The Hostage Prince Book Review

The Hostage Prince

Jane Yolen & Adam Stemple

Rating (out of 5): 4.5

Genre: Children's/Young Adult Fantasy

Release Date: June 13, 2013

Series: The Seelie Wars

Series Volume:1

Profanity: None

Violence: Very Mild

Sexual Content: None

Age Recommendation: 12+

Author Website:
http://janeyolen.com/
http://www.adamstemple.com/
http://theseeliewars.com/

Summary:

Snail and Prince Aspen are unlikely companions. Snail is a midwife's apprentice; Aspen is a prince held hostage to prevent a war. Due to a series of misunderstandings, the two find themselves on the run, having adventure after mishap after scary, fast-paced escape. When they reach Aspen's kingdom, they learn to their horror that their actions have divided the country and plunged it into violence. Every minute counts: it is time for Snail and Aspen to figure out a way to stop the building war—together.

The Hostage Prince is a fast-paced, funny, exciting fantasy novel for young readers, both male and female. And who better to start tweens on their journey than Jane Yolen (“America's Hans Christian Andersen”—Time) and her son, Adam Stemple!

Review:

I found this book almost on accident after browsing through a bookstore, I was on my way out and this gem caught my eye. The Hostage Prince has a little of everything I love, underdogs, royalty, the fey, and most of all the set up for a really great story.

The Hostage Prince focuses on Snail, a midwife's apprentice in the Unseelie castle and her companion Prince Aspen a Seelie prince held hostage to prevent the two sides from going to war. The story opens up with the castle getting ready for the Unseelie Queen to have a baby. After a series of unfortunate events Snail and Aspen find themselves thrown together in an attempt to escape the castle, and accidentally starting a war in the process.

Snail is a delightful heroine with her sarcastic wit and take charge attitude. I liked her from the start, and she only grew on me through the book. Aspen is a prince unused to friends or being pushed around by those of lower status than him, but he still tries to be polite and proper. Snail is good for him, and I think by the end of this series he will make a wonderful hero in his own way. The other characters aren't as formed as the main one's but they still each have a personality of their own and I can't wait to see more of them in future books.

The story started a little slow, and I was expecting certain things to happen faster than they did, but after it got going The Hostage Prince was a fast paced adventure that kept me turning pages to see how Aspen and Snail would get out of each bit of trouble they found themselves in. I found myself wondering how the Unseelie Queen's baby was going to play into things, and what special role the Stickman would play in the rest of the series. The authors did a great job of portraying the Unseelie and Seelie worlds for children to understand and their world building was excellent.

Jane Yolen and her son Adam Stemple have crafted a very well written first book in what hopes to be a great series and I can't wait to read the rest. This will be a great read for anyone who is a fan of fairy books, fantasy, and is great for young and old.

~Dawn

The Silver Rings Book Review

The Silver Rings

Samuel Valentino

Rating (out of 5): 4.5

Genre: Children's Fantasy

Release Date: July 1, 2014

Series: None

Series Volume: N/A

Profanity: None

Violence: Very Mild

Sexual Content: None

Age Recommendation: 10+

Author Website: http://www.samuelvalentino.com/



Summary:

Alice and Celia are identical — as twins, and as the recipients of ghastly treatment from their horrid stepmother and stepsisters. To escape, they flee to their fairy godmother Mozzarella’s house. There, Mozzarella advises them to separate and make their way in the world, offering them the rather dubious assurances of troll skin disguises and silver, somewhat magical, rings.

Alice manages to find an abandoned cave of treasure, and settles in to blissful solitude. Celia, on the other hand, runs afoul of a bad-tempered witch, and is promptly turned into a frog. Informed by her magic ring of Celia’s peril, but not her whereabouts, Alice sets out to rescue her. Instead, she finds herself atop a glass mountain, avoiding the love-struck Prince Randall. With Alice’s quest at a standstill, and Celia still enchanted, will the sisters ever realize the high hopes that their godmother envisioned?

Review:

The Silver Rings caught my attention with it's fairy tale mash up plot and adorable cover, so naturally I was excited to start it. After reading the first few chapters of The Silver Rings I wanted to hate it. The whole thing seemed too over the top for me. I was expecting it to be a little ridiculous from the book's summary but what I was given was almost overwhelming. Thankfully I stuck it out to the end and was pleasantly surprised by the delightful story, hilarious characters, and silly hijinks of the plot. The writing style really grew on me, and I found myself looking forward to the next wild thing to happen.

This book tells the story of twin sisters who, despite their evil step mother's intentions, are bright and optimistic. Upon the most recent failure of one of their stepmother's many schemes to get rid of them they finally decide to leave home and seek their fortune's elsewhere. The story is every fairy tale you've heard and more with it's delightful mash up of characters and altered stories.

The Silver Rings is a hilarious story that teaches some surprising lessons along the way. Both children and adults will enjoy Alice and Celia's adventures. The author's refreshing views on love at first sight and perseverance remind us all that things don't always go the way we've been taught. This story is a wonderful introduction into fairy tales and adventure stories for girls and despite the situations that could come across as dark the stories atmosphere and the girls reactions to each situation keep it from getting too serious. 

I said earlier that I wanted to hate the book for it's almost overwhelming amount of zany situations, which at first did seem overwhelming. But the more I read the more I actually enjoyed it. It's just the sort of thing I use to read and write when I was younger and I think that kids would really enjoy it. Alice and Celia's awareness of the world around them adds just enough sanity that readers will stay grounded even when everything else is going haywire. 

The characters are well written and stay true to themselves through the plots progression. I found myself really growing to like each of the characters in the book from the over zelous Randall to the tale-telling fox, Rant. Each one had their own silly charms and added to the story. Rant was probably my favorite character because despite his outrageous stories he was a loyal friend who could make the best of any situation. 

Overall The Silver Rings was a delightfuly silly story with good lessons and fun illustrations. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting a good read and a laugh. I am very glad that I decided to finish this book. 

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest opinion as I have stated above. 

~Dawn

 

The One Book Review

The One

Kiera Cass

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Series: The Selection

Series Volume: 3

Profanity:Mild

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: Mild (but clean)  

Age Recommendation: 13+

Author Website: http://www.kieracass.com/




Summary (Found on Author's Website):

The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

Find out who America will choose in The One, the enchanting, beautifully romantic third book in the Selection series!


Review:

The third and final book in the selection series is one I have really wanted to read for a while now. I must say I am pleased with how it turned out. When I first started reading this series I thought for sure that The Selection (book 1) would be the only book in the series. Imagine my surprise when there is not only one but two more books! In the beginning I wasn't sure how Kiera Cass could write three books from what I'd seen in The Selection, but coming to the end of this journey I now see a wonderful and fully formed story.

The Selection trilogy felt like one story all the way through, which speaks of a lot of planing before hand by the author. This is something that I feel like doesn't happen often enough with trilogy's these days. It seems to me that lately authors (mostly YA authors) write a trilogy because it's popular and not because it's what their story demands. I didn't feel this with Kiera Cass's Selection series, something I am immensely grateful for.

Now I'll step off my soap box and give you a review of the book.

The One picks up right where The Elite left off, with America working out a plan to enact her new found determination to win. Things between her and Maxon still have their ups and downs through the book, and Aspen always seems to pop up. But things are changing, and America is finally starting to push back.

Many of the relationships in this book grow and change, and not just America's relationship with Maxon and Aspen, but also her relationships with the remaining members of the elite, her family, Maxon's family, her maids, and even a few new characters all go through major changes and testing. I found these growing relationships even more interesting than the main love story because I got to see a new part of many of the characters. We get a deeper look into the other elite girls and I found myself growing to really love each of the girls, including Celeste. I loved getting to see America's family again as well as getting to know some of the new characters. Overall I really enjoyed the character development in this book, Kiera Cass did a wonderful job of keeping the relationships realistic over the course of the book.

The story was so much more than just America's love life, but at the same time the unrest in the country didn't overwhelm the story. It was used to propel the story but it never took over this romance completely. One of the things I really liked about the Selection series was that it was overall a romance story. Yes it had it's dystopian elements but they never overwhelmed the story like I've seen happen. Kiera Cass made sure to keep the books true to the story she was telling, and that was America's journey through the Selection. That said, I loved everything we got to learn about the rebellion and what was going on in the kingdom. It was very interesting to see what was going on behind the scenes and get to learn a little bit of each sides intentions.

There wasn't anything I really disliked about this book. The romantic scenes got to be almost a little much at times, but they never went too far or got too mushy for me. I enjoyed America's struggle with saying I love you though, it seems to be something I think a lot of people deal with in relationships. When is the right time to say it? Who should say it first? These were questions she struggled with and their eventual resolution left nothing to be desired.

Overall The One was a great read and an excellent conclusion to the Selection trilogy. I would love to see more books by Keira Cass and would recommend anything she's written. If your new to the Selection series or just trying to decide if the finale is for you I say read them, read all three and you won't be dissapointed.

~Dawn

The School for Good and Evil Book Review

The School for Good and Evil 

Soman Chainani (Author), Iacopo Bruno (Illustrator)

 Rating (out of 5): 3.5

Genre: Fantasy 

Release Date: May 14, 2013

Series:  The School for Good and Evil

Series Volume: 1

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None 

Age Recommendation: 8+

Author Website:

http://somanchainani.net/
http://iacopobruno.blogspot.com/

Summary:

At the School for Good and Evil, failing your fairy tale is not an option.

Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.

The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed—Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.
But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are . . . ?

The School for Good and Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.

Review:

The School for Good and Evil looked to be a very promising read, and turned out to, just not in the way I had expected it to. I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting when I began reading the book, maybe a short term at the school then the two girls being sent off into their own fairy tales or something but whatever it was the book threw me for a loop within the first chapter. This story was far darker than I had imagined it being, told more in the style of a Grimm fairytale than most that we see today. By the time I had finished the book I had enjoyed it but I also had some issues with it.

First of all while the story gets on to a very interesting start it is slow. Overall it's a pretty slow book. Yes there are times where things heat up and the action/story really get going but for the most part it moves along at a pace all it's own. While I liked the detail the author went into about the school the huge cast of characters began to confuse me and many of them blurred in my mind. I often found myself wondering 'Who was that again?' and 'When did they show up?' Another thing that really bothered me about the book was the way Sophie treated Agatha. They were suppose to be best friends but one minute she's all nice and the next she's mean and cruel. I can almost understand why it was done, but the story would have been better if their friendship had been done in a more natural way. Yes friends fight and they can be mean to one another but that is something that strengthens them. These fights were never really resolved, they just magically disappeared or in some cases got worse. It frustrated me.

And the ending, what can I say about the ending? It didn't feel like one for starters. The whole ending scene felt very rushed and while it tied together plot threads it did it in a way that was both weird and almost uncharacteristic for the book. At the same time other plot threads were tied together neatly and very characteristic. And the books last chapter felt like the author just stopped writing and said 'See you next book!' giving us a conclusion without actually giving us a conclusion. It left me feeling very frustrated and eager for the next one to come out to find out what really happened. 

Now that I've gotten all the bad out of the way let me tell you what I did like about the book. The magic! The classes! The different schools! The fairytale history! I loved how it took the fairytale lore we know and love and put a different spin on it. I enjoyed both Agatha's and Sophie's character growth through the book, and while at times it seemed like one or the other was regressing in growth I appreciated the fact that the girls changed. Too often do I read a book where the main character grows a little but is stale for most of the book, this book did not do that. Even the more prominent minor characters began to grip me with their growth and personality. These are the one's that the author seemed to put a lot of time and effort into and stood out to me more than some of the others that tended to get jumbled in my head. By the end of the book I had really grown to care for each of the main characters and their closer friends. 

The story itself was great, as slow as it seemed in many parts it did keep moving. The story was very original, I loved seeing the way the two schools interacted with one another and how each class progressed. The different tests and games were amusing and I found myself very interested in the school's history. Just enough clues about whats really going on are provided for both the characters and the reader to begin to unravel what may have actually happened hundreds of years before, though you are still left going 'Say what?' when everything is finally reveled.

Overall I have to say this book is a good read if you need something or are a fan of fairy tales, just keep going through the slower parts and it will pick up again and again often enough to keep you interested and pining to find out what does happen. I do however recommend reading it only after you've got your hands on books 1 and 2 at least. (Though it's suppose to be a trilogy so if your one who hates reading then waiting just wait for all three to be released.)

~Dawn

The False Prince Book Review

The False Prince

Jennifer A. Nielsen

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Release Date: Apr 1, 2012

Series: The Ascendance Trilogy

Series Volume: 1

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild

Age Recommendation: 12 and up

Author Website: http://www.jennielsen.com/

Summary (found on Amazon):

In this first book in a remarkable trilogy, an orphan is forced into a twisted game with deadly stakes.

Choose to lie...or choose to die.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows 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. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Review:

The first thing to catch my attention about this book was the cover and title, both sparked my interest and imagination. I am happy to say that Jennifer A. Nielsen did not disappoint my expectations. This book has the feel of a well written fantasy novel without the magic and sorcery involved.

The protagonist Sage is a witty sharp tongued orphan who seems too smart for his own good, and I mean that in a positive way. His quick wit and sharp mind get him out of trouble almost as often as they get him into it. Along with three other orphans Sage is dragged into a scheme concocted by one of the kingdom’s noblemen, Conner. This scheme involves a competition between the boys to see which of them has what it takes to become the kingdom’s lost prince.

Secret agenda’s and trickery are the heartbeat of the competition starting with Sage himself. Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s going on the story throws in twists that keep you on the edge of your seat.

The layers-upon-layers in this book created a momentum that never let up. Every detail, no matter how small, felt like it was leading to something. Sage himself always seemed to be hiding something from everyone, including me as a reader. Oftentimes I knew he was hiding something more than he was revealing and it would drag me breathless through more pages as I searched for the reveal that was inevitable, crying out in excitement when I got it right and berating myself when I got it wrong.

I enjoyed seeing the story told from Sage’s point of view. Not only because he acted as an unreliable narrator (something I love) but because it’s not often I get to read a book written from the perspective of a male character and I enjoy the difference when it happens.

Each of the books characters are interesting with each one having their own agendas and backgrounds. Not one felt like a cookie cutter creation with each one being well rounded. And while you may not find yourself loving every character, you will find a grudging respect for some, and more than one will surprise you by the end of the story.

One of the best parts of this book is that it leaves you feeling satisfied with it’s ending. Yes you desperately want more, but that’s because you’ve fallen in love with the characters and the world, not because you’ve been left with a cliffhanger.

I would (and am) recommending this book to anyone and everyone that I can, both old and young. It’s a great read from start to finish, a true gem to discover. I only recommend waiting to start it until you have time to read it from cover to cover.

~Dawn