Pages & Co. #2: The Lost Fairy Tales by Anna James

My name is Tilly, and horrifying changes are happening at the British Underlibrary. Melville Underwood is now in charge, and he wants books to be bound and bookwanderers stamped. He even wants to stop kids like Oskar and me from any bookwandering. He got elected Librarian by saying he knows where to find Enoch Chalk, but his story is sketchy. Chalk trapped my mother in a book for years, and I'd love to see him captured. Traveling to see Oskar's dad in Paris is a nice distraction, and we didn't plan to do any bookwandering. We especially didn't plan to enter an unpredictable fairy tale. However, Prince Charming has taken Oskar somewhere, and I'm getting help from Jack and Rapunzel to find him. All I really know is something terrible is going on and books are leaking magic. 

You can probably enjoy this book without reading the first one, but you'll miss the backstory of Tilly and Enoch Chalk. You'll enjoy this book if you like mashed up fairy tales. It's clear Underwood is the main antagonist this time, but his evilness goes far beyond the Underlibrary. You'll do well to remember that evil characters can't be trusted, so question everything they say. The plot follows Tilly, as she investigates her first fairy tales. You'll find characters from different stories interacting and tales that have been twisted. Gaps and emptiness pop up all over the place. These things create elements of danger and uncertainty, and the book reads like a mysterious adventure. Who is causing these changes, and why? Tilly's mother is human and her father is a fictional character, so Tilly has some unique abilities. The extent of them is unclear, and the author is only starting to shed light on them. Oskar is a loyal friend and supports Tilly, even when she makes bad choices. His family brings new characters to the story, and that may not be a totally good thing. The whole conflict within the Underlibrary boils down to freedom of choice, which might be comparable to the real-world debates within the United States. Overall, I'm enjoying the series, and it looks like the sequel will take the conflict in a new direction. Give it a shot. 

The Unwanteds Quests #6: Dragon Slayers by Lisa McMann

I am the Revinir, and my plans to rule the Seven Islands and get my revenge against the Stowes is almost complete. The only thing left is for Thisbe Stowe to join me in ruling the lands. I can't get all of the dragons and citizens to willfully obey me without her help. Of course, she's making demands before she'll agree to my terms, but that's just what I'd expect from a girl who's mostly evil. I suppose I'll eventually agree to her demands, since I'll just throw her in the dungeons after our partnership is announced. However, I don't fully trust her. I can't understand what she's thinking like I can with everyone else in Grimere, and she's tricked me before. I've been watching her carefully, and I've tried to detect any lies she might be telling. I feel confident I can trust her this time, and I'll soon have all the power I've ever wanted.

You need to read the series from the beginning, and you might even want to go back and read the previous series, The Unwanteds, too. This book was the easiest to follow, since it focused solely on the battle with the Revinir. It included a select group of characters, whereas most of the earlier books included casts of dozens. Thisbe took the greatest risk and evoked the greatest emotions. Trying to fool the Revinir was almost an impossible task, and there was no magic or weapon that could hurt her. Thisbe had a devastating secret weapon, and it seemed clear she'd eventually use it at the climax of the plot. However, would the weapon even work on the Revinir? Would the Revinir figure out Thisbe's deceit before Thisbe had a chance to do something? Would Thisbe's feelings of empathy create a change in plans? These questions created increasing suspense as D-Day grew nearer and kept the story engaging. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend you give the series a shot. I'm assuming this book's sequel will bring the series to an end, as all of the pieces seem to be falling into place.

Valkyrie #1 by Kate O'Hearn

My name is Freya, and the first warrior I reaped to Valhalla has me questioning what it means to be a Valkyrie. I haven't seen many humans worth celebrating, but I still made a promise to check on the man's family. Odin forbids any of us from traveling to Midgard without his permission, but keeping promises is important to me. The man could not have known his wife would also die, leaving Tamika and her baby sister without a parent, or that developers would use violent measures to acquire his house. The biggest thing I didn't expect was meeting Archie. He has become a brave warrior since being bullied by JP, and I'm starting to care about this human. However, I'm now realizing how much things are getting out of control. It's only a matter of time before I feel Odin's wrath.

