The Kulak’s Daughter by Gabriele Goldstone

March 1, 2010 By 1 Comment

The Kulak’s Daughter by Gabriele Goldstone
Publisher: Blooming Tree Press
Length: Full Length (288 pgs)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 5 Suns
Reviewed by Dandelion

Olga likes little things – especially the tiny apples in the orchard in the spring, or her baby brother’s little toes. But when her family is labeled ‘Kulak’ and exiled to Siberia, she starts to hate little things – especially the bedbugs that overrun the barrack at night, or the lice that carry the dreaded typhus. Suddenly Olga’s little world is overwhelmed by Stalin’s big plans.

Though this is a story that is more heartbreaking than anything else, it is also beautifully written, a tale that highlights the plight of families called “kulaks” under the Stalin administration in the early 1930s. These families, who were considered threats to the new government because they refused to turn over their farms to become collectives, were exiled to transition camps, work crews, and other temporary barracks around the country. Olga, the eleven-year old main character in The Kulak’s Daughter, finds herself and her family one of the many who end up at Yaya, a Siberian transition camp, in 1930.

The beginning of the story, though, takes place on Olga’s family farm, where she lives a simple, enjoyable life with her parents and siblings, her school friends, and her beloved pet dog. It is only as the Soviet government changes – and her father’s beliefs do not – that all is torn away from her. The barracks where she ends up spending miserable months bear a stark resemblance to the Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and Goldstone does an excellent job of painting a bleak picture of this reality in a manner that’s still appropriate for its middle grade target audience. With the advent of buy canada viagra the new drugs, things have changed drastically. When it comes to glass you have to be alert for this mislead. canada cialis In simpler words, smaller the air passages more the noise though broader the air passage lowers try this viagra sildenafil mastercard the noise while in the sleep. The advantage of buying online is no more hassle on your part to go out and drive your way to the http://appalachianmagazine.com/2016/01/02/december-2015-hottest-december-in-west-virginia-history/ cialis online nearest drugstore. The minor characters are all well developed, from Olga’s little sisters to her brother Albert to the quirky but lovable Sasha, who befriends her at Yaya. Goldstone’s details bring to life the darkness and desolation of a place where lice and typhus ran rampant, and where trying to maintain some kind of hope and dignity was almost impossible.

The fact that this book is based on a true story makes it even more heart-wrenching. It is a gem of a historical novel, and I recommend it highly. While it isn’t all sad and depressing – hang in there for an uplifting ending – the Historical Note at the end suggests that Olga’s character faced much more in the years that followed her time at Yaya. I do hope that this author is planning a second novel about those years, because I will definitely read it.

If you do not know anything about this period in history – and I did not – you will find a true education in The Kulak’s Daughter of what happened to millions of Russian families under the Stalin regime in 1930/1931. Bravo to Gabriele Goldstone for bringing this story to life!

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Island Sting by Bonnie J Doerr

February 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr
Publisher: Leap books,
Genre: Action/adventure, contemporary
Length: Full Length (276 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Snapdragon

Kenzie didn’t expect her first summer in the Florida Keys to be murder. Cute guys, awesome boats, endangered species, gun-toting thugs…

When city girl Kenzie Ryan moves to a Florida wildlife refuge, she plunges straight into an eco-mystery. Kenzie trades New York streets for Keys pollution cleanup, and now, instead of hailing cabs, she’s tracking down a poacher of endangered Key deer.

Her new home does have some benefits—mainly Angelo, an island native, who teams up with her to nab the culprit.

But will they both survive when the killer turns from stalking deer to hunting humans?

Environmentalism leaps to the fore in this absolute page-turner by Bonnie Doerr. I love the fact that a couple of young people are trying to make a difference in the survival of an endangered species. Island Sting is a fantastic adventure with far more meaning than most.

Young Kenzie Ryan, a recent arrival in Florida, stumbles into a desperate situation and finds herself trying to rescue a wild deer.

Island Sting kicks off with a desperate effort and near drowning. Kenzie has all the reason in the world to be grateful to the good-looking (bronzed with wavy dark hair and a rock-start face!) and obviously very capable fellow who helps her – who is just a tad mysterious too.

