The Orphan's Wish (Hagenheim)

Title: The Orphan's Wish

Series: Hagenheim (#8)

Year: 2018

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Summary: From the streets to an orphanage in a faraway kingdom, Aladdin has grown up alone. Until he meets Kirstyn. With a father who is the duke of Hagenheim and a mother who is the patroness of the orphanage where Aladdin lives, Kirstyn is a member of the most powerful family in the land . . . and way out of his league. Despite the difference in their stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion for taking walks in the forest, and their childhood friendship grows along with them.

Through his scrappy skills, intelligence, and hard work, Aladdin earns a position serving in the duke’s house. But he knows it isn’t enough to grant him his one desire: Kirstyn’s hand in marriage. If he hopes to change his station in life and feel worthy of marrying Kirstyn, he must leave Hagenheim to seek his fortune.

But once Aladdin leaves, no one is around to protect Kirstyn, and the greedy men desperate to take advantage of her father’s wealth take notice. Now, more than Aladdin’s background stands in the way of the future he’s worked so hard to obtain. His only hope is to rescue Kirstyn and somehow manage to win her hand as well.

Main Characters:
~ Kirstyn
~ Aladdin

Review: I got really excited when I saw that Melanie Dickerson was planning an Aladdin retelling. Fairytale retellings by themselves are just peachy keen, but there aren't many Aladdin ones that I've found out there. I love finding a less-popular fairytale being retold. 

Ala ad'din is a small boy living in the streets of the Holy Land. As an orphan, he doesn't have a lot of options for survival and is forced to steal under the hand of a harsh master. A chance encounter with a kindly priest gives him the freedom he craves, but even in his new life at Hagenheim he fears how people will react to his thieving past. 

Now called Aladdin (since the people in Hagenheim can't seem to pronounce Ala ad'din properly), he becomes the favorite friend of Kirstyn, the duke's daughter. A childhood friendship blossoms into a romance that neither are quite aware of, and Aladdin decides to leave Hagenheim to make his fortune. 

And then Kirstyn gets kidnapped and goes missing for months, and Aladdin's world is turned upside-down. 

Honestly, other than the name Aladdin, I didn't catch many Aladdin fairytale references in this book. Other than the obvious other nod to the Disney film by naming a little street boy Abu. It was a little disappointing. The story seemed more like a retelling of the Biblical account of Joseph; Aladdin is hired to take care of a merchant's business and does so well that he's considered a sort of King Midas (i.e. everything he touches turns to gold). And the man Aladdin works for isn't the evil sorcerer from the fairy tale; there are no lamps involved. In the beginning of the novel, Aladdin made a big deal about his thieving background -- keeping it secret from everybody in Hagenheim -- yet as the novel progressed I thought everybody forgot about it. His childhood thefts really didn't have any part to play in the plot. Unless there's something obvious I'm missing, calling this an Aladdin retelling is kinda stretching it. 

But if you're just looking for an adventure in the Dickerson style that you've come to love, this book tastes just the same as all of her other Hagenheim novels. 

Advisory: Some violence. One character is kidnapped; another is suggested to have been molested. 

Romance, typical in the style of Dickerson. Although I was happy to note that the love interests didn't focus on kissing until the last couple chapters -- after they finally realized they were in love with each other. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Intangible (Piercing the Veil)

Title: Intangible

Series: Piercing the Veil (#1)

Year: 2013

Author: C.A. Gray

Summary: An ancient evil returns. A prophecy foretells of a champion.

Peter Stewart grew up on a unique version of the Arthurian legends taught him by his father, a harebrained quantum physicist who asserts that anything is possible. But Peter disbelieves anything which cannot be scientifically explained, despite a nagging sense that there is more to the world than meets the eye.

Lily Portman is an orphan with a secret: she can see creatures that are invisible to everyone else. These creatures control every human being she has ever met to varying degrees... until she meets Peter and his father.

When a mysterious stranger stages an accident which nearly costs Peter and Lily their lives, suddenly Lily learns that she is not crazy after all, and Peter discovers the truth of his father's stories... including the existence of Arthur's ancient nemesis, one who calls himself the Shadow Lord, and a prophecy with implications so profound that it will alter not only the course of their lives, but potentially the fate of the world.

Main Characters:
~ Peter Stewart
~ Lily Portman
~ Cole
~ Brock
~ Kane

Review: Peter knows he's not a normal kid -- but he's not a bad kid; he's just constantly getting into trouble at school because his science experiments jeopardize the safety of the people around him. Sometimes being curious and too smart with science and physics and all that can be a little dangerous. 

But that's all before he meets Lily -- an orphan who claims she can see specters around other people, specters that act like an invisible councilor for each individual, specters that all seem to have nasty intentions. What's more is... Peter doesn't have a specter. 

