Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

 Another Cosmere novel by Brandon Sanderson and another one of his "Secret Projects." 

"Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster?"

General Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. It is right there under Tress of the Emerald Sea in favorites of Brandon Sanderson's books, well, books in general. The world is amazingly different, Hoid is the narrator again though he makes less actual appearances than before, and this is a love story. I almost always enjoy a good romance. 

<<Spoilers Ahead>>

Plot: I think the jumping between bodies is really intriguing. I loved watching Your Name (which I highly recommend) and it very  much had a bit of that in there. Yumi's magic is very different, who would ever think that stacking stones was a form of magic? Brandon I guess. And Painters' ability to fight nightmares through art is cool too. I particularly liked the ending when they figure out what is going on and how they both fight for what they want. I think the nightmares, and what the nightmares actually are is simplistic but it works in the creepy area well. I do wish Yumi's fight at the end was longer, but it ended well. 

Setting: OH! The crazy contrast between their worlds is amazing. I think the descriptions, which were needed to be blunt, they were well done and gave us the differences between where they come from and how Yumi and Painter actually work in their societies. So strikingly different, especially the dramatic Night and Days, light and darks. I like the neon lights that fill Painters world. It's all just so different. I also love the fact that when Yumi discovers what TV is she is hooked by the moving pictures. 

Characters: Yumi and Painter are so fun. I just love each of the characters presented here. Design particularly. I can't wait to read more about her and Hoid (#FMoash, the stupid jerk.) There is just too much to say about these characters, that I don't know what to say. They really pull through in this story, like many of Brandon's other books. 

Spice: 2/5 Spicy Chilis. It is a light romance where most of it is emotional. When they switch bodies, they don't see themselves as the other person, but themselves standing an as that person. So it's not perverted, which is nice. One or the other is almost always a ghost so it's not like they could even kiss or anything. 

Writing Style: I love the way Brandon writes in general and this is no exception. The fact that Hoid is our narrator, and the fanciful storyteller he is, just makes this so much better. I would love to have more books on this world, just to look at the magic system, but I doubt that will happen. Brandon has too much left on his plate. I am probably bias at this point, but I love the way he writes. It makes it easy to enjoy the story he is telling. 

Overall: I very much enjoy this book. It is one that I will most definitely be reading again and again. 

Hoofbeats of Danger

 

An American Girl History Mystery, Hoofbeats of Danger by Holly Hughes. 

"In 1860, eleven-year-old Annie asks Pony Express rider Billy Cody to help her find the person responsible for sabotaging her favorite pony Magpie."

General Thoughts: I really liked this book. It is easily one of my favorite History Mystery books.  

Plot: I liked how because Annie pays attention to the job she does and loves, she is able to figure out what is going on to save her families Waystop. And because she is a reliable and honest girl she gets the people around her to listen to her and save the day. I also really liked how they got Billy "Buffalo Bill" Cody to be present while he was a Pony Express Rider. 

Theme: It seemed the theme that I recall was to stand up for yourself even if you are a small girl vs a large angry man. She let her voice be heard and solved the mystery because of it. 

Setting: I really enjoy a good historical or fantasy setting. This story was more into the mystery side of things as opposed to the environment, but when you're surrounded by prairie grass, it's understandable that Holly Hughes didn't spend to much time on describing the barn, hills, or small house in the middle of no where. The setting that was given did it's job and wasn't jarring or cast me out of the story. 

Characters: I particularly liked Annie Dawson and Billy Cody. They were kind and made a good team, her the brains and him the brawn in order to save the day. He was portrayed here as a nice guy who was willing to help a girl out, which seems to be the case Annie (haha) Oakley. They were fun and memorable characters. 

Spice: 0/5 Spicy Chilis. It's a children's book. Why would you be looking for that here?

Writing Style: I recall it being fairly good. Nothing too spectacular for a modern child audience, but good enough that I enjoyed it as an adult realizing it's a children's book. 

Overall: Like many of the other books in this series, I'd read it again. If you're a horse lover, wanting to step into the Wild West, or just wanting a simple but good mystery, give it a try. 

Battle for Skandia

 

The Battle for Skandia is the fourth book in the Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan and is a nice ending piece for this story arch. 

"Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, the Ranger's apprentice and the princess's plan to return to Araluen is spoiled when Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior. Though still weakened by the warmweek's toxic effects, Will employs his Ranger training to locate his friend, but an enemy scouting party has him fatally outnumbered. Will is certain death is close at hand, unil old friends make a daring, last-minute rescue. The reunion is cut short, however, when they make a horrifying discovery: Skandia's boarders have been breached by the entire Temujai army. And Araluen is next in their sights. 

"If two kingdoms are to be saved, the unlikeliest of unions must be made. Will it hold long enough to vanquish a ruthless new enemy? Or will past tensions spell doom for all?"

General Thoughts: It's a good book. Probably my favorite of the first story arch. The scenes of Will in charge of the archers is one that has come back to me over and over throughout the years when I think of the series. 

Plot: This literally becomes "My enemies enemy is my friend." Those from Araluen and the vikings from Skandia have to put bygones aside in order to defeat the new enemy otherwise they will both be destroyed. It's nice to make new friends, and those can often be forged under dire circumstances. 