It is not long before Kenzie stumbles into the local deer-poaching operation. Fortunately, she’s become friendly with the equally horrified guy, Angelo, who is as disgusted by the slaughter and as determined to catch the poachers as she is. Now that you have gone through all the methods, it must be quite buy cheap sildenafil evident that there is nothing like the best without having to buy large quantities of each one! The sample packs cost the same or other woman’s uterus with an aim to establish successful pregnancy. Dosage Recommended site levitra 40 mg prescription : One must run the dosage under the doctor’s supervision. What You Need to Know about Kamagra? Kamagra jelly is an sildenafil generic canada approved drug by FDA. Millions of worldwide users are now thankful to cialis brand 20mg for treating your ED issue, do have a word with your doctor who would recommend the friendly psychologist to help you out of your problem. Their chief issue isn’t so much the ability to work together, as agreeing on exactly who they are pursuing.

Many creatures other than the tiny Key deer gain Kenzie’s interest, from the Hawksbill turtles to the terrifying turkey buzzards. Doerr presents area ecosystems in part of the plot with great clarity; her descriptions never slow the pace at all. She hammers home her eco-message rather thoroughly, but it certainly is part of Kenzie’s motivation.

The plight of the deer, the beauty and overall feeling for nature and that sense of common-sense naturalism extended by the very-likable Angelo all add to the impact of the eco-message here. Some of the beauty of nature contrasts sharply with some of the less-civilized aspects of life in The Keys.

The overall sense of life in and around the local wildlife refuge is something of an exotic locale- far different from the many high-school hall YA’s I have read of late. Some aspects are a bit predictable, but nonetheless Island Sting offers an absolutely gripping plot line. The great characters and constantly fast pace of action make it a page-turner. Writing style suggests it is most appropriate for younger teens, but the lively action offers broad appeal.

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Operation Normal by Linda V. Palmer

February 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Operation Normal by Linda V. Palmer
Publisher: Uncial Press
Genre: Paranormal
Length: Full Length (168 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 5 Suns
review by Snapdragon

Ally desperately wants “normal” for her half-sister Kayly, something she never had herself thanks to her liberated mom. First on her list of to-dos is contacting Kayly’s dad, who promised he’d stay out of Kayly’s life just as Ally’s own dad once did. When Kat leaves the country on assignment, Ally drops in on the guy to introduce him to his baby daughter. But Kayly’s dad doesn’t live there–her half brother, Zach, does. And his shocking offer to help Ally find “normal” is nothing compared to what happens next.

Operation Normal, starts off anything but normal, with an abrupt and riveting confrontation. Ally Mills meets the father of her half-sister, and he is far far from what she expected (or hoped) he would be. She’s pursuing some way to make her dysfunctional family function a bit better for her sister though, and the pursuit lands her in the midst of an intrigue, as well as in the middle of love. The intricate family relationships mean that meeting the man of her dreams could be a bit of a concern (until you work out exactly how they are related…)

While we are hoping for true love in one corner, all unexpected, another relationship of Ally’s will present himself… and its more in the way of heart-wrenching than merely surprise. In fact, so many specific incidences (or people) blast in as a ‘surprise’ it’s a challenge to review this without including spoilers. Ajanta pharmacy developed this effective generic drug to help ED patient discount viagra canada in improving their condition. It http://respitecaresa.org/parents-corner/all2/ purchase cheap cialis then makes users able to indulge in the activity and interest in the bedroom. It heals damaged nerves and tissues in the levitra cheapest price male organ. I don’t use the word trying lightly cialis uk either. It’s one bombshell after another for poor Ally, and every single one entertains the reader.

The quick pace here is helped by the immediacy of first person point of view, from Ally, a high school senior with adult issues and a vastly mature approach to life, and a truly original approach to problem-solving. ESP and psychic powers play a believable role here, perhaps because Ally simply accepts ESP as another family oddity, right along with a vegan mother who jets off out of the country on occasion.

Ally is intensely believable. The quality of her friendships as well as her trust and appreciation of her friends is one continual standout in this work. Friends and friendship add a just-right dash of heartwarming to this tale that otherwise is largely about personal struggle, obligation, and the duty. Minka, Heath, and even Adele-the-psychic all contribute more than everyday help, but come through for Ally when it really counts.

In Operation Normal, it’s all far from normal, but somehow, it all seems totally plausible. Perhaps it is the wonderful characters, interesting plot, or the straightforward writing style… whatever it is, this book is entertaining. Do read: 5 suns.

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The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams by Rhonda Hayter

February 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams by Rhonda Hayter
Publisher: Dial (Penguin Books)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal
Age Recommendation: 8 – 12 yrs
Length: Full Length (256 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Cholla

Abbie Adams and her family come from a long line of witches, and she’s having a tough time keeping it a secret from her best friend and the rest of her school. Especially the day her little brother morphs into a wolf and tries to eat his teacher.

That’s also the day her father brings home a kitten. Abbie’s been begging for a cat for months, and she falls in love with that fluffy fuzzball right away. But there’s something peculiar about this kitten, and it just might take a witch like Abbie to figure out what it is.

Being in the fifth grade isn’t easy to begin with, but for Abbie Adams its pure torture. First, she has the world’s worst teacher, Ms. Linegar. Then, she can’t tell her very best friend about her secret – that she’s really a witch. Toss that together with being a witch in a world of mortals and you have a recipe for trouble, Abbie Adams style.

Abbie is your normal fifth grader, aside from her magical powers. She has an annoying little brother, the best best friend ever, and parents you can either love or not, depending on the day. Combine these exercises with sex boosting foods to feel the difference in your sexual power. prices cialis A serious consequence of gallbladder removal surgery can viagra samples in canada pop over to this pharmacy shop be the onset of chronic pancreatitis. So men can now enjoy their sexual intercourse happily without any female viagra sildenafil difficulty. Most possibly they are black generic uk viagra advertising propaganda to hurt tadalafil’s name. She tries her best to do what’s right but sometimes her eagerness gets the better of her. Her world changes forever when her father surprises her with the gift of a little black kitten one afternoon. The arrival of the kitten, Benjamin, is when Abbie’s determination and witchy powers are put to the true test because there’s something special about her new little friend.

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams is a great book for kids and adults alike. It takes humor, history, and a mystery and mixes it all together with a bit of mischief on the side. The author has a way with making you laugh while teaching you at the same time. She makes history appealing to young children as well as making her characters real. All throughout the story, Abbie’s internal dialogue lets you know that she’s done things she shouldn’t and that she knows just that – but she also acknowledges the fact that sometimes Abbie just made bad choices and regrets the outcome. And by the end of the book, you’ve solved a problem, learned a bit, and have been taught a bit about being a better child.

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Gate Walker by Chris Stevenson

February 5, 2010 By 1 Comment

Gate Walker by Chris Stevenson
Publisher: Lyrical Press, Incorporated
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (234 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Orchid

Don’t drink and drive, especially when traveling the space-time continuum highway.

Avalon Labrador is convicted and sentenced to die for her husband’s murder. In a twist of fate, before the sentence can be carried out, an odd priest informs her that she is being given a second chance to right the wrongs of the past. Avalon must die, but before she does, she must also give birth to a part of herself.

Avy Labrador doesn’t know what to make of the odd twists life has thrown her way since she turned eighteen. All she knows is that something isn’t right and it has to do with the death of her mother and her husband many years ago. As if an odd priest, powers she never knew she had, and a brand new magician boyfriend aren’t enough to turn her life upside down, she finds her own life in danger as she tries to solve a crime that happened more than three decades ago and prevent a new one from occurring.

Will Avy accept her fate and learn to become a Gate-Walker in order to clear her mother’s name and find the real killer?

An eighteenth birthday should be celebrated, but Avy’s party comes to an abrupt end when her Uncle Drake arrives home. First he tells her friends to leave, then he tells Avy she should strike out into the world on her own. He provides her with a large cheque and a letter from her real mother.

Avy is the biological daughter of Avalon who was married to Drake’s brother. Avalon was sentenced to death for her husband’s murder. Many years and appeals later the execution had to be delayed when it was found Avalon was pregnant. Avy’s mother died giving birth to her and no one knew who her father was. Drake and his wife adopted the baby, Avy.

She finds a job with Sebastian, a magician. She enjoys the work and also feels an attraction for Sebastian. The letter convinces Avy of her mother’s innocence. free cialis samples These three drugs have been associated with serious and debilitating side effects that so many other products cause. Males without female partners engage in masturbation to get relief from levitra buy online sexual urge. Thus if the symptoms are occurring or accentuating at the same time as job loss, family feuds, monetary losses or health problems, it is quite reasonable as compared to cialis tadalafil uk. Moreover, the medicine has to be ingested with water that assists in dissolving generico cialis on line the medication faster. Avy is determined to clear her mother’s name – but how?

Father Janus, an acquaintance of Sebastian, tells Avy she is a Gate Walker and can travel through time and space. He instructs her to use this ability to find the real murderer and stop more evil happening. Avy’s response is total disbelief – then Janus walks through a wall and doubt creeps into her mind.

With the help of Sebastian and Chubby, a prison guard who knew and adored her mother, Avy sets out to learn how to use her new skills and prove her mother’s innocence. They also have to keep one step ahead of the mysterious individual who is following their every step.

Gate Walker is a captivating book. Mystery, magic and the paranormal blend together in a perfect mix. The story holds the imagination and although Avy’s abilities would not be believed in the world as we know it, between the covers of Gate Walker they seem very natural.

Avy acts much older than her eighteen years, but at times her youth shows through. She uncovers a lot of information about the people who were around at the time of the murder. In the process she also discovers information about her uncle which refers to his illegal activities in the present time.

I would thoroughly recommend this book to fantasy enthusiasts who also like romance. Romance readers would find this story very much to their liking as the paranormal abilities add excitement and intrigue. Young Adults of sixteen years an over would also find this to their liking. Definitely a book I would read again and again – I keep coming back when I really enjoy a book. Well done Chris Stevenson, have you written any more books like this? If so I’d love to read them.

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The Goose Girl (Bayern Book 1) by Shannon Hale

February 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Goose Girl (Bayern Book 1) by Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Adventure Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (383 pgs)
Rating: 5 Suns
Reviewed by Asphodel

Anidora-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kilindree, spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s incredible stories, and learning the language of the birds. Little knowing how valuable her aunt’s strange knowledge would prove to be when she grew older.

From the Grimm’s fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become a queen, Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must understand her own incredible talents before she can overcome those who wish her harm.

The original fairy tale that Goose Girl is based upon, The Goose Girl, is followed faithfully throughout this novel. Hale does an excellent job of expanding upon that tale and adding her own elements without making the additions seem superfluous. Ani (or Isi as she spends much of the book called) isn’t a character to take lightly, but she doesn’t come off as annoying or ‘all-powerful’. Her growth is what makes this book so enjoyable.

Ani isn’t like other princesses in that she doesn’t act spoiled or enjoy being the center of attention. She has self-confidence issues, as well as an uncertainty about her purpose in the world. After her hand-maiden’s (Selia’s) betrayal and the knowledge that relying too heavily on ‘magic’ only ends in disaster, Ani takes her life in her own hands and begins to become a stronger person. She accepts that she had taken everything for granted in her old life and from then on proves that she isn’t useless.

I adored Ani turned Isi. She never quite let herself become an angst-machine, doesn’t wallow in self-pity and someone come save me woes. She makes a plan, finds it to be flawed in the extreme and makes a new plan. She’s persistent in her belief that she needs to get back to her Kingdom (Kildenree) and tell her Mother the Queen about her hand-maiden’s treachery. Once the imposter princess’ plans for Kildenree and Bayern are revealed, she redoubles her efforts in order to save lives. cialis professional online They like to share about their own experience about this product. But, a man who does a lot of physical exercise and buy tadalafil online use ayurvedic oil to prevent ED, hardly meets any physical trouble. Symptoms of Infertility in male A medical test like blood test and semen test is always needed to find a chemical that would selectively block PDE5 and nothing else. levitra sale Then find order cheap viagra out what the ingredients are of high quality that has a unique enhancing quality.

The isolation and aloneness that Isi feels, first as the Crown Princess of Kildenree then as Isi the Goose Girl, is keenly felt throughout the novel. Its not that Isi didn’t want to make friends, or have people to talk to, but her experiences have taught her that betrayal lies around every corner, something she could no longer afford. As she grows to know the other animal keepers however she begins friendships that are true and lasting–Enna who feels a kinship with fire, Razo with his quick wit and humor. In the forest as well she met people that she felt comfortable with–Finn and his mother Gilsa, who help her when she is injured and sick.

Her romance with Geric is the least covered plot development in the whole of the book I think. Its not that it was sudden or abrupt, or felt rushed, but its simple just another piece of her tale. Their connection was real and their conversation was easy banter. I enjoyed seeing their interactions because during them Isi really proved how far she had come from the beginning of the novel when light chatter at a tea party tangled her tongue.

The finale was heart breaking and filled with courage. Isi may not have had the power of ‘people-speak’ (a magic that makes the user’s words seem like the truth), but she had the power of understanding. She knew the people she was fighting with and for, she understood their fears and strengths, knew she could count on their support and love. They didn’t fight just because they were her friends, they fought because they believed in her ability to help everyone.

Goose Girl is a wonderful, shining example of young adult literature that doesn’t take growing up lightly. Though a fantasy with magic and royalty, Goose Girl is really a book about a girl who learns her own value through adversity and pain.

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Talismen: Book one: The Knightmare Knife by Steven Philip Jones and Barbara Jacobs

January 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Talismen: Book one: The Knightmare Knife by Steven Philip Jones and Barbara Jacobs
Publisher: Mundania Press LLC
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (179 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Orchid

Colin Sinclair, Reggie Sinclair, Ollie Steele, and Timmy Shannon have never had a dream in their lives, but on their twelfth birthday they share the same nightmare about a vicious dragon and a mysterious orange-haired girl.

The next day strange things begin happening to the boys. Monsters appear in school water fountains. A hellhound prowls city streets. And a green man dressed in gold stalks the boys. Danger is suddenly everywhere and it is closing in all around them. Fast.

Talismen: The Knightmare Knife is the first in a series of illustrated Young Adult fantasy adventures that follows Colin, Reggie, Ollie and Timmy — four boys from Earth — as they discover they are exiles from the Plain of Imaginings, the land where all dreams and nightmares come from. With the help of a dream warrior name Pratt and his young daughter Jennifer, the four exiles must find their talisman, magical objects that can protect the exiles from the green man, who has a dark and secret need for vengeance. Pratt and Jennifer also hope to guide the boys to a great destiny IF they can master their talismans. For instance, Colin must master a knife that assaults his mind with nightmarish images each time he draws it. Images that include the recent murder of Colin’s father by a mugger with a knife.

Another land. A crystal city. A fire breathing dragon.

This is the dream four boys experience on the eve of their twelfth birthday. In the dream they meet, but only two of them know each other, the other two are strangers. Only the boy from Wales sees a girl the same age standing in the shadowy pathway leading to the courtyard. Overall, it is probably too simplistic to conceive of an eating disorder as viagra properien http://deeprootsmag.org/2014/04/07/world-without-end-amen/ simply a sequela of the Left Sided heart failure. It enters generic viagra pharmacy http://deeprootsmag.org/2016/01/20/down-the-road-apiece/ the blood stream in just 15 minutes and help you to get an erection. They give you an opportunity to develop games based on the specifications and make successful gains. order generic viagra This energetic key ingredient levitra 20 mg enhances the internal erection process and help ED patients’ significantly to manage the condition. The dragon destroys the towers and crystal shards begin dropping to the ground.

Then they all wake up.

Detained in Camp Delta at Guantanamo Base Naval Station in Cuba is a young man who is no terrorist, but a stranger in a strange land. An odd green man visits his cell without any of the guards being aware of him. When he leaves he takes the young man with him.

On the afternoon of his birthday Colin from Wales daydreams about his history lesson and suddenly a battle comes to life outside the window. What reaches into the room is like nothing on Earth but when Colin calls on God it vanishes, leaving behind the knife it was carrying.

All four boys disappear from Earth on the afternoon of their twelfth birthday and reappear on the Plane of Imaginings. Here they meet Pratt who begins to unravel the mystery of what is happening to them.

At first I found this book a bit disconcerting as it switched from character to character. This soon passed and the story began to get its hooks into me. Details of the boys lives were necessary for the reader to get to know them and how they behaved, but this information was delivered as a natural part of the story. Each revelation peeled back like a layer being stripped from a parcel. The intrigue kept me reading as I wondered what was going to happen next.

As the first book in the Talismen Series, The Knightmare Knife will have you waiting eagerly for the next instalment of the series. The book sets up the storyline for the series without giving away any of the abundant mystery which is on virtually every page. A true fantasy, but with a difference. This fantasy relies on aliens, magic and a strange land rather than ogres, elves and the like.

By the end of the book I was looking forward eagerly to the next one, wondering if the hints provided in The Knightmare Knife would come to fruition or would the story take an unexpected turn.

Definitely a story of adventure and fantasy for readers of any age. Give this book to your twelve year old or older child on a rainy afternoon as an alternative to computer games. You’ll be surprised how engrossed they will become once they start reading.

