Erak's Ransom

By John Flanagan
Rating: 4 1/4 stars

This is book 7 in the Ranger's Apprentice series, which happily shows no signs of flagging. Flanagan actually takes us a bit back in time before the events that occur in books 5 and 6. In this story, Will is ready to graduate into the Ranger Corps, but has not quite yet. In preparation for losing his longtime apprentice, Halt is finally getting married to Lady Pauline but the celebration is interrupted by the arrival of the Skandian Svengal with the news that the Oberjarl Erak has been captured by the Arridi and they are asking a ransom. Erak suspects foul play from some Skandians looking to overthrow him, so Svengal is asking for help from the Araluens instead of heading back to Skandia so as to not show weakness. Soon enough, Will, Halt, Gilan, Horace and Princess Cassandra are on their way to the desert continent to ransom Erak. But as ever, the plans do not run smoothly and soon the gang find they must band together with both the Arridi and the Bedullin to rescue Erak when he falls into even more devious hands. As usual, fans of the series will enjoy our well known characters and welcome meeting more. The plotting is solid and we all look forward to further adventures with Will Treaty and his friends.

Syren

By Angie Sage
Rating: 4 1/4 stars

This is book 5 in the Septimus Heap series. Readers will be much better off having read the previous volumes to follow this story. We pick up where book 4 left off, where Nicko and Snorri have been saved from living out of time. Nicko, Snorri, Jenna and Beetle all run into Jenna's dad Milo in Port, where he offers them hospitality upon his gorgeous ship, the Cerys. He is also excited because he has procured a chest full of what looks like little lead tubes to Jenna, but he says is something of immense wealth and importance. Meanwhile, Septimus rides his dragon Spit Fyre to get his friends and bring them back to the Castle, but Nicko and Snorri decide to sail back on the Cerys. When a huge storm hits the dragon and his riders, they crash onto an island and must remain there while Spit Fyre heals. And on this island, Septimus meets Syrah, a former ExtraOrdinary Wizard Apprentice herself who is possessed by a Syren. Syrah warns that some horrible danger to the Castle is afoot, with the Syren being part of the trouble. Soon we discover the treasure on the Cerys, a giant catlike lighthouse, some pirates, the ghost of Tertius Fume and the Syren are all part of a giant plot to take over the Wizard Tower and Castle. Can Septimus and the gang stop the terrible plan? There are more side plots and characters than could ever be counted in a review, and fans will be pleased to encounter the other storylines and people that they love. A solid entry in a solidly entertaining fantasy series.

The Magician's Elephant

By Kate DiCamillo

Rating: 3 3/4 stars

Ten year old Peter lives with his half-crazy, ex-soldier guardian after the death of his parents and baby sister. One day, implusively, Peter spends a coin meant for food on a fortuneteller who tells him that his sister is alive and that an elephant will lead him to her. For the first time, Peter begins to question whether or not his guardian has told the truth about the death of the baby. Then, unbelievably, he hears about how a magician has performed an astounding feat, and made an elephant appear from thin air. When Peter hears of the elephant, he must see her, for won't she lead him to his sister? Does he dare believe such a crazy thing? It is Peter's daring to believe in the fortuneteller's words that sets rolling a course of events that will indeed, make that fortune come true and the dark, weary town of Baltese seem a little bit brighter for more than one person. While there are no surprises, this story reads much like a play, and readers will delight in the many unique characters found within.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

By Grace Lin

Rating: 4 3/4 stars

Minli lives in a tiny, poor village in China with her Ma and Ba, barely getting by on their meager portion of daily rice. Her only happiness comes from the wonderful stories her Ba tells. Then a goldfish salesman comes to the village and says goldfish will bring fortune to a home. Impulsively, Minli buys one, but when her parents, especially her mother, strongly disapprove, Minli decides to set her fish free. That is when the goldfish speaks to Minli, telling her the way to Neverending Mountain and the Man in the Moon who could possibly change their fortunes if she asks the right question. And so begins Minli's journey, where she will learn that all stories are interconnected and so is every living thing, and that happiness can be found in your own backyard. Readers will love every single minute that they spend reading this book, from the feel of the heavyweight paper stock to the colorful illustrations to the change of font when a story is related to the lessons learned by the characters as the plot progresses. This book is a pure delight from beginning to end as Minli continues on her quest to bring fortune to her family but finds so much more. A real winner!