Setting: Much the same as the last one though on the greener side of things, we are in Skandia. Viking country. While the setting might have hindered or helped during the battle, it didn't make much of an impact on my reading. Often while tracking or searching we'd get some good forest descriptions or while they were in the Skandian capital, but because we didn't move around much in the story, it was easy to just forget. 

Characters: It's nice having many of the important characters back together. Erak really outdid himself in the third book and he grows on you even more here. His brash, Skandian attitude is fun and different than Halt's silent stoicism. Evanlyn develops more here as a leader as well, as does Will. Horace, as always, is a beef of a man even when he's still a teen. I enjoy having them all together to do their thing. 

Spice: 1/5 Spicy Chilis. As they cared for each other in the last book and their feelings for each other were beginning to bud, now it has a possibility to bloom, not much, but it can try. 

Overall: As I said before, it's a good ending to first story arch. We get a good, tactical battle sequence with a bunch of close calls, characters get to grow and show that they are competent not just some young sapling.  

Tress of the Emerald Sea

Tress of the Emerald Sea has become one of it not my top favorite Brandon Sanderson book. This is one of his "Secret Projects" and is a standalone Cosmere book.

"The only life Tress has known on her island home in the emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and see the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a singe drop of water can mean instant death?"

General Thoughts: Brandon Sanderson has a way of creating the most amazing worlds. Spore oceans where you can instantly die just by breathing it in. Crazy! He always has a way of capturing the most amazing and extremely bazar ideas and making something entertaining and thought provoking. And the fact that he wrote this for his wife makes me so happy.

Plot: In the Postscript that he wrote at the end of Tress, he said he wrote this out of the question of "What if Buttercup went after Westley?" Speaking of The Princess Bride, Brandon takes us on a trip in a crazy Cosmere world where a girl goes to find the man she loves and becomes a pirate long the way. But because there is no hard magic system on this planet, we have a crazy planet (somewhat similar to Sixth of Dusk if I remember correctly). The story is told through the voice of Hoid who we see jumping worlds all throughout the Cosmere and sticking his fingers into all kinds of pies. 

Theme: Much of this book, I think is about standing up for yourself and not letting the world pass you by. So much of Tress' life has been hearing of everyone else's adventures and watching them as they leave, but now she gets the opportunity to go and do something for herself to save someone that she loves. Step out of your comfort zone and make it bigger. 

Setting: As said before, Brandon has a way with words and worlds. Each of the worlds I've read about have been so extremely different. Ash falling from the Sky, the sun killing everything every day, ghosts that will kill you in a Forest called Hell, a different forest that will kill you, sand that is magic, violent storms that cleanse the world and light it at the same time, and many others in the Cosmere let alone the others that aren't there (such as chalk drawings in a steampunk world that try to kill you, and where superheroes are the bad guys.) This is no different. Different colored spores that can blow up, kill you by breathing them in, and a menagerie of other things. It was fun to escape into this different world. 

Characters: Our narrator is Hoid and I loved having be so. He is also a character here, but not as prevalent as one might suppose. Tress and her new crewmates were fun and different. And they were all just a joy to be around. 

Spice: 1/5 because it's an adventure romance and I think they might kiss at the end. But I could be wrong about that. 

Writing Style: I love the way Brandon Sanderson writes. He is my favorite author and there are very few books of his that I don't like. They are easy to read, some might say too easy, and it flows so well. He isn't as eloquent and poetic as some might right, but when it really counts he pulls out all the stops. He writes a lot of words and not all of them are perfect, but they paint such amazing pictures in my head that I don't mind. 

Overall: It's one of my top three books of his. I will most definitely be reading it again soon. 

Emerald Green

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier is the last installment of The Precious Stones Trilogy 

 "Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. Sue suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she's just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably being using her all along. Emerald Green picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate."

General Thoughts: This is another book that sticks with me. I don't read many time traveling books, but this one was well done indeed. 

Plot: Gwen is finding that there are more schemes in her family that she really wants to and what is worse is no one is listening to her and no one is telling her anything. She is frustratingly alone except for a very few people who can help. I love the fact that she gets her deceased family to help her out. Her grandpa reminds me of my own grandpa who I miss dearly. Being able to pop in and out of time to see him as he grows and gets older, himself is really neat. I will also say that the final resolution was unexpected and well done. I'd love to go back and read it again to see if I can pick up on any of the hints that I probably should have gotten along the way. 

Setting: Much of the setting is the same as the previous books. Only about two weeks, at most, goes by in the "modern present" and so although there are lots of balls and we jump around the London Bridges and streets from different eras, we don't move around a lot. From what I recall, having read this a year and a half ago, I do believe the descriptions that were given were well done. In listening to the book, I don't think I was ever taken out of the story because I got lost at where we were. Often it was in the same hallways or rooms so then not much needed to change, but we were given enough information to not be floating in a blank space. 

Characters: I think the characters really pull the story along. While the plot is intriguing, the characters really bring it to live. As I said, I love Gwen's grandpa and her best friend. I think I remember them the best. I don't remember why, but I was never really hung up on Gideon. He's not the best love interest I've read about. Other side characters were perhaps even more memorable and enjoyable that him. As for Gwen herself... I don't know. It's been a minute since I've read it, but I also wouldn't consider her as memorable either. I remember things she did, but not so much her personality. I do remember Count Saint-German being a creepizoid and their altercations were engaging and fun to listen to. Maybe Gwen and Gideon really do belong together. 

Spice: 1/5 Spicy Chilis. It is a romance book, but it's a legitimate young adult book so nothing happens. I believe the most they did was kiss and maybe it was a little passionate in the first book, but she's angry and upset at Gideon for the a chunk of this book until he makes things better. 

Overview: I really enjoyed this series. It is kind of strange how it happens so quickly. You could literally have it be one large book and everything would slide in perfectly because no time passes. I think the time traveling here was well done and didn't jar me when she jumped in the timeline. It would be interesting to see what was going on from Gideon's point of view, but not that we'd need a new book for it. I'd be very interested to see what else Kerstin Gier makes and I'd be delighted read them. 

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

 The manga That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime was a really fun isekai to read and anime to watch.

"Mikami's a middle age hasn't gone as he as he's planned. He never found a girlfriend, he got stuck in a dead-end job and was abruptly stabbed to death on the street at 37. So when he wakes up in a new work straight out of a fantasy RPG, he's disappointed buy not exactly surprised to find that he's a not a wizard but a blind slime demon. But there are chances for even a slime to become a hero..."

General Thoughts: I enjoyed this story and am glad it's continuing onward. This is actually a series I'm interested in purchasing for myself.

Plot and Theme: Slime is a typical isekai. Going from weakest creature alive to the top demon lord that everyone is scared of so that way you can protect your friends. There are many clichés and tropes that pop up here, but what was surprising was that it was done well. There are many isekai manga that don't run through their tropes well or where the story is so bad it just flounders. Slime doesn't. Rimaru gains friends and helps lift up others along the way. It's fun to see the village going from Goblin shacks that are barely standing to a major city with a Coliseum and Rimaru as a Demon Lord. There is political intrigue, massive disasters, death, humor and comedy, battles, and road construction. I like the ideas of helping each other out and living our best lives without having the "my friends are my power" trope which has gotten very old and long winded. It's a fun adventure story. 

Setting: It is an basic fantasy setting with goblins, orcs, demons, elves, dryads, vampires, humans, and whatnot. But each of these different clans have well developed cultures. Each kingdom has it's own boarders and concerns which leads to altercations and friendships. I'm in love with a good map at the beginning of any book and this one has them throughout the story as Rimaru becomes more important in society. 

Characters and Style: Many of the characters are very unique. There a lot of them, but each are drawn differently enough and have prominent (loud or quiet) personality that they don't get mixed up with other, which can often happen in these large scale books. Rimaru is a good leader, has his flaws (though few seem to be fatal flaws at the moment), but is always looking out for the people who've come under his slimy wing. 

Spice: 2/5 Spicy Chilis. Slime is not ecchi, which is great, but, however, there are some times with the elves one other character who are big and busty or a Demon Lord who wears only panties that I have found to be uncomfortable. There is also a moment toward the beginning where Rimaru needs to decide how he is going to look and because he's a slime and technically doesn't have a gender, he gets to pick and explores that a little, technically nothing is shown, but it gets to be kind of close at times. My son, who very much enjoys this series, chooses to look away because it can get awkward. Thankfully, it happens rarely enough that we don't have to turn it off. 

Final Thoughts: I do enjoy the series. It's got an engaging plot, fun characters, and it does the isekai genre good. I have very few qualms with it and can't wait for more chapters to be made. 

The Burning Bridge

 The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan is the second book in his Ranger's Apprentice Series and the one
that normally sticks out most in my mind when I think of the series in general.

"Bracing for a final clash with the evil warlord Morgarath, the Ranger's rally the kingdom's allies, and Will is chose, along with his friend Horace, as special envoys to the nearby Celtica. But the simple mission soon takes an unsettling turn - the Celticans have disappeared, their town abandoned. The scheming hand of Morgarath, it seems, has been far from idle. He has found a way to bring his legions over the once impassable eastern mountains and is planning to ambush the king's army in a rout. Now with help many miles away, Will and Horace are the only ones standing in the way of the dark lord's plans. They have shown great skill and courage in their training, but how will they fare in the face of true evil?" 

General Impression: This is the book that I remembered most growing up in the Ranger's Apprentice Series. The image in my mind of Evanlyn and Will burning the bridge and getting captured was very present in my mind. There are really good moments in the book that stay with you, which I think is needed to make a book good. 

Theme and Plot: Most of John Flanagan's books are an adventure story. They aren't theme driven books, but the thought of being persistent, of working hard, and being able to think up solutions to problems that arise. Sometimes you need to do what needs to be done for the greater good and try to get yourself out of the situation you're in later. John Flanagan's plots are simple and straight forward, but the adventures are still a fun ride to go on. 

Setting: I've enjoyed the world that Will and his gaggle of friends and comrades are in. It is very similar to medieval Europe, specifically England, but as the world develops we get to see outlying countries. But there are different lore's and histories which make it engaging and different. 

Characters: This is the book where we are introduced to Evanlyn and get to see how she grows from being a simple Lady in Waiting to someone who is going to take adventures and, again, do what needs to be done. Will is still my favorite character. He's a great set of eyes to get to see the story through, though we bounce through a few different points of view. Will, Evanlyn, Horace, Gilan, and  Halt are engaging characters who easily grow on you. 

Writing: The one thing that might still throw people off for John Flanagan's books is his writing style. There is lot's of description and he does tend to tell more than show. Tells us how characters are feeling or explains the side-eye-glances when we, as smart readers, should be able to get that in general. 

Spice: 0/5 Spicy Chilis. There was none. These kids are too young and we are honestly only starting out of these adventures. Not enough character development has arisen to really start romance of any kind. We can see, by the end, that there could be some romance between some of them, but it is hardly even budding. 

Overall: I enjoyed this book. I loved being able to read it with my son and have him really get engaged into the story. 

The Scarlet Letter (Manga)

I've never read this classic and when scanning through the comic section of my library, I came across it and finished it in a day. 

1642, Hester Prynne is married to a man in England whom she doesn't love and has a baby with another man. She won't say who this man is and lets the blame fall completely on herself. She is given a scarlet letter to put on her chest so that everyone in town knows of her sin and will treat her with the distain she deserves. Her husband makes arrives in town but tells her now to reveal who he is and they can go about their business, an ever present demon as he seeks to find who is the baby's father and take his vengeance on the man's soul. Hester raises her daughter, Pearl, on her own and tries to do her best to receive redemption for the sin she committed. As the years go by and by her good works in her community, the letter on her chest starts to represent her "ability" to do good as opposed to the "adultery" she is convicted of and she creates a good name for herself although her sin is never far from people's minds. 

This was a very interesting book. My friends were forced to read it in school and many didn't like it (who does when it's mandatory reading?). So I didn't know what I was really getting into. The fact that it's a manga and the pictures helped illustrate what the metaphors in the story were trying to convey what was going on much better than I think I would have gotten the first time through on a normal book read. My brain is kinda like that. Roger Chillingworth becoming more demonic as time goes on and the amount of guilt that radiates from poor sickly Arthur Dimmesdale is very well portrayed, along with how the town slowly changes their opinion of Hester as she proves that one mistakes is what makes her up as a person. 

The overarching theme of how guilt can impact people is extremely interesting and probably why it is a classic. The fact that because Hester's sin is in front of everyone and that her guilt is boldly on her chest for everyone to see, as opposed to Arthur, who is looked up to greatly by all of the community, hides it and becomes sick because of the gnawing guilt of it all; and the way it compares the two, their reactions and that of the community, and how freeing it can be to... forgive themselves...? Is that what it is? To let the guilt be lifted and how freeing that can be. 

The artwork in here was extremely well done, as was the "summary" of the story. Obviously it's not all of it. I'm sure many of the conversations and sermons were shortened or no in there at all which is fine. From the other "Manga Classics" that I've read, they do a very good job at portraying the most important things of the story without missing as much as you thing. 

Key's to the Demon Prison

 Slow in reviews it seems... 

My son and I finished this back in the beginning of April. As the final book in the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull, we enjoyed the somewhat ribbon tied ending. 

Kendra and Seth go to another hidden sanctuary in hopes of getting the last artifact to stop the Sphinx's schemes of opening the demon prison. The get there and find that The Evening Star is already there and are ready to bite their heals. Finding the last artifact and getting out prove extremely difficult. Seth and others get captured with Kendra and very few actually escaping. Seth, while in prison, makes new acquaintances and makes a deal with the Sphinx, while Kendra and others make a plans for a jail break. But when Seth gets out and the others become captured, thing get more complicated when Seth makes another deal with a demon and finds just how poorly those can end. Now with more demons on the loose, with new allies yet still in prison, and the list of true keys to the demon prison dying Seth, Kendra, and their comrades need to find means of stopping armies of demons from taking over the world. 

There was so much going on with this book. In looking back, there was so much jumping around from place to place that it if you weren't paying enough attention you could get lost. But I think, because it was the culmination of everything it was fitting. I do find it interesting how many final books (in series) end with a treasure hunt. Where people have to run around like crazy in order to stop the big bad because they don't have all the things they need yet. It ends up becoming a treasure hunt more than anything else--I'm looking at you HP. I while it works gathering up these odds and ends, it does get a little crazy. Also then to have the big bad finished off "fairly easily" and by two kids is kinda odd -- I get it's young YA and they went through a lot to get there, but still. 

I enjoyed the character progression over all for Kendra and Seth, though Seth had much more than Kendra did--hers I felt was lacking. I liked at the end of the book how there were questions from the author about how different Seth was in the beginning (opening windows during a solstice) to now (still getting bamboozled by a demon). He still makes mistakes, but owns up to them; and how these mistakes and his reasoning behind them changed over the course of the series. I do think it would have been nice to have Kendra need to abruptly learn new things and change for the better, but I honestly can't think of a when she did. She seems to stay the same throughout the whole series. 

I liked being able to see the different sanctuaries and fairy shrines and other important places that we get to travel. Brandon Mull has an interesting imagination to come up with some of the crazy traps and strange situations that he's able to create in the story. From Australia to Turkey to Norway. Teleportation helps a lot in order to do that. 

My son was happy with the ending and letting the world of Fablehaven chill for a bit. It was a long time reading these books. Now we're off to other worlds and adventures, but we'll probably not be too far away from Mull's other works in the future. 

Jane Eyre

 Apparently it has been quite a few years since I've read or listened to Jane Eyre, and I'm glad I made this journey again. 

Young, plain Jane is orphaned. Forced to live with her uncles wife and children, she is abused and neglected. Her strong will and temperament are then bridled at Lowood Academy. There she makes friends with the teachers and other pupils. Death pays a visit on a large scale at the Academy, which brings sorrow and a heightening of the presence of God into Jane's life. Fully grown and educated, Jane decides to take her academic learning into a career as a governess. She finds a position at Thornfield Hall and enjoys the small society there. With only the master of the house, her pupil, and the servants in attendance, she begins to find a home at Thornfield and has found a friendship with the master of the house, Mr. Rochester. Their relationship starts to become more than simply governess and master, and he eventually proposes marriage. She begins to let her bridled passions and true character unwind. But fate has a strange turn and all is not as it seems at Thornfield Hall. 

There are reasons why this book has been well loved for nearly 180 years. The characters with their foils, the gothic mystery, the fairytale, the love story, view of God, and symbolism are amazingly well done. 

Jane has probably become my favorite character, almost ever. She is bold and brash where and with whom she finds it appropriate. She has her fault of probably being too easily led, by those who mean well and those who are manipulating a situation -- though part of me wonders how much of that was do to the time and what was expected of women 180 years ago and how much was her character, I don't have an answer yet on that. I love how she is religious and learns, as we all should, about forgiveness and charity and service to others. Those aren't often what is written about now without seeming pompous or prudish. I love how she stands up for what she believes to be right even though it hurts her greatly. She chose not to stay with Mr. Rochester for important reasons. She holds her ground with Mr. Rivers and, though she comes close, she doesn't recant her opinions and holds her ground. She knows what she wants, especially in the long term, and doesn't let herself be trodden on or manipulated by others feelings and wants. She is and has a strong character! I mean, come on! She says, "Oh, I will give my heart to God. You do not want it!" Bold as brass! <3 Love it. 

Mr. Rochester is an interesting character too. Similar to Jane, he's not handsome (which is cool because how many characters are often portrayed as the most beautiful person ever in the whole world or time? It's unrelatable for a large portion of society.) He's loud, has strong opinions, and is rather grumpy (though given his circumstances, it's understandable), sometimes I think he talks more than Jane -- which does make the relationship they have in the beginning a little hard to believe, though that might just be because I need to pay better attention -- but he sees that she is smart and thoughtful. He is proud, which is his biggest fault, but throughout the course of the story he finds himself extremely humbled. I love the way Charlotte Bronte words his devotion for Jane. His love is palpable on the page. It is beautiful, kind, and honest. 

The Gothic and supernatural elements of this book are the best thing for it. It gives the ghosts the prowl the Hall so much more life and vivacity than I think could have been done in any other setting. It gives strong tones of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen -- though Austen was a satire of Gothic literature in her time. This Gothic atmosphere only ever lends itself to the story and bolsters it up. 

I think the mystery of Thornfield Hall is what most people remember of Jane Eyre today. "Vampyres" and fires are pivotal points in this story and they are so well written. Just... *chefs kiss * it's so well done. 

I have no problems with this book. It was well written. The writing, though older and potentially longwinded, is elegant and only give to the story. It is written in a "more modern" tone as opposed to even Jane Austen which was written 30 years previously which made it considerably easier to dive into. 

I'm extremely interested in finding the many depictions of this story that have been produced. I know plays have been done and I own a movie, but I have a need for more. 

I love it. I love it. I love it. 

In finding a cover of Jane Eyre for this post, I was in awe of how many beautiful (sometimes funny) covers were published. Here are some of my favorite ones. 

Some of these covers, though, make no sense whatsoever or are just completely inaccurate.

He looks really creepy here.... Um... Excuse you, dude! 

I mean, what is this? It definitely screams 1840s Gothic Classic to me... right... 

The Reason Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion

 A super cute comic that livened my spirits. 

Raeliana isn't actually all she appears to be. She's not from this world that she's found herself in. In real life, she's trying to get into college and finds herself on the top of a library roof and someone pushes her off! When she wakes up, she's in one of her favorite novels and is portraying a character who's death starts the story off. Only Raeliana doesn't want to die! (Who would?) And so she thwarts her assassin/fiancé by trying to call off the marriage in many different ways until she's at a ball and sees the main love interest of the story, the Duke. Stalking him out into the gardens, she strikes a deal with him. Because she knows the ins and outs of what is going on in the book, she has vital information that is important to him. She'll tell him, if he consents to be her new fiancé for appearances, thus dropping her assassin in the lurch and saving her life until she can figure something else out. He accepts, finding her and her information intriguing. But now, Raeliana must play the part. She is forced to move into his home and take lessons so then she can become the wife of a Duke, for appearances. Things do not go as planned. Between kidnappings, monster hunts, swimming in deep court waters with ladies akin to piranhas, and messing up the original story, Raeliana finds that she actually starts liking the Duke even though his schemes are up up amongst the most interweaved of anyone in the kingdom. 

