The Robbers' Tunnel (The Princess Castle Series)

Title: The Robbers' Tunnel

Series: The Princess Castle Series (Book #1)

Year: 2015

Author: Abigail L. Pollack

Summary: A new castle in the forest bring much excitement to Abigail and her friends, but when robbers invade, things get dangerous. A robbed bank, a robbed library, and a hidden valley bring things they never wanted anything to do with. (from Goodreads)

Main Characters:
~ Abigail
~ Charity
~ Matthew
~ Dan
~ Elijah
~ Sammy

Review: This young author is a particular friend of mine, and when she first told me she was writing a book, I was so excited. We'd shared book ideas and talked about our stories, and I was eager to get my hands on anything that she wrote. She contacted me a few times for help with formatting and publishing, and it was such a pleasure to be a part of helping her get this story out. This book is the first in her Princess Castle series, a series that is quickly opening up to be the adventure of a lifetime. In truth, it's not very long, but it is so much fun! 

Abigail is a young girl who has a castle in her backyard. And as any true and kind princess, she wants to share the castle with her friends. So, she has a whole bunch of girls come to live with her at the castle. At first, everything seems just peachy. But that's before things start going missing. A royal stay at the castle quickly turns into a dangerous quest for all involved -- including the boys and men who arrive to become the castle's army. 

I really like Abigail's style of writing. It's a little rough at certain spots, as is usual for young authors, but I'm really eager to see her mature her writing in further books. But she writes in a fun and easy-to-read narrative, and her characters know just how to make you smile! Abigail wrote herself in as the heroine, and the friends and family she has in real life are portrayed as the same in her book. I love how she did that - especially since it's so much fun to see the names of people I know in an actual book. And for those of you who enjoy Easter eggs, some of my own family is mentioned in this book. *grins* I'll leave you to figure that out. 

For anyone who wants to live the adventure we all dreamed about as kids -- this is it. It's not a heavy story, not overly complicated, but it's truly a story unlike any other. I felt myself transported back to my childhood and all the make-believes. Abigail captured the world of any child's dream and put it all on a few pages. 

Advisory: Some violence, as our heroine and her friends have to fight the bad guys. Guns and swords are involved and some people get hurt, but I would still think this book appropriate for most young readers. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Iliad

Title: The Iliad

Series: None 

Year: around 800 B.C.

Author: Homer

Summary: The Iliad is one of the two great epics of Homer, and is typically described as one of the greatest war stories of all time, but to say the Iliad is a war story does not begin to describe the emotional sweep of its action and characters: Achilles, Helen, Hector, and other heroes of Greek myth and history in the tenth and final year of the Greek siege of Troy. (from Goodreads)

Main Characters:
~ Achilles
~ Zeus
~ Hera
~ Athena
~ Hector
~ Aphrodite
~ Odysseus
~ Diomedes
~ Paris
~ Helen
~ Agamemnon
~ Menelaus 

Review: Even if I hadn't had to read this book for a class, it was on my to-read list of books. It's a classic, a book of prestige, a key to understanding all of the Greek allusions in pretty much all of literature. I wanted to read it at first mostly just to be able to say that I read it, but I didn't actually realize I was going to enjoy it.

And no, I didn't read it in the original language. The translation I read was done by Richmond Lattimore, and I really enjoyed how he put it. He tried to keep it as true to the original tale as possible, even down to the number of feet (or beats/syllables) in each line. I will admit, I haven't read other translations, so I cannot tell you which is the best, but this one was definitely good.

Ever since reading Percy Jackson, I'd had a growing interest in the old Greek/Roman mythology. As a Christian, I don't believe that the gods of myth are real (hence the "myth"), but the stories surrounding them always sparked something of wonder. They really are a bunch of cool stories (until you read the Metmorphoses by Ovid). I love seeing how a culture comes together, and you really get a taste of what the Greek culture was like while reading this book. 

I won't say much of the story itself since the classic tale is pretty well-known. More than likely, you can get the whole plot on Wikipedia or some such nonsense. I really enjoyed getting to follow the characters (my favorite was Diomedes!) and taking a part in the action. Parts of the battles felt like following along with the fighting in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Yes, there are a lot of words to get through, but once I got used to the terminology of the book, it was easy to get lost in the story. 

Why should you read this book? Because it's got great bragging rights. Because it is a well-referenced classic. And because it actually is a cool story. I'm still not quite over the ending. You know... Greek feels. 

Advisory: Violence/fighting/people dying/people getting injured. Another title for this book is: "101 Ways How to Die Like a Greek." Also, some references to romance/love. That's the thing the Greeks do best after fighting. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The King's Scrolls (Ilyon Chronicles)

Title: The King's Scrolls

Series: Ilyon Chronicles (Book #2)

Year: 2015 

Author: Jaye L. Knight

Summary: Following the harrowing events that brought them to Landale Forest, Jace and Kyrin have settled comfortably into their new lives and the mission of protecting those under the emperor’s persecution. The fast approach of winter brings with it the anticipation of a quiet few months ahead. That is until the arrival of four mysterious, dragon-riding cretes who seek aid in a mission of great importance—not only to their own people, but to all followers of Elôm.

Hidden in the vast mining valley north of Valcré, a faithful crete has spent years sharing his knowledge with the destitute miners and their families and is known to possess what may be Arcacia’s last surviving copies of the King’s Scrolls—the Word of Elôm. Joining the cretes, those in Landale must find the crete teacher and bring him to safety, but it is a race against time. Should Daican’s men find him first, execution and the destruction of the Scrolls is certain.


When disaster strikes, all seems lost. Could Elôm have a plan even in the enemy’s triumph? (from Goodreads)

Main Characters:
~ Kyrin
~ Jace
~ Kaden

Review: Everything we knew and loved about Resistance, book one of the epic Ilyon Chronicles, just got bigger, and better, and deeper, and more amazing. After finishing the first book, I wasn't sure if Jaye could hold the rest of the series up to that awesome standard. But she did. I was completely blown away, and this book basically hit my favorites list... pretty much right after I opened the book and started reading.

And now I need Samara's Peril and the rest of the series. Like... as soon as possible. You're not going to want to wait to read these books. 

Again, I'm really not sure how to pen this review just because this book was THAT AMAZING. The story was full of twists and heart-wrenching moments that make you fall in love with the whole thing more and more after every page. Once you start reading this book, you're not going to want to stop, so make sure you're stocked up with a good cup of coffee and something to snack on. This book is thick, and fantasy, and marvelous, and amazing. 

Kyrin and Jace and Kaden and everyone else are back for a new adventure, but the stakes are now twice as high. We're introduced more to the race of Cretes and learn of a national secret that has the power to tear apart families and countries -- which it does. The King's Scrolls, the word of the one true God, still exist, and everyone, bad and good, wants to find them. 

One thing I loved about this book was the dragons. *ducks head* Yes, I'm a huge fan of dragons, and I love whenever they appear in books -- appearing in my favorite books is just like the cherry on top of the sundae. Kaden interacting with the dragons was so much fun to read about. 

Kyrin and the others we're already endeared to undergo quite a bit of character development as their stories continue. Jace, in particular, changes as he steps further along the road of understanding he's not a soul-less creature that no one cares about. Usually, I'm not a fan of the brooding/moody/dark hero, but Jace is a rare exception. Jaye gives a really unique perspective on him, and you can't help but like him and root for him all the way. I'm eager to see how his story will continue in the series.

Kyrin's family!! Tons more about them in this book, and I loved getting to see more of her mother and younger brothers, as well as really getting to know some of her older brothers. AND HER FATHER! Strong family books always get me... and this book got me. Oh, did it get me. *looks at those who've already read this book* You know exactly what I mean.

Also, I really loved the Cretes. Timothy is an awesome new character, and although I was a little skeptical about following him at first, he soon grew to quite the favorite character. I am greatly mortified that I ever doubted him. Leetra, too, was such a complex character -- way more to her than met the eye -- and she's going to be a fun one to follow for the rest of the series.

There's so much more I'd love to say about this book, but I'm really trying hard to contain myself. That's probably why it's so hard to write reviews about books I love -- just want to rant and rave and talk about everything I loved, but SPOILERS! Ah, the life of a reader. *shrugs shoulders* Basically, I'll leave you with this: this book will sneak right into your heart when you're not paying attention, get you right in the feels, and then leave you dying of a hunger to have more. And when I say "feels" I mean it. Plot twists and emotional pain like you've never known. But, boy howdy, is it worth it!

Advisory: Fantasy action/fighting/injury/torture, but nothing overly graphic. Also, some romantic references. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Rose and the Balloon (Once Upon a Twist Tales)

Title: The Rose and the Balloon 

Series: Once Upon a Twist Tales (Book #1)

Year: 2016

Author: Kirsten Fichter

Summary: In a kingdom where fauna and flora are held in higher esteem than breakfast, Dmitri is a prince who yearns for change and plans it in a single daring act that will alter his life forever. However, when his demented mother accidentally causes the destruction of a prized garden of roses, Dmitri is horrified when she proposes his hand in marriage to make up for it. Not only will a wife hamper his glorious plans, he doesn't even want one. 

Janelle has spent her whole life on her father's rose farm, tending the roses and staying simple. But she really yearns for something greater than the flower beds. But now there's a wrench thrown in the works – the crazy Queen Maeva wants her to marry the prince, and all for ruining her father's beloved roses.

This is Beauty and the Beast with a twist like you've never seen it before. (from Goodreads)

Main Characters:
~ Janelle Roux
~ Prince Dmitri

Review: Is there a law against writing a book review for a book you wrote yourself? I surely hope not, because here I am doing just that.

Most Beauty and the Beast stories start off with Beauty's father plucking a single rose from the Beast's garden. This story, however, takes everything you know about the classic fairy tale and turns it upside-down on its head. Right off the bat, we're introduced to our Beast character, the Crown Prince Dmitri, who stands in the shadow of his mentally handicapped mother, affectionately dubbed "Crazy Maeva." Her latest, childish obsession is hot air balloons and she's quite determined to fly one day. Unfortunately, the science has not been quite perfected so that she can. 

But instead of the Beast catching Beauty's father in theft, it's the Beast's own mother who commits the crime with the rose. Or roses, rather. An accident with the balloon leads to the destruction of Beauty's/Janelle's home and her father's garden of prized roses. From there, it's just a tumble downhill and upside-down into the rabbit hole world of Rohesia, where roses are held in the highest honor. Janelle, for herself, doesn't think much of roses. And she thinks even less of the prince... who ends up her sudden betrothed. 

My favorite characters hands down are Dmitri's younger siblings, the twins Nicolas and Nicoline. They are the most mischievous twelve-year-olds you ever saw, and they have a competition between the two of them to outprank/kill each other. Of course, the entrance of Janelle only makes the competitions better, and both enlist her in the efforts to top the other. This leads to one of the best scenes (which just so happens to be a jab back to the original Disney classic film with a dancing feather duster). 

So, who needs to read this book? Well, I hope everyone would need to read this book. I wrote it, after all. It's a short, fun, family-friendly, fairy tale adventure with roses and hot air balloons (duh -- that's literally the title), that holds all the classic elements of Beauty and the Beast but twists everything into a completely new story. 

When sitting down to read this story, I suggest you bring along a hot cup of your favorite beverage (I prefer coffee, but you may go for tea or hot chocolate) as well as a sturdy helmet. Nicolas may be hiding somewhere above you with a cream pie. 

Advisory: Mild peril. A few characters use the expression blast/blasted. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Beautiful Pretender (A Medieval Fairy Tale)

Title: The Beautiful Pretender

Series: A Medieval Fairy Tale (Book #2)

Year: 2016

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Summary: The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble-born ladies from around the country to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina is only responsible for two things: making sure her deception goes undetected and avoiding being selected as the margrave’s bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences. Will Avelina be able to stop the evil plot? And at what cost? (from Goodreads)

Main Characters: 
~ Avelina Klein
~ Lord Thornbeck

Review: After the adventure of The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest, Melanie Dickerson has brought us back for another fairy tale romance. I can't say that this book has topped Huntress for my favorite of this author's novels. Definitely an interesting story, but it had its ups and downs.

I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more of The Princess and the Pea in this tale. I know that this is technically a retelling of that fairy tale, and you can definitely see the connections (the margrave actually talks about putting a pea under the bed mattresses with one of the prospective brides -- a cool touch, I thought), but I wouldn't define this as a strict Princess & Pea retelling. In truth, there's more of Beauty and the Beast than anything else. And on that note, I loved all the nods to that fairy tale (i.e. the wolf attack). So, satisfying, but I do wish there could have been more of Princess & Pea. 

Avelina surprised me as a heroine. Normally, you'd expect her to be the typical heroine of these type of novels. While she does have her share of sappy thoughts and wishes for true love, she has backbone where a lot of heroines don't. AND she keeps that backbone even after she's entirely and completely smitten with the handsome margrave -- which is something that these books don't normally have. That, I will admit, surprised me and scored bonus points in my book. Avelina knows her own mind, and she isn't afraid to speak it. Even as a servant, she isn't afraid to tell it to Lord Thornbeck bluntly how things are and what she thinks of them. 

Lord Thornbeck, the Margrave Reinhart himself... I can't say that I was entirely impressed with him. He was a likable hero, but I didn't feel that there was anything exceptional about him. Magdalen was lively and fun to follow. I loved how she was incorporated; her subplot really was excellent. 

It was really fun to see Jorgen and Odette return from Huntress. You didn't need to read their story first in order to understand this book, but I would recommend reading Huntress, because you understand bits more and because that's my current favorite of Melanie Dickerson's stories. Jorgen and Odette reminded me a lot of Lumiere and Mrs. Potts from Disney's Beauty and the Beast -- trying to counsel the gruff master on the best way to treat a lady. I'll admit it readily -- that made me laugh more than once. 

Advisory: Romance, as usual. It annoyed me a little that Avelina was thinking emotionally about the margrave almost as soon as she met him. I think she had known him for about a day, and she was already wondering what it would be like to marry him. [Highlight for spoilers] After Avelina nearly freezes to death, the margrave holds her to help get her warm again. Twice. And then some physical contact as well (hand-holding, kissing, etc.), but in the normal tone of Dickerson's stories. 

Avelina takes Lady Dorothea's place because Dorothea is pregnant with the child of one of her father's knights and then runs away to marry the aforementioned knight. In addition, a character talks of his brother sleeping with a woman. The situations are not dwelt on long, but the few uncomfortable references are something to take note of.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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

The Wish Thief

Title: The Wish Thief

Series: None (currently)

Year: 2016 (first published in 2012 under the title Glory Alley and the Star Riders)

Author: C.D. Verhoff

Summary: A girl on a quest for the perfect stone finds more than she ever imagined. A modern tale about the power of hope, courage and persistence.

Glory Alley is a young caving enthusiast on a personal mission. Since Mother's death, Father started drinking again and can't find employment. Her siblings constantly quarrel with each other, making home feel like a war zone. Labeled a loser by her peers, school isn't much better. Thinking money will solve their many problems, she sets off to find the legendary treasure of Queen's Mesa. Just as the prize appears within reach, otherworldly beings arrive to take it away, but they have met their match in Glory. 

A battle of wits versus magic ensues, unraveling the order of the universe. Only the girl who started the trouble can return things back to normal. Considering her unhappy situation back at home, surely there's a better option than 'normal', but can she find it before time runs out? (from Goodreads)

Main Characters:
~ Glory Alley
~ Clash
~ Bone
~ Needle
~ White Feather

Review: In truth, this review should have been up a month ago. Shame on me for finally getting to it.

The author contacted me about reviewing this book for her a few months ago. I will admit, I was instantly interested in this book based on the title alone. I mean, come on! The Wish Thief! Isn't that just epic? I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its title, but I think I may have. It sounded awesome. And then I went and looked it up, and judged the book by its cover, too. It sounded even more awesome. Of course I agreed to review it. 

All in all, this was one really cool adventure. Bits of it reminded me of Narnia, as Glory underwent tests and met interesting people in a new world. Other parts reminded me of a dystopian novel. There was even some sci-fi flair in there as well. Basically, a little bit of everything to please any reader.

Glory Alley isn't your typical heroine. In fact, for most of the book, she's not even the heroine. She's the bad guy. But the good guy all at the same time. Fascinating how that works. The fate of a world and perhaps much more of the universe rests in her hands, and her thoughts are for her family. That's one thing that I really liked about Glory. She's got a very keen love for her family, despite the hard times and arguments. Whatever she does, she does for her family.

The whole concept of the wish thief is so cool, and it got cooler with every page. Seriously. I could rave about that, but I won't. You'll just have to read that to figure it all out. Spoilers, ya know.

Most of the action goes along pretty quickly, and it's easy to get lost in the adventure. There was a section toward the middle where Glory is learning of the other worlds and the Elboni that is a lot of talking and information. There, the pace does slow down, and it gets a bit difficult to wade through, but its worth getting through. Trust me.

Also, shout-out to fantastic secondary characters! Clash was awesome. Which is why we need a sequel to this novel. And more of George. Which is also another reason for a sequel. *cough*

Advisory: Various characters use "fake profanity" and swear and cuss. Also, some adult comments from time to time. 

In addition, there is a scene where a character appears before people naked. Nothing is described, but following are multiple comments related to the unfortunate event. Just something to be aware of. 

As far as the magic is concerned (because magic is a big part of this story), it was the same as the magic in Narnia and similar stories. Glory comes from a world that doesn't use magic, so she doesn't know anything of it. It's not until she visits another world that she becomes aware of its existence. And even there, magic has strict regulations.

This book is categorized as "Christian Fiction" because it contains a lot of symbolism. At the end of the book, the author included a section explaining the symbols in depth. While I can't say I personally agree with all of it, I really enjoyed reading through that and understanding the story at a deeper level. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot)

Title: Murder on the Orient Express

Series: Hercule Poirot (#10)

Year: 1933

Author: Agatha Christie

Summary: One of Agatha Christie’s most famous mysteries, Murder on the Orient Express was inspired by two real-life crimes and the author’s own experience being stranded on the Orient Express during Christmas of 1931. While traveling to Paris, a wealthy American is stabbed to death in his cabin on the Orient Express. With the train stuck in a snowdrift, there is no easy escape for the killer. Fortunately, detective Hercule Poirot is aboard and launches a clever investigation into the curious assortment of passengers, of whom each seems to have a motive. (from Goodreads)

Main Characters: 
~ Hercule Poirot 

Review: To be completely honest, it took me years to get around to actually reading this book (which I can blame on the long time it took me to hunt down a copy of the book). I'm a new-ish fan of Agatha Christie, muchly provoked to read her works by one of my best friends. And yes *ahem* I say provoked. But Agatha Christie is well worth the read, provoked or not. However, I began reading this book with a complete knowledge of how it ended (i.e. who the murderer was). Thank you, creative writing teacher first semester. Despite knowing the outcome, I was eager to see *how* everything wove together.

I was not disappointed. 

It was amazing. 

I've always loved mystery novels, but for the most part, my experience with them has been limited to Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Bobbsey Twins (Boxcar Children really don't count). Sherlock Holmes didn't enter my life until high school. I didn't even know Agatha Christie existed until after I'd turned 20. I didn't realize how much I'd missed until one of my sisters gave me an Agatha Christie novel for Christmas. Murder on the Orient Express is my third AC novel (but my second Hercule Poirot), and it was thoroughly and absolutely amazing.

I won't say much about the story itself as it is hard to write a summary without giving too much away, but I will say that this definitely deserves the reputation it has garnered. A classic mystery, classic Agatha Christie, classic everything. I'll stop fangirling now. But I really want to go read more of her novels now. If you're any fan of mystery, read this book. If you're any fan of Agatha Christie, read this book. If you're any fan of classic and clever stories, read this book. You won't be disappointed. 

Hercule Poirot is a fantabulous detective, and I loved following him about as much as I've loved following Sherlock Holmes. While Murder on the Orient Express is the tenth book Agatha Christie penned about him, you don't necessarily need to read the previous nine books to understand what's going on. This novel stands completely on its own, so make sure you go read it.  

Advisory: Some typical murder mystery details of dead bodies and whatnot. Nothing alarming to report. Also, if my memory serves me correctly, there may have been a choice word or two to watch out for. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars