Fable Weaver by: Carlie Gernhart

Linnet Fairweather's words have power. Literally.

She is a fable weaver. A fable weaver can spin a pretty tall tale ... and than make it come true!  

Gifts like these must be guarded. This is why she has guardian changelings to watch over her. There is Izar, the most mature and wise of the group. And then we have Sekker. The crazy one who wears his hair in a ponytail and has a hidden past. And last, but certainly not least, Arkose. The clown who loves video games and snicker doodle cookies.

But then everything goes wrong. The fable weavers plan a meeting ... and only Linnet shows up! Fara, head of the changelings, informs her that they've all disappeared.

Linnet is the last of the fable weavers. It is up to her to save them - if they are still alive.

However, plans must change when fiction's worst villain escapes from the prisons of Tierra Fabula - the place where characters go once their stories are over - and begins to make trouble in the real world! The barrier between true life and the story world is weakening.

Linnet and her friends know the truth - that there is only one way to beat this vile villain. They must get the help of Merlin ... a wizard who has long since been imprisoned.

No one knows where Merlin is or how far his powers can stretch, but if they want to mend the barrier between imagination and reality, they know that this is the only way.

Fable weavers aren't often at a loss for words ... but it's going to be hard to find the right ones to battle the most feared character ever to be used in fiction and mend the damage done before it is beyond repairs!

My thoughts:

This book is AWESOME! I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first saw it for sale - okay, I immediately decided I didn't like it - but when I found out a friend of mine owned it, I couldn't resist asking to borrow it and get a taste of what it was like.

WOW, I'm glad I did. The writing is amazing, the plot is EPIC, and the humor is actually funny. :) Books don't make me laugh very often - out loud or not.

I love this concept. There's a place where characters go when their novel is finished, and they roam around our world freely during the day, then return to their home (Tierra Fabula) at night. Unless, of course, they're villains and are in prison.

I don't believe it's a Christian book. Come to think on it, it can't be. Not with wizards around.

Objectional Content:

Language: I believe the word "bloody" is used.

Romance/Sexual Content: None that I recall.

Violence: Fighting, magic used to harm people.

Drugs/Alcohol: None.

12 and up

9/10 stars

The Apothecary's Daughter by: Julie Klassen

Lilly remembers everything - whether she wants to or not...

Lilly Haswell is the pretty, eighteen-year-old daughter of the local apothecary. Lilly is intelligent and has an amazing mind for remembering things - making her a great help to her father, Charles Haswell.

The Haswell name is a respected one in the community, but that doesn't stop idle tongues from wagging about the disappearance of Lilly's mother. It is not a subject Lilly's father likes to discuss. Thus, she knows nothing of it and often catches herself thinking about it as well.

Then a visit from her aunt and uncle change everything. They invite her to stay with them in London for a time. Of course, Lilly's sweet aunt has only one thing in mind: suitors.

In London, Lilly learns the ups and downs of wealthy society and being courted. She must attend parties and is forced to dance with all the wealthy gentlemen in the room. The handsome Dr. Graves is not the ideal suitor, according to Lilly's aunt, but power and possessions do not affect Lilly's feelings.

Two years of her new London life fly by. But they come to an end when Lilly receives word that her father is not himself, and she decides to return home to him - just for two weeks.When she discovers her father's condition is far worse than she ever could have expected, those two weeks stretch longer... turning into months... then years. Her father needs her, and who else does he have to care for him?

A serious suitor from London follows her home. She is all ready to accept his marriage proposal whenever he makes it because she knows with him she has finally found true love ... hasn't she?

Lilly searches for not only the truth of her past, but for love for the future also.

My thoughts:

This book is amazing! I love all of Julie Klassen's books.

How can you help but love sweet, beautiful Lilly who adores her younger brother more than her own life? And the cover art is gorgeous. The dress and the hair especially.

I liked this book because one: it's historical, two: while the plot idea is not exactly new, it's still interesting, three: I enjoy the writing style, and four: it's a romance. :)

Oh, and it's written in a 'Jane style,' as I like to call it - 'Jane' meaning Jane Austen and Jane Eyre. Basically, it is all about a girl finding a rich man to marry. Society in that day was all about status.

Objectional Content:

Language: None that I remember.

Romance/Sexual Content: Of course, while there is mention of boys falling in love with Lilly, it is only serious in two places. One, where she is aims to kiss someone on the cheek to thank him and he moves so she gets his mouth instead, and two, on the very last page, where she kisses her true love. When she is alone with a man, there is mention of him maybe "doing more than he did," had Lilly's brother not been there. (as for "what he did," I believe he was just holding her)

Violence: None that I remember, except perhaps someone getting hit or something along those lines.

Drugs/Alcohol: Mention of someone being drunk.

Thirteen and up.

Pharaoh's Daughter by: Julius Lester

I saved my brother from the soldiers,
but the princess says he is hers now.
Abba and Ima will never trust me again.

Almah never imagined when her mother ordered her to go and take a watch for soldiers that she would meet the Pharaoh's daughter. She never would have believed that the Pharaoh's daughter would take in her little brother, Moses.

And she most certainly never thought that she and her mother would be asked to come and stay in Pharaoh's palace for a period of time.

As much as Almah's family does not wish to stay in the palace, they decide to accept anyway, because the Pharaoh's daughter has taken their son, and they want to be near him as long as possible.

Almah is there through the stress of Pharaoh's beloved wife passing on, and is his chief comfort as she has many similarities with his deceased spouse.

But when Almah is given the choice to either stay on in the palace or return to her home, there is no way for this situation to work out in a positive way. If she stays in the palace, where she finally feels alive, she will be dead to her family. And if she goes home, she will lose her quality of life and the love of the Pharaoh and his family.

The Pharaoh has feelings towards Almah, something most girls can only dream of, but will she except them?

Moses lives in the palace, raised by the Pharaoh's daughter. It was this woman, his adopted mother, that saved his life.

He is a happy boy, for his sister Almah is by his side at all times, ready to do anything for him, and he lives a life of luxury.


But the people of the palace do not trust him. The reason is clear: they could change his title, his family, and his beliefs, but they could not change who he really was. They are Khemetian. He is Habiru.

Because of this, Moses does not feel completely at ease. His identity is changed against his wishes, and he longs to uncover his true self. When he does, this time the answer to his problems is not something Almah can help him with. He must do it alone.

My thoughts:
This is the story of Moses, as you may have already guessed. But half is told from Moses' point of view, half from Almah's.
You have probably already read, or at least heard, the story of Moses. But I still highly reccomend this book! It puts the story into an entirely new light.

I have a feeling that if we're trying to be historically correct, Pharaoh did not fall in love with Moses' sister, but it does definitely add some colour.

I have certainly read worse books, but I have also read better. This is a thought-provoking read and I can almost guarantee you won't be sorry you read it. (I can't say the same to you boys out there, though. :)

Objectional Content:

Language: None that I remember.

Romance/Sexual Conent: Someone is in love with Pharaoh's daughter.

The Pharaoh loves Almah and wishes to marry her.

With Almah's job as priestess, she must dance naked. The description is not too vivid, but enough....

Violence: Moses kills someone. He is asked to whip someone, but he whips the man who asked him to instead.
Drugs/Alcohol: None that I remember.

A Series Of Unfortunate Events: The Slippery Slope by: Lemony Snicket

In The Slippery Slope, we continue the story of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. This is the tenth book in the series.

If you have not been following the series up until this point, I had better explain. (And if you have, then you'd better skip the next couple paragraphs.)

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are three unfortunate orphans whose parents died in a fire quite recently. Ever since Mr. Poe, who was in charge of placing them with a relative, came to them that cold, hard day to give them the news, their lives have been one sad event after another.

It all began with a man named Count Olaf, who was, apparently, the closest relative they had. But the Baudelaire children saw through his guise immediately. He only wanted their fortune. And when he found out he couldn't have it until the eldest was either sixteen or married, he attempted to marry her.

But Violet managed to escape from this slippery deal just in time, and she and her siblings were placed with another relative.

They weren't safe, though. Count Olaf found them again and continued his pursuit of stealing them away. But they outsmarted him - once again.

Ever since then, he has been out for revenge. Guardian after guardian have been fooled or killed by this vile villain, until finally the Baudelaires gave up on the people Mr. Poe was placing them with and began to rely on their own wit to survive.

