Icefall

Icefall
by Matthew J. Kirby



Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Young Readers

Rating: Clean

Content: Mild violence

Summary: Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. A malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, and a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.

Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig and her siblings survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he succeeds in destroying a kingdom?\

Personal Review:

This book was very well written. I actually really enjoyed this read. There is great imagery in the setting, and I did not find the story predictable. It is a great book for young readers and those young at heart (like me.)

-Curry

Cybele's Secret

Review by Curry

Cybele's Secret 
By Juliet Marillier



Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure

Rating: Y

Content: Clean

Summary:

Scholarly eighteen year old Paula and her merchant father journey from Transylvania to Istanbul to buy an ancient pagan artifact rumored to be charmed, but others, including a handsome Portuguese pirate and an envoy from the magical Wildwood, want to acquire the item as well.

Personal Review:

Cyblele's Secret is a companion book to one of my favorite books, Wildwood Dancing.  I strongly recommend reading Wildwood Dancing before reading Cybele's Secret because there will be some spoilers in this book if you read them out of order. Cybele's Secret tells the story of Paula, Who is the sister of Jenica the main character in Wildwood Dancing. It takes place several years after the first book. Cybele's secret was a good and entertaining book however, because I loved the first book so much, this one fell a little short for me. That being said, it is still a good book and I know others that liked it more than the first. There were some things that were a little predictable but I can often look past that easily. My biggest disappointment with Cybele's Secret was purely a matter of a opinion. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. It's fun and exciting.
(you can see my review for Wildwood Dancing here.)
P.s. isn't the cover of this book gorgeous! I love it. hehe

- Curry

If you liked this you might also like:

To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker
Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle
The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

The Lightning Thief

Review by Felicity

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)

by: Rick Riordan

Genre: Fantasy/Young Readers

Rating: Y

Content: Greek gods (children born out of wedlock)

Summary:  (from goodreads)

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Personal Review:

I loved the Percy Jackson movies that have recently came out so I decided to check out the books. I had a rough time getting through this 1st book, I think mostly because I had already seen the movie and I knew what was coming. I think this book is great for preteens, and I plan on reading some of the books that haven’t been made into movies yet because it is a fun fantasy story. However this is a case where I prefer the movie to the book.

- Felicity

If you like this you may also like:

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2) by Rick Riordan

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J.K. Rowling
Leven Thumps and The Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye

The False Prince

Review by Curry

The False Prince

by Jennifer Nielsen

Genre: Adventure, Young Adult

Rating: Y-11

Content: Violence involving children

Let me just start off by saying that this is a 5 STAR book for me! Here’s the summary:

Summary:

In a faraway land, civil war is brewing. To unify his kingdom’s divided people, A nobleman named Conner devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the King’s long-lost son and install him on the throne. Four orphans are forced to compete for the role including a clever and defiant boy named Sage. Sage know that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point - he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. His rivals will be devising their own plots as well, so Sage must trust no one and keep his thoughts hidden.

Personal Review:

For all of you that have not read this book yet, you are lucky. I only say that because you do not have to wait for the 2nd and 3rd books to come out like I had to. I LOVE THIS BOOK! It was torture to wait, but I did it and it was worth it. There are many reasons why I love this book but the main reason is because of Sage, the main character. He is brilliant and so fun to read about. There are times when you think “Why are you doing this?!” But then it all makes sense and I learned to fully trust him. This book has everything; an intriguing plot, great characters, humor, suspense and just a touch of romance. I think that I will go re-read it now. Peace!

- Curry

If you liked this you may also like:

The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielsen

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier