Category: Fantasy
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The Blessing Giver: A fun start to a fun story!
The Blessing GiverBy: Cindy GundersonMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up An Enthralling Beginning to an Enchanting Tale! You know I’m picky about my kissing books. I’m not going to commit my time to one unless I’m certain I’m going to enjoy it. Cindy Gunderson hasn’t let me down yet, so…
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Warbreaker: Colors! What a story!
WarbreakerBy: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 16 and up Colors! What a story! April 2023 Warbreaker was one of the first Sanderson books I read, back when I was a Cosmere nube. It’s actually possible I hadn’t even heard of the Cosmere when I read it back in 2012. After…
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The Legend of Eli Monpress
The Spirit Thief (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #1)The Spirit Rebellion (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #2)The Spirit Eater (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #3)The Spirit War (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #4)Spirit’s End (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #5)By: Rachel AaronMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up Eli’s still got…
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Secret Project #2!
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval EnglandBy: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 16 and up And the award for best title goes to… Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell! Yay! The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England is a close second. But it IS #1 when…
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#WatershipDown: Bloody Rabbits…
Watership DownBy: Richard AdamsMy Rating: ALL THE STARS!!Best for: 16 and up The most beloved story of all time March 2023Watership Down is aging very, very well. One thing I appreciated more this time than previous reads: These rabbits are RABBITS. Meaning, they aren’t rabbits that act like humans. They don’t do things rabbits wouldn’t…
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Chaos Walking: The Anti Hunger Games
The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1)The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking #2)Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3)By: Patrick NessMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 16 and up I bet Patrick Ness really hates Suzanne Collins… March 2023Whelp. Turns out 10 years is the perfect gap to re-read my favorite…
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Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection
Arcanum UnboundedBy: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 12 and up who are also committed Cosmere fans The ultimate Sanderson Collection… The Emperor’s SoulThere’s a reason this book one the Hugo Award for best Fantasy Novella in 2013. Brandon Sanderson’s “novellas” always make me laugh. I guess to someone who regularly writes…
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Elantris: This book gets me
ElantrisBy: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up This book gets me March 2023Turns out, if I wait 10 years to re-read my favorite books, it’s just like reading them again for the first time! My original review of Elantris still holds true: Brandon Sanderson’s style just works for me.…
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Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways
Castle in the Air (Howl’s Moving Castle, #2)House of Many Ways (Howl’s Moving Castle, #3)By: Diana Wynne JonesMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up A magical gem of a story! Howl’s Moving Castle was published in 1986, and Castle in the Clouds was published in 1990. House of Many Ways was…
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Almost Super: Super in every way!
Almost SuperBy: Marion JensenMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: All Ages Super in every way! It’s this reading dad’s favorite time of the school year, when our school district picks a book and gifts a copy to each family with students in grades K-4. They provide a reading schedule, and our entire community…
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Howl’s Moving Castle: A Bit Odd, A Bit Fun
Howl’s Moving CastleBy: Diana Wynne JonesMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up A little bit odd, a lot bit fun I’ve been hearing about Howl’s Moving Castle for years, so I figured it was time to give it a try. I’m glad I did! Howls Moving Castle is an enchanting story…
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The Legend of Black Jack
The Legend of Black JackBy: A.R. WithamMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up All brawn, no brain There are some really, REALLY gushing reviews out there for The Legend of Black Jack. Apparently there are a whole lot of readers who found The Legend of Black Jack to be a transformational…
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Tress of the Emerald Sea: A joy to read
Tress of the Emerald SeaBy: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS (If only there were more stars to give! ALL THE STARS!)Best for: 12 and up What’s better than The Princess Bride? BrandoSando is. Ah, Brandon Sanderson. Thank you for sharing your stories. This was one of your best. If you’re not…
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Green Angel, Green Witch: Pain and Whimsy
Green Angel (Green Angel, Book 1)Green Witch (Green Angel, Book 2)By: Alice HoffmanMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 14 and up Pain and whimsy Clearly, Alice Hoffman knows pain. She writes sadness like it’s an old, unwelcome friend. But like any sad story, it’s not the pain that makes it great. It’s how…
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Shadow and Bone Trilogy: A Love…Quadrilateral?
Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone, Book 1)Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone, Book 2)Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone, Book 3)By: Leigh BardugoMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 14 and up Everyone loves a good love quadrilateral, right? I figured it was time to give Shadow and Bone a go–I’ve had all…
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The Lost Metal: EXPLOSIVE!
The Lost Metal (Mistborn, book 7)By: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 16 and up That was…explosive. BEST BRANDO SANDO YET? It just might be. Rusts. It’s been 12 hours since I turned the last page of this EXPLOSIVE finale to Wax and Wayne’s contribution to The Mistborn Saga and I’m…
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The Parasite: Michael Vey is Back! Wait…why is Michael Vey back?
The Parasite (Michael Vey, book 8)By: Richard Paul EvansMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up Michael Vey is Back! Wait…why is Michael Vey back? I have some great Michael Vey memories! The series ended in 2017 in a mostly happy place, and while book 7 fell a bit flat with a…
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Blitz (The Checquy Files, Book 3): X-Men meets X-Files meets 007
The Rook (The Checquy Files, Book 1)Stiletto (The Checquy Files, Book 2)Blitz (The Checquy Files, Book 3)By: Daniel O’MalleyMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 18 and up X-Men meets X-Files meets 007 If you hate having fun while you read, let me just stop you now. The Checquy Files aren’t for you. For…
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The Golden Enclaves: Harry Potter would have been eaten alive. Literally.
The Golden Enclaves (The Scholomance, Book 3)By: Naomi NovikMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up The Scholomance would have eaten Harry Potter alive. Literally. Welcome to the end of The Scholomance! Book three has been published, read, digested–and now, reviewed. Already a fan and you just want to know what to…
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Bastille vs the Evil Librarians: We’ve only been waiting 15 years. Nbd.
Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, Book #1)The Scrivener’s Bones (Alcatraz, Book #2)The Knights of Crystallia (Alcatraz, Book #3)The Shattered Lens (Alcatraz, Book #4)The Dark Talent (Alcatraz, Book #5)Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, Book #6)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE starsBest for: 12 and up We’ve only been waiting 15 years. Nbd.…
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How to Train Your Dragon: Excessive Fun Warning!!!
How to Train Your DragonBy: Cressida CowellMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 10 and under Warning: You will have excessive fun and be forced to laugh out loud. Read at your own risk. I read (and ADORED) The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell, so I shouldn’t be surprised that How to Train…
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Indexing: Extra Twisty Fairy Tales
IndexingBy: Seanan McGuireMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up These twisted fair tales are…twisted! I’ve been trying to rekindle my love affair with Seanan McGuire’s stories since I read and LOVED Middlegame. Unfortunately I keep striking out–time to quit while the happy Middlegame memories are still fresh. I enjoy fairytale retellings…
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Foundryside: But the cover is so pretty!
Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy, #1)By: Robert Jackson BennettMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up But the cover was so pretty! Brandon Sanderson gave Foundryside a rare and coveted 5-star review when it was published back in 2018. When I saw that, I immediately bought both ebook and audiobook (obviously) because Brandon…
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The Wheel of Time 12-14: I’M DONE! [happy dance]
![The Wheel of Time 12-14: I’M DONE! [happy dance]](https://onemanbookclubdotblog.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/91ot9wk-dsl_1024x1024402x.jpg?w=1024)
The Wheel of Time 12-14The Gathering StormTowers of MidnightA Memory of LightBy: Robert Jordan and Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up A journey of 12,000 pages starts at page 1 Quick! Ask me if I’ve read The Wheel of Time! Why yes! Yes I have! I’m done! I’m done!…
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The Last Dragonslayer: Magnificent Nonsense!
The Last Dragonslayer (The Last Dragonslayer, #1)The Song of the Quarkbeast (The Last Dragonslayer, #2)The Eye of Zoltar (The Last Dragonslayer, #3)The Great Troll War (The Last Dragonslayer, #4)By: Jasper FfordeMy Rating: Four out of five stars.Best for: 14 and up Magic, dragons, and a whole lot of magnificent nonsense! I’ve decided to officially join…
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The Wheel of Time, Books 6-11: I can see the light…
The Wheel of Time 6-11Lord of ChaosA Crown of SwordsThe Path of DaggersWinter’s HeartCrossroads of TwilightKnife of DreamsBy: Robert JordanMy Rating: Four out of five stars.Best for: 14 and up A journey of 12,000 pages starts at page 1 If you’ve been with me for a while, you’ll know I’ve been putting off reading The…
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The Wheel of Time, Books 1-5: This. Is. Long.
The Wheel of Time 1-5The Eye of the WorldThe Great HuntThe Dragon RebornThe Shadow RisingThe Fires of HeavenBy: Robert JordanMy Rating: Four out of five stars.Best for: 12 and up A journey of 12,000 pages starts at page 1 If you’ve been with me for a while, you’ll know I’ve been putting off reading The…
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Every Heart a Doorway: That was…unexpected
Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1)By: Seanan McGuireMy Rating: Three out of five stars.Best for: 18 and up That was…unexpected. I enjoyed Middlegame my Seanan McGuire so much, I looked to see what her next most popular books were. Turns out it’s the Wayward Children series. Book one is Every Heart a Doorway–which makes…
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Dark One: So that’s a graphic novel? Huh.
Dark OneBy: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up So that’s a graphic novel? Huh. My graphic novel experience has been limited to the middle grade stuff my kids like to read, so I don’t much experience to compare with Dark One. I’m happy to share my thoughts as a…
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The Dragon Reborn: I’m finally starting to get it!
The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, Book 3)By: Robert JordanMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest For: 14 and up FINE! I’ll read The Wheel of Time! I’ve been desperately avoiding The Wheel of Time series for years now. Even I, book nerd extraordinaire, am put off by the 14 book, 12,000 page commitment.…
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Jed and the Junkyard War: So much potential…
Jed and the Junkyard War (Jed and the Junkyard War, book 1)Jed and the Junkyard Rebellion (Jed and the Junkyard War, Book 2)By: Steven BohlsMy Rating: Three and a half out of five starsBest for: 10 and up So much potential… Jed and the Junkyard War and Jed and the Junk Yard Rebellion are super…
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#Lux: More Reckoners? Yes, please!
Lux (Texas Reckoners, Book 1)By: Brandon Sanderson and Steven BohlsMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 14 and up More Reckoners? Yes, please! I’ve been apprehensive about embracing Sanderson, Inc. In 2021, Brandon Sanderson released five books–Four 4 of them written (co-written?) by former students of his writing class at BYU. I’m nervous for…
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#TheGreatHunt: Fine! I’ll Read The Wheel of Time!
The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)By: Robert JordanMy Rating: Four out of five starsBest For: 14 and up FINE! I’ll read The Wheel of Time! I’ve been desperately avoiding The Wheel of Time series for years now. Even I, book nerd extraordinaire, am put off by the 14 book, 12,000 page commitment.…
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#TheEyeoftheWorld: FINE! I’ll Read The Wheel of Time!
The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1)By: Robert JordanMy Rating: Four out of five starsBest For: 14 and up FINE! I’ll read The Wheel of Time! I’ve been desperately avoiding The Wheel of Time series for years now. Even I, book nerd extraordinaire, am put off by the 14 book, 12,000…
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#Cytonic: I NEED MORE–NOW!!
Cytonic (Skyward, Book 3)By: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest For: 12 and up Sanderson Strikes Again…I just wish I didn’t have to wait so long for book 4! The Skyward series is fantasy-standard-bearer Brandon Sanderson’s first foray into Science Fiction, and it’s pretty great. Turns out, it’s less Science Fiction and…
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#TheFallofBabel: The Greatest Series You’ve Never Read!
Senlin Ascends (The Books of Babel, Book 1)The Arm of the Sphinx (The Books of Babel, Book 2)The Hod King (The Books of Babel, Book 3)The Fall of Babel (The Books of Babel, Book 4)By: Josiah BancroftMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest For: Advanced 14 and up Thus ends the most brilliant fantasy adventure…
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#ADeadlyEducation: Trust me, you’ve never read anything like this before…
A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, Book 1)By: Naomi NovikMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 16 and up A magic school somewhere in England? A teen wizard tainted by a dark prophesy? No, you have NOT read this book yet, I promise. This magic school might have a familiar location, and there may be…
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#Dragonwatch: Dragons are the bacon of books
Dragonwatch (Dragonwatch #1)Wrath of the Dragon King (Dragonwatch #2)Master of the Phantom Isle (Dragonwatch #3)Champion of the Titan Games (Dragonwatch #4)Return of the Dragon Slayer (Dragonwatch #5) (*Haven’t read this one yet! Releases in 3 more weeks!)My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: All ages! Independent readers 10 and up And you though Fablehaven…
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#InsteadofThreeWishes: Marvelously Magical Short Stories
Instead of Three Wishes: Magical Short StoriesBy: Megan Whalen TurnerMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 14 and up How does an author show off? They write short stories. There’s just something about a short story that warms my book-loving heart. Novels are an amazing feat, to be sure. But when an author fits…
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#Spellslinger: Oh, how I wanted to love this!
Spellslinger (Spellslinger, #1)Shadowblack (Spellslinger, #2)Charmcaster (Spellslinger, #3Soulbinder (Spellslinger, #4)Queenslayer (Spellslinger, #5)Crownbreaker (Spellslinger, #6)By: Sebastien de CastellMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest For: 14 and up Oh, how I wanted this to be amazing! I’ve had this series on my TBR for a while. I pre-purchased the first four books and was just waiting for…
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#TheRampartTrilogy: Fantastic & Frustrating!
The Book of Koli (Rampart Trilogy, #1)The Trials of Koli (Rampart Trilogy, #2)The Fall of Koli (Rampart Trilogy, #3)By: M.R. CareyMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest For: Adults Trilogy Review I had sky-high expectations for The Rampart Trilogy, and it delivered…mostly. I loved the world, I loved the characters, I loved the story, and…
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The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O: Can we make Science Fantasy a thing?
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O By: Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best For: Adults only How about a Science Fiction story with some Fantasy mixed in? Or is it a Fantasy story with ScyFy elements? Both? Neither? I’m creating a new genre for The Rise and Fall…
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#TheWitnessfortheDead: Amazing, but don’t step on the Legos…
The Witness for the Dead (The Goblin Emperor, Book 2)By: Katherine AddisonMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: Advanced 14 and up I’m a huge fan of The Goblin Emperor. You might be too, if you appreciate intricate drama, courtly intrigue, and micro-detailed world building. Check it out. But also watch out, because when…
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#BeforetheBrokenStar: Meh for me, but maybe not for you!
Before the Broken Star (The Evermore Chronicles #1)By: Emily R. KingMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up So…meh. I think there are probably some teenage girls who’ll really enjoy Before the Broken Star. This dad of teenage girls, unfortunately, did not. At some point, the book must have been on sale…
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#TheSecondBlindSon: Whoa, wow, holy cow! What a story!
The Second Blind Son (The Chronicles of Saylok, Book 2)By: Amy HarmonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 18 and up Whoa. Wow. Holy cow. What a story! The Second Blind Son was….powerful? Passionate? Gripping? Romantic? Really, really cool? Yes. Yes it was. I was impressed with The First Girl Child, and I don’t…
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#Dragonlance: 80s Fantasy Doesn’t Translate…
Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 1)Dragons of Winter Night (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 2)Dragons of Spring Dawning (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 3)By: Margaret Weis and Tracy HickmanMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up Ah, junior high! I remember the Dragonlance books with early-teenage fondness, and I’ve been wanting to reconnect with…
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#TheEnchantedForestChronicles: The Series That Was Written in Reverse!
Dealing with Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book 1)Searching for Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book 2)Calling on Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book 3)Talking to Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book 4)By: Patricia C. WredeMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: All ages. Independent Readers 10 and up. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles was…
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#ADeadDjinninCairo: Steampunk Fantasy
A Dead Djinn in Cairo (Dead Djinn, #0.5)By: P. Djèlí ClarkMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest For: 18 and up Based on all the articles, ads, and give-aways, Tor really wants me to read P. Djeli Clark, so I figured I’d start with this 45-page short story as in introduction. Good short stories always…
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#TheFirstGirlChild: So, am I one of Amy’s Harmonies now?
