My name is Plum, and I have an unusual ability to share dreams with my three closest friends. Dr. Abarrane asks us to keep a diary of them, and doctors frequently check our health. However, our dreams have been getting stranger, and I've started wondering about the doctors questions. Artem has disappeared, and in our dreams he's warned us that someone is coming to get us. Who is he talking about? Gwendle, Vien, and I have decided no one can be trusted, so we've started lying to the doctors and in our diaries. We used to be in control of our dreams, but something's changed. I don't feel safe in them anymore, and sometimes I can't wake up. I've got to find Artem and figure out what's going on. He doesn't seem to be in Brassmere Academy anymore. If we can't trust the doctors, what can we do?
The beginning of the plot seemed innocent enough, but it quickly sucked me in. (I read it in one afternoon) I found myself very curious about the dreams and trying to figure out what was happening at this isolated academy. It seemed like the plot was equally split between reality and the dream world. The four friends would often go to sleep in order to be together and to speak in private. The dreams were very imaginative and created a lot of drama. Even though I enjoyed most of the book, I didn't care much for the climax and resolution. I figured the plot would amp up a bit once the secret was revealed, but it actually signaled the end. Also, there seemed to be a bit of magic with the gargoyles that wasn't found earlier in the book. In the end, I wanted to know more about what the doctor was doing and why he was doing it. I still don't know what happened to him after everything was resolved. I'm wondering if there's going to be a sequel, although it didn't feel like that was in the plans. Overall, I really enjoyed most of the book, and you may not have the same feelings about the ending. Everyone is different!
My name is Nick, and my father is dying from evil magic. Theo says doctors can't help him, and his only hope is the Chalice of Immortality. The Shadowkeepers are everywhere, and Rasputin still wants to get his hands on me. I'll still do anything to save my dad. I'm thankful that Isabella is with me, and her connection to animals has come in very handy. We would have been torn apart by possessed wolves if her powers hadn't been so strong. We've traveled to England a couple of times now, and I'm wondering if the woman I've seen might know something about the chalice. She wears a white scarf around her neck, and I've noticed her watching me from a distance. We need to find the chalice soon, or I'll lose my father forever.
This book concluded the trilogy, and the books have been fun to read. Obviously, magic was very important, as it was used in almost every chapter. Communication, transportation, and self defense all required magic. Nick's visions from the past provided important information to locate the chalice. While the Chalice of Immortality was a very powerful relic, the holders of it often found themselves under its spell. Consequently, possessing the chalice might have been a curse despite any of its positive effects. Nick was told he'd become more powerful than Theo and Damian, and a flashback indicated he would someday rule over the family. This book was different from the previous two, since the ruling cousins displayed more support and trust for Nick than they ever had before. Nick didn't sneak around as much this time, and he was allowed to accompany his cousins on missions. As usual, there were flashbacks of famous names in history. This time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Houdini, Shakespeare, and Amelia Earhart made appearances and displayed their roles in the chalice's history. Overall, the series was very entertaining, and lovers of magic should truly enjoy it.
My name is Luke, and I was angry and lonely before I screwed everything up. Don't tell anyone, but my brother Zack is Star Guy, and my neighbor Lara is Dark Flutter. They're too busy saving the world to spend time with me, and I can't hang out with my best friend Serge since his parents say I'm a bad influence. So... that's how I came to play the new Puny Earthlings! video game and showed aliens how to defeat Star Guy. I can't convince my brother of the alien invasion, so it looks like it's S.C.A.R.F.'s time to shine. However, my teammates aren't talking to me, and I'm asking for help from Christopher Talbot, the comic book store owner who once tried to take over the world. You know your plans to save the planet are shaky when you need to trust a supervillain.
As you may have sensed, this book tells a silly, corny story of good versus evil. The alien plot concerns an intergalactic reality show, and it uses Luke's thoughts to frighten him. The spaceship looks like his school, and all of the aliens appear as his PE teacher. Luke is annoyed that a guy from another dimension gave Zack and Lara superpowers, while he's the lover of comics who most wants to be a superhero. To be fair, Zorbon couldn't give Luke powers in book one, since Luke was taking a bathroom break. Luke's conflicted, since it's hard for a hero without powers to defeat supervillains and aliens. His intelligence and imagination are keys to resolving the conflicts, but he doesn't get any public recognition. The entertainment in this book comes from the wacky situations, characters, and goofy jokes. Heck, TV remote controls are alien weapons. The last page drops a huge surprise that leads right into a sequel. Overall, you need to have a high tolerance for goofiness to enjoy this book. I do, and I did.
My name is Isabella, and my worst nightmare has reappeared. Maria, daughter of Rasputin, has returned and wants to steal my essence. Nick and I saw her in the stables with a jackal and ravens, and we later saw an evil-looking woman enter our hotel wearing black and a headdress of black feathers. Magicians from all over the world have come to our Las Vegas home for an annual conference, but something terrible just happened. Shadowkeepers stole the Pyramid of Souls, and it's clear Rasputin is behind it. He’ll become even more powerful if he can capture the magical essences, but Nick's destiny is to stop him.
You should probably read the first book, but you can still enjoy The Pyramid of Souls without it. Nick is the main character, and he is learning to master his new-found magical powers. He also has a habit of concealing the truth from Damian and Theo, the powerful leaders of the family, and then getting himself into bigger trouble. Isabella is his cousin and best friend, and he always pulls her into the danger he creates. Theo and Nick have an ability to use crystal balls, and Theo uses his ball to see past events that are relevant to the plot. This book includes flashbacks to Edgar Allan Poe and Alexander the Great to emphasize the danger of the Shadowkeepers, the importance of a special elephant, and the mystery of the raven woman. The book is a quick-read, as the plot moves quickly through the 146 pages. The conflict between Nick and Rasputin carries over from the previous book, and the resolution was similar to book one. Rasputin hints that he will eventually be defeated by Nick, but it turns out not in this book. It looks like this series is a trilogy, so The Chalice of Immortality should wrap everything up. Overall, it's not a fantastic series, but it's entertaining.
My name is Allegra, and Jonas Smart has gone too far. I knew he would accuse Jack of being a Rostov spy again, but he ordered his soldiers to attack him with thousands of innocent civilians around. I don't know exactly what the Rustov did to Jack while he was captive for a year, but he announced they're planning an all-out invasion of Imagine Nation. Smart ignored Jack's warning, and his unjust xenophobia has led to Jazen's imprisonment and has the citizens nearing a civil war. Jack's supporters are accused of being pro-Rustov, and the timing couldn't be worse. The Rustov invasion is here, and no one is prepared. Jack is the wild card. He's my best friend, but his fear of becoming Revile sometimes paralyzes him. A Rustov parasite is inside his head, and the Rustov surgically implanted a power cell into his chest. We're all doomed if Jack can't suppress Khalix and become our most powerful weapon again.
You must read the previous books to understand this one. Even though many characters had superpowers, the series read more like science fiction due to the significance of machines in the plot. The robotic parasite had been inside Jack since the beginning and was growing stronger. It created an ongoing internal conflict that seemed impossible to resolve without Jack's death. How could he overcome Khalix, as the Rustov machine slowly took over his body? The Rustov prince spoke in Jack's head and kept reminding him how futile it was to resist the transformation. I loved how the author continued to weave all kinds of twists into the plot that required my thought and imagination. The Rustov had been planning the invasion for a decade and were always one step ahead. However, one decision dramatically back-fired on them, and one character hinted about it all through the series. Characters changed sides, and another character made a surprise reappearance. In addition, a lingering question about Jack's past is finally answered during the plot's resolution. Overall, the series may not appeal to everyone, but lovers of robots and science fiction should really enjoy it. I did!
My name is Meylyne, and I've been forced to break the first commandment, again, and reenter the Above-World. My only hope of avoiding life in the Shadow Cellars is to find a cure for the prince's aging disease. The Old Well of M'Yhr has said I must travel to the Valley of Half-Light where the soul-eating sphers live. Hope has been a loyal companion, and we've been joined by Blue, a tiny warrior. I never would have imagined an ogre named Grimorex would become such a valuable ally. However, something is seriously amiss in the Above-World. Conflicts have war looming in Glendoch, the Great Oaken Mother has been poisoned, and sphers are spreading discord. The Great Oaken Mother said she was poisoned by the Thorn Queen, but why would Queen Emery want to start a war? I'm embarrassed that my terrible alchemy skills are no help. My mother is the most powerful alchemist around, but I can't ask her for assistance. What can I do?
I enjoyed the plot and the complications to Meylyne's quest. She needed to discover many secrets about her past and her abilities that became keys to resolving the conflict. I kept wondering about the "allergy pills" she religiously took, because they were concealing something important. Blue was a great character, as he lived up to the hype of being a brave warrior. Despite his lack of height (thanks to Meylyne's flawed spell) he stepped up to defend his new friends against all kinds of creatures and dangers. His past was a mystery, but the truth was actually anticlimactic. I wish I could tell you about more intriguing secrets, but they would be spoilers. I enjoy stories that keep me guessing, and this book kept me going until the final pages. The antagonist's true identity was unknown until a critical moment, Meylyne's mother revealed a devastating secret at an important time, and the plot's resolution revealed a final surprise. The ending sounded like it was leading into a sequel, but I haven't seen any indication that one is coming. Overall, The Thorn Queen was a fantastic book, and I recommend you add it to your reading list.
My name is Spindrift, and I had a bad feeling about the customer in grandfather's shop asking if I'd ever seen a black orchid. I hadn't at the time, but that night a black orchid appeared in the glass ball my mother left to me. It changed into a woman who will grant me wishes, and she says there are six more hidden around the world! My grandfather has started sharing letters left by my mother before her death; she died in a shipwreck while searching for the other orchids. Then, that man returned to the shop and threatened us for our black orchid. He's trying to collect all seven orchids, which will make him the most powerful person in the world. I now know the only way to stop him is by getting all of the orchids first. The flowers created an obsession in my mother, and it eventually led to her insanity, and ultimately to her death. I feel the same compulsion and don't know if I can avoid the same fate.
Often, the adult characters in these situations try to control the younger characters with new abilities. The young characters then ignore advice and do their own things. Half of that is true in this book. It wasn't clear how much grandfather knew, but he gave Spindrift (her name comes from sea mist) clues and didn't do much to stop her. She then went off on her own to foil the plans of the mysterious man. There were a couple of unique ideas in this book. Seven sages were contained in the seven glass balls, and each one controlled a different power. The sages did this to put limitations on the wishes and so one person couldn't have all the power, but that obviously became the main conflict. Secondly, Spindrift's mother was overcome by the power of the orchids, and the change was displayed through her letters. She eventually considered killing in order to collect all the flowers. The conflict between Spindrift and the man became more threatening and wasn't settled until the very last chapter. The actual resolution was predictable, although the personality of the black orchid complicated things a little bit for Spindrift. Overall, it was an entertaining story, and I recommend you give it a chance.
