Book Review: "Lost" by Sarah Prineas

Lost by Sarah Prineas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Lost", the second book in The Magic Thief series, picks up right after the first book ends. Conn is still a wizard, but without his magic loci he cannot do any spells. Feeling lost and empty, Conn attempts to do magic using pyrotechnics - and by "pyrotechnics", I mean explosions.

The action and characters in this book work for me, as the plot moves along at a nice, believable pace. I like how the author keeps everyone true to form, but allows for the characters to change and grow as the story moves forward. I especially like that Conn manages to bother those in charge by being right about matters in which they want him to be wrong.

For those who haven't read the first book, the main portion of "Lost" is written from Conn's point of view. But the author, Sarah Prineas, lets the reader see into other character's heads through letters and diary entries. I like this format, as it gives me a bit more information about what is going on in a believable way.

I recommend The Magic Thief series from both kids who enjoy reading fantasy to adults who don't mind getting books in the Young Adult section of the library.

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Book Review: "The Magic Thief" by Sarah Prineas

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pick up this book and read it!!!!

If you like adventure, read it.
If you like fantasy, read it.
If you like magic, read it.
If you like good characters, read it.
If you like evil characters, read it.

Basically, "The Magic Thief" has it all!

I checked this book out of our local library because I love reading fantasy books with magic in them. I have a few other books that I am reading at the moment, so I didn't give "The Magic Thief" much thought. Then I opened it up and began to read. About 100 pages later, I realized that I hadn't put it down.

Sarah Prineas' writing is deceptively simple, easy to follow, and fun to read. She weaves the words around, giving just enough details for you to see a picture in your head without boring you to death with the color of each flower petal. She weaves more words around and poof! Nicely developed characters, appropriate to their place in the story. She weaves even more words and a plot appears. Sometimes I felt that the bad guys were a bit obviously the bad guys, but so do several characters in the story. So instead of feeling badly written, it felt like the slimy people were clearly slimy to everyone.

As an added bonus, this book works for kids as well as adults. So if you are looking for the next book series to read with your kids, viola!

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Book Review: "Dragon Slippers" by Jessica Day George

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I bought this book for my daughter, and ended up reading it on her recommendation. What a wonderful choice for both of us!!!

"Dragon Slippers" by Jessica Day George introduces a new world, medieval in technology (they haven't discovered steam power yet) but modern in attitudes (women own businesses and have political power). The main character is a young girl, Creel, whose misguided aunt tries to sacrifice her to the local dragon. Through a bit of clever talk, Creel agrees to leave the dragon's cave if the dragon gives her a pair of shoes - hence the name of the book, "Dragon Slippers".

I found the plot to move forward at an even pace, the story to be believable, and the characters to be multifaceted. Ms. George foreshadows well, so that the reader anticipates some of the action without being able to guess the exact sequence of events.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

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Book Review: "Raven Cursed" by Faith Hunter

Raven Cursed by Faith Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In "Raven Cursed", Faith Hunter takes Jane Yellowrock into new territory, as Jane deals with a vampire summit while simultaneously trying to avoid Ricky Bo and figuring out the story behind Evagelina's strange behavior.

I like the fast pace in the book, as well as a few well-played plot twists. Jane grows as a character here, as she walks on shaky emotional ground with anyone she cares about. And I mean *anyone*! From Rick, to Molly and her entire family, to the mercenaries she works with, the story rocks Jane's relationship with them. I find it quite interesting who is still there for Jane at the end of the novel.

Ms. Hunter ties together elements and threads from previous Yellowrock novels, to create a masterpiece of storytelling. Because of this, I highly recommend reading the entire Jane Yellowrock series from the beginning before reading this book. Otherwise, you will be missing key plot points.

On the whole, I loved this novel!

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Review: "One Right Tricky Bastard" by Craig Sottolano

One Right Tricky Bastard by C. M. Sottolano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Let me be honest up front - the author for this book, Craig Sottolano, is my cousin. Some people might think I'll be nicer to my cousin, and they are almost right. If he wrote a book that I absolutely hated, I'd just delete it from my Goodreads list and never mention it again.

But I did read the book, and I'm keeping here because I am quite proud of this novel.

"One Right Tricky Bastard" blew my mind. The story begins with a magician, Milo Gives (rhymes with "strives") accidentally getting a phone call meant for someone else. A young girl named Pandora is in trouble, and Milo decides to help her, because he really is just that kind of guy.

The novel is set in a different universe - one with magic, fay, angels (though you don't really see them), spirits, and ghosts. The novel begins with a bang, and maintains a nice, steady pace of action the entire way through. The characters all develop nicely throughout the story - even a few who only appear in the end are more than two-dimensional figures. There are a few surprises, but the story foreshadows most twists so the reader doesn't feel jerked around.

As for the ending, well, Craig managed to create a happy ending that was neither sappy nor perfect. I will say that I had a question from quite early in the story that didn't get answered until the end, but it was worth the wait.

I give "One Right Tricky Bastard" four stars.

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