Star Wars the Old Republic: Revan by Drew Karpyshyn

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

There's something out there: a juggernaut of evil bearing
down to crush the Republic - unless one lone Jedi,
shunned and reviled, can stop it.
Hero, traitor, conqueror, villain, savior - the man called Revan has been all of these. He left Coruscant a Jedi, on a mission to defeat the Mandalorians. He returned a Sith disciple, bent on destroying the Republic. The Jedi Council gave Revan his life back, but the price of redemption was the loss of his memories. All that's left are nightmares - and deep, abiding fear. What happened beyond the Outer Rim that Revan can't quite remember or entirely forget? One thing he's certain of: Something dark is plotting to destroy the very existence of the Republic. With no idea how to identify the threat, let alone stop it, Revan may be doomed to fail. For he's never faced a more powerful and diabolic enemy. But only death can stop him from trying.

MY REVIEW

First things first: I would highly recommend that you play the video games Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and maybe even Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords before reading this book. That way, you'll better understand the characters and the world that they live in before starting out on this particular journey with them. (Once again, I recommend it, but you don't have to if you don't want to.)
I was first introduced to this cast of characters through KOTOR, and one of the main characters (Carth Onasi) was actually my very first video game crush. I remember playing this video game non-stop for hours, wandering the many levels of Taris, trying my hand at heroism, becoming a Jedi, and eventually saving the galaxy. One of the things that made it interesting even to this day is the fact that you can carve your own path through the galaxy, choose light or dark, mold and ignore whatever relationships you like. (Of course, I always chose Carth to have the relationship with... ;) )
But this isn't supposed to be a video game review! It's a book review!
Okay, okay. We'll talk about the book now.
We start out the book where the KOTOR game left it. Revan is in Coruscant with his wife, Bastila (I fangirl squealed a little too hard when I read this), the galaxy is at peace after leaving Malak's dark clutches, and all of Revan's friends (including Canderous Ordo, Mission Vao, Zaalbar, T3-M4, Jolee Bindo, HK-47, Carth Onasi, and Juhani) are going on with their lives, but Revan can't shake the feeling that something bad is coming. Every night he dreams of a world covered in storm clouds, a dream that he's sure is a memory, one that he will have to go to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to remember.
(That really sounded like a book back summary. Wow.)
The first chapter (other than the Prologue) doesn't start with Revan. Rather, we're introduced to a new character, a full-blooded Sith named Lord Scourge. (Now, I'm not talking about the dark side of the force, oh no! The Sith are a species that originated on Korriban, with red skin and tentacles.) In the beginning of the book, he is introduced as being ruthless and cunning, unwilling to show mercy to anyone who gets in his way. Through him, you can really see into the mind of the Sith (dark side force now), and see how their society works and thrives without drawing the attention of the Republic. Though I disliked him in the beginning, his wit and determination makes him a very good character in general, despite his dark side tendencies. And, he added just enough of spice and shock to make this book good enough to eat. (Om nom nom nom)

A photo of Lord Scourge as he appears in Star Wars: The Old Republic

Revan is, of course, still a main character (The hero of the Galaxy isn't just going to sit around and wait for wars to happen), and he travels around with T3-M4 and Canderous, in the ever-famous Ebon Hawk, trying to figure out where all of the visions he's been having were from. You get to take a step into his past, find out why he turned to the dark side, and you get a feel at the man that he used to be before losing his memory. Not only that, but you get a peek into Canderous's past as well, discovering where he came from and why he left.
The book is actually written by the same guy who wrote some of KOTOR and KOTOR2, so as you can expect, he knows his stuff. His writing really pulled me in, so I would recommend reading this when you don't have a stop to get off of at, because I almost missed mine.
 Other than all of the above, I really loved stepping back into the world that I have been (basically) obsessing over since I was in Middle School, seeing what some of my favorite characters were up to after KOTOR ended, and just having some alone time in a galaxy that I've loved since childhood. If you like Star Wars, and want to see what the galaxy was like WAY (I mean 3,954 years) before A New Hope, I would highly recommend this book. Trust me, I would write about it all day if I could. but instead I'm going to keep this one as short as I can so that you can get off of your chair sooner and go get this book at your local bookstore.
It's that good.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"The Galactic Market on Coruscant was as busy as ever, but nobody paid any attention to Revan as he made his way through the crowds. Almost two years had passed since he had been proclaimed the savior of the  galaxy. Though the Senate had awarded him its highest honor, the Cross of Glory, in a ceremony broadcast across the HoloNet, and his name was well remembered, his ordinary and rather unremarkable features had faded from public memory. In the aftermath of the presentation he had become a reclusive hero, eschewing public appearances and declining interview requests from any and all media outlets. He had shaved off his beard, and he rarely wore his Jedi robes out in public, making it even less likely anyone would notice him.
He liked being anonymous; it was one of the reasons he had settled on Coruscant. With one trillion people it was easy to blend into the crowd. That was even truer here in the Galactic Market, the most cosmopolitan section of the Republic's capital world. Merchants and shoppers of virtually every known species gathered to conduct commerce in a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes, and sizes. Red-skinned Togrutas intermingled with blue-skinned Twi'leks; diminutive Sullustans haggled with massive Hutts; fish-like Mon Calamari shared the streets with feline Cathar. Among such a diverse and interesting group, nobody paid much attention to a lone human and his astromech droid."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Watch the commercial for the game KOTOR! (2003)

Wake by Amanda Hocking

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

Enter the world of Watersong, a place of breathtaking beauty,
immortal power - and terrifying secrets.
Gemma Fisher seems to have it all - she's carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He's always been just a friend, but this summer they've taken their relationship to the next level, and now she's falling harder for him every day. But Gemma doesn't know that her ordinary life is about to change forever.
Penn, Lexi, and Thea are strangers in town for the summer - and they've been watching her. Three sisters with mysterious powers, they invite Gemma to join their exclusive circle, and it changes her in ways she never imagined. Suddenly she's stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she is forced between staying with those she loves - or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

MY REVIEW

I actually found this series when I was shopping at Smith's with my mom. I unknowingly picked up the second book, Lullaby, which had a sticker on front that said "signed", and I really liked the back summary, so I got it. You can imagine my surprise when I figured out that I had bought the second one. One year later, and I've finally read the first book! Yay!
Like the summary above says, main character Gemma has it all. A cute, nerdy boyfriend, beautiful looks, a future career in swimming, etc. What the summary doesn't say, however, is how good this book really is. It's got mystery, romance, mythology  (you all know how much I LOVE that!), family drama, and a lot more wrapped up in a well designed spine and cover. (the picture above doesn't show this, but the cover has a layer that makes it look like rays of sun are going through the water. It's pretty to look at.)

This is what the cover looks like IRL.

Let's start with Gemma, our heroine and main gal. She loves to swim, like a LOT. Almost every night she goes down to the bay by her house and swims in the water, and every morning she gets up and goes to swim practice to train for the Olympics. Due to all of this swimming, she has that golden tan that girls would pay for, and blonde streaks through her dark hair from chlorine. Like many teenage heroines, she has a rebellious side, and she brushes aside her family's concerns about her swimming at night. She says that swimming at night is like floating in a cloud, there seems to be no border between sea and sky. I don't know about you, but reading that made me want to drive to a beach and just spend a day watching the tides come in, listen to their soft shhh as they slide along the sand...
-happy sigh- That's the life... :)

This is a poster that you can get from the hardcover version, I think.

Okay! Back to the review!
Gemma has this great older sister named Harper who reminds me a lot of myself. She went all through her school years without a boyfriend, works at a library, and is EXTREMELY protective of her sister. Since their mom got in an accident a couple of years before, Harper has been the mom of the family, from taking care of Gemma and their dad to doing the laundry and cleaning up the house. She even stops during her lunch break to give their dad his lunch that he frequently forgets. Other than Gemma, Alex, and her dad, she has a couple of people that she interacts with. One of them is a guy who lives in a boat near where her dad works, and during the book you really get to understand him better.
On to my personal favorite: Alex. He's been friends with Harper for ten years, ever since he moved into the house next door, but during this book you get to see his and Gemma's relationship really get into the next level. You'll be able to see in the excerpt below just how awkward he is, plus he's a huge nerd, which just makes me love him as a character even more. When Gemma transforms into something else, he's the one that she talks to about it, and that's because you really get the sense that he's one of those people who you can trust to just be yourself around, you don't have to put on a strong face.
All in all, I loved this book and its never-ending ties to the ocean. I'm not usually into romantic dramas or anything like that, but I would say that even if you don't like that sort of book, you should give this one a try. Trust me, it's worth every page.

And yes, I do know how perfect this book is for my blog. It's got waves and ocean, my theme's ocean.... Hahahahaha...

Well done.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

""The stupid piece of junk won't run." Gemma gestured to the rusty compact and stepped over to where Alex stood on his lawn. "I've only had it for three months, and it's dead already."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Alex said. "Do you need help?"
"You know something about cars?" Gemma raised an eyebrow. She had seen him spend plenty of time playing video games or with his nose stuck in a book, but she'd never once seen him under the hood of a car.
Alex smiled sheepishly and lowered his eyes. He had been blessed with tan skin, which made it easier for him to hide his embarrassment, but Gemma knew him well enough to understand that he blushed at almost anything.
"No," he admitted with a small laugh and motioned back to the driveway where his blue Mercury Cougar sat. "But I do have a car on my own."
He pulled his keys out of his pocket and swung them around his finger. For a moment he managed to look slick before the keys flew off his hand and hit him in the chin. Gemma stifled a laugh as he scrambled to pick them up."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

To find out more about Amanda Hocking and the Watersong series, visit this site:
http://www.worldofamandahocking.com/

The Coming of the Dragon by Rebecca Barnhouse

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

When he was a baby, Rune washed up onshore in a boat. Some people thought he was a sacrifice to the gods and wanted to send him right back to the sea. Luckily for Rune, King Beowulf disagreed. He gave the boy to Amma, a wisewoman living on a farm, to raise as she saw fit.
Sixteen years later, Rune spends his summers laboring on the farm. He goes to the king's hall each winter for weapon's training. Many people still fear he will bring a curse on the kingdom. Then a terrible thing happens. On a lonely crag on the giants' mountain, someone awakens a dragon. It is time for Rune to find the warrior inside himself and prove to the doubters once and for all that he is a true hero.

MY REVIEW

I first got introduced to this series through my Medieval Literature class at school, and I've got to say, this series is a diamond in the rough. Not a lot of people know about it, and that makes me super sad. It's too good not to share!

For those of you who didn't read my review on Peaceweaver (which can be found here), the companion to this book, let me assure you that you do not have to read the long tale that is Beowulf before reading this one (I mean, you can... That would give you special bragging rights and such), and you don't have to know much about Norse mythology before either. Like I said in my Peaceweaver review, if you watched the movies Thor and Thor: The Dark World, you'll be fine.