The First Girl ChildBy: Amy HarmonMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 16 and up Oh my goodness, there are some passionate Amy Harmon fan’s out there! I tried to join the Amy’s Harmonies private Facebook Group to see what the fuss was all about, but have yet to be approved. Maybe One Man…
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#SpinningSilver: Write like a boss.
Spinning SilverBy: Naomi NovikMy Rating: Four out of Five starsBest for: Ambitious Readers 14 and Up To me, Naomi Novik will always be connected to Temeraire, the revisionist history series about the Napoleonic Wars fought on the backs of dragons. (No typos–you read that right!) I was curious to find out how she tackles fairy…
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#TheWizardsofOnce: Unexpected Magical Brilliance!
The Wizards of Once (The Wizards of Once, Book 1)Twice Magic (The Wizards of Once, Book 2)Knock Three Times (The Wizards of Once, Book 3)Never and Forever (The Wizards of Once, Book 4)By: Cressida CowellMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: Advanced independent readers 10 and up or reading aloud to the whole family!…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Serafina Series
Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina, Book 1)Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina, Book 2)Serafina and the Splintered Heart (Serafina, Book 3)Serafina and the Seven Stars (Serafina, Book 4)By: Robert BeattyReviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 10 and up Looking for an exiting fantasy mystery? You HAVE to read Serafina!Guest review by Gisele,…
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#Serafina: Creepy Fun for the Pre-Teen Crowd
Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina, Book 1) Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina, Book 2) Serafina and the Splintered Heart (Serafina, Book 3) Serafina and the Seven Stars (Serafina, Book 4) By: Robert Beatty My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 10 and up Feb 2021 Re-Read My 11-year-old has a new…
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#MuseofNightmares: The right mix of fantasy and romance…
Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer, Book 2)By: Laini TaylorMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up I had hoped Muse of Nightmares would continue that balance Laini Taylor found in Strange the Dreamer–just the right mix of romance mixed in to help keep the fantasy moving and emotional. And it did…mostly.…
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#StrangetheDreamer: The sweet spot.
Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, Book 1)By: Laini TaylorMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 18 and up I expected a fantasy romance when I picked up Strange the Dreamer, and funny enough–I found exactly that. Except I found more, too. Laini Taylor keeps surprising me: the reading dad who calls romance novels…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Infinity Ring Series
A Mutiny in Time (The Infinity Ring, Book 1) by James DashnerDivide and Conquer (The Infinity Ring, Book 2) by Carrie RyanThe Trap Door (The Infinity Ring, Book 3) by Lisa McMannCurse of the Ancients (The Infinity Ring, Book 4) by Matt de la PenaCave of Wonders (The Infinity Ring, Book 5) by Matthew J.…
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#Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow–Knock, knock, knocking on Harry’s door…
Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, Book 3)By: Jessica TownsendMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!!!Best For: 12 and up I don’t know if there will ever be another Harry, although everyone’s always looking for it. After three books though, things are looking pretty great for Morrigan Crow. I don’t know what the future…
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A Book Club Guest Review of Short Stories from Hogwarts : of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies
Short Stories from Hogwarts : of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (Pottermore Presents Book 1)By: JK RowlingReviewer Rating: FIVE out of FIVE StarsBest for: 10 and up Behind the scenes at HogwartsReview by Julie Hilton This is a collection of short stories about Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Sybill Trelawney and Silvanus Kettleburn. Behind the scenes…
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#RhythmofWar: RUN! It’s a Sanderlanche!!
Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archives, Book 4)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! Best For: 16 and up Over 1200 pages, and I still want more! Rhythm of War, book 4 in The Stormlight Archive, was my most anticipated new release of 2020, and wondered how it could possibly top its predecessor,…
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#Dawnshard: “Just” a novella…
Dawnshard (Stormlight Archive, Book 3.5)By: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE StarsBest For: 14 and up Brandon Sanderson cracks me up when he calls his 200-page books “novellas.” It takes him like a week to write the thing and acts like it was an afterthought…it’s not a novel or a book, it’s just…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Story of Awkward
The Story of AwkwardBy: R. K. RyalsReviewer Rating: FIVE out of FIVE Stars!Best for: 14 and up Wonderful look inside the world of AwkwardReview by Julie Hilton Peregrine Stork is awkward. Because of it she has been bullied her whole life. She has found a great way to deal with it. She carries a sketchbook…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Star Darlings Series
The Star Darlings SeriesBy: Shana ZappaReviewer Rating: 5 (000,000,000,000…) Stars!Best for: 10 and under THE STAR DARLINGS by Shana Muldoon ZappaReview by Jessi, age 11 An AMAZING group of 12 star-charmed starlings (people/girls?) Who secretly save there planet many many… times, by granting wishes from Wishworld (earth) to give starland (there planet) much needed energy,…
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Five Kingdoms Series
Five Kingdoms seriesBy: Brandon MullReviewer Rating: Four out of five StarsBest for: 10 and up The Five Kingdoms Series by Brandon MullReview by: Russell, age 12 It’s about a boy who goes after his friends who was kidnapped on Halloween. And he ends up in the world called the outskirts. It’s not like any world…
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#ThickasThieves: The only thing you know is you don’t know anything!
Thick as Thieves (The Queen’s Thief, Book 5)By: Megan Whalen TurnerMy Review: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest For: Advanced 12 and up Finally, a new book in The Queen’s Thief series! Book 5, Thick as Thieves, was published 7 years after book 4! This reader chose to wait an additional 3 years to read it…
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#AConspiracyofKings: It’s a cantputitdowner
A Conspiracy of Kings (The Queen’s Thief, #4) By: Megan Whalen Turner My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS! Best for: Advanced 12 and up Oct 2020 The great The Queen’s Thief re-read of 2020 continues! I’ve just finished book 4, and thus ends the “re-read” part of my re-read. Book 5 was published in…
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#TheKingofAttolia: How to be awesome.
The King of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief, #3) By: Megan Whalen Turner My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! Best for: Advanced 12 and up October 2020 This series re-read is going beautifully. My re-read of both book 1 and book 2 made me wish I’d left book-specific reviews the first time instead of the…
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#TheQueenofAttolia: This is how you do it.
The Queen of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief, Book 2) By: Megan Whalen Turner My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS Best for: Advanced 12 and up October 2020 I’m enjoying my re-read of this wonderful series! Going through a second time, I find myself wishing I hadn’t only left a series review the first time.…
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#TheThief: A slow build to the big reveal. And it’s awesome!
The Thief (The Queen’s Thief, #1)By: Megan Whalen TurnerMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up Oct 10 to Oct 13 2020Wow, I really gushed over this series the first time. I’ve just finished my re-read of book 1, The Thief, and I’m wondering if I was a little too dramatic. I…
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The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn, #6)
5/5 stars The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn, #6) By: Brandon Sanderson My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS Best for: 16 and up October 2020 And this completes the great Mistborn re-read of 2020. It’s been so much fun these last few weeks to re-fall in love with this amazing series. The Bands of Mourning…
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Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5)
Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5) by Brandon Sanderson My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS Best For: 14 and up Oct 2020 My Mistborn re-read continues. Shadows of Self was a blast to read. I’d forgotten how heavy the ending was. I’m getting spoiled by these amazing Sanderson fight scenes. I’ve been reading (and loving)…
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#AlloyofLaw: Mistborn in the Industrial Age: Magic and guns
Alloy of Law (Mistborn, book 4)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!Best For: 14 and up 9/23/2020 to 9/27/2020This was my third time through Alloy of Law, and I still love it. It seems the deeper I get into seeing the Cosmere fit together, the greater my appreciation for what Brandon Sanderson has…
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#MistbornSecretHistory: Keys to the Cosmere Kingdom
Mistborn: Secret History (Mistborn, Book 3.5)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up who have RECENTLY read the original Mistborn trilogy September 2020So, I just finished a much needed re-read of the original Mistborn trilogy, and I’ve got to say it was supremely satisfying. It’d been nearly a decade since…
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#TheHeroofAges: Simply Brilliant, x3
The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 14 and up September 2020Man, I’ve put of this re-read for way too long. After I finished Well of Ascension I said it was my favorite of the trilogy. Well, now that I finished Hero of Ages I can…
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#TheWellofAscension: Simply Brilliant. Again.
