Space Kitties 2

"Searching the Cosmos"

(Picture Copied from Amazon)

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - The cats are off again into space with Hearth Books newest anthology, Space Kitties 2. In this collection, cats fight aliens, fly spaceships, and save their world from various dangers. A puuurrrfect lazy read for the beach (or curled up on the couch in a blanket once the snow hits) for cat and space readers.

Editor - E. Kaiser Writes

Authors - A.J. Bakke, Lesa McKee, H.L. Burke, Faith Blum, Rachel Ann Michael Harris (That's me!), Jamie Mortensen,

Publisher - Hearth Books

Age Group - All Ages

Personal Opinion - This was a charming read. Some had me smiling, some in an adventure, and some just enjoying cats in space. I think this anthology is almost better than last year's (no, I'm not being biased), not to say last years wasn't good, but I engaged with this year's stories better. Some of my favorites is the Operation Space Cats book 2 story and the one that is reminiscent of Star Trek and the beautiful poem at the beginning. If you want a simple, quick read or just to get a full story in short snippets of time, this is fun, charming, and full of various types of cats.

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Interview - Here is an interview I had with the author Lesa McKee who wrote Operation Space Cats. 

Disclaimer - I am the author of Star Hopper Engineer, published in this anthology, and such this review is based upon the other stories not mine.

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Thieves of Greatness

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Elizabeth is the second daughter of King Henry the VII and unlikely to ever receive the crown or be remembered. Shunned by her family, she feels alone and wishes to be great. Yet, when she starts seeing a flying sailing ship, she begins to worry that she is going insane like her father is rumored to be. When the ship lands atop the palace and the man called Captain invites her aboard, she begins an adventure where animals talk, travels through time, and meets the other children invited on board like King Tut, the boy king of Egypt, Neal Armstrong, an adventurous boy who jumps into everything, and Coaxoch, a shy Aztec princess. But, their adventures are interrupted by someone taking children out of their time and abandoning them. As they race to stop whoever is doing this, the hunters become the hunted and they will have to find a way to send the world's and time's children back to where they belong and find in themselves all they can be.

Author - Emily C. Burger

Publisher - Howling Wolf

Age Group - 12 and up
 
Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Elizabeth decides to go with a man on a sailing ship that flies who she just met. Coaxoch struggles with right and wrong. Each child has to face their fear and doubt to overcome the evil they are facing and use their talents.

Personal Opinion - I've been jumping between rating this book at 3.5 or 4 stars because, while it is good and interesting and the characters are great, there were some questions and concerns I had. The story was really good and engaging, having a Doctor Who feel with the Captain and the Explorer and the strange items aboard the ship as well as picking up people who are fantastic (the biggest difference here is in Doctor Who, the companions are just normal people while each kid in this book is a recognizable figure from history but the sentiment is the same for the people who come along). That is one cool thing, that the every kid is an important person from history, which really shows that, "Every child has the ability to make history," as Captain says, and there are hints of how these children do so while reading this book. Speaking of history, while it was fun seeing  different people from various cultures and historical time periods, I did question the historical accurateness at times. The reader gets to see Elizabeth in her home for several chapters before she meets the Captain yet there were times I thought, "Is that right? I thought it was different." It makes me want to do research. That being said, the issue of accurateness also comes into play with point of view. It seemed it was mostly from Elizabeth's POV yet sometimes the author would seem to speak to the reader director, and then, again in the description, an item would be described by being compared to something else, something Elizabeth would not know anything about because of the time period difference. It made me wonder who was telling this story. There were also several POV changes without a scene break or chapter change that went from one character to another with only the change of a sentence. For the antagonist, I am still not clear is what his motivation and goal was. Lastly, and this is more personal, I would have liked to have seen Elizabeth at home longer at the end of the story, had seen how she changed, especially after how long the beginning was before even before a hint of the flying ship. But, this story was good. It wasn't a, "I have to get back to this right now!" story for me but, when I was reading, I was interested and engaged, enjoyed the various characters, human and animal, and seeing how these historical people before they were famous were brought into the story. I think there is a lot of room for it to become a series and continue on but it also works well for a stand alone. This is a good book, maybe one I would not say, "You have to go buy this," but, if someone was interested in it, I would say good things and support them picking it up. The author, Emily C. Burger, has a great future in writing if she wants to continue and work on it some more. I would keep an eye out for her next book.

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Quest for Truth: Unleash

"Claws Raised. Mouth Open.
It Was Coming for Her!"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - The adventure continues as Oliver, Tiffany, Mason, and Austin unravel the mystery surrounding their parents kidnapping and Ursprung. As they journey from planet to planet, more clues are found, more enemies are made and secrets are revealed. While struggling with all this, They also learn of an ancient truth of one who sacrificed himself to save the world and of those who still hold that truth. As thing get more dangerous and the come closer to their destination, their lives are in even more at risk then before. Can they stay out of the hands of the Ubel and Corsairs, save their parents, and discover the secret to eternal life?

Author - Brock Eastman

Publisher - P & R Publishing

Age Group - 14 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Lots of shoot outs as they fight to stay free and various enemies try to capture them. The kids lie at one point so those who took over their ship would not know what they had discovered about the mystery. The Wikks never leave each other behind and defend one another even when it could get them captured or in danger. Once they even put themselves on the line to save one of their enemies from death.

Personal Opinion - This was a nice edition to the story. The characters have grown, more determined and more capable of facing danger and always looking out for their friends, even when it might derail them from their journey. The is also a lot of action. That being said, this particular book felt like they were just running around from one spot to the next without much headway in the finding of Ursprung. *SPOILER* It was also not very believable when they shut the door in the face of a bad guy who had taken over their ship, held it shut until all the clues they had gathered were hidden and talking with each other on what to do with them, and then open the door and it was almost nonchalant as the bad guy walked in, found some fake clues they had hid and everything was find. This guy was supposed to be smart and devious and it barley phased him and he did very little to the kids who were obviously hiding something from him *END SPOILER*. So, there were believability issues and a lot of planet jumping. One thing that also just gets to me, and maybe this is just me, but, in stories where people convert who have never heard of Jesus in any way, convert on the spot with only a paragraph of explanation given to them, they just believe and it makes a difference to them, and the story they are given of his love and sacrifice is so general it isn't even specific on what happened. Those are not believable and even people who have believed in God for years find it difficult, challenging, and even face doubt. While this story gave me plenty to irritate me, I enjoy the adventure and think the idea of them finding the truth about eternal life intriguing also because I can see the hints dropped that the characters don't because I know the Bible and they don't. I look forward to reading the last two books and seeing how this wraps up.  

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Other Reviews for this Author - Quest for the Truth: Taken - Review
                                                    Quest for the Truth: Risk - Review
                                                    Sages of Darkness: Howlsage - Review

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The Real Force: A 40-Day Devotional

"What lessons may we learn from this galaxy 

far, far away and how do they relate to the beliefs we hold so near, near to our hearts?"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4.5 Worms
 

About - Star Wars is a rich experience of cultures, morality, and action. But, can this beloved series represent and teach us more about the Christian faith? Paul Kent takes readers on a 40 day journey through the saga, using characters and events of the Star Wars realm to show Christian teachings and Bible verses to bring readers deeper in their faith in God. Everyone might want to be a Jedi and use the Force and visit Tatooine and Cloud City, but Kent shows us who the real Force is in this world.

Author - Paul Kent

Publisher - Worthy Publishing

Age Group - 14 and up

Personal Opinion - 40 days of seeing connections between Star Wars and Christianity. For this devotional, I did only read one chapter a day and it was really nice. I just got to focus on that and got to examine my faith through this great story. Since someone at my church has made a Bible study using Star Wars, there were a couple of times the author would take a different approach to the same situation than that study took so I would start thinking "what about this interpretation?" I was just stuck with that other idea, not that what the author was saying was any less pertinent. I did enjoy this. In the beginning, though, there seemed to be times where the chapter, beginning quote, and the information in the chapter didn't seem to go together very well. Like, it started with one idea but covered another. Somewhere within the middle of the book, this mostly went away but made enough of an impression that I still remember it. It also seemed to cover the original three more than the prequels (but the original three were better). It is also too bad the author couldn't have incorporated anything from the new movie (I believe this book was published before the movie was release or really close to). So, if you love Star Wars and want to see your faith through the lens (or, maybe, parable) or the films, check out this book.

Video - This is a video interview with the author about the book and Star Wars films.

 
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Dreamtreaders: War for the Waking World

"Would you be willing

to fight

for your dreams?"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - The Rift between the Waking and Dream World is open. Dreams are coming real and devastation is sweeping the world. It is up to the Dreamtreaders to stop it. But, when the devastation seems to disappear and everyone is in some hallucinative state where they can't see what is true and Archer is up on charges for misusing his Dreamtreader gifts, repairing the damage might be harder than they thought. Yet, help is found, in some of the most unlikely sources.  

Author - Wayne Thomas Batson

Publisher - Thomas Nelson

Age Group - 14 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* The characters, more than just Archer, have to look back on the wrongs they have done, whether or not it was completely their fault, and take responsibility for those actions. Creativity abounds, even to the down right silly. Darkness and destruction is filling the world yet people don't see the danger and terror around them, blissfully ignorant of what their actions are doing to the real world.

Personal Opinion - A really great ending to the series. I even didn't mind 3-5 pages of resolution after the major battle (I usually like a few more pages of rap up after the major event at the end). I think the best part was the change of the characters. Archer didn't just get away with the wrong he did in the previous books but took responsibility for them and even Kara and Rigby ended up being complicated characters by struggling with greedy wants and hurts and yet not completely evil. Makes if more realistic and challenging in this way. Something I personally found while reading it was an allegory to life. The people only say the good they wanted to see, were unwilling to see that they was trouble and danger, it being covered up by a Veil. I think our would, and even ourselves, can be like that. We try to ignore the unseen costs of our actions and want to believe in what see only. The only trouble I had with this book was at the beginning. For some reason, I had trouble connecting the last thing from the previous book to the beginning of this one. I'm not really sure how to explain it. There wasn't anything wrong with it, I just seemed to be going "What's going on here?" It took a little while for it to come back together again. Anyway, a good ending to a thought provoking series (one of which I still need to read book 1. Read this series in order. That would be helpful).

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Other Reviews for this Author - The Pirate Series: Isle of Swords
                                                    The Berinfell Prophesies: Books 1 and 2
                                                    The Dark Sea Annals: Sword in the Stars
                                                    The Dark Sea Annals: The Errant King
                                                    Dreamtreaders: Search for the Shadow Key

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through BookLook.

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Comics - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle - Volume 1 & 2, Issues 39-47

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - The turtles are living in New York and falling into one dangerous event after another. Mysteries from feudal Japan and scientific troubles fill their days, putting them and their friends Casey, April, Angel, and more in situations where they have to fight back. While each character deals with their own personal issues, they come together as a time to protect their home and each other.

Creators - Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz

Publisher - IDW Publishing

Age Group - 16 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Bloody fights and some swearing. Reincarnation. Abusive father situation early in the series and conflict because of it continues to cause tension. World domination later in the comics. Staying true to family and what you believe in. Following a code and protecting friends.

Personal Opinion - The turtles are fighting crime against old and new enemies while making friends and discovering their past. A lot of things have changed in the story with this new publication yet nodes to and brings in elements of the original tales and parts to the TV shows and movies. It all blends together seamlessly and continues being a tale of family, right and wrong, and fighting for what you believe in. Each month, a continuation of their adventure is released so readers only have to go a short time before a new story is published (by the time this post will publish, I will have read at least one new comic in the series). The art work is great too. There is some content that I could do without, swearing for one, it is still a great story and not as bad as it could be. It is pretty violent and bloody so not for young readers. If you are a turtles fan, start picking this comic up at your local comic shop and enjoy a new phase of the story. (If you are picking up in the middle of this series, there are books with the past comics available for purchase that have about four comics to a book. I am using these to catch up so I have questions that I hope will be answered from where it began to where it is now. Example: the art has changed a little.)

Also, check out the Casey and April comics which is a brief side story for only a few months.

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5 Glass Slippers

"One Beloved Story
Five Exciting Writers
A Collection to Cherish"

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - The tale of Cinderella is timeless and beloved. In this collection of five novellas, her story is revisited and retold in surprising new ways: 1) she has no interest in the prince or going to the ball, 2) the slipper fits the wrong girl, 3) reclaiming the throne from an imposter prince, 4) drilling on an alien planet when a ship arrives with a famous captain, and 5) freeing those imprisoned in an enchanted circus. Each is unique yet faithful to the original. Enjoy the magic once again on these spellbinding tales.

Editor - Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Authors - Elisabeth Brown
                Emma Clifton
                Rachel Heffington
                Stephanie Ricker
                Clara Diane Thompson

Publisher - Rooglewood Press

Age Group - 15 and up
 
Content - *May Contain Spoilers*

Personal Opinion - This collection of Cinderella stories, all varying in style, mood, and even genre, really bought out the character and story in a variety of ways. She is shy, a dreamer, and even someone who faces her fear. She lives where magic exists, the real world, and even outer space. She is also loved, hated, and even disliked by her step-mother and sisters. Talk about a wide vision of Cinderella and, yet, each story was special, unique, and fun in its own way. I particularly loved A Cinder's Tale in this collection. Not only did I get to read great versions of this tale that goes in depth of the story with each one being able to read in about a day, but also get to know new authors, some of who it was there first story published. I will keep this collection and re-read the story for a while and am looking forward to the next collection by Rooglewood.  

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William Shakespeare's the Phantom of Menace

"O Threepio,

O Threepio, 

Wherefore Art Thou Threepio?"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - The Trade Federation has taken over the peaceful planet of Naboo, trying to force its queen, Amidala, to sign a treaty to make their occupation legal, allowing innocents to die. With the help of two Jedi knights, the queen escapes but their ship is damaged and has to land on the lonely planet Tatooine for supplies. While there, the Jedi meet a boy, Anakin Skywalker, who might be the one to bring the Force into balance. As the Jedi try to help Anakin and take them with them, Naboo is in desperate need but it is unknown if the Republic will send aid in time to save its people.

Author - Ian Doescher

Publisher - Quirk Books

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Queen Amidala, Anakin, and the Jedi are determined to protect Naboo and do the right thing, even at the cost of their own lives. Jar Jar is a bit manipulative. Many of them just want peace.  They call on the Fates and the Force of support and help on numerous occasions.

Personal Opinion - A great retelling of the film in Shakespearian form. The known dialogue and actions are contain within the story as well as going into the thoughts and feelings of the characters as well as adding some small, additional arcs, such as Jar Jar Binks aside dialogue. I also appreciated two Jedi's who talked about seeing a pattern in the Force, mostly because it related to an observation my mom made about the movies but, if I say more I'll spoil it. I think the only thing I would have liked different is knowing what the prophesy is. For everything that is added and expanded upon, this explanation is still missing like it did in the movie. I hope someday to hear what the prophesy actually says besides people just referencing it. Still, a great read for those who like the movies yet would enjoy them told a little differently. (In fact, Squirmy, the Ty, enjoyed it so much, he tried using the force to levitate the book for the picture. Please don't tell him you see his tale.)

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Other Reviews for this Author - William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return

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Many are Called

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms
 

Storyline - After seven long years, the prince his finally marrying his betrothed. All that is left is to go get her. Yet the skies are filled with enemies trying to capture the princess and the prince must out maneuver them. Meanwhile, the palace gets ready for the marriage feast which no one who is invited is coming to and the servants are slacking. The prince chases down his beloved yet things are more complicated than they think. And their enemy is not far away...

Author - Gabrielle Gniewek

Art - Sean Lam

Publisher - Manga Hero

Age Group - 14 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Some killing but not too gory and not really shown. One guy's chest is always seen. The prince is willing to risk his life for his bride, no matter what, even after she has hurt him. The bride is struggling with guilt from betraying the prince and doesn't feel adequate for his love. Other character struggle with their duties and feeling like they deserve better or just slack on their work.

Personal Opinion - This was a pretty fun, engaging, light read. It can be read in an evening. I think it helps put the parable of the wedding feast in a form that can give readers a face to the characters and situation to the story. The artwork was fun but I'm not sure what I think of the jumping between Jesus telling the parable and the story itself which plays out with sky ships, motor bikes, and swords. The bride was not very well developed. SPOILER The story hints at her running away and hiding with someone bad but doesn't tell why she decided this END SPOILER. At times, the characters would hint to something, a side bit, but it wouldn't be clear in the story so I'm left confused. For a Christian book, I was also surprised at seeing one guy's chest. The whole story went to fast and could have been elaborated on more, maybe even a series to create these various storyline. But the story did have a good message about unconditional love, faithfulness, and honor.

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Killer Species: Menace from the Deep

"Unnatural Selection"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Emmet has just moved to Florida but it is not his first choice of homes and almost being eaten by an unknown species of crocodile on the first day confirms it. But his scientific father is caught up in the strange discovery of this new animal and they are not going anywhere. The designer of the new crocodile is furious that the Everglades is being destroyed by snakes and tourist and will do anything to protect the land, including breaking the law and setting loose his creations. As Emmet settles in to his new home and gets to know Calvin,  son of his father's co-worker, his father gets into trouble and will have to find a way to save him while not getting eaten.

Author - Michael P. Spradlin

Publisher - Scholastic

Age Group - 12 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers*

Personal Opinion - Killer Species was a pretty good read (but the intended age group will enjoy it more than an older one). Emmet and Calvin were distinct characters and personalities, one jumpy but determined and the other quiet but knowledgeable. The situation was extreme but believable with the antagonist and his desire to save the swamp yet having scientifically engineered crocodiles produced to carry out that plan. Emmet's various names for the creatures were fun. It was interesting how the boys turned to the adults for help so much because that is not always a common characteristic in middle grade or young adult books today and is a positive element. The only thing that I wish had been different is, at the beginning of some chapters, stuff was summarized, even before it happened, so the reader didn't get to discover it with the characters when it happened. The summaries weren't detailed but took away some of the surprise. Besides swearing to God once, this seems like a good middle grade adventure, science fiction book for readers.

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Other Book Reviews for this Author - The Youngest Templer Trilogy

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History

 

 Bookworm's Ranking - 4.5 Worms

About - In the early 1980s, two men shared comic drawings of a turtle with  a pair of nunchaku as a joke between friends which grew into one of the most popular team of ninja warriors. From comic books to an animated series to the silver screen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been battling crime and their arch foe the Shredder for several decades and are still loved by many. If you are a new or old fan of the turtles, this book contains the beginning and growth of the Turtles to current day, learning all about how they changed, affected the people who worked on them, and influences a couple of generations of fans.

Author - Andrew Farago

Publisher - Insight Editions

Age Group - 15 and up

Personal Opinion - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History is a great source not only to learn how the Turtles began and changed over the years but also to get the stories of those who worked on them. Each chapter was fun and I loved the pictures and inserts (except a couple of times I was afraid I might pull one out by mistake). All through the book, everyone told their stories and journeys with the Turtles and I liked how no one was villainized when things and relationships changed between the people (I don't know why they would but it just seems to happen in some books). The book comes with a poster and a copy of the original comic. I was first introduced to the Turtles by TV Teddy and the 1980's series episode where Leo thinks he is a Musketeer. Years later, I looked into them again and found the 4Kids version running on TV and really got to know them and loved the adventures. After reading the original comic, I was surprised how dark it originally was and wonder if I would have continued to have an interest in them if I had read that first (I honestly don't see the difference between vengeance and revenge which is a big part of the first comic). But, I think I will continue my interest in the turtles and will read the comics. One thing I wish had been done differently (and this is just a personal opinion) was the chapter on the 4Kids TV Series. I would have liked to have known more about the creation of that series and the work behind it and I would have preferred the images been taken from seasons 1-6 instead of the last season's. This is my preference because it is the version where I really got to know the Turtles so it is kinda important to me. Beautiful, colorful, and detailed book on the history and growth of the Turtles and I am looking forward to where they are headed next.  

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William Skakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Luke, Leia, Han, Chewy, and the droids are preparing to face their final battle against the Empire. Luke is struggling with the truth of his father while also discovering a secret that he has a sibling. Leia and Han work with local inhabitants of a planet to help the rebellion. Darth Vader will face a choice: his son or his master. It all comes down to this but will it be enough or will all fail?

Author - Ian Doescher

Publisher - Quirk Books

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Luke ponders an old tale that resembles Oedipus. Internal turmoil affects all the characters on what they should or should not do. Each character has to decide to give up or stand for what they believe in and the ones they care about, even if it means their life.

Personal Opinion - Honoring the story while also paying tribute to William Shakespeare, this book is funny, accurate, and, as others have put it, insightful. Trying to read R2 D2's noises and seeing beloved lines put into Shakespeare style made me laugh out loud. The story moved just like it did in the movie yet also provided a new lens to view the characters. Their monologues and when they spoke in their minds, gave new depth and insight into what the characters were thinking and feeling during different parts when they originally didn't have lines in the movie. So want to read the first two book and hope the Anakin arc will also be written in Shakespeare form.   

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Crater Trueblood and the Lunar Rescue Company

"Crater Trueblood has to Rescue

his Ex-Girlfriend...

and the Entire Human Race."