The Siege of Macindaw

By John Flanagan

Rating: 4 stars

This is the 6th book in the quite good Ranger's Apprentice series. When we finished book 5, The Sorcerer of the North, Alyss had been taken captive by Keren, who had overthrown the lords of the castle. Will had been unable to rescue her and is hiding out with Malcolm, formerly thought to be a sorcerer, but who is merely a healer hiding out in the dense forest. Now Will is joined by his famous warrior friend Horace and by a shipload of Skandians who are grounded for the winter when their boat was irreparably damaged. Then Will discovers things are worse than he knew--Keren is making an alliance with the Scotti from over the border, who plan to invade the region in a few short weeks, forcing a long, drawn out war with Araluen. How can 25 Skandians, one warrior and one Ranger successfully siege a castle and win when normally they would need four times that number? But with a little Ranger ingenuity, anything is possible. Readers will easily be drawn back into this exciting series and be eager to see how the siege plays out. Books 7 and 8 are available in New Zealand and Australia and hopefully will shortly see publication in the U.S., so fans can look forward to more of Will's adventures.

The Amaranth Enchantment

By Julie Berry

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

In this fairy tale-bending fantasy, we are thrown headlong into the story of Lucinda, once the daughter of a just short of royalty family until her parents were killed returning from a ball. Now Lucinda is merely a servant to the cruel aunt and benign goldsmith uncle who took her in at the age of 5. But fate had deemed that in short order Lucinda will meet and become involved with the Amaranth Witch, fall in love with the prince, get thrown on the streets, become a thief, go to jail, go to the ball, face matters of life and death, find out the truth about her parents' death, and a whole lot more until we finally arrive at our happy ending. The pace is breakneck, the allusions to fairy tales run rampant, and the enjoyablilty meter is on high. This is a fun, inventive, yet also somewhat predictable story that mixes together to become one of the more charming reads of the year. Fairy tale fans will find more than enough to chew on here (can you count the number of fairy tales referenced?) and fantasy fans will also be swept right along. Fun!

Thornspell

By Helen Lowe

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

In this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, we skip over the princess doomed to fall asleep and instead spend our time with the prince fated to awaken her, Sigismund. Sheltered in a remote country castle, Sigismund longs for adventure. Then one day a beautiful, magical lady appears at the gates and Sigismund begins to dream of a castle covered in thorns and a girl trapped in endless sleep. Then his father sends Balisan, a warrior to help train Sigismund, not only in weapons but to control his mind and to anchor himself to the earth. For Balisan explains to Sigismund about the castle trapped in a spell for nearly 100 years and how the chosen prince is due to free it. As Sigismund learns more about his destiny and about the dark magics the fairies have used, he must become ever more careful. For the Margravine who cast the evil spell hopes to turn the chosen prince to her ways, and looks for every chink in his armor. Can Sigismund, with the help of Balisan and the mysterious girl Rue (who seems to appear when most needed) break the spell and the Margravine's power? Readers may think they know this story, but they will be consistently surprised at the depth the author gives it. Well written and very enjoyable, readers will definitely come under the spell of this book. For another version of Sleeping Beauty told from the view of the princess, try Robin McKinley's Spindle's End.

Darkwood

By M. E. Breen

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

In this compelling story, everyone fears the complete and utter blackness of the night--no stars, no moon, just complete darkness. To add to the fear are the kinderstalk--huge animals who roam the forest and will take any humans they run across. Everyone in Dour County seems to live in fear since all of the farms failed and the only place anyone seems to work is the Drop--a cliff where the valuable ringstones are mined. When Annie discovers her aunt and uncle are going to sell her to the Drop, she takes a huge risk and escapes in the night where she begins to make a startling discovery--she can see in the dark. But her escape is just the beginning of her adventure for when Annie discovers what is really going on at the Drop, she decides to journey to tell the king. And as she travels, more and more unsettling events occur, such as the kinderstalk refraining from attacking her and her eyesight growing ever clearer at night. And when she finally gets to the king, even greater surprises are in store. Is Annie the answer to a prophecy of old? Who or what is she really? Readers will be drawn into this layered story and will be eager to find out all of the details of what is really going on in Dour County and they may hope for a sequel to iron out the somewhat abrupt finish. Good fantasy world building.

Princess of the Midnight Ball

By Jessica Day George
Rating: 4 stars

In a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Rose is the eldest of the 12 daughters of King Gregor and Queen Maude. The barren queen had made a desperate bargain with the King Under Stone, an evil sorceror who had been imprisoned under the earth by a group of magicians so long ago that it has taken on the glow of legend. In return for the ability to have children and produce an heir, Queen Maude would dance for the King Under Stone once a month. But the evil King takes advantage of the innocent queen and when she stretches the bargain to include winning the war against a neighboring nation, the King Under Stone finds a way to draw her 12 daughters into the deal--a deal that would eventually make them brides for his 12 dark sons and perhaps give him and them enough power to break free from their underground prison. Rose and the other girls are miserable and sick of dancing every 3rd evening with their dark princes, but they are unable to speak of their enchantment or break it. King Gregor invites princes from everywhere to try and uncover the spell and if they do, they may win the hand of a princess as well as the kingdom. No one has any luck. But Galen, a young man back from the war and working as an under-gardener at the palace is determined to try his luck for he has fallen for the beautiful Rose. With the help of some magical gifts given to him by an old crone along the road and one of the other gardeners who is more than what he seems, will Galen be able to discover the nature of the girls' enchantment? And if he does, can he set them free of it? Although readers may be familiar with the tale and how it ends, the deeper characterizations and details plus a few additional plot twists make this a very enjoyable retelling.

The Farwalker's Quest

By Joni Sensel

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

In this interesting fantasy twist, Ariel lives in a small village with her healer mother and best friend Zeke who hopes to become a Tree-Singer during their upcoming Namingfest. Then Ariel finds a relic from the past--a telling dart. The telling dart was capable of being sent across many miles directly to the person the message was meant for with a long forgotten technology. But the dart brings more than just an unknown message. Two men--Finders--arrive, looking for the dart as well as for the one who found it. And before Ariel knows it, she has been kidnapped by them for they suspect her to be the last of the Farwalkers, a trade that was thought to have died out. Soon Ariel, and eventually Zeke, find themselves tracing the telling dart back to its source in a search for answers and perhaps even treasure, and on their way, their true callings surface. There is plenty of action and adventure in this story and Ariel must learn to tell the truth from the lies and to grow up long before her time to face her destiny. A very likeable tale with hopeful possibilities of a sequel. Thumbs up!

Brisingr

By Christopher Paolini

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

This is book 3 in what is now the Inheritence Cycle. This book takes up where we left off, with the Battle of the Burning Plains behind us along with the revelation that Murtagh is now a Dragon Rider as well with the young hatchling Thorn and are bent to Galabatorix's will. In this tome, Eragon and Roran deal at last with the Ra'zac, and then Eragon goes on quests to enlist the dwarves and to meet again with their elf teachers in Ellesmera to answer some pressing questions, including that of getting a proper sword for Eragon. Roran, meanwhile, develops his place in the armies of the Varden. There are revelations and a few different battles. Overall, the action is good when it happens and the characters are developed a little more fully as we journey to the final confrontation against Galabatorix that will occur in book 4. Readers who want a quicker paced fantasy may want to give this series a pass, but those who have been with it from the beginning will persevere.

Savvy

By Ingrid Law

Newbery Honor 2009

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

Mibs Beaumont is turning 13 and can't wait to get her very own savvy. At the age of 13, members of the Beaumont family develop a special talent--a kind of magical ability that is sometimes uncontrollable. Mibs' brother Rocket can control electricity and Fish is able to call up storms from wind and water. But any hopeful wondering Mibs has on her birthday is smashed when her father is in a serious accident and put into a hospital miles away in Salina. A few events convince Mibs that maybe her new savvy will be to wake up her comatose father and she is desperate enough to ditch her birthday party and stowaway on a bible-delivering bus bound for Salina. Unfortunately, more stowaways tag along, including her brothers Fish and Samson and the preacher's kids, teenager Bobbi and Will, Jr., who is nursing a crush on Mibs. But when the bus turns north instead of south, the kids embark on an oddball journey that will change all of their lives. In turns, this story is funny and heartbreaking and ultimately about learning how to grow up a little bit and find your own sense of self to be happy. An unusual and highly entertaining fantasy.

Princess Ben

By Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

Princess Benevolence is no ordinary princess. She doesn't have a willowy form, likes to play in the mud, and has few proper manners. But when her mother, prince father, and her uncle the king are all unexpectedly killed--perhaps by their archenemy Drachensbett who has long coveted the small nation of Montagne--the queen regent Sophia takes it upon herself to make Ben into a proper princess. Ben takes it poorly and acts out so badly Sophia locks her into a tower room every night. But there, Ben discovers a secret room with a book of spells and soon is fully involved in learning to become somewhat of a witch. When events cause her to flee unexpectedly, she crash lands in the middle of a force of Drachensbett troops and is soon forced to hide her identity as the lowliest of beings, a mere shepherd boy. She also has to deal with the heir of Drachensbett himself, the insufferable Prince Florian. Can this unlikely princess with a few magic tricks in her spellbag find her way back to save her country from invasion? Filled with allusions to many a familiar fairy tale, Ben is a heroine that is far from perfect, but whose stubborn feelings will resonate with many a reader. A completely enjoyable fantasy with an unpredictably happy ending.

