Blog Review: Fantasy Books

Hello world! So...I'm behind on reviewing books again (what else is new!) Being slightly obsessed with Psych may or may not be the reason. (I recently got hooked onto the show, lol.)  Since I don't have a review ready yet, I thought I'll share with you some fantasy books. I've heard a lot of buzz about Throne of Glass and Game of Thrones (did you know they're actually two completely separate series?!) and decided to check these two books out.  Anyways, I've ordered Throne of Glass and can't wait to read it once the book arrives! In the meantime, here's a bunch of mini reviews for fantasy books I've read in the past :-)

Review: 

I find it amazing that a 15 year old boy could pen such an amazing/intricate story. The descriptions and characters and plot are absolutely spellbinding. I'm pretty sure this book is one of the main reasons why I got hooked onto fantasy books in middle school.  I loved how Paolini could create such a rich, fantastical setting with specific customs to each region in the world of Eragon.  The characters are very realistic (at least I found Eragon and Saphira to be very realistic and engaging--I love their relationship, how Saphira in some ways is like a mentor to Eragon.)  Although the the story often deviates from the main plot line, I think that it immerses readers more into the setting by going on these "side trips." 

Book Review: Aether Warriors

Title: Aether Warriors

Author: Dean Ravenola

Genre: Fantasy

Review:

This book was a fun, quick read once I got rid of some preconceived notions I had set up in my mind regarding Aether Warriors. The book description interested me right away, but as I started reading the book, I couldn't help but think that the main character felt a little bit two dimensional....but then I realized that was because I was reading the book with the mind of someone expecting a YA read. Once I started reading the book with the mindset of a middle schooler, it was very enjoyable.

Since this book is probably aimed towards younger readers (I'm thinking age 10+), parts of the plot was on the more predictable side. There were also a few scenes that seemed a bit implausible to me. For example, I find it kind of hard to believe a thirteen year-old boy could pick up a pair of daggers and wield them like a kung fu master with virtually no training, even though he is connected to Aether (the universal life force.) But hey, anything is possible within the pages of a book, right?

I know I did mention that Aether Warriors was a bit predictable for my taste--but there was one major plot twist that I did not see coming at all. The author did an excellent job setting up and misleading readers up til the twist. So, kudos to Dean for that amazing plot/character twist!

Book Review: Dark Flame Rising

Title: Dark Flame Rising

Author: J. A. Pedersen

Genre: YA fantasy

Review:

Dark Flame Rising, written by J A Pedersen, is kind of like a modern fantasy book (urban fantasy?)  Keegan, the main character of the book, is quite the computer whiz so she's naturally surprised to find out her parents practiced the art of the Wisdom--a form of magic that involves working with the energy of the universe.  Keegan's parents died in a fire when she was young, so she has been raised by her grandmother (who happens to practice the art of fortune telling to make a living).  Throughout her entire life, she has moved around countless times--she stopped questioning her grandmother why they did so after not receiving any answers.  Oh, and one more thing about Keegan--she doesn't believe in magic. She's a sciencey kind of person.