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 2 Worms

Storyline - Crater is doing just fine, mostly, without Maria as he, Petro, and Crescent develop and work their new company, Lunar Rescue Company, saving wayward people out in the dust. Maria is also doing just fine, mostly, working in her grandfather's business. But when she is kidnapped, Crater runs off to find her with his friends in tow. The earth is being threatened and it might cost Maria, Crater, Petro, Crescent, and several more lives to save it.

Author - Homer Hickam

Publisher - Thomas Nelson
 
Age Group - 15 and up
 
Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Characters risk their lives to help others, even if they are not particularly fond of one another. Some recognized their mistakes and tried to overcome them. Torture happened several times. Death and destruction.

Personal Opinion - This is the end of the story of Crater and his friends. Sadly, I wasn't that impressed. There was a lot of action and stuff happening but that is all it felt like, stuff was happening that  was leading up to something, everything was prepatory. Now, that might seem like all books do that to a point but it didn't feel like it was building the story and characters. It almost seemed like the reader should already know the characters so they were not developed much. A lot of the information was detailed about the spaceships and their workings and there almost seemed like too many characters being followed so it broke up the story. There was also one question from book 2 to book 3 that I didn't get an answer too. The book did challenge the idea of love and what we do in desperation as well as sacrifice to save others. Plus, the Gillie's personality is still fun as ever and his conversations are charming. Still is not really recommended, though, because it was not a well told story.

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Other Book Reviews for this Author - Crater, Book 1, Review
                                                             Crescent, Book 2, Review

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through BookLook.

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Dark Eden

Bookworm's Ranking - 1 Worms

Storyline - On the alien, sunless planet they call Eden, the 532 members of the Family shelter beneath the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees. Beyond the Forest lie the mountains of the Snowy Dark and a cold so bitter and a night so profound that no man has ever crossed it. The Oldest among the Family recount legends of a world where light came from the sky, where men and women made boats that could cross the stars. These ships brought us here, the Oldest say—and the Family must only wait for the travelers to return. But young John Redlantern will break the laws of Eden, shatter the Family and change history. He will abandon the old ways, venture into the Dark…and discover the truth about their world. (Copied from Goodreads.com)
 
Author - Chris Beckett
 
Publisher - Broadway Books
 
Age Group - 17 and up
 
Content - *May Contain Spoilers* When others didn't think or agree with the main character, he would ruminate how they are simple minded. Everyone seemed to have a problem with everyone else if they didn't agree with how they think things should be done or people behave. A physical romantic scene between a fifteen year old and a woman with several children. The protagonist risked his life to save another.
 
Personal Opinion - I didn't make it past the fifth chapter. My main issue with the story was the "slip" scene, fairly detailed, between a fifteen year old and older woman. For being what I thought a young adult book, this was unnecessary. Morally, I had a problem with this and is what caused me to stop reading the book (that and, according to other reviews by those who did finish the book, it sounded like there were going to be more of these scenes). Because I stopped reading the book, I have no idea what the author was trying to say about this stuff and might have had a good message about the whole "slip" thing but how it was going about the point was completely unnecessary. Before you think I'm just a prude, this is not the only reason I was frustrated with this book. For the first several pages, there was no description even though events were happening so it was hard to picture. Not only that, everything had different names than I am use to because it was a different planet so it was  confusing. The new language techniques, which I would have appreciated if it had been toned back a bit, were over used to the point they just became annoying instead of creative. The cover was very well done and represented well how the trees were suppose to give off light as well as the animals which I think sounds really cool. Having the characters reminiscent of caveman was fun and unusual. I am sorry I wasted mine, the author's, and publisher's time, though. This just teaches me once again I should research a book a little more before taking it.
 
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Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through Blogging for Books.

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Wars of the Realm: Cloak of the Light

"Drew is Caught

in a World of Light -

Just Inches Away from Dark."

Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms

Storyline - Drew and his mother has suffered terrible afflictions all his life. Death almost seems to be just a step behind him. Then, one day, he suffers a terrible accident and goes blind. When miraculously his sight returns, he begins seeing people, or invaders, that no one else seems to see. The invaders seem interested in humans, but why? Drew has to figure that out with his friend Ben, who is missing, all the while trying to not get caught by the invaders or to reveal that he sees them, as well as learn is God is real, or just a myth.

Author - Chuck Black

Publisher - Multnomah Books

Age Group - 17 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Two deadly car accidents and several snering Invaders are featured through out the novel as well as one kid and a couple girls almost getting attacked.
A school shooting takes place. Drew doesn't believe in God but in interested in a girl who does. Characters try to look out for each other even if it means getting themselves in danger. 

Personal Opinion - I read Chuck Black's Kingdom Series years ago and it was really good. In Cloak of the Light, I like how Black developed his character and gave him a history of trouble and struggle to make him believable. Drew's trials help the reader identify with him and his experiences which showed him be a good person who made mistakes and bad things happen to. The Invaders were well portrayed to in how they influenced people or tried to strike out at them. Yet, I had trouble finding this book as a whole interesting because of how long it took. Drew's high school experience had to completely be depicted even though the catalyst event didn't happen until he was in college, one hundred pages into the book. Lastly, I was a little disappointed on how the issue of not believing in God was handled making Drew's reasons for disbelief make him look like he was stupid (Drew's disbelief wasn't brought up until he was in college either). I didn't feel that it was portrayed well and, if I had given this book to someone who didn't believe in God, they would have been insulted by how their view point was displayed. Cloak of the Light does hold promise, though, because the pace picked up speed halfway through and Drew is a good person who wants to protect others and fights for those who cannot.

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Special Notes - This author previously wrote The Kingdom Series which I recommend.

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

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Anomaly

"Question. Feel.

Believe."

Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms

Storyline - Thalli is not like the rest of her pod mates. She feels and is curious, traits the Scientist have taken out of others. But when she can on longer hid it, she is take to the scientist. But instead of being annihilated, she is tested. Things begin to be strange as she meets people who are allowed to feel and meets an old man who has strange ideas about a Designer who created everything. As tests continue, she begins to wonder what is real and not, what is true, and what is right.

Author - Krista McGee

Publisher - Thomas Nelson

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Thalli enjoys  (hangs out with) the company of a couple guys but is learning about God. Thalli lies a couple times. The Scientist lie and try to control others. Berk does what he can help Thalli.

Personal Opinion - The story was good. It had twists and turns that I didn't see coming and had interesting characters. I found the story to go a bit slow at first and was a bit contradictory on a couple of points at one point but that got cleared up with one of the twists in the story. I was concerned at first that it was going to be a lot like other Dystopias that have characters who aren't allowed to feel or think but this one was different. The details were well done so I was able to see most of the locations and the twists were new. I loved how Thalli spoke about music and compared things with it because she was a musician. But I couldn't seem to connect with the story. There were technical aspects that were done that I didn't like. But, I love Krista McGee's other books and this was an interesting read none the less.

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Other Book Reviews for this Author - First Date - Review
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Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher/author through Team Novel Teen.

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Helium-3 Novel: Crescent

"She Was Born to Kill,
Born to Die."

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

 

Storyline - After a battle, Crater takes a crowhopper hostage. No one in Moontown is happy with the crowhopper, Crescent, but, as she learns more about the people, she begins to change her outlook on them. But, when someone is murdered, Crescent is accused and Crater has to find the truth to save her. Meanwhile, Maria is making great accomplishments in her family's business. But when an attempted kidnapping takes place, she will have to run for her life.

Author - Homer Hickam, Jr.

Publisher - Thomas Nelson

Age Group - 14 or 15 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Spurting blood at one point. Crater puts himself on the line multiple occasions to help others. Crescent is only seen as a "creature" by most people but we get to see she is more than that. Issues of how others should be treated come up.

Personal Opinion - The second novel in the Helium-3 series was fun. I engaged with it more than the first but there were a few occasions where wording of sentences irritated me. But, mostly, it was fun. The action sequences were well described and the characters were more interesting. But Crater seemed angrier than the first book which just seemed out of character for him, a little too much change from book 1. One of the most interesting parts was here all the moon locations. That gave it the creativity of a fantasy novel as well as a historical one because the moon does have names dedicated to places. Getting a little background on historical moon landings was sweet too, especially for someone like me who knows little of the moon but find it interesting. Call me strange, but I love the Author Notes at the end of the novels. I would read about events or things on the moon and find out in the Author Note that they are based on more reality than I thought. In the end, it was a fun read with a pretty well developed story. Looking forward to book 3.

 
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Other Reviews for this Author - Helium-3 Novel: Crater, Book 1- Review

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through Booksneeze.com.

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