Some Books to Review - from kids to adults and something in between...

**Many thanks to NetGalley for this copy**

Ivan and I have been hooked since the first Pheobe and her Unicorn book. Here comes #8, Unicorn Theater by Dana Simpson.

This one is all summer camp and that was fun. Instead of band, this year Phoebe wanted to attend drama camp. She is looking forward to spending time with Marigold (the Unicorn is named Marigold Heavenly Nostrils for those who are unfamiliar), but Marigold has invited her sister Florence Unfortunate Nostrils.

It's a silly story, but it seriously deals with the whole jealousy issue. Don't act like you haven't ever been jealous when a friend is spending time with someone else. We've all been there. That's right, I'm saying I learned something here. Not that I didn't already know that on a human level, but it was a good refresher course. Just because your friend is hanging with someone else, doesn't take away your friendship nor diminish it's importance.

It's a great message in a fun book. Ivan and I both think so!

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**Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book!**

This next book is Claw the System: Poems from the Cat Uprising by Francesco Marciuliano.  Another book of cat poems. I don't know who was more tickled, me or Ivan. He adores cats, I think the poems are funny, and we both enjoy reading them together.

I'm not sure how to really review poems. I like the book, some of the poems make me laugh and the photographs are gorgeous!

If you liked "I could Pee on This" or "I Could Pee on This, Too!" you will 100% love this.

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**Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this!**

This book is titled Super Chill: A Year of Living Anxiously by Adam Ellis. I'm a new fan of Mr. Ellis! This book was full of insights, and "I do that, too!" moments put out there in a hilarious way.

Sometimes it's anxiety, not wanting to do social things, and sometimes you just want the tacos more than the workout! I laughed a lot, I mean a lot! I want to read this one over again before it expires.

I have enjoyed Sarah's Scribbles, and this is in the a similar category but for guys. Enjoy!

Book Review: The Plastic Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

**Thank you NetGalley for this review copy**

Let me start of by saying, this one was prepurchased on Amazon for quite a few months. But NetGalley gave me a copy, so here I am...happy as a clam.

I kind of happened upon the Paper Magician by Ms. Holmberg, and fell in love. I read the next 2, and all I knew was that this was another magician book...turns out it's a spinoff and not a sequel. I did not know that going in.

We have a whole new group of people, so if you haven't read the other books you should be ok. She's pretty good at describing things, it's just the whole world might take you a little bit to get used to.

So, in this book we have Alvie, who is moving from Ohio to Great Britain to be an apprentice. She is set to be a magician of plastic, which is a new and exciting field for the early 1900s.

She meets new people, makes new friends. But the intrigue in here really surprised me. It's a very sweet story, and you really don't know how it will all play out until the end.

I loved this from start to finish!

Book Review: The Emerald Circus by Jane Yolen

**Thank you NetGalley for another winner!**

This is absolutely as much fun as the cover implies. Jane reimagines so many stories that we are familiar with. She takes sometimes real people, and adds something fantastic. How did Has Christian Anderson become such a beloved author of children's tales? She has one about Queen Victoria and even Edgar Allen Poe.

Then she has ones like The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and even Peter Pan. The Peter Pan one was my favorite.

She takes these stories and carves out a little piece and makes it her own. Her use of language was so enjoyable. She clearly can weave a story. I will be looking for more from her when my own must-be-read list finally dwindles.

Book Review: The Overneath by Peter S. Beagle

**Thank you, NetGalley, for the digital copy!**

You know, a lot of people look at me funny when I mention The Last Unicorn, but it was a life changing movie when I was a kid. And when I found out this is the guy who wrote it...I was all in. I haven't read The Last Unicorn yet, but he wrote the book AND the screenplay!

This was awesome writing! The fantastical stories he has in his head. And he creates characters that you care about, even in the shortest time. Shoot, there was one story that I really didn't care for and I still had to finish it to find out what happened.

If you have followed me at all, you know I'm not a huge short story fan. But this was a complete winner! And going forward, I am going to have to investigate this author.

