Blackbringer cover image

Fairies, and Imps, and Devils– oh my! Not my usual choice for reading material, but wow! This is a great fantasy read. It was an unsolicited donation from the publisher along with an advanced reader’s copy of the sequel, Silksinger (which I can’t wait to read). Both are part of the “Dreamdark” series.

This one is tough to put down. It’s got Magpie Windwitch, a spunky, half-wild, adolescent fairy (she is only 100 years old) as the protagonist. Thousands of years have passed since the Djinn and the fairies won the devil wars, locking the “snags” in magically sealed bottles and tossing them into the ocean. Since then, the Djinn have withdrawn from the world they created and faeries have grown complacent and have been letting magic slip away bit by bit. Now new creatures, humans or “mannies”, have arisen and are accidentally releasing the captured devils. Magpie and her band of crows travel the world hunting down the newly freed demons. But the latest devil to escape represents a different type of evil and it may mean the end of the world. Can she stop the Blackbringer before it destroys everyone and everything?

Magpie is a great protagonist. She is coarse, tough, brave, and determined. She is surrounded by an engaging—and sometimes terrifying—mix of characters. The crows, the imps, the devils, and the other faeries all help bring the story to life. There is plenty of action to keep kids reading and just enough of the dark side to lure the vampire-addicts into a different genre. This is excellent fantasy—even for non-fantasy readers.

Highly recommended for grades 7-12.

by Mr. Doyle

This amazing debut novel was another impulse buy at Barnes and Noble (note to self: must trust my impulses more). In it Cashore has created a compelling story with memorable, complex characters—especially the protagonist, Katsa. The author has combined the best of fantasy and romance and created a story that will appeal to all readers (even teen boys—if they are brave enough to open it up).

Katsa is Graced. That is to say she has a talent of almost supernatural ability. Many Gracelings are feared and avoided because they are different, but Katsa is especially reviled because her Grace is killing. Against her will, she is used as a tool by her uncle, the brutal king Randa. At his orders she scares, tortures, and kills those who dare to defy him. Over time she has come to see herself as others see her—a brutal killer. She hates the king, hates her Grace, and, frequently, hates herself. She feels powerless to change her fate until she meets Prince Po, a Graceling fighter from a distant kingdom. He sees the real Katsa beneath the killer exterior and helps her to see herself differently. Together they embark on a dangerous mission to unravel the mystery of Po’s grandfather’s kidnapping. They push themselves to the limits of their considerable physical abilities, risking life and limb to free a kingdom from a tyrant and, in the process, discover their true selves and true love.

Cashore’s writing skill is impressive. While she is very descriptive, the story never bogs down. The book is peppered with enough action sequences to keep the reader in a state of anticipation but not overwhelmingly so. And Katsa is a heroine that you will not soon forget. She is reminiscent of the similarly named Katniss in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.

Highly recommended for grades 8-12.

By Mr. Doyle

Horowitz’s Alex Rider series, beginning with Stormbreaker, is extremely popular, especially with boys. In Raven’s Gate he takes a break from the spy/thriller genre and delves into fantasy/horror. The result is a new series that will be just as popular as the Alex Rider books. It may also serve as a segue into another genre for his dedicated readers, leading them to meatier fare like Terry Brooks’ Shannara series and authors like David Almond and Kevin Brooks.

Raven’s Gate has everything a reluctant reader could want: a troubled hero with checkered past facing overwhelming odds, good vs. evil, and lots of heart-stopping action. The protagonist, Matt, is an orphan who is in trouble with the law. As an alternative to jail Matt is sent to a foster home in an isolated village, far from the temptations of the city. Matt lands in the home of Mrs. Deverill, a harsh, unsmiling woman with a bleak, run-down farm in the middle of nowhere. Matt soon discovers that something bizarre is going on. When he tries to get help people begin to die. Matt must either defeat the evil forces about him or become a tool in their sinister plot. The fast-paced action and the dark, foreboding atmosphere make this a real page turner and a fun read.

Highly recommended for grades 7-12.

By Mr. Doyle

So the characterization is well done but is the story worth reading? Absolutely. This is no Ender’s Game (but then, what books is?) but it is an original and very readable story. Card takes characters from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream and inserts them into a middle and upper middle class African-American neighborhood in modern day Los Angeles. People’s wishes and dreams become weapons in a war between magical beings. At the center of the battle is Mack Street, a changeling found in plastic grocery bag in a flood basin by 12-year-old Ceese Tucker. Mack is taken in by Ms. Smircher who raises him with Ceese’s help, the older boy becoming a nanny/older brother to the unusual foundling. Mack discovers early on that he posses a powerful gift that, unchecked, hurts the people around him. So he learns to control it– at least he thinks he does.

On one of his habitual walks Mack notices something out of the corner of his eye. Imperceptible to everyone else, he has found an entrance into another world. He learns that this new realm is inextricably linked to the real world. He also learns that his unusual gift is to be used in a terrible battle that will cross the boundary between the two worlds and could destroy all those he knows and loves.

As in most of his writings, Card infuses the story with large doses of morality. And, as in Ender’s Game and other books Card makes his heroes and villains sometimes morally ambiguous. The climax has plenty of imaginative action and the writing is very good. This is a great addition to high school fantasy collections.

By Mr. Doyle

Book 1 in this duet, Dreamhunter, ended seemingly in the middle of the story’s climax. It was one of those endings that makes you want to take the author by the lapels and yell, “why did you do that to me?!” Finally, after more than a year, the second book was released. There was no way I was going to wait for the paperback. Now I can forgive Ms. Knox. Dreamquake is every bit as good as book1, and this time the story has an ending.

This volume begins with the cataclysmic scene that ended the first book. Laura Hame, a young dreamhunter (someone who can catch and share dreams from the mysterious “Place”) overrides her famous aunt as she shares a pleasant holiday dream with thousands of people at the Rainbow Opera. The dream Laura shares is terrifying and it begins to expose insidious government corruption and abuse. Laura’s actions sicken and injure thousands of people and create turmoil. As Laura, her living sandman creation, and her cousin Rose, struggle to remain free and to show people the truth about the government’s plans, Laura must also deal with a larger and more profound mystery. What is “The Place”, where did it come from, and what does it want from her?

While there is a good deal of action and plenty of plot twists, it is the relationships that rule in this story. Knox is a pleasure to read and she creates some great characters, not least of which is Nown, the sandman. If you haven’t read Dreamhunter already you should definitely read that first. Highly recommended for stronger readers grades 9-adult.

By Mr. Doyle

As a war between Araluen and the forces of the evil Morgarath draws ever nearer, Will, apprenticed to legendary Ranger Halt, is sent on a diplomatic mission with warrior apprentice Horace and Ranger Gilan to seek military support from a neighboring kingdom. Their simple, peaceful mission soon becomes a desperate journey to prevent Morgarath from springing a devestating trap on the Araluen army. Will, Horace, and a mysterious young woman in disguise are on their own in hostile territory, facing an army of vicious Wargals and a band of Skandian mercanaries.

Will is a likeable character and the action scenes are gripping. The books ends with a setup for volume 3 in the series, The Icebound Land and the recently released book 4, The Battle for Skandia. It is fun read for fans of epic series like “Lord of the Rings,” “Guardians of Ga’Hoole,” and “Shannara.”

Mr. Doyle

By Amardeep Cheema

By Amardeep Cheema

This novel is really great. It is an adventure story that you must read. The novel really makes me feel like I am in a different world. It is so full of details that you can see the story take place right before your eyes as you read it. This novel also teaches a moral on the importance of friendship and family. I give this novel two thumbs up and recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading.

By Gurpreet Kaur

By Gracie Goodman