This book presented a different point of view about how deceased warriors were celebrated in Valhalla. Freya's first warrior didn't like fighting and only cared about his family. This attitude differed from her feelings that humans were violent and only cared about themselves. I always enjoy stories where non-human characters make observations about our humanity. They make you think. The most enjoyable part of the plot was Freya's relationship with Archie, although JP was crazy and way out of control for a middle grade bully. Archie had an absentee, alcoholic mother and lived alone in their apartment. He showed how some people are still able to have good attitudes and be successful despite their troubling situations. Readers should be able to empathize with his character. Concerns for Tamika and Archie were the main focus of the plot, but the threat of Odin and his anger were always a danger. Freya knew she'd lose her wings, but her actions also put her sister and others in danger. It was clear the countdown to the climax was centered on the moment Odin learned the truth. I've read a number of books based on Norse mythology, but I don't recall any that featured the Valkyries. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend you give it a shot. 

The Unwanteds Quests #5: Dragon Fire by Lisa McMann

My name is Simber, and I'm torn inside. As a giant winged cheetah, I've pledged to support the head mage of Artime. However, Aaron gave the position to Frieda Stubbs, and she's a despicable person. She's doing all she can to tear the citizens apart, and she's determined to kill all of the Stowes. I hate that Aaron's put me in this position. However, I told Frieda that I will not harm Aaron, Thisbe, or Fifer, so I know she doesn't trust me anymore. Most of the remaining citizens support her, while most of her opponents have left the city. Due to my pledge, I can't help anyone fighting against Frieda, so can she ever be stopped? I wish I could talk to my best friend Florence, but she rightfully doesn't trust me either. And with the Revinir ready to start a war with Artime, will peace ever return to the island?

You should read the series from the beginning. It's been difficult reading the series as it's being written, since I must wait a year or two before getting my hands on the sequels. This makes it more confusing, as the books have so many characters to remember. The cast is a mixture of humans, dragons, and other creatures with various backstories. The nice thing in this book is that most of the plot takes place in Artime. The main characters display great determination, ingenuity, and teamwork to overcome overwhelming odds. The biggest conflicts involve Frieda Stubbs's divisive leadership in Aritme, and the Revinir's mysterious movements from afar. As I've said in other posts, Frieda's behavior reminds me of political leaders using lies, fear, and "patriotism" to justify their violent strategies and rhetoric. Her supporters greatly outnumber the protagonists, but the negativity of her style creates a fragile position. The twins, Thisbe and Fifer, continue their personal conflict, but it seems out of character that they've gone so long without any feelings talk. It eventually comes to an end. Overall, I enjoyed this book more than some others in the series, since the plot seemed more focused. I assume the sequel will target the Revinir and her brain-washed dragons.

Addison Cooke #2 and the Tomb of the Khan by Jonathan W. Stokes

My name is Eddie, and I don't know why I ever listen to Addison. He promised me an eating tour of authentic Chinese food, but there's not much to eat while stumbling through the Gobi Desert. Last year, we were running for our lives in South America, and now we're being chased again by Russian and Chinese gangs. Addison's aunt and uncle have been kidnapped, again, because the bad guys want to find Genghis Khan's treasure. It looks like the only way out of this mess is for Addison, Molly, Raj, and me to find it first. This may prove to be impossible, since everyone who ever knew where Khan was buried were killed. Then, there's supposedly a curse saying a bunch of ghost warriors will kill anyone who might actually find the treasure's location. Why did I listen to Addison?

