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A Torch Against the Night

“Your emotions make you human, Elias said to me weeks ago in the Serran Range. Even the unpleasant ones have a purpose. If you ignore them, they just get louder and angrier.” Although this book is a best-seller, I cannot say that this is a can’t-put-it-down read because it took me several weeks to finish flipping on its pages. To be honest, it was a tedious start. But as the story built up, it brought me to different places and introduced me to other interesting characters. I found it a good read. At times, it was a breathtaking feat following Elias and Laia on their journey as they run for their lives. I was thrilled while racing with them away from the Martial soldiers who hunt them and consider them fugitives of the Empire. The long and menacing expedition required me some deep breaths, but I was enamored by Laia’s bravery to defy and fight the enemies in order to save her brother—who is believed to be the key to the Scholars’ survival—from the treacherous prison. And Elias, ...

Quintana of Charyn

Froi has been through a lot of death-defying exploits just to protect this half-mad princess loathed by the people of her own kingdom. Since she was born, Quintana carries the burden of a curse prophesied to be broken by the last born. And like Froi, she also has been through a lot to deserve more pain than she can ever continue to bear. But she has to. In this final volume of the Lumatere Chronicles, you will be drawn into a storyline that captures palace intrigue, hideous past, terrifying pursuits, and a young princess’ quest for redemption, freedom, love, and happiness. More than that, it is a tale of a young man who discovers himself and wills to do everything and anything to keep the woman he has sworn to protect—and he has loved. Quintana’s life is never easy. She has to endure the wickedness of time and of the curse to be able to also free her women. And on her journey, she will prove how strong, wise and worthy she is to become queen, with Froi by her side. In...

Froi of the Exiles

I loved  Finnikin of the Rock  for his resilience and willpower, but I loved  Froi of the Exiles  even more! I was enamored by Froi’s transformation from a preposterous, spiteful street boy to a young man of strength, intelligence and loyalty. Finding a home in Lumatere with the people who embrace him like their own, training with the guards and learning the respectable ways of life turned him into a fine man. His life since the curse on Lumatere was lifted has been absolutely different and all those years he spent in his new home had prepared him to a greater challenge—a journey that would change his life forever for he would unravel the truth of who he is, where and to who he truly belongs and what he can become.  It’s the song that’s sleeping on his blood that would lead him to discover his true destiny. Author Melina Marchetta is a real literary genius and I was so impressed at how she deftly developed Froi as an adorable and impressive character. ...

Percy Jackson & The Olympians

Breathtaking, can’t-put-it-down and adventure-filled best-selling anthology packed with a splendid cast of characters, uncontrollable thrill-ride and creatively depicted backdrops that make a masterpiece of extraordinary enormity. Percy Jackson & the Last Olympian is the best collection that you will love reading again and again as it promises to bore not a second of your time once you begin flipping through the pages.  Meet Percy Jackson, the 12-year-old boy, whose expulsion from yet another school for an inexplicable incident finally uncovers the truth of who he is and what he is capable of doing. Surprisingly, he is a demigod, half-human and half immortal, and not just a typical demigod but one of the most powerful of his kind alive. His mother Sally is human and his father is not just Mr. Whoever God, but the ruler of the sea, the Greek god Poseidon. His death-defying journey to Camp Half-Blood opens his eyes to the truth and the tremendous challenges wait...

The City in the Lake

Can love break the curse created by powerful dark magic? And, can a kingdom survive when its prince, who is considered the heart of the king, is gone missing? With this heart-rending tale of courage, love and magic, author Rachel Neumeier pulls off the key to winning in the world of fantasy fiction.  The City in the Lake  is a beautiful insignia of a truly elating and worthwhile read. My fascination with simplicity and the common life is reassured by this strikingly written epic chronicle that allows me to get acquainted with Timou, a young and keen girl learning to become a mage under the tutelage of his mage father. Her life in an idyllic village portrays and inspires a very refreshing impression, and maybe interesting from a different perspective. It makes me remember home and the neighbors and the usual mundane experiences. Like a typical individual, Timou has needs and longings, but her gift and the truth about who she really is makes her different from her pe...

Graceling

For an award-winning debut book, this is breathtaking! Written with flair and elegance,  Graceling  is one of the spellbinding reads that quench my hunger for fantasy books. The thrilling journey, the terrifying adventure, the outstanding backdrops, the stunning encounters, the heart-pounding romance, and the endearing cast of characters have mesmerized me the whole time. It’s interesting to find beauty and brutality together. In this book, you will find it in Katsa and Prince Po, both graced with extreme skills and they are beautiful. When their paths crossed, both their lives change forever in a journey that could end both their lives. While Katsa is a killing machine, Prince Po is a mind reader. And their graces will be a weapon in fighting an impious king graced with a powerful skill that curses the land and its people—and threatens to control all the kingdoms. Together with the king’s daughter, Princess Bitterblue, who escaped from his father’s execution, th...

Lizard People

Would you believe that you can meet the nicest people in the lobby of a psychiatric hospital? You have to read this book to find out what your answer would be. Mind-boggling, at times, moving but by and large,  Lizard People   is an informative book that offers to its readers a glimpse into the world of mental illness. Although this account did not really hook me like the way fantasy and adventure books capture my imagination and interest, it offered a speck of excitement and thrill—while at the same time challenged my thoughts. What’s interesting to note in this book is the tremendous role of a young boy in the life of his mentally ill mother and his quest for a cure that drives him to escape from reality into the future but only to find out he is tussling with his greatest fear—his own probable insanity. It is depressing to see that a boy as young as Ben Mander has to find a way to resolve a serious problem and set aside his adolescence for a responsibility he sh...

Finnikin of the Rock

Truly, you cannot become an award-winning author if you could not write an exceptional tale. And it takes one phenomenal Melina Marchetta to weave a fiercely captivating epic fantasy of ancient magic, heart-wrenching exile, feudal intrigue, and exciting romance that powerfully enchants the readers. Finnikin of the Rock  is one of the spectacular books that I have read so far. Reading it the first time is compelling, but reading it the second time is absolutely enchanting. Loving the characters is spur-of-the-moment for they are terrifically adorable, interesting and charismatic. How Marchetta developed her characters was remarkable. How she embellished her settings was magnificent. How she outlined her plot was absolutely magical—a mystery yet to be unraveled.  And how she exquisitely splattered on it the twists and turns of events was definitely remarkable. Unquestionably, I relished the unforgettable journey I had with Finnikin and Evanjalin along with the other ...