The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, Book 2)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up September 2020Man, I’ve put of this re-read for way too long. Well of Ascension might be my favorite of the trilogy…and I liked it even better the second time around. There are complexities in this story…
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#TheFinalEmpire: Simply Brilliant
The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up September 2020Man, I’ve put of this re-read for way too long. I can easily say I loved The Finale Empire (Mistborn, Book 1) even more the second time. There are complexities in this story that went way…
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#TheHeroandtheCrown: WE HAVE DRAGONS!
The Hero and the Crown (Damar, Book 2) By: Robin McKinley My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up Yea! Dragons! When I read The Blue Sword, Robin McKinley’s pioneering YA Fantasy, I said any story that features a strong girl who wields a magic sword and rides a cool horse…
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#TheBlueSword: Strong Girl + Magic Sword + Cool Horse = Classic 80’s YA Fantasy!
The Blue Sword By: Robin McKinley My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best For: 14 and up Ah, the 80’s! The music! The movies! The clothes! The books? Wait…the books? Yes! The 80’s were a glorious decade for books! Steven King and Tom Clancy were at the top of their games. So were John…
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#WizardforHire: Magical fun–But what makes something magical?
Wizard for Hire (Wizard for Hire, Book 1) Apprentice Needed (Wizard for Hire, Book 2) Magic Required (Wizard for Hire, Book 3) By: Obert Skye My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! Best for: Independent readers 12 and up, but great to read aloud with the whole family! The Wizard for Hire Trilogy wasn’t exactly…
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#ArtemisFowl: Hilarious, Magical Fun!
Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, Book 1) The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl, Book 2) The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3) The Opal Deception (Artemis Fowl, Book 4) The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5) The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl, Book 6) The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl, Book 7) The Last Guardian (Artemis Fowl, Book 8)…
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#Fablehaven: If only it were real…
Fablehaven (Fablehaven, Book 1)By: Brandon MullMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!Best for: All ages Yea for good books! The kids and I just finished Fablehaven last night. It was my second trip to Fablehaven, but the first for the my 10 and under crew. Did it deliver? Oh yes. They loved it! And how…
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#ArtemisFowl: The bad guys are the good guys and dwarves poop dirt.
Artemis Fowl By: Eoin Colfer My Rating: Four out of five stars Best for: 10 and up I guess I’m the boring one. I first read Artemis back in 2011. It was my young teen who recently read it and declared it “AWESOME” that prompted this re-read. That, and the upcoming, strait-to-Disney-Plus movie coming out…
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#TheLightofAllThatFalls: A truly grand finale!
The Light of All That Falls (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 3) By: James Islington My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! Best for: 14 and up James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!” So he did. As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve…
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#AnEchoofThingstoCome: Now that’s how to do book 2!
An Echo of Things to Come (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 2) By: James Islington My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS! Best for: 14 and up James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!” So he did. As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve…
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#TheShadowofWhatWasLost: Ambitious, complex, and…magical!
The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 1) By: James Islington My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!” So he did. As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve…
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#TheKingdomofBack: To never be forgotten…
The Kingdom of Back By: Marie Lu My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!! Best for: 14 and up I love fantasy. I love historical fiction. I love music. I love to be surprised. I love learning new things. I love books that inspire me. The Kingdom of Back is all of those. I loved…
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#GodsofBloodandPowder: Grit and Awesome
Sins of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, Book 1) Wrath of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, Book 2) Blood of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, Book 3) By: Brian McClellan My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Adults only for language and violence I feel like I’ve got grit in…
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#WrathofEmpire: What’s bigger than AWESOME? Book 2.
Wrath of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, Book 2) By: Brian McClellan My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Adults only Book 1 was awesome. But what’s bigger than awesome? Awesome-er? More awesome? What ever it is, that’s book 2. It’s awesome-er. I feel like I’ve got grit in places it doesn’t…
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#SinsofEmpire: I’ve got grit in places it doesn’t belong…
Sins of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, #1) By: Brian McClellan My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Adults only because of language and violence I feel like I’ve got grit in places it doesn’t belong… I loved Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage trilogy, and I’ve been anxiously waiting for the follow up…
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#MadeThings: Nope, different Tchaikovsky.
