Tag: Novel

Ghost Dog Secrets

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Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret
Genres: Abuse, Contemporary, Ghosts
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-38989-1
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description from the Book

Every day, Rusty feeds an injured German shepherd that’s left chained outside in the cold with no shelter, food, or water. When he can’t get Animal Control to help, Rusty and his friend Andrew unchain the dog, named Ra, and take it to their secret hideout. Meanwhile, the ghost of a collie has been visiting Rusty, and Ra’s mean owner is making increasingly scary threats. The boys will need to figure out what the ghost dog is trying to tell them before it’s too late!

Personal & Info

This is a stand alone novel I got when filling a basket during a sale. It involves a ghost, so I saved it for spooky season.

I’m sure what everyone cares about most for information regarding any dog book is, “does the dog die?” No, the dog does not die. However, there is a ghost of a dog who did die, and the story eventually tells you how they died.

Content Warnings

This book contains themes involving animal abuse. The abuse itself is not shown, but the results of it are.

Characters

Rusty Larson is the main character. He’s in sixth grade and lives with his single mother.

Andrew Pinella is Rusty’s best friend. He contains a multitude of random trivia information.

Ra is the German shepherd the story focuses on.

Gerald Langston is a bully who also cheats off of Rusty at school. He seems to get away with everything and never receives punishment.

Mrs. Webster is Rusty’s teacher. She does her best to impart morally correct lessons and encourage community support.

Heidi Kellogg is the local animal control officer. She takes her job seriously and does not restrict herself to business hours.

Various other students and faculty also have names, but don’t play major roles in the story. Rusty’s mom and Andrew’s family members appear frequently, but are not specifically given names, except for Andrew’s little sister Wendy.

Story & Thoughts

This is a generally okay book. It’s under two hundred pages, and the story quality is decent. The events of the story are pretty simple and straight forward.

Rusty’s sixth grade class undertakes a project fundraising for the local animal shelter to help a bunch of dogs that were recently rescued from a puppy mill. At the same time, Rusty wants to help a German shepherd he noticed chained outside with no food, water, or shelter. He and his friend Andrew try to go through the right channels at first, but take things a step too far, leading to problems, but potentially saving the dog’s life before he can starve.

The simplicity makes it relatable. Any dog lover is either going to be angry or upset reading the parts where the book discusses animal abuse. It’s not as emotionally upsetting as some more renowned tragic animal stories, but it’s still stirring to read about Rusty and Andrew trying to help Ra before he can come to any more harm, or any other dogs can be hurt by the same person.

As for the ghost, it’s not malicious. The ghost is a helpful dog who wants the same thing they do. It’s the ghost of a collie, and it does what it can to show Rusty that help is needed or give warnings.

The reason I’m giving this a score lower than three is because it felt a little bland. Between events, the story needed to pass days of tedium and waiting. It felt like there were more of those than the climactic parts. The parts the blurb covers don’t even happen until closer to the middle of the book. The morals and information regarding the rescue of animals are good lessons for the story, though.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall

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The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender
Genres: Ghosts, Horror, Mystery
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-545-91073-6
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the House still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.

And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls – truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

Personal & Info

This is a stand alone ghost story novel. I grabbed it one day while I was filling a basket at a book sale. It’s one of many books I got that I wouldn’t normally read, but got for the purpose of trying something new. Now that it’s September, it’s a good time to start reading spooky season novels, so it’s a great time to try things like this.

If I had to point out possible content warnings, I don’t think there really are any. It’s a ghost themed book. It’s obviously going to have themes around death, murder, and suicide. If you don’t like those themes, why would you be reading a ghost story in the first place? At worst, there’s a little girl who died, and they tell you how. I guess there’s technically child abuse to a ghost as well. The details surrounding Maria are probably the worst. Her disfigurement is a bit grotesque.

Characters

I’m choosing to leave some characters off of this list, and leaving out some details, to avoid spoilers and leave some mystery in tact.

Delia is the main character. She is approximately fifteen, and named after her great aunt on her father’s side of the family.

Janie is Delia’s younger sister. They have about a five year age gap. Janie is different than the rest of her family. She has the bluest eyes and the blondest hair compared to the muddier traits of her family, and her strong personality also sets her apart.

Nic is Delia’s best friend. They’ve been close since sixth grade.

Landon McKay is Delia’s ex-boyfriend. He’s not the greatest guy.

Brad, the dad, is obviously Delia’s father.

Lisa, the mom, is obviously Delia’s mother.

Eliza Duncombe is a ghost with a British accent, and one of Delia’s friends. She died in her pajamas.

Florence Beauregard is apparently the prettiest ghost in the house, and she speaks with a southern accent. She’s also one of Delia’s friends.

Theo Hawkins is a ghost who roams the grounds outside the house. He used to work for the government to survey properties for minerals that might be worth mining. He’s also one of Delia’s friends.

Maria is the disfigured ghost of a little girl who lives on the third floor.

Story & Thoughts

If I’m being entirely honest, this is the best ghost story I’ve ever read. That applies specifically to the time I’m typing this, and doesn’t mean much when you consider the fact I haven’t actually read a whole lot of ghost stories. But, I genuinely like this one. I think it’s very well done, and I only have a few gripes.

Since I mentioned them, I’ll start with my complaints. The big one is a trope that I tend not to like. It’s that whole, “why didn’t our child come to us with their problems,” thing. I hate that, because whenever it comes up, they either DID try to go to their parents about a problem, or they felt like they couldn’t for blatantly obvious reasons. In fact, I think I just don’t like Delia’s parents.

Brad and Lisa were incredibly dismissive of Delia’s fear. They didn’t so much as try to comfort her. Instead, she was accused of being dramatic. Not only that, but she only seems to have done one thing wrong, which was enough to make her parents treat her like what she did was habit. I get that there is the implication that her family isn’t as closely knit as it used to be, but the whole thing just doesn’t sit right with me.

My other issue is fairly minor. It felt like there was a significant amount of wasted time. Delia wasted so much time doing basically nothing. She originally wanted to find out which room was her aunt’s office, but she literally forgot about her goals for multiple years.

I’d say those things are pretty small when considering the story as a whole. The book did a great many things right in comparison. There’s a scene I think was done splendidly, but I can’t say what it is, because I don’t want to spoil anything. It involves Delia coming to terms with something early on in the book. You’ll probably know which one I mean when you come across it.

The story is sufficiently spooky where it needs to be. That’s one of the issues I tend have with most ghost stories. They’re usually not eery enough, or not written in a way that gets the intended mood across well.

I didn’t figure out the mystery part until the story gave the answer, either. The plot twists were sufficiently twisty and unexpected.

One of my favorite things about the book was the unique traits of the ghosts. They didn’t get touched on for more than three of them, though, unfortunately. The ghosts have specific sounds, odors, or visual effects depending on how they lived or died. I thought those were cool details.

Rogue Knight

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Rogue Knight by Brandon Mull
Series Name: Five Kingdoms
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4424-9704-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Cole Randolph never meant to come to the Outskirts, but when his friends were kidnapped on Halloween he had to try to save them. Now he’s trapped in a world that lies between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death.

Cole’s hunt for his lost friends has led him to the kingdom of Elloweer. Accompanied by new friends Mira, Twitch, and Jace, Cole teams up with the resistance movement and joins the search for Mira’s sister Honor.

But Elloweer has grown unstable. A mysterious enemy is wiping out towns, leaving no witnesses or survivors. And an infamous rebel known throughout the kingdom as the Rogue Knight is upsetting the balance of power.

With enemies in pursuit, Cole and Mira must resort to a fascinating new kind of magic to protect themselves. Every move is filled with danger as Cole and his friends try to outwit the High King, who will stop at nothing to regain what he has lost.

Personal & Info

This is volume two of the Five Kingdoms series. Odds are, if you’re reading this, you already know that, because you’ve likely already read the first one. If not, I’m including a link you can use to check out my review for the first volume instead to avoid reading any spoilers in this one.

The gap between reading the first and second books is longer than I would have liked, but thankfully Rogue Knight includes some refreshers in the beginning.

Content Warnings

Slavery is a big industry in the Outskirts. If you don’t like elements of slavery in your stories, this series is not for you.

Mira and her sisters have more years than they look, but not in a creepy way. They are children, and think of themselves as children, despite their number of years. Any crushes regarding these characters are not intended to be creepy. The idea is they are as old as they claim to be, because they have never been any other age. I can see how this might still upset some people, so just use your own discretion.

Characters

Cole Randolph is the main character. He’s in sixth grade, and shorter than most in his class. At this point in the story, his weapon of choice is a jumping sword. Unfortunately, Sambrian items don’t work in Elloweer.

Jace was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s moody, arrogant, and rash, but has a good heart. He now likes scaring his friends as a hobby. At least he no longer teases in the same mean ways as before.

Mira, also known as Miracle Pemberton, is an eleven year old girl who has been hiding from her father for decades. She is one of the High Shaper’s daughters, and did not age during the time her powers were missing.

Twitch, whose real name is Ruben, was a scout for the Sky Raiders. He’s from Elloweer and has a cautious personality. In Elloweer, he has grasshopper legs, wings, and antennae, because he is a race called grinaldi. Outside of Elloweer, Twitch has to use a ring to access his grinaldi form and abilities.

Dalton is Cole’s best friend. He stresses easily and tends to be anxious. He can create seemings, so he studies in Elloweer.

Joe is a member of the resistance, also referred to as the unseen. He warns Mira about impending danger in the first book, and helps out significantly as one of the gang in this one.

Skye Ryland is a member of the resistance. She’s also a fugitive, and one of the best illusionists in Elloweer.

Honor, or Nori, is Mira’s second oldest sister. She prefers to keep her hair short, and shows great skill with swords and bows. As her name implies, she is an honorable and brave person.

There are more characters, but these are the significant ones worth mentioning that do not spoil anything.

Story & Thoughts

The first book takes place in Sambria, where the gifts they use are referred to as shaping. This one continues where that one leaves off, with the group traveling in an auto-coach. Our heroes are Elloweer-bound to rescue Mira’s sister Honor. New country, new way of shaping. Sambrian shaping does not work in Elloweer. Ellowine shapers are referred to as enchanters. They’re illusionists who make seemings, and have similarities to magicians.

Once the story gets going, it’s hard to put it down. There are so many twists and turns and interesting developments. It isn’t just defeat the monster and get the power back like the first one. There are multiple problems to deal with, and new information that will contribute to the story to come.

Some of the story puzzles are easy to guess the answer. One mystery is to figure out the Rogue Knight’s identity. I wrote down my theory as I was reading, and I got it right. Another mystery is a game Jace, Cole, and Mira must play. Based on the description, I immediately knew the correct answer. So, the mysteries are not difficult, but that’s fine.

I like this book more than the first one. Sky Raiders is good, but it has all the base world building to slow it down. This one moves much faster since that world building is already done. Instead, this volume only has to cover the lore pertinent to Elloweer and enchanters. There’s also far more action. The governing system of Elloweer relies on knights and sword fighting, so the adventure in this instance is more violent. People get hurt or die often. But, don’t worry, none of the descriptions are particularly gory. The book is for kids, after all.

I also love the idea of the confidence lounge. This series is fantastic for D&D inspiration. There are a lot of things in the story that can easily be applied to a D&D setting. As a nerd who’s just getting started on learning how to run a game, I’m always looking for more ideas, and I’m constantly amazed by the things I find in the Five Kingdoms.

The Hunger Pains: A Parody

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The Hunger Pains: A parody by The Harvard Lampoon
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Dystopia, Parody, Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: Touchstone/Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4516-6820-9
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

When Kantkiss Neverclean replaces her sister as a contestant on the Hunger Games – the second-highest rated reality TV show in Peaceland, behind Extreme Home Makeover – she has no idea what to expect.

Having Lived her entire life in the telemarketing district’s worst neighborhood, the Crack, Kantkiss feels unprepared to fight to the death while simultaneously winking and looking adorable for the cameras. But when her survival rests on choosing between dreamy hunk from home, Carol Handsomestein, or doughy klutz, Pita Malarkey, Kantkiss discovers that the toughest conflicts may not be on the battlefield but in her own heart…which is unfortunately on a battlefield.

Personal & Info

This book is a parody novel of The Hunger Games. It’s fairly short, at about 157 pages. I’ve seen several parody movies of things, but never read a parody novel. My curiosity won out and made me grab this book, since it was cheap.

Based on the appearance of the book alone, I’m impressed. The cover is essentially identical to the source material, except for the position of the bird. Not only that, but the chapter and page numbers are also decorated with the same touches as the Hunger Games novel. Effort was obviously made to make it visually recognizable as a parody and to give the pages the same feel.

Characters

As usual for a parody, the characters have silly and ridiculous names that sound close enough to the original to work out who is which original character. I’m only going to list a few of them as examples, because learning the names is part of the comedy.

Kantkiss Neverclean – Katniss Everdeen

Pita Malarkey – Peeta Mellark

Carol Handsomestein – Gale Hawthorne

Cinnabon – Cinna

Effu Poorpeople – Effie Trinket

I’m sure you get the idea.

Story & Thoughts

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this. A novel parody can’t be the same as you would expect a movie parody to be, right? Wrong. This book is exactly what I expect movie parodies to be. In fact, this book should have been a movie instead of a novel.

The majority of the comedy is based on low intelligence and gags that would be way better as visuals. For example, there’s a scene where Kantkiss and Carol are harvesting a cow, and they pull out T-bone steaks and things that a butcher would obviously have to prepare. That scene would go over better with visual props.

Using the buffoon main character trope is taking the easy and boring way to write comedy. Kantkiss is so ridiculously unintelligent that she doesn’t know how to sit on a sofa. She misunderstands everyone else’s feelings and hopelessly sees the good in people to the point of misinterpreting everything they say. Her thoughts and behavior imply she’s so deranged that it’s amazing she could have even survived to become a teenager in the first place. It felt like the writers were either trying way too hard to make things funny, or weren’t trying hard enough.

There are some good gags in the book, though. Changing the specialties of the districts to stuff like telemarketing and theater was pretty funny. Haymitch’s parody character having a gambling problem instead of a drinking problem as an ongoing joke was pretty good, too. There just wasn’t a good balance of the good gags versus the blatantly silly stuff.

If I had to describe what the overall comedy is like, I think it’s a bit juvenile for the age group. People under fifteen might think it’s hilarious, but people over fifteen might think it’s meh. But obviously that also depends on your taste in comedy. I prefer things a bit more witty, but if you like things a bit more idiotic, this might be something you’d enjoy.

I think I would have liked this more if it were a movie. My expectations are a bit different for a book. I can’t exactly say I like it, but I can’t really say I don’t either. I’ll likely keep it as a novelty for my Hunger Games set.

Content Warnings

There’s obviously violence in this book because, duh, The Hunger Games, but there’s something specific that might bother some people. A baby dies in a rather violent manner.

Book Haul July 2023

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About

All books in this haul are pre-owned.

Due to the large size of my book hauls recently, it’s clear the way I type them is a bit inefficient. From here on out, I will be typing them the same way I do manga hauls. Books will be listed alphabetically by series name and volume number, and I will put the individual titles in the descriptions. This will group all relevant things together, so the information and connected novels will not be scattered throughout the haul.

I also like the system I used last month for organizing the piles, so I will be sticking to that when the hauls are large. The pile system in the picture from left to right:
-Volume ones to try
-Series which I still need the first volume
-Stand alone
-Series including first volumes and up.
-Later volumes in series I already own

Bloodline, Vol. 2 by Kate Cary

Bloodline is a duology. I’ll try almost anything that involves vampires or werewolves, so I just need the first volume, titled Bloodline, and then I can read the entire duology. The book in this haul, Reckoning, is the second volume.

What is it?

A historical vampire fantasy.

Blue Bloods, Vol. 2, 3, 4, 5, & 5.5 by Melissa De La Cruz

Blue Bloods is a vampire series I’ve been meaning to try. I saw this chunk of books on the shelf and just grabbed them all. Now I just need volume one, and then I will have a large chunk of the series to find out if I like it. The series is nine books long, possibly ongoing, and has some middle volumes.

The titles for this lot are: 2 – Masquerade, 3 – Revelations, 4 – The Van Alen Legacy, 5 -Misguided Angel, and 5.5 – Bloody Valentine.

What is it?

A vampire fantasy.

Circus Mirandus, Vol. 1 by Cassie Beasley

This is volume one of a duology. It doesn’t appear to have a series name aside from simply the name of the first book. It sounded interesting, so I grabbed it as something to try.

For those interested, volume two is called The Bootlace Magician.

What is it?

A middle grade fiction involving a circus and real magic.

Codebearers, Vol. 2 & 3 by The Miller Brothers

Hunter Brown and the Eye of Ends and Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire are the second and third volumes of the Codebearers trilogy. I know absolutely nothing about it, but only one book is missing, so I figured it was cheap enough to try. Christian fiction is not really my thing, but it’s not always bad, so I’ll find out if this series is a hit or a miss when I read it. It stood out to me on the shelf because the series uses weird 3D art for the covers, which looks super corny.

What is it?

Sounds like some kind of Christian fantasy adventure.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

I think this is a stand alone. It’s not super long, and it’s published by Scholastic, so it’s likely not very terrifying. I’ll probably read this around October for a spooky story.

What is it?

A ghost horror mystery.

Dragonlance: Chronicles, Vol. 4 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, & The New Adventures, Vol. 2 by Jeff Sampson

I’m slowly collecting the Dragonlance universe books, and I think I have maybe nine, so far. That does not include these two. When I saw these on the shelf, I had no idea what they were. They didn’t look like any Dragonlance books I’d ever seen from my research, but the collection is massive, so I figured better to grab them than not.

To the Gates of Palanthas says it’s volume four of Chronicles, but I’m well aware that series is a trilogy, which I already own. I wasn’t sure if there was another Chronicles it was referring to. It turns out, this book is a shorter copy of part of the story. It’s part two of the second book, Dragons of Winter Night. So, I don’t actually need this book, but it’s cool to know they printed it in this format. It looks like it’s intended as a way for younger readers to have an easier time reading the usually lengthy books.

Wizard’s Betrayal says it’s volume two of The New Adventures, or Trinistyr Trilogy. Despite looking similar to the book mentioned above, this one is not a smaller divvied version of something else. So, I actually did needed a copy of this. I’ll find volume one of this trilogy some other time. It appears to be out of print, so I’ll have to poke around for some cheaper prices.

What is it?

A fantasy universe inspired by Dungeons & Dragons.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I’ve seen the movie for this, but never read it. Books tend to be better, so I want to see how this one compares.

Apparently this is technically part of a series. It appears to be a stand alone novel, but it has a prequel book, Ogre Enchanted, that can be read on its own. There’s also an unofficial sequel called Fairest. I’m not sure if there are more, but these three can at least be read by themselves individually, so that’s good.

What is it?

A fairy tale retelling of Cinderella.

The Faelin Chronicles, Vol. 2 by C. Aubrey Hall

The Call of Eirian is the second book of The Faelin Chronicles trilogy. It looked interesting at a quick glance, so I grabbed it. I will have to get volume one, Crystal Bones, before I can start reading the series.

What is it?

A fantasy starring twins who are half-fae and half-human.

Gifted, Vol. 1 by Marilyn Kaye

Out of Sight, Out of Mind is volume one of the Gifted series. It’s a first volume, and it’s paranormal, so that was enough for me to grab it. Gifted appears to be a six book series.

What is it?

Sounds like a paranormal school setting involving supernatural powers.

House of Night, Vol 6, 7, & 8 by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

These volumes are (in order) Tempted, Burned, and Awakened. They are part of the House of Night series, which I have not yet read, but I’ve heard very good things about. I already have the first four books, so I didn’t see the harm in grabbing these three, since they were so cheap. If I get volume five, I have a significant buffer to find out if I like the series or not.

All three of these books are hardcover, but Awakened is missing the dust jacket, which actually isn’t that bad since the under-cover looks fine. I broke my own policy for these, because I figured it doesn’t matter if they are so cheap. Usually I wouldn’t buy hardcover books if I already started the series as paperbacks. Hopefully that won’t drive me up the wall later.

What is it?

A vampire fantasy.

Niebla, Vol. 1 by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Prince of Mist is volume one of the Niebla series, also known as Mist. It’s a trilogy, and I grabbed it as something to new to try. The description sounded interesting enough.

What is it?

Sounds like some kind of historical mystery, possibly involving a ghost.

The Osserian Saga, Vol. 2 & 3 by David Forbes

The Amber Wizard, volume one of this series, is in my June haul from last month. The series is a trilogy, so these two volumes complete the set. I have not read any of it, yet, but if I end up liking it, I now have all of it at my disposal.

Volume two: The Words of Making

Volume three: The Commanding Stone

What is it?

A fantasy series, probably involving magic.

The Princess Diaries, Vol. 6 by Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries is a lengthy series that appears to be ongoing. I think it’s about twelve-ish volumes right now. I already have the first three for sure, but have not yet read them. This one is volume six, Princess in Training. I figured it couldn’t hurt to grab it for the low price just in case I like the series, less for me to have to worry about getting later.

What is it?

A coming of age story, I think, possibly with some romance.

Ranger’s Apprentice, Vol 2 by John Flanagan

The Burning Bridge is book two of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This sixteen book series has been on my list for a while, and I already have the first volume, so when I saw the second one, I made sure to grab it. I don’t particularly need it right away, but it never hurts to have an extra volume or two to be able to read more of a series quickly.

The first volume, The Ruins of Gorlan, was in my End of 2022 haul.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Rats of Nimh, Vol. 2 by Jane Leslie Conly

The first volume, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, was included back in my February haul. Rasco and the Rats of Nimh is volume two, and I just happened to find it. That gives me two out of three.

The first book is written by a different name than the other two. A quick google search tells me the sequels are written by the daughter of the original author. I’ve only read one series where another author took over, and I didn’t like that one, so this should be interesting.

Serafina, Vol. 2 by Robert Beatty

Serafina is a four volume series. Serafina and the Twisted Staff is volume two. The store did not have the first volume, but it was so cheap it was worth getting the second book first. When I get the first one later, I’ll have half the series to figure out if I like it.

The first volume is called Serafina and the Black Cloak.

What is it?

A middle grade historical fiction with fantasy and mystery elements.

Tomorrow Girls, Vol. 1, 2, & 4 by Eva Gray

These books have been on the shelf every time I’ve gone to the store. I debated on grabbing them a few times. Nobody else ever grabbed them, so I decided to go for it this time. The fact one and two are here gives me a bit to try, and if I decide I like the series, I can track down volume three. Apparently the series is only four books long, anyway.

The titles of these volumes are: 1 – Behind the Gates, 2 – Run for Cover, and 4 – Set Me Free.

What is it?

Some kind of dystopia.

Waterfire Saga, Vol. 2 by Jennifer Donnelly

Rogue Wave is volume two of the Waterfire Saga. The cover art for this book is pretty, so that’s what caught my attention. Waterfire is an interesting title for a series, so I’m curious to find out what it’s all about. The series is four books long.

The first book, which I will need to get to be able to start the series, is titled Deep Blue.

What is it?

A mermaid fantasy.

Wait Until Midnight

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Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick
Genres: Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Jove/Berkly/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-515-13862-2
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Gentle Reader,

It could have been a scene from one of my novels. As a rule, respectable ladies do not accept calls from Mysterious Gentlemen on business of the most grave importance – but I confess that I was possessed of a lively curiosity. The past three years had been so determinedly dull, I hoped Mr. Adam Hardesty would offer a tiny respite from it. Indeed, upon first glance, Mr. Hardesty had such a formidable, thrilling presence, he quickly became the model for the villain in the sensation novel I was currently writing.

Imagine my shock and distress then, when Mr. Hardesty accused me of being party to a plot of murder, blackmail, and general villainy! I knew nothing of such occurrences, and proclaimed my innocence. Unfortunately, Mr. Hardesty left unconvinced, and I had an uneasy feeling over what his search would uncover. You see, Gentle Reader, though I live a most uneventful life now, my past contained a Great Scandal that would be ruinous if resurrected. To protect my secrets from Mr. Hardesty’s investigation, I concluded that I would need to conduct an inquiry of my own, and if that meant sharing my findings with Mr. Hardesty, so be it. And my course of action had nothing whatsoever to do with the illicit, passionate feelings that he aroused in me – feelings that propriety would definitely frown upon…

Yours most sincerely,
Caroline Fordyce

Personal & Info

While I only gave this three stars, it’s a good three stars. I consider books from this author to be comfort reads.

