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Brief synopsis (no spoilers) The second half of the Uncrowned King Tournament. Lindon is out, but the rest are now eligible for not only the grand prize, but also an extra prize from the Abidan - an arrow that can kill any one being on the planet. Category Fantasy, maybe Sci-Fi Why I chose this book Next in series My personal opinion (the review) The rest of the books in the series have felt like they were rushing everyone toward advancement. This one had more advancement than any other, but its focus was much more on character development. The characters and their personalities feel more real now (they face embarrassment, defeat, ghosts from their pasts, and even the most powerful ones show weakness). It's outstanding. Will is taking a well-deserved break, and I'll wait patiently for the next book in the series. Warnings Language: None Violence: Frequent fighting "Adult" situations: None Death: Yes, including major character(s) Movie rating equivalent PG-13 Protagoni...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Loch and her crew are trying to hunt down an Elven book and deliver it to the Empire, to avoid an all-encompassing war. But then, just to make things fun, yet another ancient group of people tries to take over the world. Category : YA fiction Why I chose this book : Next in series My personal opinion : Far less confusing than the previous book in the series, so that's a step up. But the crew got out of trouble too easily. They're basically unbeatable, so there's not much suspense. The "good guys" are going to win, no matter how powerful the "bad guy" is. Meh. Warnings Language: not really Violence: frequent, but not graphic "Adult" situations: many mentions of intimacy; many mentions of attraction; if homosexual attraction is a trigger for you, pick a different book Death: Several, including major characters Movie rating equivalent : PG-13 Protagonist description : Loch is powerful and capable, almost flawless Poi...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): Loch is a escaped convict who is trying desperately to finish one last job. She picks up a very capable, but very motley crew. Category : YA fiction Why I chose this book : Recommended by Amazon My personal opinion : When I first started reading, I felt like I had accidentally picked up the third book in a series. The characters meshed like they knew each other, the populations (mythical and humanoid) had names that were gibberish, with no context or relation to reach other. And there were language fragments thrown around with essentially no translation. So I checked, to make SURE this was the first novel in the series. It was, so I kept reading, and was still lost. So I checked again! It's really, truly the beginning of the series, but it feels like we're missing a whole novel of back-story. It feels like the story started mid-stream, around a campfire, but the story is a familiar one, so the teller is skipping a ton of parts so she can get to the...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) : Arden and Dade continue their relationship, which requires them to abandon both of their families and livelihoods. They want to be together, but they aren't really "working" together, coordinating, or communicating very well. Tsk, tsk. Category : YA Fiction, Sci-Fi Why I chose this book : Next in series My personal opinion : The "pretty good" continues. There's a LOT more attention spent on the physical attraction between Arden and Dade, so that got a little too close to the line for me. But the language is clean, the action is decent, and the story line got a little less predictable, so it was pretty good. Warnings Language: Not really Violence: Frequent, but not graphic "Adult" situations: Lots of reference to attraction Death: Some, including major character(s) Movie rating equivalent : PG-13 Protagonist description : Arden is strong and independent. Dade is maturing. Point of view of story : Third person, focused ...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers): MG has an unusual name (Michael-Grace), an unusual best friend (drag queen), an unusual hair color (purple), and an unusual job (only female writer at a graphic novel shop). So when there's an unusual crime in town, she's a great match! Category : Crime fiction Why I chose this book : Amazon First My personal opinion : I really enjoyed this book. It was relatively clean (no language or sex), but it was edgy (showcasing people who are "loud and proud" about their lifestyles). I liked the nerd culture references, and I enjoyed the "girl power" angle. I also appreciate that most of the action in the crime solving part did not involve murder. Nicely done! I don't recommend it to teenagers, but I would recommend it to adults that do not have homosexuality as a trigger. Warnings Language: None Violence: Some fighting, some references to drug lord violence "Adult" situations: Lots of references to sexual interest, but no ...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) : Lizzy Moon is the youngest in a long line of women with special abilities. Quiet ones, that focus on healing and wellness. But her "kind" are not welcome in her home town, so she moved away to the big city and got a big job. And then her grandmother died, so she inherited Moon Girl Farm, so she had no choice but to return and manage the estate. Her plans for a quick drop-in and getaway are ruined by the state of the farm, an old rumor that has persisted, and some unfinished business. Throughout the story, her grandmother gently speaks to her (figuratively) through a Book of Remembrance that she made and left for Lizzy. Category : Fiction, mystery Why I chose this book : Amazon First My personal opinion : The setting was nice (I grew up in that area, so it was cool to hear location names I recognized), the story-telling was superb, the flow of the story was excellent, and the interaction of the characters was endearing. I wish there were more mys...

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) : They completed their work in Newcago and Babylar, but at what cost!? They must now travel to Ildithia (formerly Atlanta), but without help from Prof. They will never be able to defeat the reigning Epic there, without some serious help. And while all that is happening, our hero David has another goal in mind, and it's a big one, but he's keeping it all to himself! Category : Sci-Fi Why I chose this book :  Next in the series My personal opinion : Excellent execution! The third book of the series does not disappoint. It doesn't just hurriedly tie up all of the loose ends, and it isn't lame. The challenge and conflict are relatable. David is still a nerd, and all of the characters are reachable. I recommend it to anyone. Warnings Language: Very minor Violence: Fighting and guns, but no gore "Adult" situations: Kissing, physical closeness Death: Some Movie rating equivalent :  PG-13 Protagonist description :  David Charleston is regu...