In The Slippery Slope, we find the two eldest Baudelaires separated from their younger sibling, Sunny. She has been captured by Count Olaf. And they are on a quest to get her back. And once they rescue her, they hope to continue their search for their friends, the Quagmire triplets.

On the way there, they run into a person thought dead, the Volunteer Fire Department's burned down building, an icy slope, and the "False Spring Queen".

How could their circumstances do anything but improve? They are about to get much, much, much worse...

My thoughts:

I realize that this series is probably for kids much younger than myself, but somehow I still find myself always coming back to them.

Lemony Snicket has a very interesting writing style. It always makes me smile.

I love that Violet, Klaus, and Sunny each have their own talents. Violet is an inventor, Klaus is a researcher, and Sunny is a "biter". *smiles*

Why would I recommend this book? Well, to start with - I hope I don't put this wrong - but it's kind of a... "cute" book. It makes you think, it's funny, and the writing is very unique.

Objectional Content:

Language: None.

Romance/Sexual Content: There is a small hint at Violet and another boy having a crush on one another.

Violence: None that I remember.

Drugs/Alcohol: None.

8/10 stars

Ages: Eleven and up

Oryus by: Craig Gordon

A dream. A quest. A destiny.

Duncan's life has been one of secrets. He and his father, mother and brother have lived a sheltered life in Laynarra - the one city in Corandor that is untouched by the evils of the world. 

They do not associate with their neighbors, Duncan is not allowed to leave the town, and his father will tell him nothing. If it weren't for his mother, Duncan would probably not even be allowed to marry the woman he loves, a girl named Rhyelle.

But then everything changes.

Duncan has an encounter with Mahaylik - a man who calls himself a messenger for the Creator.

Mahaylik gives him instructions to go to Ruxallium.

It is a very puzzled Duncan that later confronts his father and tells him of the meeting.

Mahaylik told Duncan to ask his father one thing.

"Ask him if he knows how Toric fares."

And these simple words have more power than Duncan could ever imagine. His father, upon hearing them, tells Duncan to ignore the request and never even look at Mahaylik again.

But Mahaylik caused a stirring in Duncan's restrained heart.

His father would tell him nothing of the past, and refused to let him have much of a future.

Duncan has always questioned his secluded life, and now the chance has come for him to live life as it was meant to be.

But how can he leave his family and bride-to-be?

"Trust your heart, Duncan, not your head."

Despite everything, Duncan leaves his home for the first time in his life.

His eyes are opened to new things. Suffering ... and truth ... good ... and bad ...

His father always told him to trust no one ... but could his father only be saying these things to hide Duncan from his past?

On his quest, Duncan will meet Zaig the giant ... 

"Get your hands away from my neck or I'll snap you in two!"

... irresistible Fyfe, the Midni, who is constantly on end with Zaig ...

"Well done, Zaig! I did not know you could count that high!"

... Visuriun the sorcerer ...

"The only reason you are still alive is because I believe you may serve a purpose for me."

 ... and Blaithe son of Kohr - a worker for Mahaylik ...

Duncan discovers his entire family was killed during his absence ... and their blood is on his hands ... except his father and bride ... they are still alive ... and he finds himself on a mission to rescue them ...

... and then his calling is revealed ...

My thoughts:

This book is amazing!

To start with, the characters are all very likeable, the book is incredibly well-written, and the plot is unique.

We can all relate to Duncan. He is annoyed that his father keeps his past a secret from him, and he decides to go uncover his destiny. And, though at the time he doesn't know it, the Ceator is calling him to even higher purposes.

You will also love Duncan's bride-to-be, Rhyelle. She is so sweet!

I should probably warn any younger readers, there is a scene where Duncan and the sorcerer have an exchange while Duncan is in jail, and the sorcerer raises Duncan off the ground without moving a muscle. He also chokes Duncan by just moving a finger.


Objectional Content:

Language: No particular words. But they say things like, "he cursed."

Romance/Sexual Content:
- Duncan kisses his bride-to-be a couple times. (he also proposes to her in chapter three.)
- When the soldiers took Duncan's bride away, he worried once that they might violate her. They didn't.
- Someone hints at the queen betraying her husband. She did.
- Duncan's friend has a crush on the queen. It passes shortly. But he is later accused of violating her, and she lies and says it is true, even though he didn't.

Violence: A couple people are killed. There are fights.

Drugs/Alcohol: Duncan's dad is a winemaker.

9/10 stars.
Thirteen and up.
 

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by: Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Mara is a slave, but unlike other slaves, she has not accepted the fact. She still dreams of one day earning her freedom. But when the opportunity arises, the situation gets more serious than she ever could have imagined. Earning her freedom involves serving as a double spy for two arch enemies - both of whom support a different contender vying for the throne of Egypt.

From then on her life is one of confusion as she is commissioned to work as a translator for a Canaanite princess - this will get her behind enemy lines so she can deliver a message from her master. Why? she does not know. All she knows is that, if no mistakes are made, it will gain her freedom.
But then she meets Sheftu and overhears him plotting to overthrow the queen. Unfortunately for her, Sheftu knows that she was eavesdropping, and forces her into his plans - threatening to kill her if she disobeys.

Rather unwillingly, free-spirited Mara works as a double-agent, translates for an over-weight, homesick princess, and begins to believe the plan to restore Thutmose III is not as treacherous as it once seemed.

Ultimately, Mara finds herself falling in love with Sheftu and is finally willing to admit feelings towards him when her duplicity is unveiled, putting not only Mara, but her beloved Egypt, on the line

My thoughts:

Many a time I have made the mistake of telling my mom that we "have no books to read," and for the next ten minutes she will create a pile of books for me that we have that I haven't read yet. In this case, Mara, Daughter of the Nile made it into my mom's pile of "to read" books, so I picked it up and began to read.

Well, to start with, I absolutely love Mara. She's so independent and I love that she is always ready with a clever remark. I also like that she is not willing to accept her destiny as a slave - even when a fellow servant, Teta, discourages her from dreaming big.

This story is set in ancient Egypt - which is a time period I happen to l♥ve.
I can't really think of anything else to say about it, except that I loved it, so I'll go right to the....

Objectional Content:

Language: I'm embarrassed to say that while I know there was some, I don't remember any of it.

Romance/Sexual Content: Mara flirts with an officer so he will let her through the gates, and he wants to kiss her. *SPOILER ALERT* Mara and Sheftu kiss several times.

Violence: Mara is tortured. Nothing else I remember.

Drugs/Alcohol: None that I remember.

12 and up.
Highly Recommend.

Cascade by: Lisa T. Bergren

Read my review of book one in The River of Time Series, Waterfall.

What if you not only fell back through time... but fell in love, too?

Cascade is the second tale in The River of Time Series. In this book, we continue the story of the Betarrini sisters, Gabi and Lia, and their escapades in fourteenth-century Italy. Except this time, they've got their mom with them.

Gabi's heart is continually drawn towards Marcello Forelli, but many things are keeping them apart. For example, she is from the twenty-first century, and he the fourteenth. Gabi can not leave her family, and she can not ask them to go back and live in the past. But Lia, Gabi's fifteen year-old sister, seems to have discovered feelings towards Luca, as well.

War is raging on in Italy, and all three of the Betarrini women are right in the middle of it. But there are also good things coming out of this. Gabi and Lia are feeling a connection with their mom - something they haven't had for a long time, courage, and the realization that good things often mean sacrifice.

After much pondering, the Betarrini women decide to travel in time to the moment just before their dad dies and save him. But is it really possible to go into the past and change your future? And will Gabi and Lia fulfill their heart's desires and marry the men they love?



My thoughts:

I quite enjoyed this book! I am curious, though, how the last book in the series is going to finish. Because it would be a little weird if Gabi and Lia stayed in the fourteenth-century and married Marcello and Luca when they're really two twenty-first century American teenagers.

One thing I definitely did not like about this book, though, is that despite the fact it carries the title, "Christian book," it did not really have any mention of God in it. Sure He is brought up once or twice, but it is not enough to satisfy me. Some people would probably say I'm just picky.

I love how Gabi is so independent, but Lia always kind of annoyed me. I know she is supposed to be sweet, but I don't find her to be so.

And, like I said in my Waterfall review, I absolutely l♥ve the cover art!

Objectional Content:

Language: None that I remember.

Romance/Sexual Content: Marcello and Gabi kiss several times. Marcello proposes to Gabi. Lia begins to fall for Luca.

Violence: Some sword fights, and some painful wounds.

Drugs/Alcohol: Nothing that I can recall, except for maybe some wine at a feast.