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. 

Wizard at Large

The third installment of the Magic Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks. 

Things have gotten relatively back to normal and Questor Thews is practicing his magic. In the past in order to save his friend's life, he turned Abernathy into dogman and hasn't been able to figure out how to turn him back into a human. But now he things he's got it. While wearing Ben's medallion, which he was reluctant to give away even for a moment, Abernathy submits to Questor's attempt only to get teleported away to Washington State in the USA. In place of Abernathy in Landover is a bottle with a demon inside that is oh so willing to grant wishes, but these wishes end up going poorly for the wisher most of the time. This bottle once belonged to the Old King's son, Michel Ard Rhi, who left Landover for Earth with Meeks and was the very reason Abernathy was changed into a dog to begin with. So when Abernathy finds himself in Michel Ard Rhi's castle home in Washington, he must escape and finds help in a little girl named Elizabeth. To make things worse, the bottle has gone missing. 

This was supposed to be the last book in the Landover series (though The Tangle Box came out 6 years later) and ends up coming to a nice, though somewhat abrupt, conclusion. 

The adventure has some suspense for Abernathy and Elizabeth which was my favorite part of the whole book. Them and Miles. We, as the reader, are finally given some depth and growth to other characters besides Ben (who is nice all). Questor is designated to find the bottle and get it back and fights a dragon for it while Ben and Willow get transported (by Questor) to the USA to find Abernathy, but because Questor struggles with magic, he transports them to Las Vegas instead of Washington State. Oops. With the help of Miles though they are able to track Abernathy down. 

I've noticed something, though. Maybe it's because it's a 1980s book or one of Terry Brook's first, but there is a lot more "telling" about things happening than there is "showing." We are told that Michel is a nasty bruit who is a mean runt and everyone was happy when he left Landover, but we never actually get to see him be awful. We're told he hurts animal, hence why Abernathy and Elizabeth are more scared of him, but we never actually get to see him being the bad guy. He puts Abernathy in cages and withholds food and drugs him, but making him dazed and hungry (even to a bad extent) didn't fill me so much worry as it probably could/should have, not that we need all the gory details. 

I did enjoy Questor vs Strebo and them barging into the courtroom. That was probably the best plot part in the whole thing. Happy Halloween guys! lol By far this one was the best of the series. The next book, as I said, came out about 6 years later, so hopefully he's improved. 

The Black Unicorn

The second book of the Magical Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks. 

Ben Holliday is not a native of Landover, but he is now it's king and has been for about a year. But one night most of the members of the castle of Stirling Silver have dreams that seem more prophetic than regular dreams. Questor Thew's dreams of the location of his elder brother's books of magic, Ben dreams of troubles back on Earth with his friend Miles, and Willow dreams of the Black Unicorn.  Questor gets the books of magic, but one is burned and the other is full of pictures of white unicorns. Willow hasn't returned by the time Ben comes back having found everything okay with Miles. As he sleeps again, he finds himself dreaming of having lost the medallion, a vital trinket that holds his identity as King of Landover. Upon waking he finds that it wasn't a dream Meeks (Questor's elder brother) has magicked himself into Landover and has taken the medallion, both of which should have been impossible. Meeks has also changed Ben to look like some commoner and himself to look like Ben. Ben gets run out of the castle and called a thief by his friends. He how has no identity that anyone but a random talking cat that decides to follow him. 

Compared to the first book, this one had more to it and that had more more invested into the story. The plot had more going for it over all, questing for your own identity and this mysterious unicorn, though walking around to the same three places as they did in the first one seems to be a redundant occurrence which can get old fast. I understand that Landover isn't that large of a kingdom, but it can be repetitive. 

Character development for Ben was big this time, specifically on his identity not just in Chicago but as Landover's King and that he's going to stick by those guns and not give up on them. Others, however, still lacked growth. I don't think the kobolds or Willow (let alone the dragon or Nightshade) will ever get much actual development in growing as people (or dragons). We do see more of Willow being resilient and given the chance to turn back she didn't, but characters are supposed to be more one trait. Willow needs to be more than devotion and constancy, which are great qualities--don't get me wrong--but she would need to be more to be a well rounded character. 

It had a decent writing style and did keep me engaged. Some of the twists I didn't see coming, but others were easy to spot. But it somewhat ended the same way as the previous book, a battle with the Paladin. Although the reader described what was going on with the fight, my mind just skipped through it. Nothing intensely engaging happened and it seemed very similar to the first book, which was disappointing. 

Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold

 This is a book that my husband has been trying to get me to read for nearly a decade.... It's taken me a while to get to it. Sorry, love. 

Ben Holliday is a lawyer in Chicago who is still grieving over the death of his wife and unborn child. He has no motivation in his life except for work and he is miserable. Looking through a Christmas catalog only for the uber wealthy, he spots a peculiar add about a Magic Kingdom for sale for 1 million dollars. What kind of heist is this? Who would fall for that? Well, when he can't get it out of his mind, he inquires with the add agency and it's a legitimate add. He actually purchases it. 1 million isn't that much to him, especially with a full refund guarantee if he's not satisfied. Any change would be good for him now. Anything is better than this stagnant feeling and dwelling in grief. So he goes, and finds out that it is for real. The first moment he steps into Landover where his first contact is a demon that tries to chase him down and then a dragon that he has to sneak by. The court wizard, who is really bad at magic, named Questor Thews takes him to his rundown and tarnished castle that is being run by a man who was turned into a dog and two kobolds. Not the welcoming parade and fanfare he might have assumed would accompany a king to a magical kingdom. With no authority other than the medallion he was given and the ragtag team of counselors, he decides he's not going to give up. Well, at least he has 10 days to fully decide. 

My rating of a 4 Star is generous. I'd probably give it more of a 3.75, but I haven't done quarters in my rating system, so.... 

Magic Kingdom For Sale:Sold! is an old school fantasy book, published in 1986 and it feels it. It's as if back in the 80's only guys read fantasy (which they might have) and it was very much published for them. There are two whole girls in this story, one is beautiful and fanciful, devoted with her entire heart (after just one meeting) and the most gorgeous being he's ever seen; while the other is an ugly old witch who is one of the three most powerful beings in Landover. There is no in between, it is simply two extremes. Willow did fall in love at first sight because it was fated to be and would willingly die for him if it would save him even though they had only met for about five minutes. Upon their next meeting of another five minutes she pledged herself. This is extremely unrealistic, fantasy or not, and I didn't like it. She has no personality besides her devotion to him. "I must stay with you, Ben" is something she says often in almost every book I've ready thus far. It most defiantly, in my opinion, fails the Bechdel Test which I honestly didn't think was much of a problem (probably because I mainly read more recent publications or those written by women). 

The character development for pretty much anyone besides Ben is extremely minimal. Many feel very two dimensional. Most of the quirks that the characters have are surface level (dogman, bad at magic, green lady, dragon, evil witch). They feel almost like caricatures or stereotypes who are happy to stay in the stereotype.  Nothing really happens to them. 

The plot of the book is very simple. *spoilers* He comes into Landover, finds it's rundown but is willing to work through it, goes to different people to help him gain some authority which kind of works, and then has to fight a demon who would try to kill him at the end of a year anyway. It's not complicated at all and is kind of a let down. 

I feel like this book hasn't aged well and if it weren't for my husband liking as much as he did the last time he read it and the fact that I can listen to it as an audiobook, I probably wouldn't have read on. But I have. 

The Black Unicorn is better.