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Blackbird by Anna Carey

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): A girl wakes up in LA, beside a train track, with a backpack and no memory. There's money in the backpack, a map, and some other supplies. But she has no idea who she is, what her history includes, or where she's going. One thing is for sure- people are trying to kill her. Category : Fiction Why I chose this book : Sale on Amazon My personal opinion : No, thanks. The storytelling was captivating, and the premise was intriguing, but the violence and the sex scenes were too much. I do not recommend it to anyone. Warnings Language: Infrequent, but strong (f-words) Violence: Yes, frequent "Adult" situations: Yes, two scenes Death: Yes, common Movie rating equivalent : R, for violence and sexual situations Protagonist description : "Sunny" (a name she chooses, since she doesn't know hers) is stronger than she looks, and stronger than she feels. She grows in her confidence Point of view of story : Second and third person, chang...

Nightblade by Ryan Kirk

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...

The Maid's War by Jeff Wheeler

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 ...

The Hollow Crown by Jeff Wheeler

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...

The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig

Brief summary (no spoilers): The setting is several hundred years after some nuclear showdown. The land is scorched and mostly abandoned. Fertility was greatly affected- all births are twins. One twin is the Alpha- healthy, strong, and with a complete body and mind. The other is the Omega- crippled in some way. Those that have no external abnormality have a mental one. Cass is the Omega, and she's a Seer- she has visions of the future. No one like Seers. Especially not Cass's twin, Zach. Category : Post-apocalyptic fiction, probably YA Why I chose this book : Recommended by Amazon My personal opinion : I enjoyed this book. The story was clean (language), the plot and premise were interesting, and the characters were lifelike. I do recommend it, but for people who are mature enough to handle death and discrimination. Warnings Language: none Violence: yes, some of it mildly graphic "Adult" situations: cuddling, kissing Death: yes, including main character(s) Movie...

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): A large company attacks an illegal mining operating, with the intent of killing all witnesses, taking over the mine, and getting away with it. They mostly succeed- only a small fleet of spaceships escapes. But one of the ships is controlled by an AI, and it seems to take personal offense over the attack. To further complicate issues, the company released a virus that causes people to go crazy and attack each other, and crew members on one of the ships were infected. Category : Sci Fi Why I chose this book : Recommended on Amazon My personal opinion : I didn't really enjoy the book for several reasons. I did enjoy the plot line, I like the characters, the AI was credible, and I typically enjoy this genre. However, the language was not actually clean- it was redacted. There are black blocks that hide what the original word was, but my brain simply put the removed word right back in its place, so I don't feel like I was sheltered at all. Also, I'...

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Every century, one person is chosen as the Bearer of the Godstone- a gem that lives embedded in the navel. Elisa is not the prettiest or most capable Princess in her family; that would be her sister. But because she's the Bearer, a nearby King arranges to marry her, with hopes that her blessing from God will save his kingdom from attack. Category : Fantasy, maybe YA fiction Why I chose this book : Recommended by someone My personal opinion : The premise is unique, and I like it. It had a little bit too much romance and reference to infidelity for my taste, but setting that aside, I really enjoyed the magic and the impressive improvement that Elisa goes through in the story. I do recommend this book for anyone mature enough to understand complicated relationships. Warnings Language: None Violence: Fighting "Adult" situations: References to physical attraction, private body parts, and infidelity, but nothing explicit Death: Yes, including major...