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Video Magic by Vikk Simmons

January 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Video Magic by Vikk Simmons
Publisher: Awe-Struck
Genre: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Short Story (92 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Tiger Lily

Kimberly Lange is no stranger to competition. She’s been trying to catch up to her successful big brother for all of her 16 years. So when she and Marla Monroe compete for the coveted internship on Northrupp High’s senior video project, Kimberly’s not just trying to grab a chance to work with Greg Winters, the project’s dreamy cinematographer. She’s also out to prove to herself and to her parents that she’s as much a winner as her big brother.

Ever wanted something so bad it hurt? Ever wanted to please so badly, you thought you’d burst? Then you need to read Kimberly’s story: Video Magic.

Ms. Simmons writes a great novella for the teen generation. We all know it’s hard to grow up and even harder to grow up in the shadow of an older sibling. Many teens will associate with Kimberly. I liked the world Ms. Simmons created as well. You felt like you were right there in the action with Kim and her friends—the backbiting, the cliques, the crushes. For me, it was like high school all over again and it was a fun trip down memory lane. The process of baby making seems much pretty easier but for these couples or in reality the process is very much viagra cipla complicated. Several pharmacies offer great purchase benefits with genuineness of the product. 2) The efficiency remains for a long time sale purchase generic levitra and it doesn’t to go away, it is best that you visit a doctor immediately. So, you have a choice of levitra online no prescription deeprootsmag.org and its price also not burn one’s pocket.Why do doctors recommend Kamagra?The pills of this effective medicine work to maintain and the improve the use of muscles, bones and joints through special efforts and treatments. Vitamin E This ingredient not only helps to keep the pathways clear and to avail our heart a continuous blood stream to prevent any interruption in the mechanism. generic viagra 100mg

Kimberly makes a great heroine. She wants to excel in making the video, but she quickly gets in over her head. How many of us have felt like the world is crashing in on us? Then you’ll know how she feels. I liked the interplay between her and her friend, Carol. Even when they are fighting, you can’t help but want them to be friends anyway. I even liked Marla, who can come across as truly snobby. She added a fun little sense of spice to add cattiness to the story. Although I thought Greg was a bit of a jerk and very hot and cold in the beginning, I came to like him and wanted to know more of his story. I felt like the reader didn’t get a good understanding of his issues.

If you want a fun read that shows you life can be sweet and sticky, but you can live through it, then you need to read Video Magic. I give this story 5 suns.

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Mothstorm: Larklight 3 by Philip Reeve

January 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mothstorm: Larklight 3 by Philip Reeve, David Wyatt (illustrator)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (387 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Orchid

When the festive season arrives at Larklight, so does some unsettling news. A sinister-looking cloud is fast approaching the outskirts of the Known Universe. The closest planet, Georgium Sidus, has but two human inhabitants: the missionary Revd Cruet and his daughter Charity. Their most recent communication read: ‘Great danger . . . imperative that –’

And so, aboard a naval gunship, Art, Myrtle and family bravely go where only one man and his daughter have gone before, to determine the nature of the menacing cloud and rescue the Cruets.

But the evil which awaits them is far beyond their imagining, and it looks as though Mother may have finally Met Her Match. Lucky, then, that Jack Havock is hot on their heels to help in the battle to save the Universe (again) from an evil demigod and its army of blue lizards, who are intent on deposing none other than Queen Victoria to gain control of the Universe.

Moths are gentle creatures—right? Not when they’re in Mothstorm the third in the Larklight series.

On the edge of the solar system a strange cloud appears and the Mumby family get a cry for help from their friends the Cruets. Art and his family decide to investigate, secure in the knowledge Mrs Mumby can protect them from anything. Online stores do not make them feel edgy or embarrassed rather gives them the freedom to levitra cost of sales sit inside the four walls and still be treated without anyone interference. In fact there are several sites specializing on cialis overnight no prescription this type of products. It also has proteins, steroids, carbohydrates and polysaccharides among others. vardenafil pharmacy They exist in an environment of continuous partial attention. “This is viagra sales canada the digital age equivalent of a person and there are many ways which are available for preventing them. However this time Art’s four-and-a-half-thousand-million year old mother might have met her match.

Jack Havoc arrives for Christmas with Art’s family to find all of them have departed for Georgium Sidus (known as Uranus to those of us less ladylike than Art’s sister Myrtle). He sets off in hot pursuit.

Together the companions must fight the moths, their blue lizard riders and the ruler of them all—the Mothmaker.

Art and his friends soar from one end of the solar system to the other in spaceships driven by alembic combustion. Separated in battle, Art drops onto a planet with a floating surface and underwater inhabitants. The separated friends are eventually reunited and turn together to fight the Mothmaker. But where is Art’s mother and father? No one seems to know.

Once again Philip Reeve has spun a fascinating story set at the time of Victorian England but with a difference. Knowledge of science has to be suspended when reading this books. The Larklight universe has structure and order, but in the way of fantasy rather than science. Art, his family and friends are reminiscent of the rollicking stories of the mid twentieth century, but with humor woven into the story.

Mothstorm is a book that children of all ages will love and that includes adults. It seems this might be the end of the Larklight series, but no doubt Philip Reeve will come up with other amazing worlds and universes to entertain his readers.

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Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

January 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (320 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Asphodel

When a beautiful princess refuses to marry the prince her father has chosen, her father is furious and locks her in a tower. She has seven long years of solitude to think about her insolence. But the princess is not entirely alone – she has her maid, Dashti. Petulant and spoilt, the princess eats the food in their meagre store as if she were still at court, and Dashti soon realises they must either escape or slowly starve. But during their captivity, resourceful Dashti discovers that there is something far more sinister behind her princess’s fears of marrying the prince, and when they do break free from the tower, they find a land laid to waste and the kingdom destroyed. They were safe in the tower, now they are at the mercy of the evil prince with a terrible secret.

Thrilling, captivating, and a masterful example of storytelling at its best. The princess’s maid is a feisty and thoroughly modern heroine, in this wonderfully timeless story.

Book of a Thousand Days is loosely based around the little known Brothers Grimm fairy tale called ‘Maid Maleen’. Like the original tale a young girl is locked in a tower for 7 years by her father and when released finds her kingdom gone to marauders. Hale recaptures the essence of the story perfectly, while also doing what she does best; she re-conjures the tale as a story for young girls to read and find strength in.

From the handmaiden Dashti’s journal we see the events unfold that not only lead her Lady Saren to the tower, but also Dashti. Determined to keep an accurate recounting of their seven long years in the Tower, Dashti reports vary from the mundane (“My Lady doesn’t recall squinting.” pg. 24) to the frightening. Each entry is marked by the number of days they have been stuck inside the tower and Hale does an excellent job of communicating both Dashti’s hope that things will work out and her despair that they will never see the sky again.

The book is separated into two parts. There is the first part, which speaks of their time in the Tower and the second part, which talks of the after. An emotional wellness expert can propose approaches to adapt and better comprehend your cherished one’s you can look here canadian pharmacy tadalafil disease. You can select the flavor of levitra india price your choice. But ergonomic assessment also considers lowest priced viagra the employee’s work speed, his activities like posture of seating and standing, repetitious movements and work habits. As you can see there are differing types of tinnitus viagra buy germany deeprootsmag.org and its intensity were noted down. In the first part Saren does little more than complain, moan and make Dashti’s life more difficult then it already is. The moments of peace that descend are too far between and by the end of the second year even Dashti is becoming sick of Saren’s whining. The second part Saren becomes slightly less of a burden. She spends much of the first half of the second part still whining and scared, but a gift from Dashti and a job she is good at lifts her spirits a lot. I liked her better for the job, though what she continually asks of Dashti is beyond the pale.

The villain, Khasar, is despicable and terrifying. He sold his soul for a dark power that gives him an advantage, but makes him as inhuman as possible. How Dashti’s deals with him is fitting. Saren’s beau, Khan Tegus, is both flawed and perfect at the same time. He breaks his promise to Dashti and Saren, but when the true history between him and Saren is revealed is understandable.

The novel has a distinctly asian flair to it–from the pictures that ‘Dashti’ draws in her journals to the belief system, but it fits quite appropriately. There is a number of ironic twists, but this is basically a story driven by characters. Like every day life not everything that happens to Dashti is ‘adventurous’ or ‘amazing’. We are basically reading her diary and like any other diary there are mundane things that are important to her, but not necessarily life shattering.

Book of a Thousand Days is a wonderful, amusing and thoughtful book that promotes a protagonist who isn’t beautiful, but relies on her wits and her inherent good nature to survive. Dashti really epitomizes the old saying ‘do good unto others’ because proves it daily.

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