The Calling

It seems the apple never falls far from the tree and in this case Rachelle Dekker is giving her father, Ted a run for his money. Genetics must place a role in the success of her Seer series which is a blend of Logan's Run meets Divergent. A suspenseful series involving a group of people who live under the Authority in the city and they decide who is successful and those who aren't that will spend their lives living in a servant subclass to those in the city. In the first novel in the series, The Choosing, readers got a chance to meet Carrington Hale, a young girl who was raised and groomed to hopefully make a successful match in the Choosing ceremony. But her future was not to be as bright as she had hoped and was left without being 'chosen.'

Now living a life as a Lint, the subclass who serves those in the city, she has been feeling as if there should be something more to this life and when she meets a wise old man named Aaron, who offers to show her another "way," she believes in a life of freedom that the Authority wishes to curtail. If everyone started to "think" for themselves, they might not adjust to the life that had been the way of life for all who serve the Authority.

Now Carrington and her group of people known as Seers, those who see with the true eyes of the Father, must work as fugitives to try and offer people an alternative to that of the Authority. It is a race against time as the Seers, now referred to as rebels and outlaws, must be hunted down until every last one of them is transitioned into the Genesis program. It is an experiment that the Authority has tested on its own citizens in order to reprogram them through a series of injections to reprogram their neural pathways and erase all memories of freedom and choice in the second novel, The Calling.

I received The Calling by Rachel Dekker compliments of Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review. I did not received any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own personal ones. Fans of Christian Dystopian fiction will love this series as an alternative to Divergent, Hunger Games and others, and still provides readers with that same sense of suspense and heart stopping adrenaline you would expect as you are turning pages as fast as you can read. You just never know who are the true heroes and enemies in this series and wonder just where it will all go by the time the third novel rolls out. Truly had me guessing and reguessing all the way to the end. Well worth another 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. A Reader's Discussion Guide is included at the conclusion of this novel that is perfect for book clubs.

For more information about The Calling, Rachelle Dekker or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Calling by Rachelle Dekker

You can find Rachelle Dekker on Facebook, to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

For more reviews on The Calling, please visit Tyndale House Publisher's website.

Makai Queen

Imagine if a world really did exist under the sea, filled with people who had the special gifts of being able to care for and understand the life below the waves. Sound interesting? This is just the story you'll find in the novel Makai Queen by Tara Fairfield. This is the perfect novel for middle school readers who love a bit of fantasy in their novels.

The story involves Tessa Armstrong, a young teenage girl who finds her special place is being near the ocean. Almost as if she belongs there, even her dreams lately have involved her being in the ocean. When she finds a young man washed ashore on the beach, she sees that he is the same man in her dreams and wonders if that is all really possible. She learns his name is Ka moho-alii, but most people call him simply Moho. He tells her that his best friend Kele and his mother, Hiiaka were kidnapped two weeks ago and he's been searching for them between the Hawaiian Islands. Eager to help in any way she can, Tessa takes a walk with Moho to learn more. When Moho spots a threat on the beach, he grabs Tessa and dives into the ocean. As long as she remains with Moho she is able to breathe underwater. Not knowing what else to do, she waits until they are alone in an undersea cave to gain an explanation to his apparent kidnapping off the beach. She learns that his brother Kupua is the one responsible for the kidnappings and also the one searching for Tessa.

As Tessa begins to spend time with Moho she learns that she is supposed to be the next queen of Mohu-ola, an island of life below the sea floor. Endowed with powers she doesn't believe she possesses, she struggles with understanding what he is telling her. It seems that each of the people of Mohu-ola have one perfect partner, a perfect match created for the other. The partner is created at birth and when the time is right it is revealed to them, in this case in the dreams that Tessa has been having of her life in the ocean. What she is about to discover will completely leave her breathless.

I received Makai Queen by Tara Fairfield compliments of Deep River Books and Bring It On Communications for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. This is the perfect novel for your middle school child who seeks a little bit of adventure in their reading. It almost reminds me of a Hawaiian Fairy Tale and one I know your children will enjoy. Perfect for ages 10 and up, you get a sense of what life is like under the sea and learn some valuable God insights along the way like forgiveness and honesty. I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. My 14 year old loved the aspects of life underwater and being able to communicate with the creatures of the sea.

For more information about Makai Queen, Tara Fairfield or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Makai Queen by Tara Fairfield

You can also follow Tara Fairfield on Facebook to stay up to date with all of her latest novels.

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Deep River Books (February 7, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193775670X
• ISBN-13: 978-1937756703
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches 

Available at your favorite retailer in paperback and eBook formats

The Secret of My-Myst

In a world of technology, it seems like using your imagination has become a thing of the past. Long forgotten are the days where children roamed streets and neighborhoods, using whatever they dreamed up in their minds to fulfill their time and make lasting memories that are fondly looked back on. Now once more, things like a hippoboatamus, spark-lighters, sweet meeki-meeki pudding, fish keys, blue fire, and even Illuminors are becoming real things in the minds of kids and the characters in Mike DiCerto's novels for young adults.

In The Adventures of Rupert Starbright series, it takes active and vivid imaginations to empower the characters of Rupert Starbright and his guide and protector Dream Weaver as they continue their adventures in book 2, The Secret of My-Myst. The power lies in their ability to imagine anything is possible and the more detailed and vivid it is in their minds, the more real it becomes. Only the children of Far-Myst can fully harness that kind of imagining abilities, because it often fails in adults. There are also good and bad sides to possess the ability to imagine.

The story begins as Rupert and Dream Weaver arrive in the town of Story searching for Dream Weaver's friend, Summit Wonder during a rainstorm. When they arrive, they find his home strangely empty as well as most of the town's inhabitants. As they wonder just where everyone has gone, they don't realize that they are being spied on by Quix and Xerxs, who were hired by Murkus to befriend the two. However as Rupert is using the outhouse before going to sleep, he is kidnapped by Quix and Xerxs. As he manages to outwit them and run back toward the house, he finds that Dream Weaver has vanished. But Xerxs and Quix inform Rupert that Dream Weaver isn't really who he seems to be. In fact they inform him that Dream Weaver may in fact be a traitor, since they are on a special request from Queen Chroma as spies.

They learn that Rupert and Dream Weaver were headed to Flowseen in hopes of helping get Rupert back home so he can help heal his grandmother from her sickness. It was the very reason Rupert arrived in Far-Myst was searching for a cure for coffus. The medicine his mother was getting from the doctor wasn't helping, so he flew away with Pie O'Sky in search for a cure. But when he learns that there maybe a cure that Xerx and Quix know about that might help, he wonders just how much Dream Weaver, the gardener was really telling him. The two convince Rupert that Dream Weaver was lying to him and has abandoned him, leaving him behind in Story with no cure and no way home.

So who is really telling the truth? Should Rupert believe these two? Was Weaver really a liar and a traitor? Where was he? Why would he give him the Illuminor and leave? To find out that and so much more, you'll have to pick up a copy of The Secret of My-Myst by Mike DiCerto. I would suggest you also pick up Rupert Starbright :The Door to Far-Myst, the first book in the series first, to help you get an understanding of the magical and imaginative world that Mike has created.

I received a copy of The Secret to My-Myst compliments of Mike DiCerto himself for my honest review of this book. Having read the first one, I couldn't wait to see what happened to Rupert Starbright. Mike's imagination and ability to weave a story compares to the authors like Roald Dahl, (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and bit of Dr. Seuss combined. The characters are believable and the use of imagination makes me fondly remember what its like to be a kid again. I find myself lacking in the areas of imagination as an adult and know that children possess that unique talent to believe that anything is possible if you but only imagine it. If you have a young child, then this is the perfect bed time story series for them. I rate this one a perfect 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to see where this one is headed next.

For more information on The Secret to My-Myst, Mike DiCerto and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Secret to My-Myst by Mike DiCerto

You can also follow Mike on Facebook and stay up with the latest on this series of books!

Coexist - Giveaway and Review

"An elfin child on the side of light will be born with the gift of sight. Light and dark shall meet, and it is unknown who will defeat. Eldest son of a warrior great, it is this child who will determine the elfin fate." ~ The Book of Elfin Prophecy.

Keegan could never understand the secrecy of the lives of those in her family and why she remained in the dark until quite recently. She was an elf and so was her entire family. They made efforts to dwell among the human race, unknown to them as was part of being a light elf. If only her friends knew what she really was, but it went against the code of elves to consider revealing her true identity to them.

What she was constantly thinking about was her life mate that was chosen for her at birth. She found out his name from her brother, Thaddeus, who gift was being a seer. They were forbidden to meet until they both turned 18, and if they met before their chosen time, their elders implemented a punishment of an added year apart if the rules were disregarded.

It wasn't until a chance encounter with a dark elf at a street fair that caused Keegan's world to come crashing wide open and with it that she was the answer to the ancient prophecy concerning the war against dark and light elves for the past 2000 years. She would be the one who could save their people from extinction. So now the real training begins for Keegan, if she can only keep her mind from wandering to Rourk, the name of her life mate. Every time she thinks of his name, he feels compelled to find her wherever she is, but he can never reveal himself to her. He must wait until she turns 18 before he can show himself to her. For now, he remains tortured at the sound of his name in her thoughts.

In the novel Coexist by Julia Crane, I was immediately drawn into the world of the elves and their existence with the human race. They each have unique abilities that enable them to help the humans that they live amongst, from being able to see into the future, to moving objects, healing and being super strong. Being a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings series, I knew this young adult novel was sure to engage my interest and it did from the very first page.

The world that Julia Crane creates is magical and truly believable. The writing is geared to a young adult audience and keeps the story line moving along so as not to bore the reader with a lot of details that aren't necessary. There is also a unique chemistry that exists between Keegan and Rourk that draws you in and you want to know what their first meeting will be like and if they will break the code that keeps them apart. Truly this is a great book and can't wait to read the rest in Keegan's Chronicles series!

I received Coexist by Julia Crane compliments of Reading Addictions Blog Tours for my honest review and have to say if you love fantasy fiction with a touch of suspense and romance, then this is the perfect book for you! I would rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and like the way I could use this book even in a Christian Fantasy Fiction between the contrast of light and darkness at war. I look forward to many more books by this author in the future.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Coexist by Julia Crane

You can also stay on top of the latest by Julia Crane by following her on Facebook by clicking here.

Thank to the generous folks at Reading Addictions Book Tours, they are offering a giveaway copy of this book to one lucky follower of my blog. Here are your guidelines:

1. Be a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart.

2. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

3. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this book, along with your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

4. Share this review with your friends, family, Facebook followers, bloggers, you name it. I think this makes for a great gift and a witnessing tool as well.

The giveaway will end on August 10th and I will notify the winner via email and post their information on my Facebook page, Reviews From The Heart.

Heirs of Prophecy - Giveaway and Review

Through a fluke of nature, the Riverton Family is transported to the strange new world of Trimoria, where two young brothers gain unusual powers.

An ancient prophecy foretells that they must lead armies of men, dwarves, and elves against a demon horde. One thing stands in their way: the evil wizard Azazel, whose brutal warriors are sworn to seek and destroy them. (rear cover synopsis).

This excerpt from the back of the book doesn’t do enough justice to describe the story of the Riverton’s and how Ryan and Aaron discover their unusual gifts talents (magical powers). They have to learn how to grow both of the talents that they have while keeping away from Azazel’s private army looking for strangers. Throll, who is the ranger and protector of Aubgherle discovers the Riverton family just coming out of the mists and decides to take them in seeing how they are unfamiliar with the territory and how out of place they seem.

Little does Throll know that he has just discovered the prophecy of the younger brothers without even knowing who they are. Together with his wife Gwen, and daughter Sloan, the Lancaster family soon befriends the Riverton’s to stay with them while they sort out a good place to hide them. Jarod, the father soon becomes the towns blacksmith with help from Throll. Will the prophecy come about? And what of this Ogre who cannot eat meat have to do with the coming of the prophecy? Read the Heirs of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman to be whirled away form your troubles into a land of magic and mystery!