Made Things By: Adrian Tchaikovsky My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: Adults Having a name like Tchaikovsky–that’s a lot to live up to. If Made Things is any indication, Adrian Tchaikovsky is holding up pretty good. I think the most talented writers are ones who can build a whole world in less…
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#Lightbringer: A decade in the making…
Lightbringer Book 1: The Black Prism Book 2: The Blinding Knife Book 3: The Broken Eye Book 4: The Blood Mirror Book 5: The Burning White By: Brent Weeks My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: Adults only Lightbringer fans, book 5 is finally here! It only took nine years… Was it worth…
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#KeeperoftheLostCities: Middle-Grade quality for Middle Grade readers
Keeper of the Lost Cities By: Shannon Messenger My Rating: Three out of Five Stars Best For: All readers who can handle 500 pages Here’s a fun middle grade series…especially if you’re an actual middle-grader. Just look at all those 5-star ratings on Goodreads! The grown-up me was put off by a few (mostly) forgivable…
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#TheGreatLibrary: I guess I have a thing for books about books…
Ink and Bone (The Great Library, Book 1) Paper and Fire (The Great Library, Book 2) Ash and Quill (The Great Library, Book 3) Smoke and Iron (The Great Library, Book 4) Sword and Pen (The Great Library, Book 5) By: Rachel Caine My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best For: 14 and up…
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#MyPlainJane: Jane Eyre + The Sixth Sense = The scratch for the itch you didn’t know you had
My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) By: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 12 and up Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows: Authors. Friends. Committed to fixing history by rewriting one sad story at a time… …and killing it. My Plain Jane tells…
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#MyLadyJane: Fixing history…and laughing about it!
My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies, #1) By: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE Stars! Best for: 14 and up Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows: Authors. Friends. Committed to fixing history by rewriting one sad story at a time… …and killing it. My Lady Jane re-imagines the story…
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#TheGooseGirl: Introverts, UNITE!
The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1) By: Shannon Hale My Rating: Four out of Five Best for: 10 and up I’ve always liked Shannon Hale, but this essay made me like her even more: What are we teaching boys when we discourage them from reading books about girls?. Not only is she cool,…
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#Swordheart: My, what a big sword you have…
Swordheart By: T. Kingfisher My Rating: Four out of Five stars Best for: Adults Well nuts, I kind of walked into that one. I don’t like romance novels, but I do like when books have some romance. This fantasy book about a guy stuck in a sword had some very blurry lines in the romance…
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#ClocktaurWar: Is wit and sarcasm your secret sauce?
Clockwork Boys (Clocktaur War, Book 1) The Wonder Engine (Clocktaur War, Book 2) By: T. Kingfisher My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: Adults I’d like to have lunch with Ursula Vernon, a.k.a. T. Kingfisher. After perusing her blog and reading a few of her stories, I suspect she’d keep me engaged and…
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#Dragonrider: Dragons are the bacon of books
Fledgling (Dragonrider Chronicles, Book 1) Avian (Dragonrider Chronicles, Book 2) Traitor (Dragonrider Chronicles, Book 3) Immortal (Dragonrider Chronicles, Book 4) Savage (Dragonrider Legacy, Book 1) Harbinger (Dragonrider Legacy, Book 2) Legend (Dragonrider Legacy, Book 3) By: Nicole Conway My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 10 and up Now here’s a series your…
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#TheGoblinEmperor: Unputdownable is a word.
The Goblin EmperorBy: Katherine AddisonMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE StarsBest for: 14 and up The Goblin Emperor is still in my head! I was spellbound by this terrifically intricate drama. There’s not a lot of action, but action wasn’t needed to make The Goblin Emperor perfectly unputdownable. (Did you understand that? Then yes, it’s…
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#Enchantment: What if…
Enchantment By: Orson Scott Card My Rating: Four out of Five stars Best for: 16 and up How about this: Deep in an ancient forest, a 1990’s grad student studying the history of creepy Russian fairy tales finds a girl asleep on a pedestal in the woods, so he kisses her. And she wakes up.…
One Man Book Club 