Book Review: The Only Thing Worse Than Witches

by: Lauren Magaziner

I won this book on Goodreads. They ask that you review it, but it's not required. I was so impressed when it arrived. First of all I didn't know I had won - thanks for letting me know, Goodreads! Second, she autographed it. It said something about bunnies and friends. That became clear as we read the book.

At first I wasn't that impressed. It was so out there with silly names and the kids vs. adults theme. Rupert is in the 5th grade and he has the worst teacher ever! The kids aren't allowed to be friends, they aren't allowed to talk to each other either in school or out of school. She keeps kids late, and even days at a time as punishment. Poor Rupert, his mother doesn't even believe him. She is a very busy woman, working 3 jobs to support them as a single mother. I guess it's not a big deal to kids, but it really tickled my curiosity. What's the story there? What happened between his father and mother? But a father never is mentioned.

One day, immediately after his mother forbid him to have anything to do with the witches in town, he finds an ad for a witch's apprentice. He meets Witchling two. They don't have names until they pass their BAR exam. And Witchling Two needs all the help she can get. This is when the story takes off for me. She is so goofy that we are all laughing. Again, my husband was sucked in and at the end he was just as upset that we had to stop. That really puts this up to 5 stars for me. It was slow for me, but only for me. CW loved it from the first moment. It even prompted him to ask his teacher why she never reads about witches.

Back to the story; it happens to be against the rules for a Witchling to hang around a human boy. Or maybe it was the sharing of spells. I don't really know, but they ran into a bunch of trouble just for being friends. But I loved it because she needed a friend more than an apprentice. She neeeded someone who cared about her, listened to her problems, and didn't care if she was a talented witch or not. He needed a friend, because his teacher had virtually left him all alone. Witchling Two gives him the confidence to stand up for himself, regardless of the consequences. If you've ever felt lonely, you will relate to these two wholeheartedly.

Oh, and did I mention, Witchling Two is terrified of bunnies? The girl has a serious phobia. She had us laughing a lot. An entertaining read for adults and children alike.

Book Review - Fluff Dragon

by: Platte F. Clark

This is book 2 of a 3 book series. The first book is Bad Unicorn - and yes, I encourage you to read it. It was a fun book and it gives the back-story. I don't think this would do well as a stand alone story. So seriously, stop reading this and go read Bad Unicorn if you haven't already, I'll wait.

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Welcome back! Now in Fluff Dragon we are introduced to some new creatures. Fluff Dragons, of course, which are dragons that accidentally "put their clothes on inside out." We know dragons can take on human form, sometimes when turning back it goes wonky and their scales are facing in, and when that happens the Escutcheon's Scale keeps reflecting the magic back in and they get really small and they are really stuck.

Fire Kittens, Loki and Moki to be exact. Moki is hilarious! He's overly excited by everything, seriously everything. Even prison excites him. Lesson to be learned here, about living in the moment. Moki is the happiest character, by far.

Max is in trouble, now that they have traveled back to their own time, the Codex is no longer working. It randomly sparks at Max and he can't read anything. It has killed his magic. But he uses the downtime when they are trying to fix it to memorize the names of spells, he's a really bright kid. Now if they can only get the Codex working again and defeat Rezormoor Dreadbringer, in order to save the dragons.

It's another fantasy novel for kids but filled with so much zany adventure that adults are sure to love it, too. I'm not just saying that, my husband groaned just as much as my 9 year old did when story time was over. lol

Book Review: The Finisher

by: David Baldacci

This is one of those dystopian type fantasy novels. I stumbled upon this at the Scholastic Book Fair. It was on sale for $9.99 and it was hidden in a corner looking so sad and lonely. Never let it be said I never gave a book a home - lol.

It is about a 14 year old girl named Vega Jane. She is basically on her own. Her parents are in a place called The Care, basically a nursing home and are both unconscious. She has a little brother whom she looks after and a best friend, Delph. She works full-time as a finisher, where she literally finishes projects made of metal, wood or ceramic. She lives in a tiny village that is cut off from anything. They are told there is nothing else and to exit the boundaries is certain death.

But things aren't what they seem. The poor girl is naturally curious, but rarely has her questions answered. They know the founder of their village, but she asks where did he come from if there is nothing else out there? No answer. Her grandfather suffered an "event", but what happened? No answer. What dangers do the "Outliers" present? No answer.

As a reader, you are left with unanswered questions as well. What happened to her parents? How did they end up that way in the Care? Where did the founder come from and what is beyond the village? Is this dystopian or pure fantasy? I'm unsure if this is a series or a stand alone book.

I enjoyed the story, it was engaging to say the least. But the every exciting part left me with more questions than answers, and as I read the last page I was left with a bit of satisfaction at a book well read, but also frustration at what was left unaddressed.

**upadate** I see a rumor there is another book coming in 2015. Maybe some answers!

Book Review: An Imperfect Witch

by Debora Geary

Another series! I'm so happy. Debora's Witch Central books are like soothing balm after dealing with the real world. There is so much love and laughter. Lizard is back in this one - yeah! Josh is still with her, but he is losing patience. She needs to relax and let him in. Her problem is she doesn't like to plan ahead - she never really knew what her life would be like the next day much less the next year. But hopefully he can get her to just go with the flow more, take risks. And yes, commitment is considered dangerous to poor Lizard.

She also gets a big surprise in this book. And really, I won't spoil it. You'll have to read it yourself. This is very light reading, especially after reading something depressing. I'm now halfway through the next in this new series - An Unlikely Witch. It's just great to see all the characters that we know and love and catch up as their lives keep moving forward.

And Debora Geary is an exclusive Amazon seller, but she will hook you up if you need a Nook version. Simply purchase the Amazon e-book, e-mail (deborageary@gmail.com) her the receipt and she'll e-mail the file back to you.

Book Review: Cattitude

by: Edie Ramer

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
It's all in the Cattitude...

After Belle the cat switches bodies with a psychic on the run from a murderer, she wants her perfect cat body back instead of this furless human one. But she doesn't count on falling in love with her former owner. Or that a CEO and a beauty queen want to use up her nine lives. Now is her chance to prove anything a human can do, a cat can do better.

"Cattitude is a magical tale that you won't soon forget. Edie Ramer has a writing voice that charms, and she pulls the reader right into Belle's amazing world." -Cynthia Eden, bestselling author of Deadly Fear and I'll be Slaying You

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I did not do this intentionally - review 2 Edie Ramer books in one week...but I have to say after reading Dragon Blues and Galaxy Girls, I was excited to slip into another of Edie's fantasy tales.

It's a body switch story, except it's between a human woman (who happens to be psychic) and a female cat. Belle, the cat, who finds she generally dislikes how complicated it is to be human. I love that she doesn't let anyone get to her, and continues to come and go as she pleases and does what she wants, she stays very catlike in attitude. Highlight of being human? Learning to use the can opener so she can eat tuna anytime. Also she learns how to read and gets sucked into Harry Potter. As someone who is reading them for the 3rd time, I see how that can happen. lol

Sorcha, finds that she kind of likes being a cat. It's quiet; in the switch, her powers fizzle out and she has silence in her mind for the first time in her life. She also finds a little girl who loves her unconditionally and truly needs her.

Edie keeps the suspense up in this story because not only are you unsure about them switching back, which both generally want to do, but Sorcha has people who want to kill her. Well, technically one of them wants to kill Belle who is in Sorcha's body, but you'll have to read the tale to figure that one out.

And I would say that is also contains the strong female lead and a man who doesn't care that she's strong. And this is odd, because he's a man who is used to taking care of people.

I can now say, without a doubt, I am an Edie Ramer fan!

Book Review: The Green Knight's Apprentice

by: Virginia Chandler

Available for purchase after October 17, 2012.

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This is not a tale about the Green Knight, but his apprentice. Although honestly apprentice isn't the right word either. Rhowbyn is a bard's son, who follows his father the night The Green Knight visited King Lott's castle. He is then taken to serve with the Green Knight and learn all the mysteries surrounding the old ways.

After a few years, he is there to assist the new Green Knight, who just happens to be Sir Gawain of King Arthur's court. Rhowbyn helps Gawain learn the ropes, how to visit with the Faery folk and the steps to go through for all the high holidays in order to keep the fields sharing their bounty.

Unfortunately those darn kings don't think there's quite enough work to do and war is on it's way. Through all this, Rhowbyn learns of his own history and strengths, even as he moves further into his own adulthood.

It's a very good fantasy read, with a pretty fast pace. However, my only complaint is that sometimes the pace is just too fast and not enough information is shared. But if you love fantasy and King Arthur stories, you'll be happy with this book.

Book Review: Growing Disenchantments

by: K.D. Berry

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: (from K.D. Berry's website)
Just when he'd been looking forward to another quiet night delving into mind-bending arcane lore and mentally wrestling with the deepest magicks, along came this mysterious thief to disturb him. Why was it nothing in Ragonnard's life ever went to plan?

Rather than turn her in to the law (or into something else), the young sorcerer offers Ganfrey a deal – steal a portrait from the palace for him.

But it's no ordinary portrait. For 500 years it's been a magical prison for Syranax, the most powerful sorcerer in history. His enchanted Amulet was entombed with him, and Ragonnard wants it. More than anything.

In releasing the Amulet, Ragonnard unleashes a devastating sequence of sorcerous events, the like of which has not been seen for hundreds of years. And, no, things definitely don't go to plan.

Ned Merrivel is a time traveller from the future. His job is to sort it out when it all goes wrong and save the world somehow. If only he can find a pair of trousers first.

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I was so excited to see another installment of the Adventures of Drewdop. Okay that's not what it is but I do adore that character. He's an illusionist who is very smart, much smarter than the king, but he makes bad choices because he is still human. He gets himself into a real pickle in this one.

Ragonnard isn't really an evil sorcerer he just wants this magical tool so bad that he makes the worst decisions. Even his furniture gives him grief about his lack of forethought and planning. Ganfrey helps him get the painting and then it all goes to hell. Silly Ragonnard!

It's really quite the fantastical adventure! I love King Credos who is a bit if a bumbling idiot, but has such a good heart. Every time he throws a party it's not just for the rich people, he invites everyone in town, all his servants...he doesn't discriminate. I think it would be better to have a ruler like this than the ones who think only money matters. Of course it helps that he has such a good adviser in Drewdop.

This book had quite the adventure, and you'll be hard pressed to put it down, especially toward the end. What really tickled me though was all the fairy tale spots. Like Ragonnard is the "Sorcerer's Apprentice", you know, the one with all the brooms? He made all of his things sentient, so they resembled Beauty and the Beast. The evil queen's magic mirror even made an appearance, and what an appearance! It wouldn't give Ragonnard any information until he said, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" and then the Mirror answered back, "Why thou art, my queen." Ragonnard was very frustrated by that, but I was LMAO.

They also had me using my dictionary in this book. Some words I've fallen in love with. Garde-robe, midden, alacrity and more. This is why I love my Kindle, just highlight a word to get the definition. Yes there are some big words, but it's a well written book, easy to follow and the story will suck you in. You will fall in love with all the characters, even Valesco, Drewdops demon-imp.

I'll leave you with this quote that was describing Ragonnard and Drewdop:

"Both of them knew they were being petty, knowledge that made them behave even worse."

The Last Dragon of the North

by: Tony Chandler and Virginia Chandler

**Originally reviewed for Pagan Writers Community.**

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Owain Armstrong has been hired to hunt down a red dragon that is killing livestock across Wiltshire . The only evidence is a bloody patch on the ground and the head of the dead animal. Owain begins to track this nocturnal predator when news of another dragon comes – a much bigger dragon.

During his journey, Owain meets up with the famous dragonslayers of the Northern Band: Katja is a beautiful blonde who is deadly with a crossbow; Erik, a massive man that is short in temper and always eager to fight; Lars, a man who is equally as cunning as he is strong and finally Edlund, their leader.

When meeting Owain, the band of weary slayers long had been on a quest to kill the last dragon of the north. But then word comes to them from the Green Dragon Inn about a monster - a dragon - that lives inside the mountain behind the Inn.

And for a price, anything is possible...

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Bad fantasy is just bad, but good fantasy rocks! And this was fantastic. So many details, and it was dirty and scary and far more realistic than any other dragon book I've ever read. It answers questions such as "If there were really dragons why haven't scientists found the bones?" and "Really, a huge reptile and one knight in shining armor can take it down single handedly?"

The characters take their time opening up too, this really keeps the story fresh as they are traveling around after the last dragon. Plus with five main characters, it allows loads of time for them to develop and deepen. I really disliked Owain at the beginning, but came to love him by the end. Lars is another one I liked, I think I just loved the name Lars...and speaking of Lars...who has ever combined Vikings and Dragons? Ok, I'm not especially well-read in the fantasy genre, it may have happened, but I haven't seen it yet. And who doesn't love Vikings and Dragons???

So yes, if you want a great fantasy read that is going to let you immerse yourself into the story for a few days, The Last Dragon of the North is it. And I'm hoping, as there was a hint, there may be a continuation of this story. I will be waiting in line for that one!

Book Spotlight: The Delphi Bloodline

by: Donna Del Oro

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Athena Butler is the modern-day descendant of an ancient bloodline of gifted clairvoyants. She’s trying to live a “normal” life as an artist, but with the disappearance of her mother and other notable psychics, she finds herself dragged into danger. She, too, is a target.

Kas Skoros, the son of a psychic, is a Guardian, one of a secret society whose task is protecting the Delphi bloodline. He rushes to rescue Athena and uncover the mastermind behind the kidnapping plot.

Athena and Kas stay one step ahead with Athena’s psychic abilities and Kas’s training in law enforcement. When they seek refuge at the Skoros compound in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the FBI convinces them that the only way to stop the kidnappers and trap the mastermind is for Athena to offer herself as bait.

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About the Author:
Donna Del Oro spent her childhood in two places, Silicon Valley, CA and the countryside of East Texas, as her father tried several job opportunities. Finally settling in Silicon Valley, she grew up in a bilingual, bicultural world--Spanish on her mother's side and English on her father's. Comfortable in both worlds, she decided upon retiring from teaching to write about her Hispanic side. Four women's fiction books resulted and a series about professional singers, their careers and love lives. Retired and devoting much of her abundant free time to exercise, writing, singing and her grandson, Donna has finally reached a point in life that totally satisfies her. Life is good and she has no complaints, just a lot of gratitude for her many blessings.

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Excerpt:
Chapter One

Pyramid Valley, Nevada

Thursday AM

Athena Butler’s eyes blinked open and she sat up.

Coming back from The Flow was always jolting. Emerging from the stream of spirits was like a water skier lurching out of the water, pulled by a strong, invisible force. The mind caught up later to the body as if it required a rough snap to break free.

Likewise, to go there was like jumping out of a plane and feeling the air rush to your face, your limbs weightless and wobbly. Most of the time, it was a joy to enter this world of unseen spirits. Athena welcomed her visits, especially at night when she found herself invariably alone.

When she was a child, she’d often emerge from The Flow with a fearful whimper and a cry. She’d wept and wanted to stay in The Flow. Now, at twenty-six, Athena had grown accustomed to her mental flights. They were no longer fear-inducing for she understood their purpose. But her exits were still mind-wrenching and she often lay in bed, disoriented.

This morning, fear clutched her heart and she could barely breathe. With a trembling hand, she reached for her phone. Breathless, she raked her other hand through her hair and kicked her legs over the side of the bed. She punched her mother’s mobile numbers. It was nine o’clock East Coast time.

“Thank God, Mama! Where are you?”

“I’m in Baltimore, near the--.”

“Mama, I had a dream about you. A Flow Dream. The spirits—they want me to warn you! Whatever you’re doing right now, get off the streets. Go home and lock the door. Call the police!”

Her heart felt like a ticking bomb in her chest. Athena could barely speak. But her mother knew her and understood her Flow dreams. They were seldom wrong though sometimes a little off in timing. Today, a threat was imminent. She knew it.

“Slow down, Thena. Take a deep breath and tell me slowly about your dream. I don’t doubt you but we must be able to interpret it correctly. You know how these Flow Dreams are. Sometimes the symbolism is strange and difficult to interpret.”

“Okay--just go home and lock the door. Now, Mama!”

The Goblin Rebellion

by: Rex Jameson

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Five years after the Uldram catastrophe, the elf Routan sits in a shattered home filled with the faded memories of his murdered children. King Elandril has done nothing to bring Lucifer and the demons to justice, and despite the assurances of the government, Routan remains convinced that the Elven Realm is in grave danger. Assistance comes from the creator of the Order Primal, and together, he and Routan will shake the foundations of the multiverse.

Length: 95,000 words (approx. 392 pages in print)

The Goblin Rebellion is the sequel to Lucifer's Odyssey and the second book in the Primal Patterns series.

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This is a guy novel. Not to say that women can't enjoy it, I did. But this one guys will get too. There is so much talk of primal patterns and shadows and universe stuff...honestly it's hard to wrap my head around most of it. But that being said, it doesn't take away from the story. Even though I don't get it, it adds validity to what the characters are doing. Their magic is drawn from their primal pattern.

Well if you want to read this one, I recommend you get Lucifer's Odyssey first. That story goes from Lucifer (Prince of the Chaos primal) being trapped on Earth in the Order primal. He does finally escape and then a whole mess of exciting stuff happens.

I will say one thing, these books keep you on the edge of your seat no matter what is going on. Lucifer isn't the bad guy either, he's the good guy and Jehova - Lucifer's cousin is the bad guy. Jehova is a tinkerer and he left Chaos to create his own primal pattern. Did I mention he's kind of a jerk? He thinks his work is of the utmost importance and will stop at nothing to continue it. That includes taking out another primal pattern. In the first book he tries attacking the Chaos primal, since that didn't work he's back trying to take out the Elvin primal.

And that's all I'm telling you. It's only $2.99 for the e-book at Amazon and really that's a HUGE bargain considering how long and jammed full of excitement it is.

Dragons Away!

by: K.D. Berry

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
It seemed like such a good idea at the time ... a wager with the devious, dangerous and probably quite deranged King Davkosh of the Southern Realms. Half the kingdom staked in a race between mystery contenders. Ten leagues, point to point as the –er– crow flies.

Drewdop the Illusionist is quick to point out the flaws in this plan and is tasked with a secret spy mission - to find out just what kind of invincible champion Davkosh has training at home.

Travelling in magical disguise causes unforeseen complications for Drewdop, while his half-ogre bodyguard, in the guise of a beautiful woman, certainly turns a few heads.

But Drewdop soon discovers that the great race is the least of their worries. Davkosh's glamorous, fiery and ruthless queen, Gunora, is massing an army ready for attack whatever the outcome.

Meanwhile, deep in the dark forest, one of Davkosh's elite royal messengers is facing his own perilous destiny - how to become the world's first and only surviving dragon rider...

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Look at that cover! Who can pass by such a magnificent looking dragon without being just a little curious? I've read some bad fantasy recently though so I was leery. Boy was I surprised, this book is awesome!

Both the writing and the story progression are smooth. The story is fairly fast paced. I can't tell how many pages it is...I haven't figured out how to do that on the Kindle yet. It's not a short novel, but reads easily in a few days. It is occasionally silly, and sometimes deadly serious.

I loved the name Drewdop...I still call him Dew Drop in my head. He's a magician, set up to look like a cliche wizard but the only magic he can do are illusions. It comes in handy, but there are more than a few occasions where he is frustrated by his lack of magic. He is, however, smart...at least more intelligent than the king. King Credos, while being a bit naive, is a nice person and treats his subjects well. His kingdom is doing well and is full of happy people.

King Davkosh and his wife Gunara are really not any more intelligent than King Credos, but meaner than a crabby rattlesnake. They regularly feed people to their alligators - especially if they need an influx of cash. Queen Gunara also thinks she is invulnerable.

Urkhart, the half-ogre was my favorite character. He was really a sweetheart, but people shunned him because he looked mostly like the ogre half. His ogre half did come to the front when he was in the heat of battle, though!

This is honestly the best piece of fantasy fiction I've picked up in a long time. And K.D. Berry is a penname for a husband and wife team from New Zealand. Oh and the best bit of news, looks like there could be another one for these characters. At least the ending gave a strong hint. Yeah!