I received Heirs of Prophecy compliments of TLC Book Tours for my honest review. This the first book in this series, with the second book slated to be on the shelves in July. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!! A great read with an even better cast of characters!! I loved reading this book and would recommend to all who love mystery, fiction and Christian Fiction. The First Protector has several direct connections with our lord Jesus Christ and how he comes back for his people. Thank you so much for this book to read and review!! If you have a young adult or middle schooler who loves action adventure stories, then I know you will absolutely LOVE this one!

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the link below:

Heirs of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman

You can also stay up to date on the latest from Michael A. Rothman by becoming a follower of his on Facebook by clicking here.

To read more reviews from this book tour, you can click here.

Thanks to the generous folks at TLC Book Tours, they are providing a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of my blog. Here are your details:

1. Be a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart.

2. "Like" my Facebook page at Reviews From The Heart and leave me a comment.

3. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

4. Leave a comment below telling me why you would love to win a copy of this book along with your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

I will notify the winner by email at the conclusion of this giveaway on August 1st. So please be sure to include your email address with your comment.

Isabella Protector of the Last Dragon

Isabella Treehorn, a 12 year old girl from several different ethnic backgrounds seeks to find herself and her true calling. Little does she know how much her life will change once she discovers her hidden secret and a powerful Jade Amulet! The fate of the world will rest on her shoulders along with her rag-tag group of family and friends to save a mythical being and the fate of the world as we know it.

The storyline that M. Anthony Phillips is very compelling and could be a definite top seller if the author really takes the time to go over all of the spelling and grammatical errors that occur throughout the book on several occasions. I would have to stop, re-read sentences to make sure I understood the words that might have been spelled correctly, but used wrong in the sentence. There are far too many spelling errors that keep my focus off the storyline, and on the errors I would find while reading.

I received Isabella, Protector of the Last Dragon compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review. I felt that the story, characters, and content could be a great read. However, due to the frequent miss-spelled words through every chapter I could not concentrate on the overall story. I rate this book a t 2 out of 5 stars.


For more information about this book, the author and where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the link below:

Isabella, Protector of the Last Dragon by M. Anthony Phillips

Children of Angels

Just discovered an interesting new series of books for middle school age children by author Kathryn Dahlstrom that was an great idea taken from the sixth chapter in Genesis and the thirteenth chapter in Numbers. It's about a race of created beings formed from angels and humans.

In the first book in the Nephilim series, Children of Angels, finds Jeremy Lapoint, a resident of Anoka Middle School, in the midst of being bullied once more by a fellow student, Sid Lundahl and his friends. Not only do they taunt Jeremy with name calling but at one point an altercation ensures where the boys take Jeremy's backpack and dump out the items. His books, papers and reports fall to the ground which the boys stomp on and destroy. They even manage to ruin his iPod that his grandmother gave him for his birthday, breaking it in pieces.

Jeremy has become the brunt of Sid's taunts ever since learning that Jeremy's dad is in prison for stealing. Now it seems it's Sid's mission to make Jeremy's life at school a living hell. That is, until Jeremy learns he can fly. Not only that but he is super strong, able to become invisible and can make it to where no one can hear him, thanks to the help and training of his own angel Asiel.

Jeremy learns that he is a Nephilim, a cross between an angel and a human in which part of him wants to do good while the human half of him still struggles with his sin-filled nature:

"Seek the truth at the proper time - and the One who gives it. The angel in your kind longs to serve Him. The human...has a fight on his hands. "(pg 23).

Jeremy learns that there are 230 other teens like himself in Europe, Canada and America and it's important to learn his battle skills because he will be facing demons as one of the few that can see clearly into the spiritual realm. Feeling a bit more reassured, Jeremy finds himself being accepted to the Higher Humanity Institute for teens with unique abilities like his own. Only what he finds there isn't what he had expected at all. You'll have to pick this one up to learn what he finds and what happens to him.

I received Children of Angels by Kathryn Dahlstrom compliments of WinePress Publishing for my honest review. I think this is an interesting twist in Christian fiction for young adults and can't wait to see where the rest of the books in this series. I would rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and think it's the perfect book for kids who long for that Christian super hero novel.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

Children of Angels by Kathryn Dahlstrom

To read more outstanding reviews from the book tour, please click here.

The Bronze and Brimstone

For any teens who is an avid fan of both time traveling and history, this is the perfect series for you. The Bronze and The Brimstone is the second book in the series by Lory Kaufman who delighted us with the story of three teens who came from the 24th century and were sent off to a History Camp, which is a realistic location that places people into a world just like the one they would have experienced if they were sent back in time. This time the three teens Hansum, Lincoln, and Shamira have been sent to Verona, Italy back to the 14 century as a means of punishment for acting out in school.

What should have been a two week punishment, the teens find themselves stuck in the 14th century for six months, and the only way they have managed to survive is thanks to Hansum smuggling in Pan, which is a virtual figure that can access anything from history, think a virtual computer figure. This is where the story begins with a brief re-telling of the synopsis from The Lens and The Looker. This is the perfect introduction to this book, especially if you haven't read the first one, so it can stand alone as it's own novel. However, once you immerse yourself in this one, you'll definitely want to go back and see where it all began.

Thanks to the innovations the teens shared in the 14th century such as the telescope, the cannons and black powder, some of the rich and well-to-do will do whatever it takes to keep themselves at the top of the political ladder of success especially when Hansum and his friends have made them very powerful and wealthy as a means to survive.

What makes the series so unique is the attention to detail from the historical eye, and Lory Kaufman does an exceptional job at making the 14th century Verona, Italy especially real for the readers and thus makes the book a real delight. This time the readers are in for a treat when they are reading a great story about time travel and the future and end up with a unique perspective on history as well.

I received The Bronze and the Brimstone compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review and think that Lory Kaufman has really hit on something unique. A way to showcase the love of learning with a blend of story-telling that keeps the young reader engaged as they are learning about history. Another 5 out of 5 stars and will be looking forward to future books by Lory Kaufman in the future. He is keeping the love of learning and reading alive in his books.

For more information about this book, the author or where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

The Bronze and The Brimstone by Lory Kaufman

The Lens and the Looker

THERE’S HOPE FOR THE FUTURE,
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PAST?

It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s) have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.

In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.

These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history.




About Lory Kaufman

“I write Post-Dystopian fiction. After society’s collapse, which is imagined in so many great dystopian stories, humans will either fade into history, with the dinosaurs, or, if it learns the right lessons, society will go on to construct a civilization to last tens of thousands of years. History Camp stories are the exciting adventures of young people doing the latter.” -Lory Kaufman

On the artistic side of Lory’s career, he’s written, acted and directed children’s theatre and musical theatre. He enjoys art, especially sculpture. He loves science fiction and historical fiction and he has been deeply involved in the green movement all across North America. All this shows through when you read his work. Lory has three grown children and works and lives in Kingston, Canada.

To find out more about Lory visit www.history-camp.com

My Review:

I absolutely loved the concept of this novel for young adults, and being a huge fan of history, Mr. Kaufman does a fine job at keeping the reader as immersed in the time period as possible. What starts off as punishment for those three young teens for being a little too rowdy and cocky in their own classrooms as know-it-alls and practical jokes. Knowing that their A.I.'s can't physically harm them when they act up in class, they are sentenced to hard time in History Camp. Hansum knows the ins and outs because he has relatives that are enactors (people who are acting in the time period as characters) and have told him exactly the inside secrets of history camp.

However while attending the camp for two weeks is a premise, they soon learn once they arrive that they are there for a whole lot longer than they expected and they will have to adapt and learn the trades of old, for any chance at survival. It will take all their skills of working together to enable them to survive.

