticed which some readers might want to be aware of before they start reading this book. 

     My opinion of K.M. Weiland has definitely been boosted after reading this book. She's a powerful writer, and I highly recommend this book and any of her others as great reading material. I really can't believe Behold the Dawn is her first published novel, but it is now one of my favorite books.

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

The Hero and The Crown - 5 stars!

     The Hero and The Crown is one of many amazing stories Robin McKinley has written, and is my favorite of her books. It is set in Damar, a country not unlike medival Europe, and follows the journey of Aerin, the eighteen-year-old first-sol of Damar.

     Aerin is the only child of Damar's king, but because her mother was a witchwoman from the North, the palace folk distrust her. Her only real friends are her cousin Tor, her nurse-maid, Teka, and her father's lamed war stallion, Talat. But she rises beyond everything Damar expects of her when she slays the Black Dragon Maur and brings the Hero's Crown back to Damar in time to save her country from destruction. 

     Aerin is a memorable character, a stubborn and sometimes awkward girl who grows up to become a stubborn and sometimes awkward young woman. She is loyal to those she loves, but prefers to hide from trouble rather than face it, a trait that I can only sympathize with. From her fiery red hair to her surprising discovery of a fireproof ointment called kenet, Aerin proves herself to be resourceful when she must be, and more determined that anyone gives her credit for. In Aerin Robin McKinley has crafted a unique and memorable heroine, and that's the most we can ask for.

     In The Hero and The Crown, McKinley writes a captivating story in a very down-to-earth style that is distinctly her own. Her characters are well-crafted and well-written, from Aerin and Tor to Aerin's childhood enemy Galanna and the mysterious mage Luthe. The story was full of vivid detail and feeling, and McKinley put in plenty of surprising plot twists that sprinkle most of her writing: surprises that are interesting, magical, and at the same time very human.

     In my opinion, The Hero and the Crown is a good book on every level. It had memorable and multi-dimensional characters, an amazingly detailed world, and a well-crafted story. The narrative never dragged, despite several chapters of flashback into Aerin's childhood - that part of the story fit in smoothly with the rest. I would recommend The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley to fantasy readers of all ages. 

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