Ahoy there mateys! Another fantastic young fantasy book by Kelley Armstrong. This is the sequel to her book Sea of Shadows. I loved every moment. It was another quick read where the time flew by. It was wonderful to revisit the twins, Moria and Ashyn. They are both growing up and learning to deal with circumstances alone.

One of my favorite aspects of these girls is that when dealing with the heartache and hopefulness of young love, they handle the situations a lot better than many of the young girls I have known, myself included sadly. When love lets them down, they do not belittle themselves for failing or lessen their self esteem. They hurt and grieve and handle the situation with aplomb. Moria is the sister who is more practical about love and sex. Ashyn is the romantic who wants the fairytale.

I also liked the juxtaposition of the two girls in that aspect. While love and sex are not taken lightly in the book, it is also more realistic than the average book for teens. Moria and Ashyn are not permitted to marry because of their positions as Keeper and Seeker. That does not mean that they are not allowed to love and take lovers. Though each girl deals with the idea differently, I am glad to see that girls are not shamed for desiring and wanting meaningful relationships and love. It is a trend in young adult books with which I agree.

The other two items that stand out in this book for me were a new secondary character and the ending. The new secondary character is a woman named Guin. I will not state more than her story is poignant and lovely. Read it for yourself. And the ending was another fun one. While not as shocking as the in the first book, the ending was another great cliff hanger. The third book, Forest of Ruin comes out on April 5, 2016. It is going to be a long wait.

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Ahoy there mateys! I was able to track down a copy of this sequel to death sworn at my local library. Overall, it was a fun and good ending to the main character, Ileni’s, story. This novel starts out with Ileni captured by the Empire’s sorceress. Ileni is offered a choice that will enable her to regain her magic . . . but at what cost? Again this author seems to focus on Ileni’s thoughts and growth and agony in her choices regarding the knowledge she obtains and what to do with it. Unlike the first novel, this one seems a little more disjointed in how the plot is laid out. The main character seems to waffle a whole bunch with no major events occurring. The new characters are fun but not particularly deep. The secrets of the Empire and its magic seem self-explanatory and predictable. I could have done without the love story choices in this book. But the choices that Ileni finally makes concerning her magic and role in the world were very interesting and not predictable. The ending of the novel made me feel better about how more realistic the ending was than the average young adult book. A happy ending for me. I am not sure if others would be disappointed. However the ending felt appropriate for the world the author created and redeemed the book’s minor shortcomings. I am glad I was able to read the conclusion of this story. That being said, should the author write more in this world, I would not be opposed to traveling to this port again.

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Ahoy there me mateys . . . My first mate recommended this one. This book made my head want to explode. In a good way. This was one of the best zombie books I have read in a long time. And I have read lots. I seriously loved it. It reminded me a lot of The Windup Girl. But different. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. But different. It is about zombies and so much more. You have to experience it for yourself.

The main character, Freeman, is just plain awesome. He is constantly learning about the world as he has been taught and adjusting his viewpoints with what he learns. He is loyal. He is intelligent. He is kick-ass. The reader experiences the story with Freeman in a visceral way. The other characters are wonderful too and all are integral to the story that is being told. That is rare from my point of view. While Freeman has the main focus as the protagonist of course, the other characters are vital to his interpretation of what he is learning. Besides the character of Harry is just plain endearing.

The post-apocalyptic setting is like a lot of other popular novels. It is what the author does with it that is so wonderful. It has teeth. While this novel is extremely enjoyable and easy to read from a writing standpoint, it also asks deeper questions about being human, love, loyalty, and above all purpose. It seems like a simple fun twisty plot but has a bite to it for those who want to delve deeper. I just adored this book and gobbled it up. Go forth, find a copy, and enjoy.

And awesome fact – did you know that the author is actually three authors in one? Jeremy Robinson and Jeremy Bishop and Jeremiah Knight. This man has superpowers.

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Ahoy there mateys! When I read the author’s first novel . . . it walked the plank. However, I liked enough of the underlying writing to be willing to give the author’s second novel a chance. I am glad I did. This young adult dystopian fantasy novel was very much worth reading. It was surprising, thoughtful, moving, and not at all what I was expecting. Though to be fair I didn’t know what to expect when I picked it up.

This novel is not your typical dystopian novel. It appears to be set in a world like ours that has been destroyed in some way. The society has rebuilt and is seemingly succeeding. However the book begins with the end of a war with a god where no one truly understands what has happened. But the war and its subsequent consequences are really the background for the “true” story of a girl named Hallie, her farm, and her relationships with her sister and the folks from surrounding farms. While the overall plot was engaging, it was watching Hallie’s choices and growth that made the book so special.

I actually thought all the characters in this book were interesting. I really liked Heron, Tyler, and Nat in particular. The small world of Hallie’s farm and the surrounding homesteads and town was detailed and rich in a clear, simple and lovely way. And the ending was truly satisfying. Glad I didn’t give up on this author. I will certainly read her next book.

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