The Sorcerer of the North

By John Flanagan

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

This is book 5 in the Ranger's Apprentice series. At this point, Will has finally become a full-fledged ranger. As he settles into his first appointment at the mostly quiet fiefdom of Seacliff, he receives an unexpected visitor--Alyss, his childhood friend, now a Courier of the kingdom, and someone he has a bit of romantic interest in. But Alyss just isn't bringing messages to the fief, she has an undercover assignment for Will in the far north at Norgate. The lord has fallen into a suspicious comatose state, attributed to Mallakam, a sorcerer from the past who had a feud with the lord's family. Other strange lights in the woods and phantoms have been sighted as well. Lord Syron's son is a weak, disliked replacement and cousin Keren is the well-thought of head of the garrison. The kingdom is concerned though since Norgate holds back enemies from the countries farther north and its current instability could spell trouble. Will is sent to Norgate undercover as a jongleur, or traveling musician, to ascertain what is really going on. Is there truly a sorcerer on the loose? Who would benefit by ridding Norgate of its lord? Will is joined by Alyss, also undercover as Lady Gwendolyn, and as the pair investigate, they conclude that some of the sorcery is just smoke and mirrors. But who is pulling the strings? Is it the son, Lord Orman? Or popular Keren? Or another person, this Mallakam? Then suddenly a new threat appears, and Will must make a choice about who to trust and what to do. This installment is quite exciting and leaves us on a cliffhanger of an ending. The last two books in the series have been outstanding. Fans will thoroughly enjoy this chapter and be eagerly awaiting the next book, The Siege of Macindaw, due out in the spring of 2009.

Well-Witched

By Frances Hardinge

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

What if you took money out of a wishing well, spent it, and then had to grant the wishes that were attached to those coins? That is the situation three friends find themselves in when the spirit of the well visits them and informs the trio that they need to find the wishers and grant their wishes. To accomplish this, she gives them each a power: charming Josh can control things made of metal or electricity, timid, talkative Chelle is able to voice the thoughts of a wisher out loud, and insightful Ryan grows eyes on his hand that allow him to see things differently. At first they view their tasks as impossible, but when they start to figure out wish-granting, they are feeling as good as angels...until things begin to go wrong. The wishes don't come true like they think; in fact, they start to turn out very badly indeed. And as Ryan starts to uncover the truth behind the spirit in the well, he realizes that getting what you wished for may be one of the worst things that could happen to you. But how can you detach yourself from a maniacal magic spirit? And what if some of your friends don't want to? This is an excellent twist on wishing well magic, with plenty of spookiness, adventure, and thoughtful philosophy behind what wishes really are. Readers will be drawn right into this world, where the ordinary and magical live side by side, and will be thrilled by the plot twists. Top notch!

The Unnameables

By Ellen Booraem

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

In this genre-defying story, Medford Runyuin is an orphan being raised on the Island, a community that chooses to live much like older more Puritanical times, without electricity or modern conveniences. Names are important on the Island, for they identify who or what something is, and only useful things are named. 13 year old Medford is anxious for he is hiding something under his bed--items that cannot be viewed as useful, items that could be proved unnameable. And harboring unnameable items could lead to banishment from the colony. But everything changes when the Goatman appears on Medford's porch. This creature that defies the rules of known beings makes Medford think to maybe, just maybe, challenge the rules of his own society. But can he make a society built on hundreds of years of nearly unchanged rules see things differently? Or will he be banished to become an unnameable? This is a great read, both interesting and exciting, and readers will be propelled quickly to the satisfying ending. Fans of Lois Lowry's The Giver will find much to like here.

Chalice

By Robin McKinley

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

In this quietly compelling fantasy, the quiet beekeeper Mirasol has lately been named as Chalice, the one who helps bind and calm the earthlines on the manor. The earthlines affect all of nature in their realm. Usually the Chalice has been an apprentice for years, but after the sudden deaths of both Willowlands' Master and Chalice, there was no one to take up the mantle and the earthlines are unsettled. But as Mirasol struggles to learn about and fulfill her new role, it is nothing compared to the new Master. He has been recalled from seven years training as an Elemental priest of Fire and is no longer quite...human. But with the help of her bees and honey, Mirasol begins to get her feet under her and to slowly win the respect of the manor's people. But everyone still seems to fear the Master, and when a shocking challenge is made to his right to hold the manor, Mirasol realizes she has to choose who to support and who to save. Ultimately, someone must be sacrificed to save Willowlands...but who shall it be? Deeply rooted in nature and lovingly written, readers will sympathize with Mirasol and be drawn into the characters and the hard decisions they must make to do what is right, even if they may fail. Good stuff! Fans of McKinley's other works will not be disappointed.

Inkdeath

By Cornelia Funke

Rating: 4 3/4 stars

The long awaited final book in the Inkworld trilogy was well worth the wait. In this final installment, the evil Adderhead has taken over Ombra now that he has the White Book that makes him immortal. Dustfinger is dead, and Meggie has read the creepy Orpheus to Inkworld to try and bring him back for Farid's sake, but Orpheus is more interested in writing and reading treasures and fanciful things to fill his pockets with gold. Meanwhile Mo has become the outlaw Bluejay, in league with the Black Prince, and is constantly hunted even while the gang does as many good deeds as they can for the poor and harried population. Now it is Mo who does not want to return to the world that he left, and Resa and Meggie fear they have lost him to the character of the Bluejay. But all cannot be black. Dustfinger does return and the Adderhead's daughter Violante offers Mo a bargain. She will take him in protective custody and arrange to meet her father at her mother's old castle to hand him over and in return, he will kill the Adderhead so that she can rule Ombra. But even the best laid plans can go awry, especially with the maliciously smooth tongue of Orpheus changing the storyline. The Black Prince, the robbers, and many of the gang are on the run from the Adder's men, Resa tries to take matters into her own hands, and overlooked characters can end up saving the day. There is not enough time to unravel all of the plot threads in a simple review, but fans of the first two books will barely be able to put this hefty tome down as every road is filled with twists and turns. Room for a sequel is generously left open, and perhaps we shall thrill to new adventures some day. But for now, thumbs up for a fabulous ending.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

By Jessica Day George

Rating: 4 1/4 stars

There seems to be an unending trend to rewrite fairy tales but I'm not complaining about this fresh version of East of the Sun, West of the Moon. "Lass" is the last child of a woodcutter in the endless winter of the North country, whose disappointed mother doesn't even give her a name. Lass is an uncomplaining child, devoted to her father and her eldest brother Hans Peter, who returned troubled and aged from his travels abroad. But when the lass saves the fabled white reindeer from hunters, it grants her both a name and the ability to understand and speak to animals. This power one night brings to the door a giant isbjorn, a polar bear, who tells the lass if she will come to live with him for one year, it will break an enchantment. He promises her family wealth if she says yes. Eager to help her family and the isbjorn, the lass agrees and he takes her to live in a fabulous ice palace. Slowly she begins to try and uncover what the enchantment of the isbjorn truly means and discovers more than she would like about trolls, magic, the cost of curiousity, and the true measure of courage. Readers will readily recognize elements from the more familiar Beauty and the Beast if they don't know East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Regardless, this is a well told tale of a strong heroine that will delight readers of fantasy and magic.

Queste

By Angie Sage

Rating: 4 stars

This is book 4 in the Septimus Heap series. Continuing where we left off in the 3rd book, Physik, Septimus and Jenna are determined to rescue their brother Nicko and Snorri from where they got stuck in the past. Jenna is particularly upset. But as the pair, with the help of friend Beetle, try to find a way into the past, a darke force is moving against Septimus. Merrin, the boy who was mistaken for Septimus for years, is back seeking revenge. With the help of a Darke spell, a Thing, and the ghost of Tertius Fume, Merrin gets Septimus sent on a Queste--which no apprentice has come back from once it has been accepted. Septimus keeps his Queste hidden from the others as long as possible. The trio receive help from Marcellus Pye in the shape of a map and writing from Nicko and Snorri when they set out to find the House of Foryx where all times meet. The three immediately decide to try to find the House of Foryx themselves to rescue Nicko and Snorri. As their journey starts, we run across many of our favorite characters and places, from Alther to Spit Fyre to Marcia to the witches in the wood to Sam Heap and many more. It is an exciting adventure, fraught with danger and magyk, and fans will be happy with the fast pace. And for a change, our story has...dare I say...a happy ending with no immediate cliffhanger. Another enjoyable installment. A fifth book, Syren, is planned for 2009.