Plus, you get to see this handsome devil. Oh Loki, how we love you.

On the surface, the main character, Rune, is just a normal farmhand who lives with his adoptive mother, Amma. From the get-go, however, you get to see what is not so "normal" about him. For one, he was found on the shore in a basket, sort of like Moses from the Bible. In the basket with him was an amulet with runes carved on it (hence the name), and a sword that we believe was his fathers'. In the winter he is set apart from the other boys in training, and instead is taught to use the sword and shield by Beowulf's finest instructor. So clearly there is something different about Rune, and in this book we get to figure out exactly what it is that sets him apart from the rest.

I really grew to love Rune as a character. He has a natural curiosity and courage that I just adore, along with some awkwardness because of who he is: Rune, the boy who showed up in a basket. He also has a lot of wisdom for a teen his age. He would surprise me by going against tradition and actually thinking about the situation, no matter what someone else said, to keep people safe. He's one of those people that you wish was a leader because they certainly have the brains and wisdom to do so, but the crown always goes to the town idiot.

Yeah, I'm talking about you, Joffrey.

All in all, if you're a fantasy nerd like me, you need to read this book. It's got action, it's got adventure, it's got wisdom, it's got mythology, and most importantly, it's got heart.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"Above a farm, a black shape rent the sky. Like a dark ribbon blowing in a breeze, it undulated through the air, then straightened and shot toward the farmhouse. Fire streaked from it. The thatched roof blazed in sudden flames, and two tiny figures raced from the door. The thing wheeled and turned, beating heavy wings and retching forth more fire. Both figures fell.
Rune's body turned to ice. It was the worst thing he could imagine. A dragon.
Someone had awoken a dragon."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Find out more about Rebecca Barnhouse and The Legacy of Beowulf series!:
http://www.rebeccabarnhouse.com/index.html

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon A Time....
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their next move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl...
Sixteen-year-old Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past and is reviled by her stepmother. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world's future. Because there is something unusual about Cinder, something that others would kill for.

MY REVIEW

If you don't already know, I am obsessed with fairy tales and very interested in steam punk. So, as you can imagine, I was very happy to see that this book was a blending of both!
The story takes Cinderella and puts her in futuristic China with robots and all of the futuristic technology that comes with that, along with ID chips (yikes!) and bionic limbs. Cyborgs are looked down upon in the society, but it's never really stated why. Maybe it's because they're somehow less human with iron limbs, but don't ask me.
The other thing that really reeled (get it? like a hook? hahaha.... well I thought it was funny...) me into the plot was the disease that is a very important part of the story. Letumosis is this terminal disease that you only get the symptoms of when you're in the second stage, and by then, there's nothing anyone can do but quarantine you until you die painfully. It starts out as bruise-like spots that spread all over your body, and then you get a fever and sweat, and after that, death.

Wow! That last paragraph was really depressing, wasn't it? Let's get on with this then.

This is lostie815 (on deviantart)'s depiction of Cinder, our main gal in this book

The Lunar people in this book are interesting as well. They come from (you guessed it) the moon, and have a very evil Queen named Levana. Queen Levana is the perfect example how something that is too perfect in looks can just look, well, wrong. Her face is perfectly symmetrical, her lips, face, and eyes perfectly shaped with no wrinkles, spots, or blemishes of any kind. However, all of it is an illusion which is seen through with a mirror. So, as you can imagine, the Queen hates mirrors. All other Lunars can do what the Queen can do, it's just that she has more power and can actually kill people if they have a mirror with them.
The main characters were really cool as well. I really connected with the awkward tomboy mechanic that was Cinder. Just like Cinderella, Cinder has two stepsisters, but like the Ever After movie with Drew Barrymore, Cinder has a stepsister that is nice to her, but the other one is as mean as her stepmother, Adri. Cinder has another friend in Iko, who is probably one of the funniest droids that I have ever read about. During one part, she actually puts on Adri's pearls and makeup, and then walks around like she's going to the ball. Many lols were had over this little character. :)

lostie815's depiction of Prince Kai, our knight in shining hoodie. :)

And of course, like all fairy tales, we have our Prince Charming, Kaito. I was expecting him to be like any other fairy tale prince (you know, blonde hair, blue eyes, really dumb at anything but the sword), but he was a lot more like Charming from Once Upon A Time. He does everything he can to rule the kingdom like a just prince, but he isn't just a ruler. He has so many layers to him that really take away from the 2D princes we're so used to seeing. I'm not going to tell you everything about him because then what's the fun in reading the book?
When I was finished with the book, I started reading the Q&A that was in the back, and that was when I realized: I may have a new favorite author.
No seriously, when they asked her questions about the book and stuff, she kept answering in ways that made me laugh! For example:

Q: Who's more attractive, a prince or a mechanic?
A: A mechanic. I like men with useful skills. Running a country? Psh. Fixing that weird sound in the engine? Yes, please!

Q: If you weren't a writer, what would you be?
A: An aspiring writer.

There's nothing more awesome than an author who likes to have fun. All of my favorite authors tend to have silly senses of humor (example: Rick Riordan), and from this Q&A, I could tell that I would like her if I happened to meet her.

All in all, if you like steam punk, romance, fairy tales, and funny moments, you are going to love this book. However, I would say that you should keep the second book Scarlet pretty close because you're going to need it. ;)

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"THUD.
Cinder jerked, her head smacking the underside of the table. She shoved back from the desk, her scowl landing first on a lifeless android that sat squat on her worktable and then on the man behind it. She was met with startled copper-brown eyes and black hair that hung past his ears and lips that every girl in the country had admired a thousand times.
Her scowl vanished.
His own surprise was short-lived, melting into an apology. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize anyone was back there."
Cinder barely heard him above the blankness in her mind. With her heartbeat gathering speed, her retina display scanned his features, so familiar from years spent watching him on the netscreens. He seemed taller in real life and a gray hooded sweatshirt was like none of the fine clothes he usually made appearances in, but still, it took only 2.6 seconds for Cinder's scanner to measure the points of his face and link his image to the net database. Another second and the display informed her of what she already knew; details scribbled across the bottom of her vision in a stream of green text.
PRINCE KAITO, CROWN PRINCE OF THE
EASTERN COMMONWEALTH
ID #0082719057
BORN 7 APR 108 T.E.
FF 88,987 MEDIA HITS, REVERSE CHRON
POSTED 14 AUG 126 T.E.: A PRESS
MEETING IS TO BE HOSTED BY CROWN PRINCE
KAI ON 15 AUG TO DISCUSS THE ONGOING
LETUMOSIS RESEARCH AND POSSIBLE LEADS
FOR AN ANTIDOTE-
Cinder launched up from her chair, nearly toppling over when she forgot about her missing limb. Steadying herself with both hands on the table, she managed an awkward bow. The retina display sank out of sight.
"Your Highness," she stammered, head lowered, glad that he couldn't see her empty ankle behind the tablecloth.
The prince flinched and cast a glance over his shoulder before hunching toward her. "Maybe, um..." - he pulled his fingers across his lips - "on the Highness stuff?""

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

To find out more about the author and books, visit this website here:
http://www.marissameyer.com/books/

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

SHE WON'T REST UNTIL SHE'S SENT EVERY WALKING CORPSE BACK TO ITS GRAVE.
FOREVER.
Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real.
To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn  to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn't careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.

This is apparel from threadless that I found! Cool, huh? :)

MY REVIEW

I actually found this series at Wal-Mart (I know, I know, how American of me. Har-de-har-har.), but they didn't have the first one. I waited until the next time I went to Barnes & Noble and this book was the first thing that I picked up.
I didn't regret my decision.
I'm obsessed with Alice in Wonderland in the first place, but when you make Alice a bada** and then put her against tons of zombies that she takes out with special powers, I simply can't resist loving it.
As you can imagine, this book has a lot of really fast-paced fighting, a little bit of romance, and a whole lot of scary imagery. I'm seriously surprised that I didn't have nightmares about this stuff.
One thing that I didn't expect is the fact that this book is set in the real world (more or less). I was thinking it was going to be a little bit like the original Alice in Wonderland where she went down a rabbit hole and was transported to a place completely different from the world she had come from, but instead she just ends up in the same world that she has always been in- it's just that she can actually see the zombies now.
I really got a kick out of how Gena Showalter put in little elements of the original story in order to keep tying it back into the classic. Ali has a friend named Kat, there's a rabbit cloud constantly reappearing, and then there's Cole, who I have a raising suspicion is the mad hatter. This really made me enjoy the book, and it kept reminding me that it was an adaptation.
All in all, I liked this book, and if you like strong, kick-a** female leads, you will too

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"We went airborne, flipping over, crashing into the road upside down, then flipping over again. The sound of crunching metal, shattering glass and pained screams filled my ears. I was thrown back and forth in my seat, my brain becoming a cherry slushie in my head as different impacts jarred me and stole my breath.
When we finally landed, I was so dazed, so fogged, I felt like I was still in motion. The screams had stopped, at least. All I heard was a slight ringing in my ears.
"Mom? Dad?" A pause. No response. "Em?" Again, nothing.
I frowned, looked around. My eyesight was hazy, something warm and wet in my lashes, but I could see well enough.
And what I saw utterly destroyed me."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Listen to Alice's iPod!:

Furious by Jeremy Riddle

How He Loves by Flyleaf

Fallen by John Waller

Monster by Skillet

Fading by Decyfer Down

Things Left Unsaid by Disciple

All In by Lifehouse

Beautiful Disaster by Jon McLaughlin

How to Save a Life by The Fray


P.S. So sorry that this was late, I had a lot of things to do on Friday and couldn't get it done on time. Cinder will be on time, however, so come back this Saturday for that.
Thank you in advance for your kind consideration! :)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

SOME RACE TO WIN. OTHERS RACE TO SURVIVE.
It happens at the start of every November: The Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

MY REVIEW

The reason that I chose to read this book was for three reasons: I loved Maggie Stiefvater's work (I had read the Shiver series before this one), I love the ocean, and I love animals (horses are just too cool!) When you put all of that together, add a little bit of island tradition, romance, mythology, and family drama, well, there you have The Scorpio Races.
Before diving into the book, however, I want to give you a brief look at the mythology that this book was based on.:
Capaill Uisce (pronounced copple ishka) is a water horse that comes from Irish and Scottish myth. The horse is usually descibed to be made out of sea water and eat meat, and they don't discriminate, let me tell you. The racers in The Scorpio Races have to be careful because one slip-up can cause you to lose life, limb, or both.
Well, enough about that, on to the review!

Ta-da! Oh...
Yes, I know, I'm a HUGE nerd for adding this in here but, you know what? I don't care! Sulu is too awesome not to share.
^OMGosh this rhymes^
Okay, now back to the review.
...
Why are you still reading this?
....
Get back to the review!
.....
Rebel. I like you. :)

One of the things that I loved first about the book was the island. I imagined it to be sort of like Ireland (even though I've never been there), with rolling green hills and water that splashes onto the rocks that line its beaches. True, Thisby is smaller than Ireland, but I couldn't get that image out of my mind. The island also has a sheer white cliff where the Scorpio Races take place, and I sort of imagined to look like the cliffs below, but smaller. Also, the entire book takes place on or near the ocean, and I think you can guess by my theme and blog name how much I love that. :)

I loved the main character, Puck (Kate) Connolly, not only for her I-don't-need-a-man charm, but for her overall rebellious and tomboy ways. Again and again Puck has to prove herself in this book, and where others may have quit, found some other way to fix their problem, she kept fighting.
She is the first girl to ever compete in the races, not because there was a rule that there would be no women there, but rather it was (quote unquote) "too dangerous" for them, and men just so happened to be the only ones who had ever wanted to race before. Not saying that this is sexism, just saying that it was tradition. By being in the races, she was breaking the tradition that was when the races first began. As you can imagine, the men who were racing weren't exactly happy about that.
Sean Kendrick was a good, strong character as well. A horse lover and trainer his entire life, he works for a horse trader and gets paid for every race that he wins from said employer. His father died in the races because, Sean said, he was scared, so when he goes on his capaill uisce Corr, he is fearless, taking him only as far away from the shore to keep Corr sane. In the beginning, you don't know much about him, but as you read on you begin to grasp at his personality. By the end of the book, you know him as well as you know Puck.

This is a picture of some fan-made November cakes that are sold during the Scorpio Races. The ingredients involve lots of orange, honey, frosting, and caramel, and they sounded SO sweet! The recipe is at the back of the book so that you can make them, but if you don't want to wait, Maggie Stiefvater posted a recipe on her blog: http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-name-is-maggie-im-perfectionist-and.html .

Another thing that I loved about this book was the relationship between the riders (mainly Sean and Puck) and their horses or capaill uisce. You could really tell just by reading how close Puck and her horse Dove are, and even Sean and his red capaill uisce Corr are closer than ever. Nothing needs to be said about their friendship, you just see it in the way that they talk to and act around their steeds. I think that this was a very important part of the story, and I'm glad that she took the care to add that in the book.
All in all, this book is a must read. You can probably tell how much I love it by how much I've typed above this, but I really think that you need to read this book. It'll make you gasp, it'll make you cry, and there are going to be some times that you are going to laugh and love the characters even more. And that, dear reader, is what makes a great story.

This is a painting of a capaill uisce.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"SEAN
It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.
Even under the brightest sun, the frigid autumn sea is all the colors of the night: dark blue and black and brown. I watch the ever-changing patterns in the sand as it's pummeled by countless hooves.
They run the horses on the beach, a pale road between the black water and the chalk cliffs. It is never safe, but it's never so dangerous as today, race day.
This time of year, I live and breathe the beach. My cheeks feel raw with the wind throwing sand against them. My thighs sting from the friction of the saddle. My arms ache from holding up two thousand pounds of horse. I have forgotten what it is like to be warm and what a full night's sleep feels like and what my name sounds like spoken instead of shouted across yards of sand.
I am so, so alive."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

"But I suppose the song that really embodied the book for me by the end was "An Toll Dubh" by Runrig. It plays with the tradition a bit, and it's a little hungry sounding, and it's got a lot of heart. I like to think that defines The Scorpio Races, too."
-Maggie Stiefvater

{A Blast from the Past} Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

Today's review is about:

THE SUMMARY

FIRE ALONE CAN SAVE OUR CLAN...
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying - and some deaths are more mysterious than others.
In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty... who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

MY REVIEW

I got introduced to this series from my silly Dad who wanted to bring me back a present from a recent work trip. So he stumbled into the airport book store (they had those back then), told a nearby employee my interests, and asked if they had a book that I would like. Luckily enough, this lady was awesome, and decided to recommend the Warriors series to him, and he bought the first one. When he brought it home, I devoured every word and hungered for more. Since then, I have devoured around 20 of these books, but this one (Warriors: Into the Wild) is the most loved book that I own other than Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell (and by loved, I mean that the spine of the book has evidence of being bent many times from reading).
But enough about my obsession, let's get to the meat and potatoes.
This book is about a kittypet (house cat) named Rusty who has to choose between the comfort and care under his twolegs (owners), or to become a warrior cat and hunt in the forest, maybe even become leader of the nearby Clan. This choice is what I think is what I love most about this book. On the one paw (See what I did there? ;) ), you've got comfort and laziness, on the other adventure and the great unknown.
The fact that Rusty (obviously) chooses the adventure is what I love most about him. True, he chooses it at first for selfish reasons, but over the book you get to see him grow to love and fiercely protect the Clan that he chose as home. That, and he's feisty and doesn't take crap from any cat. He's got a sharp tongue that one...
Not only that, but time and time again he proves in the forest that no matter where a cat came from, be it from a Clan, a house, or a nearby street, they deserve respect and care as much as his Clanmates. He's willing to go into unknown territory to protect any cat that deserves it.
All that I'm going to say about the plot in this book is watch out. There are a small group of cats that you can't trust.
All in all, this book is a must read for cat lovers and adventurers alike of pretty much every age (obviously you have to be able to read XD). :) You will not regret delving into the world of the warrior cats.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

""But kittypets can't be warriors!" Graypaw blurted out. "They don't have warrior blood!"
"Warrior blood," Bluestar echoed with a sigh. "Too much of that has been spilled lately."
She fell silent and Lionheart meowed, "Bluestar is only offering you training, young kit. There is no guarantee you would become a full warrior. It might prove too difficult for you. After all, you are used to a comfortable life."
Rusty was stung by Lionheart's words. "Why offer me the chance, then?"
It was Bluestar who answered. "The fact is, ThunderClan needs more warriors."
"Understand that Bluestar does not make this offer lightly," warned Lionheart. "If you wish to train with us, we will have to take you into our Clan. You must either live with us and respect our ways, or return to your Twolegplace and never come back. You cannot live with a paw in each world.""

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Visit the Warriors website to look at the cats, clans, and videos!:
http://www.warriorcats.com

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

IF YOU AIN'T SCARED, YOU AIN'T HUMAN
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers - boys whose memories are also gone.
NICE TO MEET YA, SHANK. WELCOME TO THE GLADE.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out - and no one's ever made it through alive.
EVERYTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever.
And the message she delivers is terrifying.
REMEMBER. SURVIVE. RUN.

MY REVIEW

I've got to be honest, I went into this book with A LOT of skepticism. I'd heard about The Maze Runner from some of my friends, but I didn't think it was all that interesting, or that I would even be interested...
I've never been so wrong.
True, I didn't like the book in the beginning (it was a little slow to start), but as soon as Thomas entered the Maze the first time, I knew I was hooked. I was hooked BAD. What started as "Oh, I'm just going to read this so that I will know if I want to see the movie" quickly turned to "I NEED THE SECOND BOOK."
The Grievers were the thing that shocked and interested me the most about the Maze. I've got this thing about monsters and bad guys, and these ones were good! I'm dead positive that I would be like everyone's favorite character, Chuck, and I would just avoid the Maze and Grievers altogether. NO WAY I would go inside that thing without an extreme need to.

A glimpse of a Griever... wicked little fella!

Not only that, but the book was filled with (what I consider) clever curse words, and clever names for things in general. Poo is klunk, the sleeping/farming/eating area is the Glade, and shuck is commonly used to describe someone (Ex: you shuck-face!). The characters were well-written, they had some dark pasts and you could tell (even if they sometimes didn't know it themselves). Added to that is the mystery of the Maze and the boys that live in it. Why these boys? Why the maze? Who made all of this? Who would be sick enough to do this? The questions, I'm pleased to say, are mostly answered with only a couple left unanswered to continue the story. (Oh how I love the complexity of series plot lines!)
All in all, I liked this book very much, and I cannot wait to see the movie that comes out today (September 19th)!

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air.
Metal ground against metal; a lurching shudder shook the floor beneath him. He fell down at the movement and shuffled backward on his hands and feet, drops of sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air. His back struck a hard metal wall; he slid along it until he hit the corner of the room. Sinking to the floor, he pulled his legs up tight against his body, hoping his eyes would soon adjust to the darkness.
With another jolt, the room jerked upward like an old lift in a mine shaft.
Harsh sounds of chains and pulleys, like the workings of an ancient steel factory, echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls with a hollow, tinny whine. The lightless elevator swayed back and forth as it ascended, turning the boy's stomach sour with nausea; a smell like burnt oil invaded his senses, making him feel worse. He wanted to cry, but no tears came; he could only sit there, alone, waiting.
My name is Thomas, he thought.
That... that was the only thing he could remember about his life."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Watch the official trailer for the movie that just came out! :)

Visit The Maze Runner website to get some WICKED goodies!:
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/mazerunner/index.php

BLOG UPDATE: The schedule for the next couple weeks!

Hello all!

I have some news about the schedule for the next couple of weeks! Starting tomorrow, I am going to be posting a new book review every week on the following days:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - September 19th

Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter - September 27th

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - October 4th

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter - October 11th

and last (but certainly not least)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - October 18th

I will be posting more frequently now that I'm back from vacation, so look forward to more reviews after these!

Toodles!

~Sea-Solo

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Today's review is about:

THE SUMMARY

(The summary on the back mainly talks about how it's an 20th century classic, blah blah blah, so I'm going to write this one myself. Please bear with me.)

It all starts when Nick Carraway moves to West Egg in New York, next to the infamous Jay Gatsby who is known for his stylish parties, and not for his face. Before he knows it, Nick is pulled into Gatsby's life through a party invitation, where he learns of Gatsby's never-ending love for Daisy, his cousin. This book will leave you guessing, and will shock you till the end.

He seriously should've gotten an Oscar for The Great Gatsby!

MY REVIEW

This is the first (and hopefully last) time that you will hear this from me: I liked the movie better. The fact of the matter is that the book hooked me in the beginning, but couldn't seem to keep my attention throughout the rest. I don't know if it is because I knew what was going to happen, or because I thought that I had something better to read or something.

Although I didn't like it, it still had elements that charmed me from beginning to end. Gatsby's demeanor and love for Daisy is what made the book, not the little tea parties and meetings in the middle.

The story would capture my interest, but before I knew it, I was being set right back into on of the tea parties and getting very bored. I think that it could have done without the constant tea parties and general blabber (but save the tea party with Daisy, it was too cute!)

I'm not, however, trying to dissuade you, dear reader, from reading this book. My opinion is my opinion, so while I did not like this book, many of you out there will love it. As for me, I'm going to stick to the movie (which was EXTREMELY accurate!).

A LITTLE EXCERPT

In my younger and more vunerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

Well, that's all for now!

Thanks for reading!

~Sea-Solo

To you, old sport.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Listen to Young and Beautiful from The Great Gatsby soundtrack!

http://thegreatgatsby.warnerbros.com/

Visit the movie's website!

{A Blast from the Past} Divergent by Veronica Roth

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

ONE CHOICE
Decides your friends
ONE CHOICE
Defines your beliefs
ONE CHOICE
Determines your loyalties-
forever
ONE CHOICE
CAN TRANSFORM YOU

MY REVIEW

I was first introduced to this book by my sophomore English teacher, who also happens to have a book blog (http://apocalypsereads.blogspot.com/), and her opening line for this book was: "I like this book more than The Hunger Games." What you don't know is up until that moment all of us at the book club at my High School thought that she was a hard-core Katniss fan, so of course measures were taken and thermometers checked. After reading this book for the second time, I have to agree.
Let me explain:
What we have here is a story about a girl who goes up against everything that she believes of her society, and unlocks the power and strength that is hidden within herself. There is a love story, but it is not a love triangle (Can I get a hallelujah?), and still is as complicated as one. Although The Hunger Games is good, and I am still an avid Katniss fan (up until the last book that is), Tris has taken her rightful place as one of my favorite female characters of all time.
This book will take you on a wild ride from cover to cover, and the adrenaline that you will experience from it is no laughing matter. Every moment is a danger to Tris and the society that she lives in, every pause in the writing is heavy with the words of a fantastic author.
The scene is a futuristic Chicago, in which there are five different factions: Amity the peaceful (red or yellow), Abnegation the selfless (grey), Candor the honest (black and white), Erudite the intelligent (blue), and Dauntless the brave (black). When you reach age sixteen, you take an aptitude test to determine which faction you would be most suited to. Divergents are people who fit into more than one faction, and are therefore uncontrollable.
If you are caught as a Divergent, you will be killed.
Not giving away any spoilers, Tris is a girl who has to try to fit in and hide who she really is. Kind of like a Disney princess we all know and love...

Sorry, but I just had to put Frozen in here SOMEWHERE...

And a lot of us can relate to that, because all of us have times in our lives where we pretend to be someone else and hide all that makes us US. Unlike Elsa, though, the revealing of one's self could put you in the bottom of a chasm with a bullet in your head. (Violence, much?)
I love the Divergent trilogy, and I suspect that if you like Dystopias, you will too.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

My family might be able to help me make my choice, if I could talk about my aptitude test results. But I can't. Tori's warning whispers in my memory every time my resolve to keep my mouth shut falters.
Caleb and I climb the stairs and, at the top, when we divide to go to our separate bedrooms, he stops me with a hand on my shoulder.
"Beatrice," he says, looking sternly into my eyes. "We should think of our family." There is an edge to his voice. "But. But we must also think of ourselves."
For a moment I stare at him. I have never seen him think of himself, never heard him insist on anything but selflessness.
I am so startled by his comment that I just say what I am supposed to say: "The tests don't have to change our choices."
He smiles a little. "Don't they, though?"

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Watch the Divergent movie trailer!

And here's a clip from the movie.

{A Blast from the Past} Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

13 Elements you will find in the first Emily the Strange novel:
1. Mystery
2. A beautiful golem
3. Souped-up slingshots
4. Four black cats
5. Amnesia
6. Calamity Poker
7. Angry ponies
8. A shady truant officer
9. Top-13 lists
10. A sandstorm generator
11. Doppelgängers
12. A secret mission
13. Earwigs

"I want YOU
to leave me alone"

MY REVIEW

In true Emily the Strange fashion, I have decided to make a top 13 list instead of my regular routine. So, without further ado, here it is:
1. Black cats
2. A cafe called El Dungeon
3. Golems
4. Cool black rock
5. A traveling magic show
6. Amnesia
7. Easy to read
8. Cool drawings
9. An awesome van
10. Doppelgängers
11. Strange town names
12. Mystery
13. Top 13 lists

But in all seriousness, this book is really fun to read whether you're a little girl in elementary school or a older teen with a love for J.R.R. Tolkien. You will fall in love with the character Earwig, and follow her as she tries to figure out who she is and why she is in a little town called Blackrock.
I am myself a black cat girl, so I loved the cats and the adventures that they led Earwig to, and I also loved all of the "romance" that happened between Raven (the waitress at El Dungeon) and the guys from the traveling magic show.
I'm going to admit something: I envy the kids of today. They have stuff like Monster High, that show that it is okay to be different and like black cats and all of that stuff. When I was growing up, we had Tamagotchi (I think mine's still around my room somewhere) and Barbies to play with, and while the Tamagotchis were fun to play with (and still are), Barbie seemed to teach little girls that loving pink and wearing fancy dresses are the only ways to go in the world. I'm loving all of the different stuff that's coming out, but not to the level of the Bronies.
This book is great for girls (and guys) that are around middle school age and older. :)

"Spring Spring
go away!
I want some rain
so I can Play..."

A LITTLE EXCERPT

OK.
I think I better take some notes, cuz something super strange is happening to me, and I don't know
1. my name
2. anyone else's name
3. where I am
4. how I got here
5. where I live
6. how old I am (am I a kid or just short?)
7. anything I've done since I was born
8. whether I'm a cat person or a dog person
9. whether I actually believe people are either cat people or dog people
10. what might have been written on the eleven pages that were torn out of this notebook
11. why this happened to me
12. how long it's going to last, or
13. what I should do next.

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Visit the official Emily the Strange website to check out more art, buy some merch, and other cool stuff!:
http://www.emilystrange.com

Peaceweaver by Rebecca Barnhouse

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

Sixteen-year-old Hild has always been a favorite of her uncle, the king of the Shylfings. So when she protects her cousin the crown prince from a murderous traitor, she expects the king to be grateful. Instead, she is unjustly accused of treachery herself.
As punishment, her uncle sends Hild far away to the heir of the enemy king, Beowulf, to try to weave peace between the two kingdoms. She must leave her home and everyone she loves. On the long and perilous journey, Hild soon discovers that fatigue and rough terrain are the least of her worries. Something is following her and her small group of guards - some kind of foul creature that tales say lurks in the fens. Will Hild have to face the monster? Or does it offer her the perfect chance to escape the destiny she never chose?

MY REVIEW

If you were looking at the cover of this book and thinking: "This book looks like fun", well then you would be absolutely right! Believe me when I say that the cover isn't the most exciting thing about this book, but rather it is the extremely believable story that lives within it!
When reading, you form theories on how the book is going to end, and one by one they are all disproved until you get to the end, and even then nothing is for sure. That is one of the things that I loved about this book, it keeps you guessing until the very end, and then you have to somehow suck yourself out of the story so that you can go on to other books.
The cover is what really drew me in at first, and I'm happy to say that this IS a book that you can judge from the cover. The cover art depicts very realistically the horror that you encounter later in the book, a fight between Hilde and whatever that is, so take comfort in the fact that it won't catch you completely by surprise (even though it will surprise you still).
Hild's blackouts are intense and unpredictable and make you wonder what in the heck is going on, which makes it really fun to read. Still, this book is very violent, so we (my class) were thinking that this would be appropriate for ages 12+.
Another thing that is wonderful about this book is the fact that it looks at the sort of aftershock after King Beowulf (yeah, that's right, THAT guy) died while defeating the dragon. Even if you haven't seen or read Beowulf, the story is explained very well, so you don't have to force yourself to read it if you don't want to (though I would recommend it, just so that you have read it and have said bragging rights). The tie-in with another Medievalist novel was a good move and really sets you into the time-frame.
With all of that comes another plus: Norse mythology. Once again, if you don't know anything about Norse mythology, don't sweat it, because that is explained as well, and although it is a major part of the book, you don't need to know much to dive-in, feet first. (Pretty much if you watched Thor or Thor: The Dark World, you'll be fine.)
And the rest? Well, you'll just have to read it for yourself, won't you? ;)

A LITTLE EXCERPT

Within Hild, something snapped. White-hot fury filled her, and without realizing what she was doing, she grabbed her skirt in one hand, her sword in the other, and ran blindly toward her cousin. In less time than it takes a hawk to plummet from the sky after its prey, she was across the practice area, shouldering Arinbjörn aside and pushing with her sword. Her arm jolted as the weapon met resistance, but she shoved back against something she couldn't see, then shoved again, pushing her blade in front of her as it buried itself in something solid.
Everything stopped. Insects in the grass quit their chirring mid-note, the breeze in the birches held its breath, the bright autumn sky blanked into white -
-and then a weight was on her sword as the man standing in front of Arinbjörn staggered.
Now her own lips were parted and she stepped back, taking her blood-spattered hand from the sword, which was still embedded in the man's guts, and looked over his shoulder at Arinbjörn. A tuft of her cousin's hair was sticking up on one side, she noted incongruously. It gave him a comical appearance.
A raven cawed, unlocking the stillness, shocking the world back to life.

(pages 56-57)

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Visit Rebecca Barnhouse's website!:
http://www.rebeccabarnhouse.com/index.html

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

"A road's a kind of holy thing...
it brings all kinds of people and
all parts of England together."
Eleven-year-old Adam loved to travel throughout thirteenth-century England with his father, a wandering minstrel, and his dog, Nick. But when Nick is stolen and his father disappears, Adam suddenly finds himself alone. He searches the same roads he traveled with his father, meeting farmers, pilgrims, minstrels, priests, and thieves along the way. Through these encounters, Adam discovers that somewhere in the crowds of people are his father and his dog. But will Adam be able to find them and end his desperate search?

MY REVIEW

I was assigned this book for my Medieval Lit class, and loved it so much that I had to share it with you guys!
The adventures that you go on with Adam are fun and hold your mind until the last page. All the while, you are wondering if everything will turn out all right in the end. The music and minstrel's tales held the book together and really transported you back into the middle ages.
Adam is a very lovable character, with a big head sometimes, but is always out to make people happy, no matter what he himself is feeling at the time. As a reader, you watch him grow up, following him in his quest to find his dog and his father.
The most important thing that this book did for me was it reminded me of what it was like to be a kid. Many times in our lives we want something that we don't have; adulthood and childhood being one of the things we want throughout our long lives. We forget, however, about what it is to be a child, and this book brings us back. We feel the same sort of mystery and adventure as with any book, but rather than making us long for said adventure, it reminds us of the children we once were. And that, my friends, is the greatest gift of all. :)

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"Nick!" shouted Adam. "Nick!"
There he was. There was Nick in that boat, and every minute the strip of water between them was widening. "That's my dog!" he cried. "He took my dog!"
The people on the dock at once gathered around him with exclamations and questions.
"When the ferry comes back, dearie," said a pleasant-faced woman, "you can have my place and I'll wait for the next one."
When the ferry came back! By that time Jankin would be gone, and Nick with him. They were nearly to the other shore now.
Adam took his harp from his shoulder and his bundle; he unfastened his belt and wallet and took off his shoes, and piled them all together. "Watch them for me," he said to the friendly woman.
Then he dived.

Well, that's all for now!

See you in the next one!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Listen to Sumer is Icumen In, a medieval song mentioned in the book!