And then after Peter's best friend, Cole, and Cole's older brother, Brock (who also happens to be Peter's worst enemy at school) join them, Peter buckles up for a ride unlike any he's taken before. A ride that's literally life or death. In the middle of a would-be-fatal car accident, Peter is somehow able to step out of the real world and see a rainbow of options of scenes that could happen. There is only one option in which everyone in the car makes it out alive. So, he chooses that one... and everyone survives. The only trouble is... he doesn't know how he did it, why it happened, and why there's suddenly an army of specters (or penumbra, as they're actually called) coming at him to kill him. 

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn't know when I first picked it up that it was going to have a lot of Arthurian legend mixed in. I really liked how the author twisted physics with the legends -- the whole feel was a really, super cool idea! Anyone that tries to prove Arthur existed with all the elements of the legends intact gets an A+ in my book! 

However, I did think the whole plot of this novel could have been better executed. Once Peter and his friends get to the hidden city of Carlion, there's a ton of information that gets dumped on top of them. I struggled to keep myself on top of all that information as well as wading through to get to where the action picked up again. In addition, much of the important information gearing up towards the big finish gets told twice. One set of characters had a conversation about this important thing (no spoilers, sorry), and then ten pages later, another set of characters is having the same exact conversation about the same exact important thing. I think a lot of this novel could have been edited out with a simple "he filled them in" or "she recounted the story." Also -- even though I didn't mind seeing this story unfold from the viewpoints of several different people, the POV would switch mid-paragraph multiple times so I was unsure who's head I was in. Just a little confusing, and something I think could have been edited over better. I do believe this novel is this author's first, and I'd be interested in reading some of her later work to see how her writing has progressed. 

The science aspects went over my head a little bit, but I'm blaming that completely on me not being a science geek. I appreciate good science, even if I don't understand it. For science lovers out there who like a good mix of fantasy in with your physic passion, this is your story. 

Advisory: Some language to be aware of. Fantasy violence and action. 

This may be a small thing, but I was rather disappointed with how some of the kids interacted with their parents. True, you have a huge, unbelievable world to reckon with (as well as some harsh parental/authorial figures), but the kids acted disrespectfully to the adults at times, outright disobeyed, and even went so far as to justify lying. 

Lastly to discuss -- magic. With the Arthurian legend, there are elements in this story that are "magical." Apparently, each person has an innate ability to control a certain element, though oftentimes he/she never discovers what that is within a lifetime. The elements can be controlled through the Ancient Tongue, a forgotten language that encompasses the true names of things, not merely what the object represents but the actual essence of the object. Peter and his friends have to learn to speak in the Ancient Language (even though half the time people are just teaching them to memorize phrases, and they have absolutely no idea what they're saying), and everybody is able to control certain elements. For example, one character can create photons, one is a space specialist, one is a water specialist, etc. 

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

*Please note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.*

The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time)

Title: The Great Hunt 

Series: The Wheel of Time (Book #2)

Year: 1991

Author: Robert Jordan

Summary: The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. For centuries, gleemen have told of The Great Hunt of the Horn. Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn of Valere long thought only legend, the Horn which will raise the dead heroes of the ages.

And it is stolen.

Main Characters:
~ Rand al'Thor
~ Perrin Aybara
~ Mat Cauthon 
~ Egwene al'Vere
~ Nynaeve al'Meara
~ Padan Fain
~ Lord Ingtar
~ Hurin
~ Loial
~ Moiraine
~ Verin

Review: This book picks up right where book one ended. Jordan doesn't leave much time between his books in this series! 

Rand wants to be away from Aes Sedai influence, but having his friends still in Fal Dara with him make him prolong leaving. When the Amyrlin Seat herself shows up with a small army of Aes Sedai and Warders in tow, his escape is too late. Padan Fain is locked securely in the dungeons, going mad to Rand's way of thinking, but Egwene still believes that he might be brought back to good. 

Then everything happens overnight, and Rand, Mat, and Perrin find themselves in Lord Ingtar's regiment, heading south to reobtain the stolen Horn of Valere. Thus the book is aptly titled, The Great Hunt. And Egwene and Nynaeve are headed to the White Tower to begin their training as Aes Sedai. 

While the first book of this series set up a good cast of main characters and took us on an epic run and chase (just like a classic beginning to a good fantasy), this book expanded the world threefold. We're introduced to a cast of new characters with new ambitions. In a way, it felt like a Dickens novel set in a Tolkien world -- strange creatures and fantasy battles and epic characters set in a complicated plot with multiple subplots. The chapters skip back and forth between multiple characters, and then somehow all wind up together in the end with a neat bow. 

I really don't have much to complain about for this book. Once The Eye of the World stole your interest and set your imagination up for this series, The Great Hunt is a fantastic continuation of the story. There's everything you loved in the first book -- and more. The pace is faster, and the plot isn't a constant run-and-hide adventure. I think I liked this book better than the first one, and -- of course -- I'm eager to keeping reading the series to find out what happens. 

Advisory: Fantasy violence and scary creatures. Expect battles, blood, and lots of action. 

Magic. The further I get into these novels, the more I'm understanding how magic/power works. I'm planning to review more of the books in this series, so I plan to say a little bit more about the magic aspect as I learn more about it. I explained a little bit in my review of The Eye of the World, but I realize that was just kinda scratching the surface. 

Also, a few characters "curse," using words like "bloody" and "flaming."

Some female characters are described as wearing transparent clothing and others as not wearing anything. It is in a quick, matter-of-fact kind of tone, and nothing is explicitly described. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard)

Title: The Sword of Summer

Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

Year: 2015

Author: Rick Riordan

Summary: Magnus Chase has seen his share of trouble. Ever since that terrible night two years ago when his mother told him to run, he has lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, staying one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, Magnus learns that someone else is trying to track him down—his uncle Randolph, a man his mother had always warned him about. When Magnus tries to outmaneuver his uncle, he falls right into his clutches. Randolph starts rambling about Norse history and Magnus's birthright: a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

The more Randolph talks, the more puzzle pieces fall into place. Stories about the gods of Asgard, wolves, and Doomsday bubble up from Magnus's memory. But he doesn't have time to consider it all before a fire giant attacks the city, forcing him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents. . . .

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.

Main Characters:
~ Magnus Chase
~ Samirah al-Abbas
~ Blitzen
~ Hearthstone

Review: I was pretty excited to start this series, given my growing interest in Norse mythology. I can't say that I'm an expert in that area -- other than what I've learned through watching Marvel's Thor films -- but I'd like to do more study in that area. Greek mythology I got a mouthful of during one of my courses at college, but sadly, they didn't offer anything in the way of Norse. 

Magnus Chase is a sarcastic, homeless teen living in the streets of Boston. If his last name isn't any hint, he's Annabeth Chase's cousin (cameo to the Percy Jackson series), but Magnus thinks that he's the odd one in the family. After his uncle Randolph finds him, he discovers he's the son of the Norse god, Frey -- the god of summer, really. And suddenly, he's thrown into a life and death experience involving a thousand-year-old weapon, his birthright -- a talking sword that he calls Jack. 

And when I say death experience -- I literally mean death. Spoiler (kinda), but Magnus starts the book off by dying. And he tells you so right from the first page. To me it felt a little like Tangled: "This is the story of how I died." Magnus dies and then ends up in Valhalla. It's there that he learns that Ragnarok (the end of the world, basically) is coming and that everyone wants to try to use him to speed it up or delay it. 

Accompanying him on his adventures are three unlikely heroes -- a daughter of Loki, recently banned from the Valkyries; a dwarf with a superb fashion sense and an unfortunate sun condition; and an elf who speaks through ASL and isn't the least bit like Legolas. 

This book was a pretty fun adventure. We've got new perils, new gods, and new friends. But honestly, it didn't feel unique. I read a few other reviews of this book before writing mine and I have to agree with them -- I had a hard time pulling my mental image of Percy Jackson apart from Magnus. They're both so similar that (as the book's written in first person POV) I kept thinking I was following Percy. They're both sarcastic, Magnus only has a little bit more of an adult sarcasm and humor about him. Honestly, the whole book felt like a Norse knock-off. Instead of the Lightning Bolt, we've got the Sword of Summer that everybody wants to get their hands on. I mean, I enjoyed the Norse angle, but it didn't wow me like The Lightning Thief wowed me. 

I did like how Magnus wasn't the son of one of the top Norse gods. Percy's dad was Poseidon, making him pretty important, but Magnus wasn't the son of the ever-popular Thor or Loki. He isn't even the son of the god of war or smarts or anything like that. No. His dad's the god of summer, sunshine, fertility, peace, wealth, and rain. Not exactly the recipe you'd think would bake a hero. 

Advisory: The entire book has more of an adult feel to it. Magnus isn't the innocent demigod Percy was, so there is some more adult-type of humor and comments in this book. Also, some language. I was disappointed to see that. 

Lots of fantasy-type action and fighting and blood. One of Valhalla's daily routines is for all the inhabitants to participate in a all-out battle. And it's perfectly fine to impale your hallmate with a spear or chop his head off. And if that's considered normal, you can imagine what the rest of the book is gonna be like. 

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars