The Hammer by Vance Neudorf

Corvan was finally turning 16, the age of becoming a man in his little village town. All he wanted as a birthday present was to be able to stand up to the bullies at school and have his families financial problems disappear, but Corvan got a whole lot more than that. Beginning with the finding of a single hammer with strange blue writing on it, mysteries begin to unfold after his parents hint around about the real meaning of his name and the secrets of the hammer. Corvan is confused and scared and turns to his one and only friend Kate. This decision pulls Kate into a world of dangers behind doors of which only Corvan can save her. Corvan is forced into a world with prejudice, dangers, and lies, with only the hammer to guide him as the Cor-Van, this world's only glimmer of hope. The Hammer is an enjoyable adventure/fantasy book.

This book really captured my attention with the fantasy and adventure that came with it. The plot was very simple and was an easy read but, was slightly confusing in explaining the characters attitudes and looks. I had a hard time picturing the plot and that caused me to guess a lot of the events. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend this book as an easy and adventurous read. I will most definitely read the upcoming sequel to end this decent series.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: colleyville, Texas USA

Black Dragon Codex by R. D. Henham

Black Dragon Codex is a very interesting adventure book. It starts with a bang, and the beginning really holds the reader's interest. However, after that, there is a lull of action and it is quite boring for awhile. Then, the end is also very exciting.
The two main characters in this book are Satia, a girl taken by a dragon, and Septimus, the black dragon that snatches Satia. An evil wizard named Thordane captures Septimus's mother, who transforms Septimus into a boy. Now, Septimus and Satia are together, and they make a pact that they will help rescue Septimus's mother, and Septimus will, in return, take her home. In order to find out what happens next you must read Black Dragon Codex.

In my opinion, the book Black Dragon Codex is a fairly exciting story. One thing I especially like about this book is how, in the action-packed parts, you can't wait to turn the page. Also, I like how the book starts out with a bang, and that makes you want to continue reading it. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was how it varies the main focus. At some points, it concentrates on Septimus, while at other points, the main character is Satia. This is nice, because it gives the story two different perspectives.
There were quite a few things I did not enjoy about this book. I did not like how during the middle of the book, there was very little action and excitement. Also, the author never made me feel like I was one of the characters in the book. I liked Bronze Dragon Codex much better than Black Dragon Codex. Overall, I wouldn't say this book is great, but it is surely not a bad book.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, Maryland United States of America

"The Crown" by Deborah Chester

Deborah Chester's "The Crown" is an exquisite fantasy novel. It has all the aspects of a fairy tale, as well as action that one would find in a blockbuster. The book follows the story of Lea, a princess of light. She is captured by Shadrael and his men. Pretty as can be, Lea is subjected to wooing from Shadrael's men; yet Shadrael himself shows no sign of his libido around her. Shadrael has no soul and was supposed to deliver Lea to his brother. Instead, he sends Lea to Vindicants in exchange for a soul. Over the course of the novel, Lea bewitches Shadrael so that eventually, Shadrael realizes that Lea is the most important thing in his life. After all, Lea has several opportunities in the book to run away from Shadrael or kill him; however, she stays by his side and even protects him. Drama and action ensue as one of Shadrael's men betrays him and Lea is used as a source of life for evil lords. The overall genre is fantasy, but this book incorporates all genres into it, making Chester worthy of her national bestselling author title.

This book is a page-turner that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, reading the entire book in a night. Deborah Chester's "The Crown" spins a tale of romance and forbidden love, action and classic light vs. dark combat. The chemistry between Lea and Shadrael is wonderfully composed. It is subtle at first and escalates to matrimony towards the end of the novel. The love between the characters is tender, yet there are no grotesquely chauvinistic love scenes described. Hence, this book is great for those whom love romance yet do not want to read a steamy book full of explicit descriptions and no literary density. Also, many small internal conflicts arise between characters and their families. Chester's writing style flows superbly, and the chapters coalesce in an ebbing fashion. Lea struggles against her fate with light, whilst Shadrael struggles against his taste for blood and deceit. This novel is magical and depicts the coveted struggle which is so clearly portrayed on the cover.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

The Stepsister Scheme

The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines revisits the classic fairy tales Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White as the first installment of the Princess series. In Hines' fantasy, these "happily ever after" fairy tales come to us with a twist. Cinderella's (known to her stepsisters as Cinderwench) real name is Danielle Whiteshore, Sleeping Beauty is actually a martial arts master who goes by Talia and hates fairies despite their blessings, and Snow is a sorceress who changed her name to hide her royal roots. After Danielle's stepsister attempts to take her life and her husband, Prince Armand, is kidnapped, these three princesses head out to Fairyland on a mission to find the evil stepsisters and rescue the prince. On the way, the princesses are forced to revisit their pasts, outthink riddles, conquer magical beings, and, most importantly, trust each other.

This princess trio is certainly one to admire, full of courage, wit, beauty, and fun. As a great lover of fairy tales, I enjoyed how Hines combined the traditional fairy tales with the Disney ones in his own retelling, empowering the female characters as they went to rescue the prince. These strong heroines were well-developed and relatable, and their unique abilities and personalities balanced each other well. The Stepsister Scheme is full of action, moving the plot along while helping to attract a male audience in addition to the obvious female one. After being introduced to Danielle, Talia, and Snow in The Stepsister Scheme, I can't wait until The Mermaid's Madness is released to see how Hines merges these tough princesses into the tale of The Little Mermaid.

Content: 1
Rating: 8
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Farmington, CT USA

The Chimera's Curse, by Julia Golding

Connie Lionheart is once again dealing with the stress and
dilemmas of the magical society. Ever since the first
book, Secret of the Sirens, Connie has been growing and
strengthening to defeat the evil being, Kullervo. When
Connie first found out that she was a Universal Companion,
or able to communicate with any mythological creature, she
had no clue what she was up against. Connie started to
train with a rock dwarf in the earlier books, but Connie
now finds herself learning different attacks on her own.
She plans to use these attacks and weapons to defeat
Kullervo. The leaders of the society want to keep her safe
and free from danger, so they do not want Connie to go
anywhere near him. Meanwhile, Connie's brother, Simon, has
been acting strangely around the woods of their home. Does
he have any connection with the chimera that has been
roaming around? What will the society do about Simon, and
can Connie defeat both the chimera and Kullervo?
I thought that The Chimera's Curse was a good end to the
Companion Quartet. Although it was a bit slow at times,
the relationships and intentions of the characters were
very realistic. I also liked how Golding incorporated many
conflicts to stand in Connie's way and the steps she took
to overcome them. Unlike the first in the series, I did
not think that this book was a page turner. The vocabulary
was written primarily for readers that are in their early
teens. I would only recommend this book to people who have
read the other three, but I do recommend this series to
everyone who has spare time.

Reviewer
Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country:
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Death by Denim by Linda Gerber

Death By Denim is the third book in a series. It is about a high school girl named Aphra Connolly whose mother is a CIA agent. Currently they are hiding out in Paris and running from bad guys who work for a person called The Mole. The only way for her to survive is to keep away from her love interest, Seth, who is also being chased by The Mole. But when one of her mom's coworkers is found dead in the river with a deadly message in his mouth, she knows she will keep running and hiding until the Mole is dead... so she does the only thing she thinks is right, but was it the safest decision?

This book was wonderful and although it is not the first book in the series, it explained a lot so I wasn't lost. If this book were a movie (it would make a good one at that) it would be a similar genre to Pirates of the Caribbean because it is full of action but has romance in it at the same time. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a good book.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Gearhart, Oregon United States

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

The adventure of the Dragon Rider, Eragon, and his dragon, Saphira continues in this third installment of the Inheritance series. In a time of chaos and war, it is up to Eragon to secure the Varden, create alliances, and discover secrets. In this novel, Eragon matures into the strong and determined warrior necessary to save his friends and family from the evil clutches of the Empire.

When I saw that there was a third novel about Eragon and his adventure, I was thrilled! I loved the first two books and I had high hopes for this one as well. Brisingr, however, was not my favorite. There were some wonderful plots and surprising twists, but sometimes the reading was tedious. There were many graphically violent and bloody battles that were not my cup of tea. I do, however, still love the characters and I am therefore excited to see what will happen in the fourth and final installment of the Inheritance series.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Phoenix, MD United States

Zodiac Girls: Star Child by Cathy Hopkins

Every girl wants her special day, usually her Sweet Sixteen. But what if she got a whole month? One month that is all about her. One month when she gets special presents and where she gets to meet all sorts of cool people who's main focus is making the month the best for her. Well this month it is Thebe Battye's turn. She's a Virgo girl and she couldn't be happier. But what happens when all the people who are supposed to make the month amazing for her focus more on her family? Her time as a Virgo girl is almost up, but what can Thebe do to make everyone realize how she feels? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and once it's gone it's gone and she will never get to have this experience again. What can she do before it's to late?
I loved this book! At first I was a little hesitant thinking that this book would be too predictable, but to my surprise not only was this book interesting and fun, I also was provided with a lot of information about my birth sign. I learned about other signs, as a lot of questions I had about the stars were answered in this book. For anyone wanting a light, pleasant read, Virgo girl is for you.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona USA

Vidalia in Paris

Vidalia's life is great for her, but it is full of stress. She just won a scholarship to study art in Paris during the summer. Her mother is extremely needy and relies on Vidalia way too much; Vidalia is happy to have a break from that. In Paris, Vidalia meets two boys. One is named Julien, who she thinks of as just a friend, and the other is Marco. She falls for Marco rather quickly; however, Vidalia also learns of his career as an "art dealer." Her relationship with Marco overpowers her feelings toward his illegal behavior. Can Vidalia maintain her life as it has been and help Marco with his problem?

This romance book was, to me, extremely appealing. Normally I do not like books that are realistic. However, "Vidalia in Paris" reminded me so much of my own life. I believe that anyone could relate the characters to themselves or people that they know. The realness of the book made the plot so much more intense and exciting. I take French classes in school, and I was happy to read the bits of French that were scattered in the dialogue. Though the book is not very short, it could be finished rather quickly. I thought that the ending of the story was the way that it needed to end; it was realistic, depressing, and beautiful at the same time. I recommend this book to people who speak French, are interested in French culture, or who like romances.

There are sexual scenes and thievery.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Astonishing Fantasy Worlds by Christopher Hart

Take a portal to a fantasy world full of faeries, ogres, fierce vikings, and all sorts of other creatures with this art book. Learn how to draw medieval characters, Gothic style creatures, and any faerie you can think of. This book has clear and complete step-by-step illustrations that will help you through any creature in this book. Your mind and imagination is the only limit.
This was a great drawing guide for fantasy art. I loved how it gave great tips on how to draw the object/creature and especially the faerie variations. This book is great for any art fanatic that is lacking the skills on their fantasy side.
Caution: sexual references
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northport, New York USA