Ellie Walker’s second installment in the Searchers series, The Taniwah, has a little more gripping suspense than The Quest did, but it still suffers from some of the same problems, though mostly to a lesser extent.

Riva and Alice may have found the Moonflower and vanquished the evil that was haunting Punui Bay, thus helping the humans and Riva’s people, but things are not back to normal yet. Alice and her twin brother, Kieran, have now started school in the town of Punui Bay, and Alice, with her sight and strange tales, is quickly labeled a freak. Kieran was hoping to finally be popular at a school, but he now must spend most of his time defending his sister in physical altercations. To compound matters, their foster parent, Amelia, has to leave town for a while, putting them in the care of one of her flighty but well-meaning friends.

Riva is also having issues, too, as she must find a way to defile her tribe’s elder or be married to the wicked faerie. Plus, just in time for Halloween, a new monster has come to town, intent on finding the guardians and raising the Taniwah, a great sea monster that could easily destroy Punui Bay. With Kieran having fallen under the sorcerer’s spell, it is up to Alice and Riva to once again save the town on their own.

The beginning of The Taniwah starts off well (except for the twins’ last name having changed from Connor to Conway), with a lot of action and suspense, plus a straight-forward storyline. However, around the middle, time seems to start jumping in both directions, and the head hopping picks up, confusing what was a fast-paced story. This muddle leaves the climax somewhat anti-climatic as the reader is not sure exactly what is happening and how.

The Taniwah is not the end of Ellie Walker’s The Searchers, but it ends solidly, making it seem like there is not really any more to tell. Also, quite a few characters have died over the first two books, leaving me to wonder what could possibly happen to the small town of Punui Bay next.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Eternal Press
• Language: English
• ISBN: 978-1-897559-02-4

To purchase an electronic copy of The Taniwah click here.

Fantasies and quests go hand in hand, so it is no surprise that Ellie Walker decided to title her young adult fantasy series, The Searchers. The first e-book in the series, The Quest, introduces readers to an orphaned set of twins, an eccentric older lady, and the coastal village of Punui Bay.

Alice Connor, much to the dismay of her twin brother, Kieran, has had the ability to see ghosts ever since her parents died. This fact has caused multiple problems in the orphanage, so Kieran is excited when Amelia Jones wants to foster them; however, he is also worried that Alice will let her secret slip. It turns out that Amelia has her own secrets…and so does the town of Punui Bay. When creatures that are only heard of in legend start appearing to Alice, she knows she must help them in their search for a rare moonflower that will save their race. Or course, there are also some nastier, more visible creatures on the same search, and soon residents of Punui Bay find their lives in danger. In order to save themselves and the town, Alice must learn to trust her ability and Kiernan must learn to trust his sister.

Walker has penned a unique fantasy that will appeal to many younger fans of the genre. Plus, Kiernan, Alice, and Amelia are all very likable characters to whom readers can relate. However, there is some polishing that needs to be done to make the story a little more accessible. First off, there is a lot of head-hopping, making it difficult to keep track of who the story is focusing on at that moment. Also, the setting can change between paragraphs without any warning, disrupting the flow of the story.

The Quest, the first book of Ellie Walker’s The Searchers series, is not a bad first attempt at a young adult fantasy. Hopefully, Walker’s writing will grow with the series, making it a great, fun read.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Eternal Press
• Language: English
• ISBN: N/A

To purchase an electronic copy of The Quest click here.

David Almond’s The Savage is a unique book with a story within a story. Dave McKean’s illustrations help capture the savagery of the inner story.

After his father dies, Blue Baker starts to write a story. He is supposed to be writing about his feelings, but he decides to spin a tale about a savage who lives in a ruined church in his town. This savage runs wild, killing small animals for food, and even stealing desserts from houses and shops. While the savage is a savage, Blue shows that he does have a softer side, especially when he sees Blue’s younger sister. Blue does give a savage a very hateful side, though, when he encounters the school bully. What Blue does not know is that his story is real and has a twist to it that he could never have imagined on his own.

Blue is a character that many readers can easily relate to. He has problems in his life, but he also has good things, like his mom and sister. And even though he thinks he is not writing about his feelings after his father’s death, his story about the savage is all about his feelings, and even younger readers will understand that. The interesting thing that Almond does with Blue’s story is to writing it as a child would, with a crude font and misspelled words. McKean’s illustrations are only used for the savage story, also helping distinguish it from the narrative.

The Savage is a very interesting story that will make readers think. However, some of it may be a little too savage for readers younger than the recommended ages of 9 and up.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076363932X
• ISBN-13: 978-0763639327

To purchase a print copy of The Savage click here.

To visit the book contributors websites click here:
David Almond
Dave McKean

Dawn is on her way to an amusement park with her friends from Rolling Hills Ranch. The weatherman promised a glorious day that never appears as she bounces along in the back of a pick-up truck. When they break at a rest stop, they encounter a stranded driver that sends them on a course of events no one could have predicted.
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Turquoise Draka, mercenary and assassin, is about to fight her rival Ravyn for the title of guild leader of Crimson, the most elite of the three Bruja guilds, when a witch approaches them for a job. The two are contracted to enter Midnight, the rebuilt slave-owning vampire stronghold, and kill Jeshikah, one of the cruelest vampires ever known. To enter Midnight fairly unharmed, Turquoise and Ravyn pose as the slaves they had once been and are sold to Jeshikah, who in turn gives them as gifts to Jaguar, the new leader of Midnight and once disciple of Jeshikah’s way of life.

Jaguar is working hard to change Midnight into something better and is giving slaves more freedom and refusing to put up with some of the things the old Midnight took for granted. The one obstacle in his path is the very vampires that had once lorded over Midnight and caused so much damage. They think he is going soft, and they want to start re-instituting their reign of power and terror over the nearby community and slaves.

A new flavor in Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’ books, if you pick up this book expecting to find a continuation of old characters you are bound to be disappointed. However, if you are looking for a standalone novel set in the same world (just not the same part of the world) as the previous books in the series, then this is a book for you. With new characters, new places (Midnight is a vampire stronghold like New Mayhem, but totally different in every other way), new details on the vampire world, and new twists, this is another testament to Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’ skill at writing interesting stories set around fascinating characters.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf; Reprint edition (December 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440237971
• ISBN-13: 978-0440237976

Buy a print copy of Midnight Predator from Amazon by clicking here.
Buy a Kindle copy of Midnight Predator from Amazon by clicking here.

Books in the Den of Shadows series in the order they should be read:
In The Forests of the Night
Demon in My View
Shattered Mirror
Midnight Predator

When Clary Fray sees three teenagers with strange tattoos and weapons kill a blue haired boy at her favorite club, she can’t believe her eyes. For that matter, neither can the three teens, because Clary is what they call a ‘mundane’ and should not be able to see them. The following day, her life is altered forever when her mother disappears after telling Clary not to come home, and she is taken to the Institute by Jace, one of the three teens from the night before.

She is soon drawn into a world of Shadowhunters (Nephilim), Downworlders and demons. Valentine, insane leader of The Circle and ex-Shadowhunter bent on ‘cleansing the world’ of all things remotely demon, including the product of demon ‘viruses’ (also known as vampires, faeries, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures), is trying to find the Mortal Cup (pretty much the Holy Grail of the Nephilim, renowned for it’s ability to turn children into Shadowhunters) and has kidnapped Clary‘s mom because he is sure she knows where the cup is. In this spunky tale, Clary must remember past lessons, hunt new enemies, save Simon (best friend nerdy type) and be saved by him, and find the Mortal Cup in an attempt to rescue her mother from Valentine’s clutches.

This story seems mostly cobbled together from several sources (Harry Potter, Star Wars, Buffy, etc.) and easy to research Angelology and Demonology. Even though it was not the most original story I have ever read, I did enjoy it. The plot is transparent, the characters not incredibly deep and the descriptive writing a bit flat in some places. However, if you’re looking for a fun book that isn’t a brain twister to pass the time, City of Bones is the book for you.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (March 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416914285
• ISBN-13: 978-1416914280

Buy a print copy of City of Bones from Amazon by clicking here.
Buy a Kindle copy of City of Bones from Amazon by

Books in the Mortal Instruments series in the order they should be read:
City of Bones
City of Ashes City of Glass City of Fallen Angels City of Lost Souls City of Heavenly Fire

Sarah Vida, daughter of Dominique Vida, is just your average vampire-hunting witch with a mission. Her sole focus is to find and exterminate the vampire Nikolas, guilty of killing Elizabeth Vida and carving his name onto countless victims. After following one of his marked to a vampire bash, she is severely wounded and is sent back to high school for some R&… well, rest anyway.

Meeting the school’s resident vampires was not on Sarah’s to-do list, however, she meets them nonetheless. Christopher and Nissa are too weak to know Sarah for what she is and, despite her best intentions, she finds herself drawn to Christopher, who keeps sending her lovely poems and sketches, and to Nissa’s sweet personality. Torn between Vida law and her new friends, Sarah finds herself in a black and white world where nothing is completely black and white and her previously held assumptions will begin to falter.

A classic tale of forbidden love told in a new fashion, this story is a lovely tale of young love and character growth told with the flair that is Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. Shattered Mirror will twist the mind and shatter expectations in a fantastic way that will leave you wanting more from this story and author. My one complaint is the ending, which leaves definite leading strings for a sequel, and yet in seven years there has been no sequel. I live in hope though.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf; Reprint edition (July 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440229405
• ISBN-13: 978-0440229407

To purchase a print copy of Shattered Mirror click here.
To purchase a Kindle copy of Shattered Mirror click here.

Books in the Den of Shadows series in the order they should be read:
In The Forests of the Night
Demon in My View
Shattered Mirror
Midnight Predator

 

In Demon in My View, Jessica has just begun her senior year at Ramsa High, and unbeknown to her classmates, she has recently published her novel Tiger, Tiger under the pen name Ash Night. In a school whose student body views her as a freaky outsider, Jessica encounters for the first time Caryn (do-gooder in chief) and Alex, who bears a disturbing resemblance to Aubrey, her favorite character from Tiger, Tiger. Instinctually recognizing Alex as Aubrey, Jessica manages to talk herself out of that conclusion, as her fictional character couldn’t possibly be real.

The vampire world is furious. Their secrets, past lives, and weaknesses are being written and published by the author Ash Night for the world to see. Aubrey (feature character of the yet unpublished Dark Flame and villain of Tiger, Tiger) is determined to see the author, who has written of his humiliating defeat for all to read, utterly and completely dead. He is shocked to find himself drawn to this sarcastic girl with otherworldly green eyes, raven hair, alabaster skin, and bone structure that is the epitome of vampire beauty.

This enchantingly lovely tale weaves itself around Jessica and her life as a teenager in the midst of vampires who want to kill her, witches that want to save her, and what happens when the fictional life you live for becomes real. You’ll find yourself cheering for Jessica, pitying Caryn, and rooting for Aubrey as they follow their story to conclusion.

Well written, with interesting back stories and character development, this is one of my favorite Amelia Atwater-Rhodes books and I recommend it for all readers interested in the paranormal and young romance. My one regret about this story is that as far as I know Amelia Atwater-Rhodes has never published a sequel based around Jessica and I would have loved to learn more of what she does later in her life.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (September 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440228840
• ISBN-13: 978-0440228844

Books in the Den of Shadows series in the order they should be read:
In The Forests of the Night
Demon in My View
Shattered Mirror
Midnight Predator

Tiger! Tiger! Burning Bright In the Forests of the Night…

In the year 1701, Rachel Weatere was seventeen and living a fairly normal life. Normal in all ways except for the fact her beloved twin brother had magical powers he couldn’t control. She was also seventeen when her brother’s confrontation with the vampires Ather and Aubrey escalated and they turned their combined gaze to her. Forcibly made a vampire and believing her brother dead, Risika was the name she was given and Risika was who she became.

Three hundred years later, Risika is used to being alone, and she prefers it in most cases. Her one connection to mortal life in this age is Tora the Bengal tiger, who she loves deeply. Rebelling against the fear she had once and still feels for Aubrey, she starts to test his boundaries and begins the journey to avenge age old wrongs. Part present, part past, the story of Risika/Rachel is one of a strong female protagonist who will have to go great lengths and feel new and old pain to find herself.

Written in first person, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes debut novel In The Forests of the Night was published in 1999 when the author was just fourteen. She has later followed it with several other fantastic tales not only in this world, but in the world of the Kiesha’ra as well. I first read Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’s second novel, Demon in My View, in the early two thousands and have been an avid follower of all her books ever since. My only reason for reserving a half tombstone for this story is the writing is not as strong as it could have been, however, it is still above and beyond many authors’ debut novels. Though they are touted as young adult novels, I highly recommend her books for all ages interested in the paranormal.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (May 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440228166
• ISBN-13: 978-0440228165

Buy print copy of In The Forests of the Night from Amazon by clicking here.

Books in the Den of Shadows series in the order they should be read:
In The Forests of the Night
Demon in My View Shattered Mirror Midnight Predator

In this sequel to The Good Ghouls’ Guide to Getting Even, Beth Frasier has even more to deal with than just being a vampire. Her boyfriend, who she had to turn to save his life, may or may not be trying to kill her. If he kills her, he goes back to being human. She knows he really likes her, but does he like her enough to stay a vampire while they search for the vampire who made her.

Also in the mix is a very cute college boy named Kevin who seems to have a thing for Beth too. Kevin also just happens to be a slayer, which is no biggie since he thinks Beth is cute and he won’t kill her as long as there is a chance that she can be cured. That brings us back to her biggest problem: finding the master vamp whose blood created her, in a high school whose vampire population seems to be growing larger on a daily basis.

Julie Kenner does it again, keeping her readers completely engrossed in Beth’s desperate search to reclaim her humanity, while juggling two hot guys, keeping her grades up, and keeping her parents clueless about her undead status. The end of this book hints at a sequel, although the author’s website makes no mention of anything in the works. This reviewer is desperately hoping that this is not even remotely close to the end of Beth’s laugh out loud adventures. Give us more, Julie!!

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425217035
• ISBN-13: 978-0425217030

To purchase a print copy of Good Ghouls Do click here.
Books in the Good Ghoul’s series in the order they should be read:
The Good Ghouls’ Guide to Getting Even
Good Ghouls Do

Anita Palmer is just about to turn 16 and everything about her life is wonderful. She is playing Juliet in a school production and is dating Evan, her Romeo. Evan plans a romantic boat trip on the eve of her birthday and that is when everything changes.

A freak accident leaves both teens in the hospital. Anita’s parents bring her a mystery birthday package that has been delivered to her house. It contains a book which tells the story of Tania, the 7th daughter of King Oberon and Queen Titania of the land of Faerie. When a mysterious young man visits her in the hospital, she follows him and is transported to the land of Faerie where she discovers that she is Tania, the Faerie Princess and she has been missing for 500 years. Torn between two worlds, Anita/Tania must decide where she truly belongs.

Frewin Jones has created a fantastical world full of magic, betrayal and intrigue. My 9 year old daughter read this book and passed it on to me telling me that I just had to read it too. The characters are well-developed and the storyline keeps you wanting more even after the last page has been read. This is a good thing as there are two more books in the series. Though the series is marketed as young adult, I highly recommend this series for older readers as well.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Eos; Reprint edition (January 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060871040
• ISBN-13: 978-0060871048

To purchase a print copy of The Faerie Path click here.

Books in The Faerie Path series in the order they should be read:
The Faerie Path
The Faerie Path #2: The Lost Queen
The Faerie Path #3: The Sorcerer King

In The Good Ghouls’ Guide to Getting Even, Elizabeth Frasier is happy with her life. She isn’t one of the popular people, but she gets amazing grades and has even been granted early admission to college. She dreams about going to the Tisch School at NYU and becoming the next Steven Spielberg. All that she has to do is add a few more extracurricular activities to round out her application.

With years of dance and gymnastic training, she decides to join the drill team, but certain members of the student body have other plans for her. She doesn’t make the drill team but does get a personal invitation to join the cheer leading squad, and that means getting up close and personal with the drop-dead gorgeous star quarterback. Nothing can stand in the way of her dreams now. Nothing except perhaps being dead… or undead.

Julie Kenner has created a modern heroine who embodies what Buffy would be like if she had been turned. Her witty dialog and laugh out loud humor are a refreshing change from the many dark and dramatic vampire stories that seem to exist in Young Adult fiction today. This is the book to read on those days when you need a serious dose of sunshine in your life.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (April 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425213919
• ISBN-13: 978-0425213919

To purchase a print copy of The Good Ghoul’s Guide to Getting Even click here.

Books in the Good Ghoul’s series in the order they should be read:
The Good Ghouls’ Guide to Getting Even
Good Ghouls Do

When I started the Vampire Academy series, I didn’t realize how impatient I would get waiting for the sequel Frostbite. Like I said in my earlier review for Vampire Academy, I usually get in on a series around the third or fourth book and have lots of material to keep me busy until the next release. I resisted the temptation to go back and re-read Vampire Academy to console myself as I waited for the second book. Fortunately for me though, I didn’t have to wait too long, only a couple of months.

But as with all good things, it was well worth the wait. Richelle Mead draws us deeper into the world of Rose and Lissa. The Frostbite starts out immediately with action between a Strigoi attack on Moroi. When the attacks strike closer to home, the school declares that the Christmas break will be spent in a ski resort. There Rose meets up with Adrian, who her friends instantly dislike because of his background. But Lissa finds a secret companion in Adrian and makes friends with him. Rose is drawn into the fray with the Strigoi when her friends go missing. She ends up saving the day, but learns life lessons about what a toll that the war with the Strigoi is going to take. Rose still has the tension with her tutor Dmitri, but she is determined to try and move on with her life and live it as normally as she can considering the situation.

Book 3 Shadow Kiss will be out in November and I can’t wait to see where Rose and Lissa head in the next installment.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (April 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595141758
• ISBN-13: 978-1595141750

To purchase a print copy of Frostbite go here.

Books in Vampire Academy series in the order they should be read:
Vampire Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss

My attention was drawn to Vampire Academyoriginally by author Richelle Mead’s post on her blog where she mentioned Stephenie Meyer. I hadn’t been reading her blog very long and had tried genuinely to find her books at the Border’s Express here in PA. For some reason, they don’t like to carry the Seattle authors. (I’m just saying.) But I had recently just gotten done with the Twilight series and Richelle’s post intrigued me enough that I went to the big Barnes and Noble and dropped half of my Christmas gift card on her books.

When I picked up Vampire Academy, I fully expected a book as good as Stephenie Meyer’s. I have to admit. I was not disappointed. Ms. Mead writes the compelling story of Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir and the world that they live in, which is made up of Moroi, Dhampirs and Strigoi. Dhampirs protect the Moroi from the Strigoi. The Strigoi are usually Moroi gone bad and are tough to defeat. Rose and Lissa were going to the Vampire Academy to learn and train for their future roles in their society. Rose, who is a Dhampir training to protect Lissa, the Moroi, detects a threat to Lissa and they run away from school. The book picks up when they are caught and brought back to the school.

The world of Vampire Academy contains all the drama that can be found in any normal high school. The cliques, bullies, gossip, etc. Rose has a tough time accepting authority until she meets her tutor Dimitri. There is all the tension that exists in a schoolgirl crush on a teacher. But, does Dimitri return her feelings or is it a spell cast by Lissa’s uncle?

This book keeps you on your toes with its twists and turns. I think that Ms. Mead’s books will eventually rival the Twilight series once word gets out about them. I really found this book engrossing and probably had a harder time putting it down than I did with Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. I’m excited that I got in on this series on the ground level and was able to start with the first book and not be three books behind.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (August 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159514174X
• ISBN-13: 978-1595141743

To purchase a print copy of Vampire Academy go here.

Books in Vampire Academy series in the order they should be read:
Vampire Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promise