This book told an entertaining adventure to find an ancient treasure and revolved around Addison Cooke. Addison's smart, but not super smart, and he doesn't have any superpowers. His most powerful talent is an ability to talk his way out of any situation. While this is amusing, it also challenges my tolerance for the unbelievable. Surprisingly, I find it easier to accept characters in other books fighting off monsters and supernatural beings than it is to believe Addison can talk and/or fight his way past gang members and assassins. It gets old and tries my tolerance after happening for the first time. The cast of characters are enjoyable with their individual personalities. Addison takes risks and won't accept anything being impossible. His sister Molly trusts him and is willing to use her skills learned from eight weeks of karate training. Raj is a daredevil and constantly jumps in when others are in danger. Finally, Eddie manages to whine and find the worst in any situation. The group is joined by a haggard pilot and his Great Dane dog. Overall, the book is entertaining, and I recommend you give it a shot. You can still enjoy it without having read the first book in the series. 

The Storm Runner #3: The Shadow Crosser by J.C. Cervantes

My name is Ren, and Zane just finished rounding up all of the godborns in the world. They should have been safe at SHIHOM where they'd learn to use their new powers, but then we received word that all of the Mayan gods had disappeared. This might have allowed enemies to break through the defense magic and even access the roots of the World Tree. How was that even possible, since the gods were the most powerful beings in the world? Then, we learned that Zotz and Blood Moon were behind it, but we still couldn't figure out their plans. We knew Blood Moon and her twin sons wanted revenge against Zane, and that might have included killing all of the godborns, but why couldn't we find the gods? We later discovered that my powers with time and shadows were crucial to stopping Zotz and Blood Moon.

You should probably read the previous books in the series first. Zane is the main character, and he's finally learning to master his powers with fire. However, he's unaware of another power he possesses, and it becomes extremely important as the plot nears its climax. Also, Zane and Brooks slowly admit the truth of their relationship which eases one of the underlying issues found in the previous books. A fun twist is that Zane has been forced to write true stories about his adventures which then become the books we're reading in the series. The books describe his feelings about Brooks and give background knowledge to any new characters. The author creates a conflict that seems to have no possible solution. The characters learn the location of the gods, but there's no apparent way to get there. The book mixes adventure, action, and humor to create an entertaining story. Zane makes funny comments to the readers, and the character interactions are often amusing. Imagine gods appearing and behaving as teenagers, and everyone teasing Zane about his feelings for Brooks. As I've said before in other posts, you'll enjoy this series if you like Rick Riordan and his Percy Jackson books. I recommend you give it a shot.

The Unwanteds Quests #4: Dragon Curse by Lisa McMann

My name is Thisbe, and I can't believe my twin sister Fifer actually wants to have a costume party. After escaping the Revinir, I now have scales from being forced to drink dragon-bone broth, and our brother Alex has died. What is there to celebrate? The Revinir has taken control of all the dragons except for Drock, and I also feel the oppressive pull of her summoning. The others don't understand time is running out. The Revinir doesn't appear to have any weaknesses, and I suspect it will take a new kind of magic to stop her. I know my brother Aaron is distracted by the unrest in Artime, as many dissenters don't like him replacing Alex as the new leader. They also fear Fifer and me due to our unpredictable powers. I know I'm the only one who can stop the Revinir, and I can only think of one way that might work. If not, we're all doomed.

This series is a spin-off of The Unwanteds series, and continues the blend of magic and dragons. You must read the previous books in The Unwanteds Quests first, especially since Dragon Curse picks up right where the third book left off. There aren't too many details reminding you about previous events. The battle against the Revinir is the main focus of the plot, but the unrest in Artime and the conflict between Fifer and Thisbe are equally important. The Revinir now controls almost all of the dragons, and she's determined to recapture Thisbe and attack Artime and Quill. She presents a physical threat, while the other problems are more mental. The problem between the twins is worsened due to assumptions and lack of communication. Each twin might say, "She doesn't understand what I'm going through, and she doesn't care." The lead dissenter in Artime is able to create unrest by twisting the truth and outright lying to the citizens. This conflict only worsens as the story moves along, and reminds me of the negative campaigns of some politicians. My main difficulty with the book and series is the quantity of characters. It's difficult to remember who is who with the cast consisting of dozens of different creatures from several different lands. Their backstories are hard to remember. Overall, the conflicts with the Revinir and the dissenters are very intriguing, so I recommend you give the book a shot, after you read the first three books in the series.