I received The Lens and The Looker compliments of Pump Up Your Book for my honest review and think it's a perfect way to incorporate a love of learning about history and still keeping it fun for young readers. I would easily rate this one a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. For more information on the author, the book and where you can pick up a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

The Lens and The Looker by Lory S Kaufman

Corus the Champion

I have had the delightful opportunity to be a part of the Legends of Karac Tor when I reviewed book three in the series, The Song of Unmaking. Now I get to further my reading pleasure in taking my readers back a bit to book two in the series, Corus the Champion by Dean Barkley Briggs.

First a bit of history on Mr. Briggs, who wrote the series for his children who were dealing with their own personal tragedy of losing their mother. In a twist of divine providence, Mr. Briggs soon met another woman who was also grieving the loss of her husband and was raising her children alone. God stepped in and a new family was born when the two met and later married.

In the first book in the series, The Book of Names, the brothers from our world enter a world of myth and legend to find the courage to answer the call, you see in the Hidden Lands of Karac Tor, names are being stolen and darkness is spreading. This book begins the series that picks up again in the second book, Corus the Champion.

The Barlow boys, from book one, have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands with the defeat of Nemesia. Yet as all great books have in store, their victory is not secured as a new enemy emerges from the North with a new army now bent on destruction. Just as Gabe and Garret, the twins are discovering their special powers that are only available in this new land. Gabe has the ability to speak to birds while Garret is like a young Arthur if you will, learning new abilities from a Merlin like character Tal Yssen. The boys now learn about a fabled king that was rescued from death in our world and is now hidden in Karac Tor. Will the boys be able to find and rescue this king from their own world or will they have to make sacrifices to save their friends?

To find out, you'll have to read this series of great adventure books from Dean Barkley Briggs. My recommendation would be to start at the beginning like any great series and work your way through them one at a time. This one to start with may be a bit confusing as a stand alone, but with persistence is truly a great story to immerse yourself and your children in.

I received this book compliments of Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy book tours for my honest opinion and now having read the first three, will be going back and rereading them from the beginning. It's like reading The Chronicles of Narnia in the middle of the series, you can figure it out but its more enjoyable to read it from the beginning. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and definitely captures a child's love of fantasy and adventure in this one.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Corus the Champion by Dean Barkley Briggs

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon by clicking here.

You can also read more reviews by clicking on any of these bloggers who are part of this amazing tour.

Gillian Adams
Noah Arsenault
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour
Carol Bruce Collett
Theresa Dunlap
April Erwin
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Marzabeth
Shannon McDermott
http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
Sarah Sawyer
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Rachel Wyant

Out of Oz

Once peaceful and prosperous, the spectacular Land of Oz is knotted with social unrest: The Emerald City is mounting an invasion of Munchkinland, Glinda is under house arrest, and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law. And look who's knocking at the door. It's none other than Dorothy. Yes. That Dorothy.

Yet amidst all this chaos, Elphaba's granddaughter, the tiny green baby born at the close of Son of A Witch, has come of age. Now it is up to Rain to take up her broom - and her legacy - in an Oz wracked by war.

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire is the stirring, long-awaited conclusion to the best selling series begun with Wicked. This is a magical journey rife with revelations and reversals, reprisals and surprises - the hallmarks of the unique imagination of Gregory Maguire.

My Review:

Having never read any of the series except for the movie, The Wizard of Oz, I was immediately brought up to speed in the books with a brief recap of the synopsis of each of the subsequent books in this series, and this was a beautiful conclusion to the story to all the characters we've come to love and adore and wondered just what became of them when they all returned at the end of the movie. I personally have been a fan of Dorothy's since the beginning and it was nice to know what happened after she returns to Kansas. Just what did she have to say to Auntie Em? Did they think it was all a bad dream or was she able to convince them that a place called Oz actually exists?

To find out you'll have to pick up a copy of Out of Oz, the concluding novel in the Wicked series. I received this beautifully illustrated hardcover copy compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review and have to say this one rates a 5 out of 5 in my book! To anyone who has loved the Wizard of Oz or the Wicked Series, this is a MUST READ for you fans!

For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase a copy please click on the links below:

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

You can also find out more at Gregory Maguire's website by clicking here.
He's on Facebook as well by clicking here.

The Door To Far-Myst

Rupert Dullz isn't very happy. His grandmother's coffus is getting worse, school is boring and there's nothing to do on his days off but rake up endless piles of leaves. Everything in Graysland is, well, gray, and every day is just like the one before it, and the one before that.

That is, until a strangely dressed man named Pie O'Sky swoops out of nowhere in his multicolored balloon and offers a special reward to whoever can open his mysterious door. When Rupert succeeds, he's thrilled when Pie O'Sky carries him beyond it to the brilliantly colored land of Far-Myst. Adventure calls, and Rupert discovers a wonderful world full of something he's never heard of before- imagination.

But Far-Myst is in danger, and it may be that only Rupert has the power to save it. Is he the one whose imagination is powerful enough to stop the evil that is destroying the beautiful world beyond the door?

In the magical novel, The Door to Far-Myst by Mike Dicerto, we learn just how dull Rupert's life has been. It seems that everyone does the same thing day after day, which in the lives of the children consist of raking up leaves into piles so that they will be taken to the furnace to be burned to power the city. The parents are much help since reading books and stories have been outlawed and banned, the children have nothing to think about besides school and raking leaves.

Until that fateful day when a brightly colored man enters Graysland from a device that resembles a balloon but is called a bagoon. He poses a challenge to the children that if they can discover a way to open a simple door with a lock, he will take the winner to a magical place called Far-Myst. Yet when Rupert wins the challenge, he soon discovers that he is needed in Far-Myst to stop the evil of a man named Murkus whose goal it is to take away the powers of imagination and plunge Far-Myst into a world of shadows and bad dreams. Will Rupert be able to use his imagination to save the people of Far-Myst or will the land of Far-Myst become a town much like Graysland?

I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review and have to say, I haven't read one like this since Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or even the musings of Dr. Seuss! The author does such a wonderful job at creating a believable place for kids to get lost in the powers of using their imagination to save the world, something I think is still needed in the world our children now live in. I highly recommend this book for middle school children and up and even younger if parents are looking for something to read to their children at night! This is perfect and rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Door to Far-Myst by Mike Dicerto

You can also find Mike Dicerto on Facebook by clicking here.

Lucas Trent - Guardian in Magic

Lucas Trent has always felt like an outcast. Being super smart and having a knack for school just seems to make him unpopular until people need something from him, like help with a last minute test. Only then do people seem to talk to him. So when he finds an interest in magic, he isn't about to share that with anyone. Until he finds a chat group that is meeting near him who are interested in magic.

Arriving at a local chat room called the TimeStop, Lucas finds himself sitting at a table with other kids his age, most importantly one called The Professor, whom everyone at his high school admires and desperately wants to be friends with. Lucas and Darien immediately become friends as they share the common interest in being treated as outcasts at school. Soon they join others, Stephanie, Marcus, Cedric, and Jacqueline, who agree that they all share similar stories and agree to meet to discuss the possibilities of studying magic together in a Circle.

Meeting after school in a shack outside of town, the group begin to learn more about each other as they study magic together. They aren't able to perform spells like they want but the magic that each of them possesses will be found by who they want to become. When the group encounters a local daughter of a businessman on the verge of bankruptcy, they learn that something sinister is lurking in their town and they seek out a way to bring about justice and fight evil with good!



I received the novel, Lucas Trent, Guardian in Magic by Richard Blunt, compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours and Richard Blunt for my honest review. At first I wasn't sure quite what to expect with young teens attempting to study magic spells and incantations, and then coming face to face with the darker side, but the more further into the book I got, I saw that these young teens were using their unique "gifts" to pursue righteousness, friendship and loyalty in helping other less fortunate. I would rate this book at 4.5 out of 5 stars and see the connection between this and Harry Potter, where you have a good versus evil story line and the desire to see justice win in the end.

For more information about this book, the author and where you can purchase a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Lucas Trent - Guardian in Magic by Richard Blunt