Tag Archives: adventure

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Teaser Tuesdays: The Chronicles of Narnia

This week I unfortunately haven’t had too much time to read, but I did finish a book that I’ll be reviewing later in the week, and I’m taking the time to reread one of my favorites, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I came across the whole series in one book and I’m incredibly excited to be rereading them. So, without further ado…

 

“Crows and crockery!” muttered the Dwarf as soon as he had done so. “

What are they? Huge people– beautiful  people– like gods and goddesses and giants.

Hundreds and thousands of them, closing in behind us. What are they?”

“It’s the Dryads and the Hamadryads and the Silvans,”

said Trufflehunter. “

Aslan has wakened them.”  (The Chronicles of Narnia, pg 403

http://www.indiebound.org/book/

 

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Blood Oath by Samantha Coville

They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and even though some of the Sirens under Lord Christopher’s rule are just plain mean, a lot of them have good intentions that just go awry.

Christopher’s daughter, Raya, is a Halfling, or half human and half Siren. After no contact for several years, Raya is sent to Siren headquarters on her seventeenth birthday to spend the last year of her childhood with her dad. The problem is, she doesn’t want to go. She isn’t a fan of Sirens, and most Sirens don’t like Halflings. It gets worse for Christopher because he swore a Blood Oath to protect his only daughter, unbeknownst to Raya. Breaking a Blood Oath means fatal consequences, so he must do everything he can to keep her safe. Meanwhile, Raya joins a rebellion plotting to dethrone Christopher because of unjust laws. But it isn’t long before she realizes it isn’t going to be a peaceful rebellion.

For the most part, I liked this book. It kept me engaged almost all of the time, the romance between Raya and Drew was very sweet, and Raya’s friend, Kat, is really. But some parts of the book irritated me. Why would Raya even join the rebellion to begin with? She should have figured out that it wasn’t up to any good by looking at the other people in the group. I mean, she didn’t consider any of them particularly smart or friendly, with the exception of Tiana. She joined supposedly for Halfling’s rights, but did she really think they were going to lift the ban on Halflings in Headquarters when most of the people in the group hated her for being a Halfling? Also, considering the traumatic childhood even caused by Christopher’s carelessness, he should have figured out that his daughter would be less than thrill going to live with him for a year. Not to mention it was sprung on her seventeenth birthday, about fifteen minutes before she had to be in the car and ready to go. And I know he was trying to protect Raya by forbidding everyone from telling her about the Secret of the Halflings, but again with the road to Hell being paved with good intentions. It was asking for trouble. But aside from that, I thought it was a good book. The characters are well-developed and their interactions with each other are realistic and often funny. This would be a good book for just about any teenaged girl, especially those who like vampires and ghost stories.

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The Waters of Iwingee by Griffin Keener

One of the most important parts of a book is a good story, and Griffin Keener’s debut novel, The Waters of Iwingee, has a good story, and a lot of potential. When Kail and Mani’s grandmother and only close relative goes into a coma, they get transported into the world of Milele, where they find out that they are the heirs of Iwingee. They have to go through many trials to get the waters of Iwingee to get back home and to save their grandmother, with the help of warriors, fairies, bushmen, and a magic bracelet, as well as their own smarts and sarcastic wits.

The title of the book intrigued me, and the basic story was very good and fairly original. However, I don’t consider this a must-read book. The humor often fell flat, and the dialogue seemed forced at times, not to mention it was a little narration-heavy. It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I started to actually care about Kail and Mani. The story does get better, but the beginning had a hard time of keeping my attention, and at times it was hard to follow with what exactly was happening. The story was actually like a dream. There are moments of clarity and everything makes sense as long as you don’t question or look too closely at what is happening. Keener has the potential to be a strong storyteller, once he takes the time to hone his skill. But for his first book, I wouldn’t go out of my way to read. But if you have some extra time and a love of fantasy, then you could do worse than The Waters of Iwingee.

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The Library Tunnel (Original Short)

The Bucksport Library is that favorite place of mine that I rarely remember unless I’m walking by it or I want a certain book that I’m not willing to pay money for. It’s how I think all libraries should be; quiet and almost completely devoid of life. Over a hundred and fifty years old, the tiny library still used the card system and had only two computers. You could check out as many books as you could carry out to your car, or you could just sit down in an aisle and read. The library would stay open as long as someone was reading.

It was a place where Twilight was considered an adult book, and the YA bookshelves were decorated in cobwebs, but for some reason, that just seemed to add to its charm.

I had graduated high school only a few minutes before, and for old times’ sake, I went to the YA section, fingering the spines of my favorite books over the years. I paused, finding a book I had never seen before. As far as I knew, the only additions to the library in the last twenty years were all popular bestsellers that everyone had already seen the movie of. But this book was a simple leather-bound book, barely an inch thick. It had no title, and I wondered if someone had forgotten their journal and the librarian had mistaken it for a fallen book.

I pulled it out and then the wall opened up,revealing a dark and narrow tunnel that seemed to go on forever. I ran inside just as the wall slid shut behind me. There wasn’t any way to go but forward. So I grinned and started jogging.

The tunnel behind me lit up,showing pictures and stories. Heartbreaks, victories, and lazy days listening to the Beatles. But the tunnel in front of me remained dark, except for the next step in front of me.

Several times the tunnel split into forks and I turned, choosing on an impulse. I kept running into the unknown, memories lighting up brighter than stars behind me.

At the end of the tunnel was a door, old and well-worn by hands and weather. I pushed it open and came out on a deserted highway. There was a lone sign telling me where I was, covered in dirt and partially hidden by evergreens: Leaving Bucksport. I stepped forward, my choice already made. I touched the sign for good luck and ran out of Bucksport, into the dark unknown, my path illuminated behind me.

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Infinity: Chronicles of Nick, Book 1

For anyone looking for a funny read full of supernatural activity, high school bullies, and snarkiness, I’d recommend Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It’s hilarious, and next to impossible to stop reading. For Nick, life could not get worse. Going to a school full of snobs and an evil principal was not his idea of fun, and it couldn’t get much worse when his classmates know he’s from the wrong side of New Orleans and his mother is a stripper. Not to mention his mother makes him wear Hawaiian shirts which are so not cool. Then when he goes to school to find out one classmate tried to eat another classmate, his life takes a very freaky turn. And he finds himself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and it’s up to him to stop it and get home without getting killed or grounded. Mix in Artemis, goddess of the hunt, possible time travel, gods, demons, the hot new girl named Codie, and certified zombie hunters Bubba and Mark, and you’ve got an awesome story. Now add in the fact that he’s destined to become a god, and lead his father’s army- his father, by the way, is on death row for mass murder. And Codie, who he’s madly in love with, is assigned to kill him to stop him from destroying humanity, and you’ve got the plot of Infinity.