Sam and CY students & staff are reading…

Review by Grace N.

Who would like this book? I think that anybody could read this book, but girls would probably enjoy it more. It is a great fantasy book with some romance, and has a lot of action and a bit of mystery, too. I feel that it’s a book that 7-9th graders would read more than 6th graders.

The goods on this book: Katsa is Graceling, graced with killing. She’s been able to kill ever since she was eight, when she murdered a man with her bare hands. She works as an expert thug for King Randa- though she doesn’t choose to torture harmless lords and common criminals.
But soon, she learns something more about her Grace – and maybe another’s – that is far more dangerous than her own, and could destroy the seven kingdoms with nothing but words. And with her combat partner Prince Po, with the mesmerizing gold and silver eyes, Katsa must fight for secrets about seemingly kind King Leck, and dare to defy the man she never thought she could.

The details: 471 pages; 2008    Review by Grace N.

Share

Who would like this book? Fans (grades 7 and up) of dark fantasies with a strong female protagonist will want to take a look at this book.

The goods on this book: Alina, an orphan with no apparent talent or beauty, grows up as best friends with the handsome and talented Mal. Their country, Ravka, is threatened by a horrific darkness that is filled with flesh-eating monsters. When crossing this Shadowfold with Mal and their regiment, Alina manifests a great, special power that has not been seen in ages. This display of power catches the attention of the all-powerful Darkling, and Alina is whisked away to his court to be trained as a Grisha. Here, without her best friend Mal, she must not only learn to use and harness her power, but she must decide who and who not to trust. She is also plagued with the problem of how to get back to Mal. Full of intrigue, action, and just a bit of romance, Shadow and Bone is a book with a satisfying plot and a captivating protagonist. It’s a must-read for fans of dark fantasy.

The details: 358 pages; 2012      Review by Samrarain

Share

Who would like this book? People grades 7 and up who like alternative history and mash-ups of realistic settings disturbed by fantasy, in this case destructive dragons.

The goods on this book:

What if dragons were real – and loved fossil fuels? Driving a car or being close to carbon-burning industries would be very dangerous. If you put this scenario into a contemporary high school, you would have the setting for The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim. With the threat of dragons ever-present, it’s important to have a dragon slayer, but the days when every town had their own dragon slayer are long over. They get snatched up by the military and major corporations. Siobhan’s small industrial town gets lucky, though, when a legendary dragon slayer, Lottie Thorsgard, retires there after being injured, and brings her 16-year-old nephew, Owen, with her. For being a dragon-slayer in training, Owen has plenty of struggles, especially with algebra. He enlists the help of Siobhan, a musician and math geek who also narrates the story and becomes the “bard” for Owen, the one who will write and sing of his victories. The book is a significant and frequently funny story of friendship and high school life as well as a suspenseful fantasy adventure with an alternative history. How can all this work in one book? Read it and find out!

“Listen! For I sing of Owen Thorskard: valiant of heart, hopeless at algebra, last in a long line of legendary dragon slayers. Though he had few years and was not built for football, he stood between the town of Trondheim and creatures that threatened its survival.”

The details: 305 pages; 2014; Axis 360 eBook           Review by Samrarian

Share

Review by Anne H.

Who would like this book? Percy Jackson fans, Victor Hugo, and fans of Percabeth.

The goods on this book: Jason, Piper, Leo, Annabeth, Percy, Hazel, and Frank are going in for their final showdown. Jason’s sad, Piper’s worried, and Leo is scared to say good-bye. Reyan’s tired of being alone, and Nico’s slipping away. Their final job is soon to be finished.  Are the heroes up to it? Back to the Prophecy:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire, the world must fall,
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Will Jason or Leo be the one to take down Gea?
Will Leo keep his promise to Calypso?
And did Bob and Damasen die?
All will be revealed in the bittersweet end to Rick Riordan’s masterpiece, his Heroes Of Olympus.

The details: 516 pages; 2014       Review by Anne H.

Share

Review by Grace N.

Who would like this book? Whoever likes action, romance, horses, and myths should definitely consider this book. It’s great, and deserves to be read. I LOVED reading The Scorpio Races.

The goods on this book: Sean Kendrick is the six time winner of the Scorpio races, a deadly race with water horses that can rip your arm off in a flash. But Sean knows he can trust Corr. To him, Corr is everything. Even worth risking his life again for.

Puck’s world is falling down. Gable is leaving. They have precious little money. And her house might get sold. But the Scorpio races might change that. She goes against the fastest horses there are, half sea mad with a puny island horse, and Puck will most likely die. It might stop her brother from leaving.

The details: 409 pages; 2011       Review by Grace N.

Share

Review by Grace N.

Who would like this book? Everybody who read The Lost Prince needs to read this book. It’s awesome!

The goods on this book: Ethan sees the fey everyday. His sister is a powerful faery Queen, and he has a girlfriend who he’s forbidden to see. Ethan is not normal. And when his nephew Keirran may shatter the faery world and his own life, Ethan’s decisions are split. Even worse, dangerous fey, the Forgotten, may be on the verge of rising. The fate of the Nevernever is on Ethan’s hands now.
This sequel (prequel) to The Lost Prince is a great book, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I would suggest this series for everybody who needs a good book.

The details: 394 pages, 2011    Review by Grace N.

Share

Review by Grace N.

Who would like this book? I think that anybody who likes fantasy, mystery, or action could read this book. Anyone who has also read The Iron Fey series would also like this book.

The goods on this book: Ethan Chase has the Sight. He can see the faery, and has nothing but disgust for them. He does not speak to Them, talk to Them, or acknowledge his Sight. Until he is attacked, and is forced to seek help from his faery Queen sister who left him with Kenzie, a mortal girl. And in the Faery world, there are twists at every turn.
This was a great book, and I would definitely recommend it. It kept me up all night!

The details: 395 pages, 2012    Review by Grace N.

Share

Review by Grace N.

Who would like this book? If you’ve finished The Iron Fey series, this is a good book to read. It includes book 1.5, 3.5, and 4.5 in The Iron Fey series. It also has a guide to the Nevernever

The goods on this book: Winter’s Passage: Meghan made a promise to go to the Winter court. Now she must keep that promise. Meghan marches into enemy land with Prince Ash being followed by an ancient hunter, but she knows the real threat comes from her own heart…

Summer’s Crossing: Prince Ash and Prankster Puck:once enemies, but now they work as a team. A favor to Leansidhe ties the two in a knot together, and it just might end up with betrayal.

Iron’s Prophecy: An old seer once prophesied that Meghan’s firstborn child would bring her only grief. But Meghan never thought much about it. She never knew she might become the Iron Queen. And as Ash and Meghan reunite, the prophecy still holds.

The details: 296 pages; 2012     Review by Grace N.

Share

Review by Grace N.

Who would like this book? Whoever has read the first three books in The Iron Fey series should really like this book. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa is the fourth and final book in The Iron Fey series, and it is as good as ever. The Iron Knight is told from Prince Ash’s point of view.

The goods on this book: Ash thought that feelings and emotions were weaknesses. Especially love. Especially when his own love died. Until he met Meghan Chase. But Meghan is now queen of the Iron realm, where no Summer or Winter faery can dare to step foot in. Unless Ash can earn a soul. With Grimalkin and Puck, Ash embarks on a journey to honor his oath to Meghan: to never leave her again. Along the way Ash discovers a secret that forces him to an ultimate sacrifice. But Ash must keep his promise to Meghan, or else he dies…or worse.

The details: 394 pages; 2011     Review by Grace N.

Share

Review by Grace N.

Who would like this book? I think that anybody who has read The Iron Knight before would love the sequel, The Iron Daughter.

The goods on this book: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa is the second book in The Iron Fey series. It is an exciting fiction novel with romance, mystery, and plenty of action. Meghan Chase is a half blood, half summer faery and half human. And she thought she had found love with a Winter prince. She is prisoner in the Winter kingdom, with no faery powers to help her, nobody she can trust. Her prince has deserted her. The Iron fey that only she and her prince have seen are still out there, and a war threatens to break out between the Summer and Winter courts. Most importantly, she can’t trust the traitor prince. Right?

The details: 359 pages; 2010    Review by Grace N.

Share