This stand alone book has psychical themes, but there are no real psychics in it. It simply takes place during a time when seances and psychic demonstrations were popular. They are all parlor tricks, so if you’re not into paranormal, it should still be fine for you to read this book.

The character list for this book is very long. I did my best to list all of the ones I feel are important, and the ones I recall making any kind of appearance that might be significant. There are more named characters than the ones I listed here. If I forgot to put them down, they likely were not important. Whether or not the murderer’s name is on the list, I will not say.

Characters

Caroline Fordyce is the leading lady. She’s a sensation novelist whose stories are published weekly in the Flying Intelligencer.

Adam Hardesty is the leading man. He comes from a poor background, which gives him a unique set of skills. Julia, Jessica, and Nathan are his adopted siblings.

Wilson Grendon is a wealthy, elderly widower. He took in Adam and his siblings and passes them off as his own distant relatives.

Emma is Caroline’s aunt and only living blood relative. She dresses plainly and presents a tall and severe appearance, with a matching personality.

Milly is Caroline’s aunt, but not a blood relative. She is short and wears brightly colored clothing, which matches her optimistic and cheerful personality.

Julia is Adam’s adoptive sister. She is married to Robert, the Earl of Sourthwood, with two children.

Robert is the Earl of Southwood. He is married to Julia, and they have two children. Robert is essentially a quiet and thoughtful man.

Mrs. Plummer is Caroline’s housekeeper.

Morton is Adam’s butler.

Elizebeth Delmont is the initial murder victim. She is spiritualist who hosts seances and spends time at the Society for Psychical Investigations.

Julian Elsworth is a fashionable practitioner of psychical powers. People consider him to be very attractive. He conducts his business in private homes in only the most exclusive circles.

Durward Reed is the President of the Society for Psychical Investigations and publisher of the newspaper New Dawn. He owns the mansion, Wintersett House, that the society uses as its headquarters.

Harold Filby is Adam’s fashionable and bespectacled man of business. He runs all kinds of errands and gathers information.

Ned is Adam’s coachmen. He’s worked for Adam for a long time.

Irene Toller is another spiritualist. She is Elizebeth Delmont’s rival in business.

Bess Whaley is Irene’s housekeeper and assistant.

Mr. Spraggett is Caroline’s publisher, described as a nervous, wiry, and balding man.

Gilbert Otford is a correspondent for the Flying Intelligencer. He wrote an article about Caroline claiming she has psychical powers.

Story & Thoughts

This book took way longer than I intended to read. No fault to the quality, I’ve just had a lot going on. As with most books by this author, this is a murder mystery. The murder is introduced at the beginning and the whole book is a romance based around the investigation.

It’s actually pretty interesting, because the majority of books I read by this author are about psychics. Psychics with actual talents, I mean. This book is only about frauds, psychics who use tricks and mechanisms to make people think they have powers. It’s an interesting flip from the usual content.

The book also follows the author’s standard storytelling formula. There’s both a murder and a backstory issue. Both get resolved by the end of the book. Some people don’t like writers who have a consistent formula for their stories. If that’s you, then consider this your warning so you know this author, and all her other pseudonyms, uses a consistent formula. I think that’s one of the things that makes them feel like comfort reads, but I understand not everyone relates to that.

The whole of the story is pretty straight forward, so I don’t have much to say about it. I do think it’s important to note that I had no idea who the villain of the story was until the story pointed them out. While it’s not always a bad thing to know who the villain is early, it’s nice to be surprised at the end. It really had me going, thinking I knew who the culprit was, then threw a curveball. Although, the more I think about it, the more I realize there were clues that pointed to them that I didn’t connect until after. So, there is the possibility to figure things out earlier than I did.

I think the most amusing thing in the story is how fixated Adam gets on the fact Caroline finds him inspirational for the villain of her novel. He doesn’t read her novel, but he can’t help thinking of the villain as literally himself whenever someone talks about it. It offends him to no end, and he can’t help interjecting possible hopes for the character or disgust for any unjust actions. The whole situation had me giggling whenever it came up, and during the first half of the book, it’s quite frequent.

Book Haul June 2023

fantasticfictionsblog

About

This haul is significantly larger than usual, because my local store is having a sale to clear out a bunch of their used books. All except one book in this haul are from my local store’s sale. I think the price of each book comes out to be about forty-four cents.

The pile system in the picture from left to right:
-Volume ones to try
– Books in which I still need the first volume
-Stand alones
-Series in which the pile includes first volumes and up.
-Later volumes in series I already own

The Wizard’s Jokebook doesn’t fit into any of those categories, so I just put it in front by itself.

Above the Veil by Garth Nix

This is volume four of The Seventh Tower. Volumes two through five are in this haul. I will have to get volume one later.

What is it?

A fantasy.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

I’ve seen this book popping up in the lists of what my circle of friends have read, so I figured I’d try it. Apparently there’s a movie, too. I did not know that. If Tim Burton was involved, it must be good. Also, this appears to be part of a duology. Volume two is called The Last American Vampire.

What is it?

A paranormal historical fiction.

Aenir by Garth Nix

Aenir is volume three of the Seventh Tower series. Volumes two through five are in this haul. I’ll have to get the first book later.

What is it?

A fantasy.

The Amber Wizard by David Forbes

I don’t know anything about this, but it mentions a wizard, and I like magic, so that’s good enough for me to give it a try. It’s the first volume of The Osserian Saga, which appears to be a trilogy.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

This is volume one of the Robert Langdon series. I’ve heard good things about this book and the more well known sequel, The Davinci Code. Apparently you can read the books individually as stand alone novels, but I’d rather read them in order.

What is it?

I think it’s a mystery.

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

This book is the first volume of the Farseer Trilogy. I managed to find the entire trilogy at the store, so I have the whole thing in case I like it. The only part I’m missing is the prequel, which isn’t immediately important.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb

The Farseer Trilogy ends with this third volume. There’s an additional prequel totaling four books, but I don’t have that and will worry about it when or if I actually need it.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Battle of the Beasts by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini

This is volume two of the House of Secrets trilogy. I found volume two so cheap that it’s worth getting just to have more to read in case I like the first volume, which I will have to get later. I didn’t look too closely at any description aside from skimming it for volume one. It mentions the occult, so I grabbed it.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy.

Castle by Garth Nix

Castle is volume two of the series The Seventh Tower. This haul has volumes two through five. The store didn’t have volume one, so I’ll have to get that one later.

I have the Abhorsen series and love it, so I’m getting more Garth Nix books to try.

What is it?

A fantasy.

The Chestnut Soldier by Jenny Nimmo

This is volume three of The Magician trilogy, also known as the Snow Spider trilogy. Volume two is also in this haul. I will have to get the first one later.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy involving magic.

The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

I think this is a stand alone novel. I just kind of grabbed it because it’s nice to have some things that are not part of a series to read. It has something to do with clocks and three children.

What is it?

A children’s historical fiction.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians is a three book series. This is volume one. I’ve heard good things about it, and I’ve never seen the movie, so I grabbed it to fill space and have something to try.

What is it?

A contemporary fiction, possibly with some romance. I don’t really know much about it.

The Cursed Towers by Kate Forsyth

This is volume three of The Witches of Eileanan. I’m missing book four, The Forbidden Land.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

Daemon Eyes by Camille Bacon-Smith

Daemon Eyes is a two in one edition of volumes one and two for the series Daemon Inc. There are three volumes total in the standard series, so if I like this book, I will only have to buy one more.

What is it?

Based on the description, it sounds like an urban fantasy mystery detective series.

A Dark Inheritance by Chris D’Lacey

The Unicorne Files is a trilogy, and this is volume one. I only skimmed half the description before grabbing the book. It’s published by Scholastic, so it’s appropriate for kids. I’m pretty sure unicorns don’t actually have anything to do with the story, and that the name likely represents the fantastical, since it’s the name of an organization.

What is it?

A paranormal mystery adventure.

The Dark Planet by Patrick Carman

The Dark Planet is volume three in the Atherton trilogy. Volume two, Rivers of Fire, is also in this haul. I don’t have volume one, but if I get it later, whether I like it or not, the last two volumes only cost me about a dollar.

What is it?

A children’s sci-fi fantasy.

The Darkdeep by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs

I don’t think I even read the description for this book. It’s volume one of The Darkdeep trilogy, so I just grabbed it as something to try.

What is it?

A children’s horror of some kind.

The Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

The Dark Endeavor is volume one of the Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein duology. I don’t know if the name has anything to do with the original Frankenstein, but the description sounds interesting, so I’m going to try it.

What is it?

A historical fiction adventure, I think, probably with some horror.

Dark is the Moon by Ian Irvine

This is volume three in the series The View from the Mirror. Volume one is also in this haul. I don’t have volume two. The series totals to four books in length.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

I added this book to my to-read list years ago and haven’t gotten around to it. This is volume one of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. Aside from the three standard books in the trilogy, there is also a volume 2.5. It’s called Night of Cake & Puppets, and appears to be less than 300 pages long.

What is it?

A young adult fantasy.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I’ve heard good things about this book from pretty much everyone. People and TV shows all give it high praise. It’s volume two in the Robert Langdon series, but I hear you can read it as a stand alone.

What is it?

I think it’s a mystery.

Double Eclipse by Melissa de la Cruz

This is volume two of Summer on East End, so I have the complete duology to find out if I’m interested in reading more by the author. Volume one is listed farther down in the haul because it’s alphabetical by title.

What is it?

A young adult witch story with romance.

The Dragon and the Djinn by Gordon R. Dickson

This is volume six of the Dragon Knight series. Volume five is also in this haul.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy sci-fi isekai involving a man who becomes a dragon.

The Dragons of the Cuyahoga by S. Andrew Swann

This is the first volume of the duology for the Cleveland Portal series. There is also an omnibus edition that has both volumes in one book. This is one of the many first volumes I got to try something new.

What is it?

An urban fantasy where fictional creatures have come through a portal to Cleveland.

The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll by Gordon R. Dickson

Dragon Knight is a nine book series, and this is volume five. The store only had five and six, but I’m definitely interested in trying this series, so I got these later volumes in case I like it. The first book in the series is called The Dragon and the George.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy sci-fi isekai involving a man who becomes a dragon.

The Dragon Quartet Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Marjorie B. Kellogg

This is an omnibus edition for the Dragon Quartet series. It contains volume one, The Book of Earth, and volume two, The Book of Water. There are four individual books total, so there are only two omnibus editions. I grabbed this mostly because it’s a volume one of something fantasy for me to try.

What is it?

An elemental dragon themed fantasy that apparently takes place in medieval Europe and the distant future.

The Dragon Society by Lawrence Watt-Evans

Dragon Society is volume two of the Obsidian Chronicles. I mostly grabbed it because two and three were available. I will have to get volume one later.

What is it?

A fantasy involving dragons.

Dragon Venom by Lawrence Watt-Evans

This is the third and final volume of the Obsidian Chronicles.

What is it?

A fantasy involving dragons.

The Elvenbane by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey

Elvenbane is another book I grabbed just because it’s a volume one of something new for me to try. It’s part of the Halfblood Chronicles, which is a trilogy.

What is it?

A fantasy about a half-elf child of destiny raised by dragons.

Emlyn’s Moon by Jenny Nimmo

This is volume two of the Snow Spider trilogy, also known as The Magician Trilogy according to the cover of this copy. I don’t know much about it, but I’m generally willing to try new children’s books lately. I will have to get volume one in order to start the series.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy involving magic.

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Back in 2021, I read the entire Maze Runner series. It was interesting, but generally average, in my opinion, but I’m curious to see if there are other things by the same author I would like better. So, after I finished, I poked around a little to see what else there might be. This is volume one of The Mortality Doctrine, which consists of a trilogy and one prequel.

What is it?

A young adult sci-fi involving gamers and hackers with a virtual internet, possibly dystopia.

The Far Kingdoms by Allan Cole and Chris Bunch

I already have volume three of this series. I don’t remember where or how I got it, but I do. It’s the the Anteros series. With this book, I can at least start the series and figure out if I even want to get volume two to be able to read volume three. The series is four books long.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure.

The Fathomless Caves by Kate Forsyth

This is volume six of The Witches of Eileanan. I think this is the final volume for the series.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens

The Fire Chronicle is volume two of a trilogy called The Books of Beginning. I don’t have the first volume, but it doesn’t hurt to already have the second since I found it cheap. Volume one, The Emerald Atlas, was already on my to-read list when I found this.

What is it?

A children’s adventure series involving time travel.

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

This is volume one of The Forgetting, which appears to be a duology. I don’t really know anything about it aside from the fact it involves people forgetting things on a regular basis and only being able to remember things that are written down. The main character is the only person who has never forgotten anything.

What is it?

Probably some kind of dystopia, possibly with science fiction and maybe a mystery.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

This looks like a thick MMORPG themed stand alone novel. I haven’t really found any VR or MMORPG themed novels that I like, yet, but I haven’t tried very many, either. I’m hoping this one will be better than Ready Player One, which I didn’t even bother to finish, because I didn’t like it.

What is it?

Seems like science fiction, maybe dystopia.

Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret

I blindly grabbed this one because it looks like a children’s spooky story and I want to try more of those.

What is it?

A children’s ghost story.

The Glass Word by Kai Meyer

This is the final volume of the Dark Reflections trilogy, also known as Merle-Zyklus. Volume two is also in this haul. I don’t have volume one, yet.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy set in Italy.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Glow is volume one of the Sky Chasers trilogy. I grabbed it as something to try.

What is it?

A young adult science fiction dystopia.

Grand Passion by Jayne Ann Krentz

Grand Passion is a stand alone novel written by Jayne Ann Krentz, also known as Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle. This is her contemporary setting pseudonym. I don’t know what this book is about, and I don’t care, because I will pretty much read anything by this author.

What is it?

A contemporary mystery romance.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

This is volume one of the Underland Chronicles. It’s five books long, and written by the same author as The Hunger Games. I like The Hunger games, so I want to try other things by the same author.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy adventure.

The Hunger Pains: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon

This is a Hunger Games parody book. Some parodies are really good while others are really bad. It was too enticing on the shelf for me to pass up.

What is it?

A parody book for The Hunger Games.

Impossible Odds by Dave Duncan

I don’t have the first volume for this series. It’s The King’s Blades series, and this is volume five. I do randomly have volume four, though, so I figure it doesn’t hurt to grab this one ahead of time.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy.

Inferno by Dan Brown

This is volume four of the Robert Langdon series. This brings me to three volumes from the same series in this haul, but I’m missing volume three. Apparently you can read the books individually as stand alone novels, but I’d rather read them in order. Unfortunately, this is the movie tie-in edition, but it was super cheap, and they didn’t have any other copies.

What is it?

I think it’s a mystery.

Into Battle by Garth Nix

This is volume five of The Seventh Tower series. Volumes two through five are in this haul. I will have to get volume one later.

What is it?

A fantasy.

The Jaguar Knights by Dave Duncan

The Jaguar Knights is part of The King’s Blades series. It’s volume six, right after Impossible Odds, which is also in this haul. I’m missing the first three volumes of the series, but with how cheaply I found these, it’s worth it to have them as a just in case.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy.

The Keeper by David Baldacci

This is volume two of the Vega Jane series, also known as The Finisher in the Netherlands. It consists of four volumes, and one is already on my list of things to read, but I don’t have it. I grabbed this one so I’ll have the first two to try when I get around to buying the first one.

What is it?

A dystopian fantasy.

The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda

This is volume one of the Rondo trilogy. I didn’t have much time left to look at books, and this one mentions a witch, so that is good enough for me.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure.

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

This is a stand alone story. Liesle & Po and The Spindlers are both written by the same author. This one is apparently supposed to be really good.

What is it?

I think it’s a stand alone children’s fantasy adventure.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I’ve only read two books by John Green, and they didn’t really interest me. This is the last one I’m going to try. If I don’t like this one, I won’t read any more by this author.

What is it?

A coming of age contemporary fiction stand alone novel.

The Lost Heiress by Catherine Fisher

Relic Master is a four volume series, and this is volume two. I still need to get volume one to be able to start the series. This one was so cheap that it makes it worth it to have the second one in case I end up liking the first book.

