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Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Ryuu's family and traveling party are slaughtered by bandits. He is saved by a warrior named Shigeru, who comes across the bandits just before they kill Ryuu. Shigeru is trained to use a sixth sense to connect with the world around him, and fight "bad guys". He trains Ryuu, who becomes one of the strongest nightblades Shigeru has ever seen. Ryuu's sense of justice drives him to defend those who are unable to fight for themselves. But the kingdom will not tolerate nightblades, and the military is sent to destroy him and Shigeru. Category : Fiction Why I chose this book : Description on Amazon My personal opinion : This is not a happy story. It is actually pretty dark. I enjoyed the martial arts, the Eastern influence, the special powers, and the master-apprentice setup. But this is not appropriate for YA readers. I probably shouldn't have finished it, myself, but I got lost in the story. The author is a skilled storyteller. I

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) The story is set shortly before the Queen's Poisoner- Ankarette Tryneowy has been sent to find the old Duke of La Marche, Alensson, who is under arrest. When she finds him, he tells her the miraculous story of Genette, the Maid of Donremy, who was a maiden warrior of the Fountain, and her unbelievable victories in battle. Ankarette is sent to find information on the sword Genette carried, but her time with the Duke teaches her much more, including information that will save a future King. Category YA fiction, Fantasy Why I chose this book Next in series (prequel, really) My personal opinion (the review) I enjoyed this story. I would have to go all the way back to the Queen's Poisoner to recognize the full impact of what Ankarette learns and contributes. I might even recommend changing the order in which you read them. Maybe this should go first. It's more of a side story, but it might line up well, being the starting point. Warnings

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) The story continues to the next generation. Trynne is the daughter of Owen and Sinia. Morwenna is the daughter of Severn. Fallon is the son of Genevieve and Iago. Drew is the young king. Trynne has a special assignment from the Fountain- to be a warrior. Very unusual for those days, but it turns out there's a precedent, an ancient order of warrior women, sworn to serve the Fountain. Category YA fiction, Fantasy Why I chose this book Next in series My personal opinion (the review) It was a little slow at first. And I also had trouble keeping up with all of the names. Definitely start from the beginning of the series, when reading this one. I had to go back a book and review, before I really figured out the characters. But once I got over those two hurdles, the book was very exciting, clean, and fun. I recommend it to anyone. Warnings Language: None Violence: Some, but not graphic "Adult" situations: None Death: Yes, and of major character(s) Mo