This was a "sickly sweet" story that I needed to help me out of the winter funk I'm in. (Depression sucks and my heart goes out to all who suffer.)  It was funny, charming, witty, and full of blushes. I loved the world that was built and the palace intrigues. The characters were also very comical and funny. Her guards are among my favorite. 

The plot twist and turns were fun and I had a hard time guessing what was going to be happening next, which kept me on my toes. And it goes to show that ladies and their agendas can be very scary for those who are unprepared and unaware. 

I would be very happy if there was more in this world because it feels so lively, so large that there could be many more comics that could happen in this story. It's very different and fun and extremely binge worthy. 

Grip of the Shadow Plague

 It takes a really good writer to make the reader cry for more than five pages over and over again and when you think you've got a handle on your emotions just to get kicked in the emotional teeth again. Thanks Brandon Mull. I needed a salty shower just on my face this morning. 

Kendra and Seth are still at their grandparents house for the summer. It is too risky to send them home yet because the Society of the Evening Star is still out to get them. And now it seems that even Fablehaven isn't safe anymore. Now creatures of light are turning dark from this unknown plague and they don't know why. Kendra has also been issued an invitation to join the Knights of the Dawn and help them retrieve more artifacts. Kendra and Warren go down to Arizona with other members of the Knights of the Dawn. The others at Fablehaven have found that not only has this dark plague attacked the creatures, but it can also turn human's into shadows that now only Seth can see. More and more creatures at Fablehaven are being infected and there are very few sanctuaries left for anyone. 

This was a very good book. There were times when I most defiantly didn't want to put it down and I wanted to read on even if my son wasn't too thrilled about it. (Yes I might have dragged him to the book against his will, but I really wanted to know what was going to happen.) It was well written with good pacing that kept us well engaged. There was a part that I pretty much knew for sure what was going to happen (which I was right), but it didn't stop the emotions from flowing over their banks. Well done Mr. Mull.

I've come to very much love these characters. I still have my suspicions about one or two of them, but I'm very intrigued to see what will happen to them in the future. All of them have their own personalities that they stick to and are endearing. I loved the development of new characters that we got to interact with, specifically a mustached twirling gent whom I like very much. 

I very much am excited to read the next book and will probably try to make my son listen to some of it during Christmas break even though "reading is just before we go to school, mom!" We'll see, my son, we'll see. 

Haikyu!

 This is one of my favorite series I've read this year. 

Haikyu! is about these boys on a volleyball team in Japan. Hinata is short and had little volleyball experience, but can move really quickly and jump very high and is beyond willing to take whatever he can get. Kageyama is a brilliant setter who needs to work on his people skills. In middle school the faced each other and became rivals for life, but then suddenly they find themselves at the same school trying for the same volleyball team. They have to learn to work together and make the Kurosono team fly to nationals. But it isn't just them on the team. All of the boys have things to work on with skills and personality to bring to the court. With dedication, determination, and a willingness to never give up, they become a sensation amongst the other volleyball teams as they work their way to nationals. 

I've always loved volleyball and since I started reading manga, I've love that too. So this was amazing. It was well drawn, and well written. Each of the boys have great personalities (whether it is part of Kurosono or the many other teams). I think Haruichi Furudate did a great job in keeping everyone boy an individual with a separate personality (HEY HEY HEY!!!) and back story from the others which is no easy feat when there are so many characters going on and off the page. So good job. 

I also loved the character development of all the characters. AND EACH OF THEM DEVELOPED AS THE STORY WENT ALONG! Taking the title "King of the Court" and making it his own was pretty  much my favorite. It was refreshing to be so engaged in the story. 

The ending was a little weird with it being a few years in the future some times it got a little confusing trying to remember all of the individuals (there were a lot of them). However, it was fun to see everyone either having moved on to different careers or progressing in volleyball. And the fact that it never actually ends and that the volleyball games will keep going and that Hinata and Kageyama will always be rivals (on the same team or on different teams) was icing on the cake with plenty of cherries on top. 

It was fabulous. I can't wait for the anime to finally be completed in English (though obviously subs are good too). 

Rise of the Evening Star

 Rise of the Evening Star is the second book in the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull  and it is "interesting, strange, and silly" says my son. 

A year has passed since the events of the first Fablehaven book. Kendra has had some interesting side effects of being kissed by all the fairies and can now see into the into the magical realm without aid. After an incident at school and potential bad guys hanging around, Grandma Sorenson convinces Kendra and Seth's parents to let them come visit and help Grandpa who just broke his leg thus also keeping the kids out of harms way. But now Fablehaven is in jeopardy again. The Society of the Evening Star is working to get five ancient artifacts that are hidden on different preserves so then they can release demon. Fablehaven has such an artifact. But now there is a traitor amongst those at Fablehaven and they don't know who it is. 

My son and I really enjoyed this a lot. There were many funny moments, amongst the serious ones, that made my son laugh a lot. The story was very engaging. The many creatures and bad guys they encountered were different and I didn't know what to expect for the most part. 

It was great to see Seth having learned his lesson from the last book. He isn't as foolhardy and reckless, and while he does things the grownups don't particularly like he does them for good reasons and with a tendency for caution instead having his guns blazing. Kendra also ends up drawing on her brother's courage for support which is big of her to see this good quality in her brother. 

I have my predictions which are starting to accrue and it will be fun to see if I'm right or if I'm wrong. 

Fablehaven

 This is a book that I'm glad I picked up. I am reading it to my son and he is very invested in it as well. 

Fablehaven is about a brother and sister who go to live with their grandparents for a few weeks while their parents are away during the summer. Grandpa Sorenson has some strict rules around his Connecticut home, especially to stay out of the woods because there is a tick infestation and he doesn't want them to get hurt. Kendra is more than willing to stay near the house reading and figuring out the little mystery Grandpa Sorenson gave her with the keys in the playroom, while Seth on the other had has a hard time doing what he's told. Off adventuring he goes while everyone's back is turned and finds a pond that is imaculately cared for and an old lady hidden deep in the woods. Muriel gnaws at a rope and talks to the little creatures that surround her. Why is she out there and what else is Grandpa Sorenson hiding. What Seth and Kendra end up finding out is that Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson are caretakers of a magical preserve. The butterflies that are constantly flittering around the gardens are actually fairies and Muriel is a witch bound to her little hut by strong magics to keep the rest of Fablehaven safe. But when Seth doesn't listen to the rules Grandpa and the other adults get taken and it's up to Seth and Kendra and a chicken to find the adults of Fablehaven before Fablehaven is destroyed. 

This was a great book. The world building behind all of the light and dark creatures in the Fablehaven preserve was grasped both my son and I. The time goes by too quickly before we have to get ready for school in the morning (when I read to him). Each plot twist and turn was fun to explore. 

I particularly like bookish Kendra and adventurous Seth. They are foils in a way to each other, as siblings often are. And although Seth is often portrayed as reckless and doesn't listen to the rules, you can see how he isn't an awful person. We get to see his reasonings, even if some of them aren't as honorable as moral would dictate. As the story progresses, he learns (as all children should) that our actions have consequences and we will end up having to live with them.  

Please Take My Brother Away

Please Take My Brother Away was a hilarious manga that was turned into an anime as well as a life action K-Drama. 

A brother and sister live together after their parents sticky divorce and must survive each other. It is a short, fast, slice of life that is just too funny. 

I don't know much more to say other than it's hysterical and I finished it in a day. I really want to find the anime for it, but the K-Drama is on Netflix. 

If you're looking for a pickmeup story, this one is great. 

Rhythm of War

 The fourth installment of the Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson was amazing. 

The world of Roshar has turned on it's head. The Desolation is here and the enemy is at their front door. Traitors have been found amongst their ranks and countries around the world are being taken over or willingly joining the enemy which can mean doom for Dalinar and his Knights Radiant. Queen Navani is sent to deal with the ever day of Urithiru and is constantly propelling the inventors forward to help end the war.  In a year of fighting, Kaladin and his Windrunners have found honor in the enemies they have been fighting and an old friend turned traitor causes a lot of havoc for the once Bridgeboy who suffers heavily with PTSD. Refugees flee including Kaladin's parents and war abounds. Adolin and Shallan must travel to Shadesmere and must convince the Honorspren to join their cause so there can be more Windrunners to defeat the constant stream of enemies. And not all of the enemies are what they appear. All want the war to be over and some of the enemy are will to help Dalinar's side instead of the Old Gods. 

This was a very exciting story and one that went in a direction that I didn't think it was going to. I read this book well after it came out and knew of some spoilers, so I was able to not cry at a certain point, but I was wholeheartedly unprepared for what came after and how touching it was that tears streamed down my face at the lakeside. So well written just like everything Brandon Sanderson does write. 

I love how Brandon isn't scared to touch some hot topics, specifically mental illness. He doesn't just skim this lake, he dives in and gives voice to people's legitimate troubles. It's not just a "happy" story of war and everyone is willing to kill everyone else to win. It's the after affects of so many hard situations that change us. It's the coming to terms with those circumstances. Brandon does what Kaladin does in bringing the sufferers into the light instead of hidden away in dark holes inside a mountain. He also shows us that not everyone is as black and white as they might appear on the outside. People have ulterier motives and will likely surprise you when they are given the chance. 

These character arches are amazing in that they are sticky, people slide into old habits, they think they are doing the right thing just to find out that it might not have been so right. It feels so real and makes me want to write like him. 

Warbreaker

 Rereading this one was one of the best ideas. 

Siri was the left over princess, but suddenly she is the most important person in two kingdoms. Instead of Vivenna, the important sister the perfect princesses, Siri is chosen to marry the Godking to stop a war. Thrown into unknown politics and told she isn't supposed to even talk to her new husband, Siri is extremely over her head. Vivenna knows how out of her depths Siri is and goes to to save her, but now her only contact is dying of a horrible sickness and she is now on her own. Vasher is also in town with his own reasons to get into people's business. 

The characters in this story are amazing. I think the growth that the main characters go through and how drastically they can change when circumstances require it, shows the reader that we can all do hard things, things we never believed we could ever do--I'm especially looking at you Vivenna. 

The magic system is unlike any I've seen anywhere else and there are so many possibilities. To have your magic powered by your Breath and the colors around you is ingenious. As for all of Brandon's magic systems, it is extremely well thought out and although it takes us a while to get a full description of what potentially could happen (as opposed to Mistborn which gives us the explanation right up front) we get the jist of it enough to not have us be totally lost. I very much appreciate the rules being laid out and having hard and fast rules as opposed to other books with magic where it takes a few nonsensical words of "Power," a wiggle of the fingers, and some form of intent and absolutely anything or nothing can happen. Those other kinds of magic systems seem cheaper to me and can get the writer out of situations they otherwise wouldn't be able to logically get themselves out of. For Breath and it's magic systems, there are rules that can't be broken and yet also many facets that help them to do amazing things. They are tools used for many ways but there are still impossibilities that must be worked around. It's good, thought-out worldbuilding which I very much enjoy. 

The first time I read the book (this is my second), I thought that the ending happened too quickly, that maybe there could have been another chapter or three to elongate the suspense. However, upon this second reading, I enjoyed it so much more and the ending, although somewhat abrupt, didn't feel like it wasn't warranted. Each of the characters got their moments of doing something great--Lightsong you will forever be in my heart--and empowering which end up changing what will be happening in the future for the world and off-world for the Cosmere as a whole. 

I know that Brandon is going to write a sequel to this story, and while he's had this one out for well over a decade, I believe he's "close" to starting this next project. Brandon writes fast and consistently so we won't be waiting for it never to happen (which happens for other writers where their series' go unfinished). It might take another few years, but all of Brandon's readers are eagerly await for the next Warbreaker book. 

Vow of Thieves

 The second book of the Dance of Thieves series by Mary E. Pearson. 

Can I just say, "Wow." 

Kazi and Jase make their way back to Tor's Watch. New hope and a love of life in their wings. But when a mysteriously dead bird falls from the sky with a note from Jase's sister saying that their home is under attack and their brother is dead, everything starts going wrong. They had only been gone for a month, maybe two and suddenly everything Jase knew is gone. They make their way to town which has had parts of it demolished and then comes the arrows. Kazi orders Jase's horse to run, but she's unable to get away. Both wounded, Kazi under arrest and dying, and Jase.... His case is unknown. Who's taken over the city? Where are the Ballengers? Who's survived? Who hasn't? 

This was very well done. I've not had any real problems with any of the books I've listened to by Mary E. Pearson. The characters are great, the worldbuilding is awesome, and the moments of who to trust, who not to, and questions of "How crazy is this guy!?" It was great. 

The only thing I wish had been revealed (better) than it was is the age of the King. I honestly thought he was a lot older (when I was reading the first book). Nope! He's a young guy (because of course he is). Not knowing how old he was changed a lot of things in my mind as I was listening to the book. 

I really enjoyed the way Ms. Pearson had Kazi skirt around the King and dive in and out of situations. I enjoyed the people we didn't particularly like in the first book, but got a moment to prove themselves. Wren and Synove are some of my favorite characters throughout the series and I like how "family comes first" is a big theme. 

It is a great book and a good series that I very much enjoyed. 

Dance of Thieves

The sequel series to The Remnant Chronicles  by Mary E. Pearson  and it was done very well. There were many twists and turns that I didn't see coming, which I think is a marvelous point in all of Mary E. Pearson's books. 

With a new Queen on the thrown of Venda, Kazi is sent with her Ratan crew to find a certain traitor who has escaped Vendin justice. The small clan city where they believe he is hiding out has also come under new leadership with the death of their Patre. Jace (the new Patre) and Kazi have a confrontation right before they both get knocked out and shackled by slave runners. Chained together and finally escaping, they must find their way back to civilization and not kill each other on the way. Between political interreges and secrets they won't tell each other, complications arise and they must skirt around each other while falling in love. 

The best thing about this series are the two main character and the natural development of their own individual character growth. The supporting characters are fantastic as well and do so much to build each other up to make it feel like a naturally functioning people. The Ratan and Jace's family are fantastic. Sometimes, because there are so many, I did get a bit confused, but many of them have such stark attributes that it's easy to tell what each character is like. I also listened to the audiobook and it helps a lot as well because the readers for this series did such a good job with characterization as well. My favorite is particularly toward the end when Synove fires her blunted arrow at a traitors back. That was perfect. That was amazing and so well set up. 

There are misunderstandings, but not in the cliché "it's going to run the plot" kind of way. They intentionally keep secrets from each other because "national security." With it being intentional instead of happenstance, it makes the story and the dance that happens real and much less the cliché. 

The world building that Mary did for The Remnant Chronicles and this series is amazing. It is top notch, even through it is in a basic "fantasy setting." There is so much time taken into the history of both series that makes it seem alive, seem real. No good story has no history. The histories, the ruins, the monuments, the rivalries all stem off how important history is to many of the cultures in this world. World building is my favorite thing in stories next to good characters. And this book is no exception to that. 

I'm loving it and am listening to the second one animatedly. The cliffhanger at the end of this book, demands that the second book is picked up quickly. So, on we read.