What is it?

Some kind of sci-fi fantasy, possibly dystopia.

The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone by Bill Muir and Alex Kendrick

This is a stand alone novel. It looks like this might be a movie tie in edition because the cover looks like a movie poster. Apparently this is religious fiction. I didn’t realize that when I grabbed it. I probably wouldn’t have if I’d known. Christian fiction is very hit or miss for me.

What is it?

A children’s Christian fiction adventure.

The Lost Swords: The First Triad by Fred Saberhagen

This is an omnibus for volumes one through three of the Lost Swords series. Honestly, I only grabbed this because the entire series was on the shelf.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy from the 80s.

The Lost Swords: The Second Triad by Fred Saberhagen

As with The First Triad, this book is an omnibus edition for The Lost Swords. It contains volumes four through six.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy from the 80s.

The Lost Swords: Endgame by Fred Saberhagen

This is the final omnibus edition for The Lost Swords. It contains volumes seven and eight.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy from the 80s to early 90s.

The Magician’s Lie

This is a stand alone novel I found in a section in which I don’t normally find anything that catches my interest. It’s recommended for people who like Water for Elephants and The Night Circus. I’ve read both of those, and liked both, so I figured I’d try it.

What is it?

A historical fiction mystery involving some magic.

The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

I mostly just grabbed this because it’s volume one of a series. The series is called The secret, and it’s about five volumes long. Volume six is a do it yourself mystery, and I’m not sure if that one is necessary to read/write.

What is it?

A children’s mystery adventure.

Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

This is volume one of the Of Monsters and Madness duology. I don’t know anything about the series, but this volume is supposed to be a retelling featuring Edgar Allen Poe and his character Annabel Lee. I’m not familiar with any of that, so I won’t be comparing anything to this when I read it.

What is it?

A historical fiction horror retelling.

Phantom by Terry Goodkind

My May haul had a large chunk of this series. It’s called the Sword of Truth. This is volume ten. I believe I’m still missing six and eight, but I’m set with a good buffer to try the series. Someone at the store said it was good, so I’m optimistic.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

The Pool of Two Moons by Kate Forsyth

This is volume two of The Witches of Eileanan. This haul finishes off the entire six book series collection except for a single volume. I already have volume one, but have not yet read it. The only one I’m missing at this point is volume four, The Forbidden Land.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

Promise Not to Tell by Jayne Ann Kretnz

This is volume two of the Cutler, Sutter, & Salinas series, also known as the Sons of Anson Salinas. It’s a trilogy, and all three volumes are in this haul.

What is it?

A mystery romance.

Quest for Celestia by Steven James

I mostly just grabbed this one because it’s a stand alone and the description mentions the word fantasy. It’s a retelling of a book I’ve never heard of before, so I don’t really know anything about it.

What is it?

A reimagined retelling of The Pilgrim’s Progress. It looks like it’s a Christian fantasy of some kind.

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

This is volume one of the Red Sparrow trilogy. I’ve seen the movie, but never read the book, so I figured I’d give it a try. Unfortunately, the book got a little torn while traveling from the store to my home. It’s not too bad, though. Mostly a small tear on the back cover that effects the last few pages, which are only a preview for another book, anyway. The store had a copy of the movie cover version and a standard version, so I went with the standard.

What is it?

A mystery thriller with espionage.

Rivers of Fire by Patrick Carman

Rivers of fire is volume two of a trilogy called Atherton. I don’t know much about it, but the store had the last two out of three volumes, so I figured why not. If I find the first book somewhere, two and three basically only cost me about a dollar. Even if I end up not liking it, that’s not much of a waste.

What is it?

A children’s sci-fi fantasy.

The Roads of Heaven by Melissa Scott

I grabbed this book on a whim. It looks like it’s an omnibus edition of a science fiction series from the 80s. It costed practically nothing, so I figure no harm done by trying it. There is no barcode or ISBN anywhere on the book. It looks like it might have been published before that was a standard.

The individual books for the trilogy inside this omnibus are Five-Twelfths of Heaven, Silence in Solitude, and Empress of Earth.

What is it?

A space travel sci-fi trilogy omnibus from the 80s.

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb

This is volume two of the Farseer trilogy. I don’t really know anything about the series.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

This is book two of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. It’s four volumes long, and I’ve actually already read it before. I read the whole series from my local library, but I found it so charming I wanted my own copies. This is the first one I’ve found, so it’s the only volume I currently own. The copy I initially read also had a different cover than this one, but I don’t think that really matters in the end.

Something interesting to know about the series is the volumes were not written in order. I don’t remember what the written order is, but there is an excerpt in one of the books that explains why and how they were written outside of chronological order.

What is it?

A fairy tale-esque fantasy with dragons.

A Shadow on the Glass by Ian Irvine

I was getting to the point of trying to fill space during one of my trips to the book store and I saw this was a volume one for a fantasy, so I just grabbed it. It’s part of the series The View from the Mirror. I don’t really know anything about it.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

The Skull of the World by Kate Forsyth

This is volume five of the series The Witches of Eileanan.

What is it?

A fantasy, probably with magic.

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

This book actually made it onto my list only about a year ago. It’s volume one of the Chicagoland Vampires series, which appears to be about thirteen volumes long, with a smattering of half volumes throughout. There also appears to be a spin-off series called Heirs of Chicagoland, which appears to still be releasing. Volume five is scheduled to release this November.

What is it?

An urban fantasy with a vampire theme.

Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner

Sphinx’s Princess is part of two series. It’s volume three in a series called Princesses of Myth, which contains the other series, a duology, by the title Sphinx’s Princess. I think I can read this without reading the books before it, because it looks like Princesses of Myth is made up of a bunch of duologies. This particular one is Egyptian themed, so it caught my interest when I saw it on the shelf. It stars Nefertiti.

What is it?

A historical fiction, possibly with some fantasy and mythology mixed in.

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

I never knew what to read when I was younger, so I’m always on the lookout for good children’s books to try. This one is a stand alone novel, and it’s written by the same author as Liesl & Po. Between the time I got it, and making this post, I’ve already managed to read it, so there is already a review available.

What is it?

A children’s fantasy reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.

Stone Field by Christy Lenzi

I grabbed this while trying to fill space at the end of one of my store runs. I don’t really know anything about it aside from it being a stand alone novel. Apparently it’s supposed to be a retelling of Wuthering Heights, which I’m not familiar with, so I will not be comparing the two.

What is it?

A stand alone historical romance.

The Stone Light by Kai Meyer

This is volume two of the Dark Reflections trilogy, also known as Merle-Zyklus. I only grabbed it because it sounds like a fantasy adventure, and the store had 2/3 of the books. I still need to find the first one to be able to read the series.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy set in Italy.

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

This is volume one of the Ever After High series. I grabbed both one and two of the series just to fill some final space in my basket. Based on the cover, it kind of looks like a more adorable version of The School for Good and Evil, which I have not yet read, either. I’m expecting some similarities.

What is it?

A fairy tale themed fantasy.

The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong

The Summoning is volume one of the Darkest Powers series. Apparently it’s supposed to take place in the same universe as the Otherworld series, which is one I love, so I’m looking forward to reading this. There’s also a sequel series to this one called Darkness Rising.

Unfortunately, this book is one I ordered from an unfamiliar Amazon marketplace seller that supposedly had 91% positive feedback. It was supposed to be in very good condition with “gently used” as the description. That’s not how it looks. It looks more like good condition with all the scrapes and creases on the cover. I don’t care enough to complain, but I probably won’t be ordering from that seller again.

What is it?

A young adult paranormal urban fantsy.

Sunwing by Kenneth Oppel

Sunwing is volume two of the Silverwing trilogy. I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I grabbed it. I was rushing to choose a few final books at the store that day. Honestly, I only grabbed this one because I have a friend who likes bats, so I figured I’d give whatever this is a try.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure with animals.

Sweep, Vol. 3 by Cate Tiernan

This is volume three of the Sweep series, which appears to be an omnibus edition of the series Wicca. It contains volumes seven ( The Calling), eight (Changeling), and nine (Strife) of the series. Volume one is already on my to-read list, so I figure if I end up liking it, it’s better to have the other books in the series bought cheaply. Volumes four and five of these omnibus editions are also in this haul, so I’m only missing the first two, which are the equivalent of six standard books.

What is it?

A young adult witch themed series.

Sweep, Vol. 4 by Cate Tiernan

This is volume four of the Sweep series, which appears to be an omnibus edition of the series Wicca. It contains volumes ten (Seeker), eleven (Origins), and twelve (Eclipse).

What is it?

A young adult witch themed series.

Sweep, Vol. 5 by Cate Tiernan

This is volume five of the Sweep series, which appears to be an omnibus edition of the series Wicca. It contains volumes thirteen (Reckoning), fourteen (Full Circle), and fifteen (Night’s Child). This book is the last volume for these editions, so in total I have three out of five of the Sweep books.

What is it?

A young adult witch themed series.

A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison

I don’t think this is my usual preference, but it might be paranormal enough for me to enjoy. It sounds like there is at least a little bit of witch magic involved in the story. It’s volume one of a four book series called Magic.

What is it?

A paranormal story involving wish-granting baked goods, possibly with romance.

Time of the Witches by Anna Myers

This is a stand alone story involving Salem witch trial accusations. It’s short, so I grabbed it as something to try. The book is published by Scholastic, so it’s probably intended for children.

What is it?

A historical fiction.

Triple Moon by Melissa de la Cruz

I have something else by this author on my to-read list, but the store doesn’t have that, so I grabbed this instead. It sounds witchy, so I’ll probably like it. The series is called Summer on East End, and it’s a duology. I managed to get both in this haul.

What is it?

A young adult witch story with romance.

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Unbreakable is volume one of a series called The Legion. It currently has two volumes with no release date for the third. Upon doing some quick research, it looks like the third book will likely be independently published whenever the author gets around to it. Because of that, this likely will not be urgent on my to-read list.

This is the same author as Beautiful Creatures, and I liked that series, so I figured I would grab this to try something else by the same author.

What is it?

A young adult paranormal series involving ghosts and uniquely skilled teens to fight them.

The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale

The Unfairest of Them All is volume two of the Ever After High series. This series appears to have a couple spin-offs as well, but I won’t delve into those unless I end up liking these first two volumes.

What is it?

A fairy tale themed fantasy.

Untouchable by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is volume three of the Cutler, Sutter, & Salinas series, also known as the Sons of Anson Salinas. It’s a trilogy, so this is the final volume.

What is it?

A mystery romance.

Uprising by Sean McCabe

This is volume one of a series called Vampire Federation. It’s apparently a duology, but it’s vampire themed, so that immediately catches my interest enough to try it.

What is it?

An urban fantasy involving vampires.

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Virals is a spin-off series from Bones, also known as the Temperance Brennen series. This is the first volume. I’ve seen almost all of the TV show for Bones, and I read the first volume of the novel series a few years back, so I figured I’d give this a try. It looks like it’s more paranormal than the core material.

What is it?

A young adult paranormal science fiction mystery.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

This is volume one of the Warm Bodies series, which I think is primarily a trilogy. I saw the movie years ago and didn’t find out until after that it was based on a book. It’s been sitting on my to-read list ever since, and I just haven’t gotten around to it. Now I can at least read the first volume and see what it’s like compared to the movie.

What is it?

A zombie apocalypse romance in which the love interest is a zombie.

When All the Girls have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is volume one of the Cutler, Sutter, & Salinas series, also known as the Sons of Anson Salinas. It’s a trilogy, and all three volumes are in this haul. I have no idea what it’s about, and I don’t really care, because I like the author.

What is it?

A mystery romance.

Wickedly Wonderful by Deborah Blake

Ever heard of Baba Yaga? Well, that’s the name of this series. This is volume two, and supposedly that name is a title carried by a select few, instead of an actual person. The series has four volumes plus some half volumes, and a prequel story.

What is it?

An urban fantasy with witches and dragon dogs.

The Wish List by Eoin Colfer

This book is a stand alone story by the same author who wrote the Artemis Fowl series. I’ve never read that series, but I’ve heard good things, so I figured I’d try this to see if I like the author. The description says it’s a race between the demonic and the divine to claim a soul.

What is it?

Some sort of paranormal fantasy.

The Wizard’s Jokebook by Chris Tait

As a nerd, I couldn’t pass this up. It’s just a thin book full of bad jokes.

What is it?

A children’s jokebook filled with wizard themed dad jokes.

The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

This is volume one of the series The Wizards of Once. It’s four volumes long by the same author as How to Train Your Dragon, which I have not read, but would like to.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure.

The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable

This is a stand alone story. I dug through the boxes of kids’ books at the store, and it looked interesting.

What is it?

A stand alone middle grade mystery, maybe. I’m not sure.

The Wolves of London by Mark Morris

This is one I grabbed toward the end of one of my store runs while trying to fill space. It’s the first volume of the series Obsidian Heart.

What is it?

A time travel mystery.

The Spindlers

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The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Harper/Harper Collins
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-197809-8
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

When Liza’s brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.

She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.

To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rates, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids…as well as strange monsters and terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers’ nests, where she must pass a series of deadly tests – or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.

Personal & Info

This is a children’s stand alone novel. I’m always on the lookout for good children’s books, because when I was a child, I could never find anything interesting to read. Stand alone novels are a good way to try things, because there is no commitment to buy more volumes of a series, and if they end up being good it gives me an author to keep an eye out for.

I didn’t know anything about this when I grabbed it. I basically just skimmed the first paragraph of the description, and checked online, where I saw it compared to Alice in Wonderland and Gregor the Overlander. At 246 pages, I don’t see any harm in trying something new. Books that short can easily be read in a day, especially children’s books.

Characters

Liza is the main character. The story follows her perspective throughout the entire adventure. She’s the oldest of two children.

Patrick is Liza’s younger brother. He seems to have a moody personality, but his sister loves him anyway.

Mrs. Elston is Liza and Patrick’s mother. She’s always sitting at the table dealing with piles of bills and scolding Liza for telling stories.

Mr. Eltson is Liza and Patrick’s father. He doesn’t appear much, except to indicate he can’t find his glasses.

Mirabella is an eccentric rat. She guides Liza on her adventure in the Below realm.

Anna is never actually in the story, but it mentions her several times. She is Liza and Patrick’s favorite babysitter, but she is away at college.

Story & Thoughts

This is a cute stand alone adventure. I can see why people compare it to Alice in Wonderland. It has that whole, “down the rabbit hole,” thing going for it. I think this is a great book for children. It’s written in a way that I think makes it a good book to possibly read out loud to them, or for them to read themselves. As an adult, I think it could be improved upon, but for the age group it’s intended for, it’s probably fine.

Liza’s former babysitter, Anna, would apparently tell the kids about fantastical creatures and teach them games. The kids wholeheartedly believe everything she tells them, to the point that they recite a charm every night before they go to bed. It turns out it’s all true, and for some reason, Liza knows exactly where to go to find the place Below.

The book has some real nightmare fuel going for it, but not so much that it would be horror. I don’t recommend it for anyone who has arachnophobia. The main bad monsters are a type of extra horrific spiders. Their description is creepy and unsettling to imagine, and the lore of what they do is actually surprisingly horrific for a children’s book.

I like the creativity of the world Below. The creatures are interesting, and the landscape is vivid. The story is rather simple, but the descriptions and conversations about the terrain and landmarks make the world come alive. I get the impression the important chunk of the story is the journey, not the end. Liza and Mirabella both learn important lessons along the way. A running theme along the journey is Liza’s close-mindedness. She tends to judge things by how they appear at a glance, and as the story progresses, she learns better.

Book Haul May 2023

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About

All of these books are pre-owned from my local book store. There is a big sale going on right now, so my hauls over the summer for novels might be larger than normal.

Some of the books in this haul are later volumes of series I already started buying, but have not yet read. It doesn’t hurt to get some ahead of time if they’re going to be cheaper than getting them elsewhere in case I like them. Others are first volumes for me to try, or later volumes in a series I have not yet started buying for things I’m pretty sure I’ll like, so will save me money in the long run.

The Awakening by Thomas K. Martin

This book is volume one of the Magelord trilogy. I don’t know anything about this. It’s volume one of a fantasy, so I just grabbed it in hopes I might like it.

What is it?

A fantasy of some kind.

Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind

This is volume three of the Sword of Truth series.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Chainfire by Terry Goodkind

This is volume nine of the Sword of Truth series. I do not have volume eight, nor do I have volume ten.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist

This is volume four in The Riftwar Saga. I still need to get two and three at some point if I like the first volume, which is also in this haul.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy.

Darksword Adventures by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

I’m not entirely sure what exactly this is. I will generally buy any book by these authors. Everything I’ve read from them is great. This particular book is a little unusual. I get the impression it’s part story and part RPG game book. I’m not sure what exactly that means, so I’ll have to look into it more later.

What is it?

A complete guide to “venturing” in the enchanted realm of Thimhallan.

Deception by Amanda Quick

I buy everything I can find by this author and her other pseudonyms. I don’t even check what they are about before I get or read them. Amanda Quick is the pseudonym for historical novels, though, so I know that much. It usually doesn’t matter to me to know more, because I tend to like everything she writes.

What is it?

A historical romance.

Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson

This is volume one of the Dragon Keeper series. This book is printed by Scholastic, so it’s definitely a children’s book.

What is it?

I think it’s a Chinese setting for a fantasy about protecting dragons.

The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey

This is volume one of The Last Dragon Chronicles. It’s printed by Scholastic, so it’s definitely a children’s book.

What is it?

A dragon themed fantasy.

The Golden Cord by Paul Genesse

This book is volume one of The Iron Dragon series. I didn’t look at it too closely in the store. I just generally like stories with dragons, so I grabbed it.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure involving dragons.

Heart’s Blood by Jane Yolen

This is volume two of the Pit Dragon Chronicles. I already have volume one, but have not yet read it. It’s a four volume series, so this gives me half to find out if I like it.

What is it?

A dragon themed fantasy.

Hung Out by Margaret Weis & Don Perrin

This is volume three of the trilogy Mag Force 7. I usually buy Margaret Weis novels because they are fantasy in theme, but this one is a science fiction style story instead. I need to get the first book to find out if I will like it.

What is it?

A science fiction fantasy, maybe a space opera. I’m not really sure.

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

This book is volume two in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I haven’t read Stalking Jack the Ripper, yet, but I’ve heard great things about all books in the series. My plan is to read Stalking Jack the Ripper first before reading this one. I just happened to find this one first.

What is it?

A historical fiction mystery.

Icons by Margaret Stohl

This is volume one of the Icons duology. I added this to my list back in 2018.

What is it?

Post apocalyptic dystopia, I think. I haven’t looked into it much.

Idols by Margaret Stohl

This is volume two of the Icons duology. The store had both, so I figured why not just get the whole thing.

What is it?

Probably a post apocalyptic dystopia.

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

This book is volume one of the series The Great Library. I skimmed the description in the store, and saw it’s basically dystopian in theme, and that was enough for me to grab it to try.

What is it?

A dystopian series involving books, and maybe the Great Library of Alexandria.

Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist

This is volume one of The Riftwar Saga, which I think is a four book series. I apparently added this to my list sometime in 2016. I don’t really know what it’s about, but it sounded interesting at the time I when I read the description.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy,

The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick

This is volume two of the trilogy Ladies of Lantern Street. I don’t have volumes one or three, yet, so this will be shelved until then. I think this series crosses over with Acrane Society and Ghost Hunters at some point, because I recall seeing some mention of characters from it while I was reading those.

What is it?

A paranormal historical romance.

The Pillars of Creation by Terry Goodkind

This is volume seven of the Sword of Truth Series. I do not have volume six, nor do I have volume eight.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind

This is volume five of the Sword of Truth series. I do not have Faith of the Fallen for volume six.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind

This is volume two of the Sword of Truth series.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Tale of the Thunderbolt by E.E. Knight

This is volume three of The Vampire Earth. I already have volume one, but have not read it, yet. If I like volume one, I will be sure to get volume two.

What is it?

A post apocaliptic fantasy.

Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind

This is volume four of the Sword of Truth series.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind

This book is volume one of the Sword of Truth series. It looks like a fantasy series with thick volumes, so I grabbed as many of the series as I could find on the shelf. It’s cheaper to get them this way than to try one volume and order them later. This way I have a large chunk of the series, and I didn’t spend much on them. So if I like it, I’m good for a while, and if I don’t, I can just donate them or something.

What is it?

An epic fantasy, I think.

Honorable Mention: Fablehaven

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What is an Honorable Mention?

Honorable mentions are blog posts about individual books, or series, that I have already read, and recommend. Some I might have already reviewed, others I might not have. I make no guarantee that books recommended as Honorable Mentions will get reviews.

In these posts, I will describe the book or series, and tell you why I recommend it.

Shop links will be at the bottom of Honorable mention posts.

About Fablehaven

Fablehaven is a five book series for children, by Brandon Mull. The first couple books are relatively standard in size, but the last few get pretty thick. I think the last volume was over six hundred pages. It’s been a bit since I read it, so I’m guesstimating.

Fae, fantasy, and mythological creatures are all real, but secret. But, over the centuries, those creatures have all been gathered in reserves as the world developed into the modern era. This is both for their safety, and the safety of the people. One of these reserves is called Fablehaven.

The main characters, Seth and Kendra, are approximately ten and thirteen at the start of the series. Again, I’m guesstimating, because it’s been a while. They go visit their grandparents on vacation, and things aren’t entirely as they seem. Through various puzzles and milk drinking, they find out their grandparents’ property is the Fablehaven reserve.

This leads to many dangerous adventures and new friends. They travel to a few of the other reserves and meet many interesting people and fantastical creatures. Seth and Kendra both develop and discover special abilities while saving the world multiple times throughout the series.

Suggestions & Things to Know

I think, when it comes to trying this series, you should read at least the first two books before making any judgement. The first and second books focus significantly on plot building as it introduces you to the hidden world of Fablehaven. Honestly, the first two are the worst in the whole series. They aren’t bad, but the last three are significantly better. Definitely give the series some time to get going.

People die in this series. It’s uncommon in children’s books, but it happens in this series, so here is your warning on that.

There’s no real romance. Seth is basically too young to be interested in girls. Kendra has crushes, but nothing serious, as is appropriate for her age. I don’t think anyone can honestly label the series as a romance. It’s just not.

If you don’t like the trope of a character doing stupid things just to progress the story, there might be a problem. That is one of the downsides to the series. Seth seems to do stupid things just to do stupid things, or just because if no one does said stupid thing, the story won’t progress. That’s probably the biggest weakness in the plot. For example, the cover of Rise of the Evening Star. I will give you one guess what happens.

Why I Recommend

I personally love this series. It makes me feel things when I read it, and that’s usually a tell for a good book. If it can make you feel something, it’s usually good.

The characters are likeable, even the bad ones. My favorite book dragon ever, so far, is in this series.

I don’t give out perfect scores often, but when I read this series in 2020, it earned a 5/5 from me. Of course, it’s not perfect, but I enjoyed it that much.

Sequels

Fablehaven has a sequel series called Dragonwatch. I have yet to read it, but it takes place in the same world, and apparently uses some of the same characters. When I get around to reading this, I will reread Fablehaven first, so both series will be (re)read and reviewed eventually.

Companions

There are two companion books that go along with Fablehaven and Dragonwatch. I have not yet read these either, so I do not have an official reading order recommendation for where they should go. Based on research, though, I think The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven should be read after the Fablehaven series. And, I think, Legend of the Dragon Slayer: The Origin Story of Dragonwatch can be read before Dragonwatch, if you want.

Where Can I Buy It?

Here are some assorted links for where you might be able to find your own copies of Fablehaven and Dragonwatch, as well as the companion books.

Fablehaven Box Sets

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Fablehaven

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Rise of the Evening Star(Fablehaven 2)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Grip of the Shadow Plague(Fablehaven 3)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary(Fablehaven 4)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Keys to the Demon Prison(Fablehaven 5)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

The Legend of the Dragon Slayer: The Origin Story of Dragonwatch

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Dragonwatch Box Sets

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Dragonwatch: A Fablehaven Adventure

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Wrath of the Dragon King(Dragonwatch 2)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Master of the Phantom Isle(Dragonwatch 3)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Champion of the Titan Games(Dragonwatch 4)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Return of the Dragon Slayers(Dragonwatch 5)

Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks