Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

Warrior Kids: A Tale of New Camelot by Michael J. Bowler My rating: 3 of 5 stars Lance has a new mission, but no less vital than children’s rights. He’s now taking up his friend Itzali’s cause - climate change. After all, what’s the point of kids having rights when they don’t have a decent world to live in? But just like before, he’s making some powerful enemies and might bring about change, but at the cost of his own life. Following up on his previous series, author Michael Bowler continues with the characters from his Knight Cycle books. Continuing with his mix of Arthurian values in modern society, and strange fascination with long, luscious locks, he sets youth as the real heroes against one of society’s biggest scientific issues, that of climate change. Like with the previous books, the results on adults are a bit far fetched, but nice to imagine. I love the emphasis on chivalry and camaraderie, and remember wishing as a kid that adults would take me more seriously (and th...

The Dreadmore Saga: Dawn of Sathram by A.A. Walker My rating: 2 of 5 stars Three teenagers who only wanted to compete at their regional swordplay competition find themselves thrust into a quest that they must complete to save their realm. Yarrin, Rygar and Novvus are sent to find the translator stone which is protected by deep magic, but must survive the perils along the way. Their mage council is counting on them to help prevent the return of the great evil Mallus, who wreaked havoc on their realm before, and all signs point to him gearing up to do it again. Can they find the stone or will they perish on the dangerous journey? On the surface this has the makings of a great fantasy story, but honestly the writing was just awful. To make it slightly readable there needs to be some serious editing. There were redundant descriptions, superfluous prepositions, tense hopping, fragments, and flat out wrong words used. Some of the words were just in wrong form, such as “constance” in...

Brink of Dawn by Jeff Altabef My rating: 4 of 5 stars Juliet and Troy are on the run, following the path of Juliet’s destiny, laid out by her grandfather, Sicheii. Together they meet up with the other Chosen to begin their training. Juliet is discovering her new powers at an alarming pace, which leaves her wondering how much human is left in her anyway? Will she lose her identity completely? And what about the Deltites, is she really powerful enough to defeat them before they turn humanity into a cosmic pawn? Book 2 in the Chosen series follows up with newly discovered hybrid Juliet as she struggles to carry out her destiny. I thought it was well written and insightful, exploring teenage insecurities a little too accurately in some cases. Pulling in the group dynamic was a little clunky at the beginning, particularly for a novel written largely in the first person, but I really enjoyed their interactions. Incidentally, I don’t think you will miss much if you accidentally start w...

Taming Tigers by Daisy White My rating: 4 of 5 stars Not all fairy tales are about finding the handsome prince. Sometimes he’s the ancillary character, and the real challenge is killing the evil king. But how is a poor seamstress to take on one of the most evil warlords in the region? Once again, Daisy White offers a strong female character rising above her circumstances to save the day. This one involves an actual physical journey in addition to a metaphoric one, and it is a harrowing journey full of ghosts, tigers and discoveries. I really enjoyed the love story being simultaneously central and peripheral, and the solution complicated. I’ve only just discovered Daisy White’s fiction but am thoroughly enjoying her grasp of complex situations and characters spun into a relatively short story. If you like engaging quick reads that leave far more to ponder than your typical YA fiction, I highly recommend anything by Daisy White. View all my reviews Please note, while there m...

The Labyrinth Wall by Emilyann Girdner My rating: 4 of 5 stars Like all other Mahk, Araina lives in the Labyrinth and spends most of her days hunting for obsidian to pay her taxes and tries to avoid being killed by other Mahk for food. But Araina has a secret friend, a bird named Blue. Blue would normally make a tasty meal, so Araina carefully hides and protects her, and in doing so finds some measure of comfort and friendship. Blue has a secret too, and when she reveals it all of a sudden Araina finds hope to escape her miserable existence and fight the Creators, who put her people in the position to only just barely survive. Will she be able to trust some other Mahk she comes across or are they just using her? Will they breach the wall and if so, what’s on the other side? The Labyrinth Wall is the first in the Obsidian series, and as a fan of fantasy literature I think the series has huge potential. Author Emilyann Girdner has done a fabulous job of setting the scene and setti...