Tag Archives: young adult

Mar 18 2014
Image

Coming Soon: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Ruin and RisingRuin and rising

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: The Grisha #3

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: June 17, 2014

The Overview: The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives. Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

Ruin and rising

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

  Because I’ve posted WOWs for all of the books I am dying to read within the next several months (at least, for the ones that have solid release dates and cover art), I decided to focus this week on a release I would definitely be excited for if I were current in the series. I’ve been told by countless people how awesome these books are and frankly don’t know why I haven’t picked them up before now. Supposedly, they have a lot of high-fantasy elements and some great characters… What’s not to love?

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Feb 11 2014
Image

Coming Soon: Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Killer instinctTitle: Killer Instinct

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: The Naturals #2

Genre: Teen Fiction

Release Date: November 4, 2014

The Overview: Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance. But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

Killer instinct 2

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

The Naturals landed the number one spot in my Top YA books of 2013 and I am positively thrilled that the series will continue this November! It was such a smart read – involving teenagers naturally gifted with different skills that make them ideal candidates for solving crime. Cassie, the main character, can accurately predict things about people just by analyzing their appearance and mannerisms. It was absorbing, intense, and entirely fascinating, and I imagine the second book will be just as amazing. You’d better believe I’m dropping everything to read Killer Instinct the day it comes out!

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 16 2013
Image

Top Ten “New to Me” Authors I Read in 2013!

Top ten Tuesday pink

 Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten “New to Me” Authors I Read in 2013!

This year, I made a concerted effort to finish out all the books I had not yet read from my favorite adult authors. Because of this, I read practically no “new to me” fantasy authors… At least not any that I liked better than all of the great young adult books on my list. Next year, however, I feel is going to be a year of high fantasy – I just finished organizing my library yesterday and rediscovered dozens of awesome looking titles that are still begging for attention on my shelves.

What authors made your list this year?

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 5 2013
Image

Coming Soon – Janitors: Curse of the Broomstaff by Tyler Whitesides

IMG_2597Title: Janitors – Curse of the Broomstaff

Author: Tyler Whitesides

Series: Janitors #3

Genre: Young Adult

Release Date: September 10, 2013

The Overview: A secret society of Janitors with wizard-like powers continue their battle, and now, the stakes are even higher. The Bureau of Educational Maintenance is after Alan Zumbro and this time they mean business – deadly business. Spencer, Daisy, and their little team of rebels must find the source of all magical Glop and destroy it before it can destroy the world as we know it. No small task with the BEM and their monster toxites at their heels. It’s a wild and dangerous ride as they follow the trail of clues all the way to the hiding place of the mysterious aurans: guardians of a secret landfill. What they discover there will change the way

Spencer sees himself, not to mention the fate of the rebels.

17723131

Nik’s Notes:

I admit that I am shamelessly swayed by covers. The series was barely on my radar, but it’s excellent cover artwork, especially the latest, is one of the main reasons I’m going to read them. Because some people don’t see that as a compelling reason to pick up a book, I will say that the story line sounds like a lot of fun. It is an adventure in the same category as Brandon Mull’s Candy Shop Wars and is incidentally published by the same company (Shadow Mountain). That publisher hasn’t let me down yet, so here’s hoping it’s as good as I think it’ll be. Has anybody else read these yet?

Here are covers for the first two books in this series (click for Goodreads info):

10318247 14501560

Jun 5 2013
Image

Book Review: Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos

bjhgTitle: The Planet Thieves

Author: Dan Krokos

Series: The Planet Thieves

Genre: Young Reader

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Two weeks ago, thirteen-year-old Mason Stark and seventeen of his fellow cadets from the Academy for Earth Space Command boarded the SS Egypt. The trip was supposed to be a short routine voyage to log their required spacetime for summer quarter.

But routine goes out the airlock when they’re attacked by the Tremist, an alien race who have been at war with humanity for the last sixty years.

bjhg 2

The Review:

What a cool book!

This was a a fast-paced story that just kept adding to the excitement with each page. My favorite was the very beginning: Krokos dropped in the inciting incident right away, told us what was important to the protagonist, and gave the audience a lovable character worth rooting for. All in all, it was probably the best intro to a book I’ve read all year.

Characterization was definitely one of this author’s strengths. I mentioned above how much I liked the main protagonist, but the side characters were just as good, adding a great deal of humor and entertainment to the story. Although I enjoyed the overall story and conflicts, the characters are what’s fueling my desire to read the second book – I just have to know what happens to them next!

This would be an excellent introductory book for kids wanting to try science fiction. It had all the elements of space travel, alien races, new worlds, and most importantly, laser weapon battles! Heck, forget science fiction – this is a great book to get kids interested in science. Krokos interspersed a good bit of facts on the laws of the universe and did so in a way that was fun and made you want to learn more.

Overall, for the younger audience, it was perfect – it emphasized good morals like loyalty and friendship and also had some really cool moments of wonder. It is not quite on the level of Ender’s Game as far as its ability to be appealing to both adults and children, (mostly because it lacked a little robustness and complexity) but it’s the closest thing I’ve come across since.

Recommendations: Even though it wasn’t quite the groundbreaking tale I hoped it would be, it was definitely a worthwhile book and one I will be recommending a lot in the future. My only caution for parents is that it did contain a bit of light profanity.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

May 5 2013
Image

Book Review: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Title: Fablehaven

Author: Brandon Mull

Series: Fablehaven  #1

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite … Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.

aaa 2

The Review:

I have been trying to write this review for at least three months. Everything I put to paper just doesn’t do the series justice, and I’m stuck staring at a full page of notes not knowing the best way to put them together. Suffice to say, I love everything about this series and am now reading it again for my fifth or sixth time (which is really saying something given how many books I have on my TBR list). It is one of the best series I’ve ever read even compared to all the mainstream adult fantasy out there. Let’s put it this way, it’s not quite Harry Potter epic, but it is the closest thing I’ve come across since.
.
What Brandon Mull does so well is offer adventure and wonder at every turn to capture your imagination and make you feel like a kid again. Every few pages he introduces something fun and creative, but it’s never frivolous. Every scene takes us farther and farther into this brilliant world which only continues to build off itself and get more exciting with each book. I found every last moment captivating and am in awe at Mull’s ability to tell such a great story. It’s weird, too, because he keeps the plot simple enough for kids to really get into, introducing rounded, relatable characters, but writes in a sophisticated enough manner for adults to enjoy just as much if not more than the kids. It’s not a fluke, either. I saw him do the same thing in the Candy Shop Wars – he just knows how to weave wonder and magic into his story in a way that’s accessible to all ages.
.
Overall, I’m not sure what else to say without absolutely gushing – it’s clear I love this series. Most people have usually already read it, and I’m assuming that if you’re reading this review you probably have too. All I can say is, if you enjoy fantasy and children’s literature and have not yet picked this one up, it should definitely be next on your list!
.
Recommendations:  I recommend this to anyone who says they loved Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. It’s also the first one I gravitates to when parents are trying to get their kids more into reading (provided said child likes fantasy). Personally, I don’t think this series has any age limit so I recommend it to anybody wanting to go on an adventure and feel like a kid again!
.
Other books you might like: