Val Muller

This is the first book in the Fire Mage Trilogy. It takes place in a far future (our own time is referred to as “pre-apocalypse”) in which some have discovered their talents as Mages, finding the ability to do things like start fires with their palms or heal the wounded. Those without powers, lowly humans, are treated like slaves. The main character, Avalon, has run away from home, where she was a danger to her family because (as a fire mage) she had the potential to set things on fire accidentally. She also left home because her sister, a lowly human without any magical abilities, was at risk of becoming a slave.

Avalon escapes with a friend who was delivering a strange fox to Frost Arch. Feeling sorry for the fox, Avalon helps him escape and seeks employment at a wealthy estate in the area, where she is responsible for lighting fires and heating baths. At first, the tiny fox takes refuge in her room, but he soon grows too large and must stay in a nearby barn. The fox is definitely magical, though, sprouting wings and changing colors depending on its temperament.

While working at the estate, Avalon befriends Jack, who obviously has a crush on her (but Avalon is too oblivious and lacking in self confidence to see that). She also falls for one of the noblemen at the estate even though Jack and others have warned her against him. At the end of the novel, Avalon’s fox, which has become the size of a horse and can fly, is taken. At the same time, Avalon finds that she has lost her fire-making ability. Still, she is determined to save him.

Once I was thirty percent into the book, I flew through it, finishing it in less than a day. The plot will keep you turning pages despite a few grammatical errors (your vs. you’re and its vs. it’s, for instance). I felt that I wanted Avalon to succeed despite her denseness at times (Jack loves you!) and her lack of self confidence. I don’t want to spoil too much of the book–there are clues dropped throughout that will help you figure things out on your own, and that was part of the fun for me. I will note that I’m not a huge fan of fantasy books because of the excessive description, but this book kept my interest. The description was just enough to help me paint a picture, but it never over-burdened the story. It’s an intriguing premise, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. It would be a fun read for a high-school student (or even an advanced middle-school reader) or an adult.

For a sci-fi, alien-loving dork like me, this book was right up my alley. I couldn’t wait to read it, and it didn’t disappoint. The book follows high schooler Kaila. For most of her life, Kaila was sheltered—home schooled and protected, even forced to wear a special hat or a black plastic head wrap under a wig so that “they” wouldn’t bother her. She’s always known something was strange about her. For instance, she can communicate with her pets using nonverbal communication like eye contact—almost as if she can tell what they are thinking. But despite her questions, her mother has never told her the truth—like why her eyes are so large, why she has only four fingers, why she is so sheltered, or who her real father is.

As the story begins, she insists on going to high school, where she learns just how cruel humans can be. But she also meets a group of students who, according to the principal, were part of a nearby cult and were recently rescued and being integrated into society. These kids are aptly nicknamed “aliens” and wear silver suits and have large eyes and other weird features—like four fingers.

Kaila knows something is wrong almost immediately, and her two new friends start to catch on, too. It becomes apparent that the “aliens” are—well, aliens! Like Kaila, they are half-alien/half-human, but they seem to have an “us versus them” mentality, and they want to know where Kaila’s loyalties lie. They accept Kaila to varying degrees, but Jordyn takes a special liking to her, and they soon become romantically involved. Kaila discovers that the plastic head wrap her mother forced her to wear actually blocks her psychic powers. The aliens at school, with the help of a teacher, teach Kaila about her abilities. She learns to bend time and space and change the memories and experiences of full-blooded humans. She feels especially torn about this ability, and the waters are muddied. Here is where I will stop giving things away.

I will say, however, that I enjoyed the combination of a fun plot, interesting characters and abilities, and philosophical musing. For instance, the aliens remind Kaila to still her mind and live in the present, rather than being distracted and hurt by thoughts of the past or the future. But at the same time, they encourage her to remain distanced from her emotions. There’s also an examination of faith versus science. Which one will lead Kaila to understand the truth? This book was well-written and compelled me to turn the pages from the very beginning. It’s a great read for a high-school student, but adults like me will enjoy it, too. I’ll definitely be following this author!

The book follows the lives of Donnie and Abbie, two teenagers who undergo more than their share of trouble. As the book opens, Donnie has just experienced the worst tragedy a teenager can face—the loss of both parents. After near despair, Donnie finds love with Abbie, a girl who (coincidentally, as he finds out later on) is the daughter of the woman his father died saving. While there are conflicts going on with Donnie and Abbie’s relationship, the important part is this: later in the book, they both become vampires. That’s right—the last 70 percent of the book follows what the first chapter discusses—vampires.

The strength of this book is its plot. It’s an intricate storyline involving a tribe of Nazi vampires bent on—well, being Nazis. Need I say more? Through the book, the reader learns that there is a sub-culture of vampires that the general public doesn’t know about. For instance, on their way to Canada, Donnie and Abbie realize that there are subtle signs out there leading vampires to “vampire-friendly” establishments where they can easily acquire willing sources of blood. My favorite scene, I think, is one in which the two protagonists meet a five-year-old vampire—that is, a vampire stuck in a five-year-old body. In actuality, the vampire is nearly 100 years old. The image created here—that of a wise five-year-old—is hilarious and clever. I also enjoyed the Native American culture interwoven through the book. Donnie’s mother was Native American and taught him some of her spiritual beliefs, which he uses to cope with the various terrors his life throws at him.

My complaint about the book is the pace. As I read it on Kindle, I was able to track the percentage completed as I read. While the first chapter goes into a bit too much depth about vampire culture (without much of a narrative hook), the next chapters—the first 30 percent of the book—detail the lives of Donnie and his friends before they become vampires. The first 30 percent of the book was almost enough to be a stand-alone novel. I kept waiting for the vampires to show up, and while there were a few subtle scenes hinting at vampires, there wasn’t much, and I felt like I was reading a teenage romance book. Once 30 percent hit, the vampire action started, and I was more drawn into the story. It’s a fairly long book, and I thought the exposition could have been strongly condensed, making a more concise and effective story.

It’s a good book for anyone interested in vampire culture. Once the vampire section starts, there’s a balance of romance, mystery, and action. For example, Donnie finds that he isn’t like most newly-made vampires, who become ravenous when they don’t drink enough human blood. Rather, human blood makes him sick, and he finds himself able to drink vampire blood, something he shouldn’t be able to do. While he and Abbie are training to avoid the handful of vampires who (for various reasons) want them dead, he’s also trying to figure out exactly what he is and how he became a vampire.

I read this book as part of a book tour with Juniper Grove. The above review represents my honest opinion.

Dagger Heart is the first book in the Odin Blood series and one that, as of now, is still free for Kindle. The book takes place in Norway in the 700s and follows the adventures of Erica, a strong-willed heroine with an independent streak.

I was captured from the first page by a tom-boy named Erica, who does not fit in with her Viking society. She is an orphan and enters a strong friendship with Finn, the son of the king. As they grow older, the sexual tension increases, but they don’t talk about their feelings. While compelling, I settled in, thinking this was going to be a simple love story.

Wrong.

In a good way.

I love dark stories, and this one certainly has enough darkness. Erica finds herself drawn not only into a conflict as the center of the three brothers, Finn, Paul, and Kriger—but she also finds herself involved with a witch and a strange clue offered through the dying words of the Queen. And then, just as Erica is torn between marrying Paul (who is kind as far as she can tell) and pursuing Finn (who she loves with all her soul), reanimated corpses appear to attack the village.

Yes, this is a dark tale, right up my alley. My only wish is that the author had gone into more depth establishing the setting. In my opinion, there were not enough clues about Viking culture to make the characters and setting stand out from a generic medieval setting. I would have liked more of these details up front. Still, the story was creative, exciting, and well written, and I recommend it to anyone who likes dark fiction.

Aura follows the awakening of Crystal, a girl who has moved around so much that she’s never fit in. Now, when she finally has a boyfriend, a best friend, and a successful part in the school play, she’s realizing that she’s more special than she ever knew. Crystal’s parents have tried to hide the truth from her, though they always raised her to live a good life. Crystal has a special talent, The Light, which allows her to overcome the tempting power of demons.

The beginning of the book focuses on Crystal’s main dilemma: whether to sleep with her boyfriend after prom. Though Crystal definitely doesn’t want to, she feels pressured by Nate’s sweet behavior and the encouragement of her best friend. But the decision gets easier when Nate seem possessed—and it turns out he actually is. Crystal becomes aware of demons that possess people’s bodies in exchange for the promise of something they desire. For Nate, it was the restoration of his college scholarship. And for some reason, they’re all after Crystal.

So far, however, Crystal has been able to live a good life and resist temptation. When she meets Alec and his family, she learns that there is an entire organization dedicated to fighting demons. They recognize a great power in Crystal—the same power that has made her the target of multiple demons—and decide to train her to serve their ranks.

This book has a great message. Without being dogmatic, it encourages teenagers to make the right decisions despite peer pressure. The book was told primarily through first-person point of view, though there were some intercut chapters in third person through the perspective of the head demon. I liked the suspense created by the shifting perspectives, but the point of view shift was always a little jarring at the start of the chapter. Still, I enjoyed the story and its positive message, and the last half of the book is heavily plot-centered, making it a quick read. I would definitely recommend this book to my high school students. Even the racy or violent scenes were kept extremely appropriate for a younger audience, allowing the message to shine through.

I reviewed this book as part of a blog tour. There’s a Rafflecopter giveaway you can enter for the next few days. Check it out here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

As I’m just wrapping up teaching this book with my juniors, I thought I’d write a review. The Grapes of Wrath is a classic, one of those books you should put on your bucket list. Don’t let its length scare you away, but know that the book is meant to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace rather than whizzed through during commercial breaks and smart phone beeps.

During the Dust Bowl era, Steinbeck traveled with a group of displaced farmers who, like many, were thrown from their land (either because the sharecropping model was no longer working or because they lost the mortgage on their own homes). Like many, they made a goal of traveling to California where, it was rumored, they could find work. This novel is a fictionalized account of Steinbeck’s own experience.

Packing an entire family into a customized car (the family includes Grandma, Grandpa, Ma, Pa, Tom, Rose of Sharon, Connie, Noah, Al, Ruthie, Winfield, and the preacher Jim Casy) as well as all their possessions, the Joads set out from Oklahoma to California. They’ve received a handbill claiming that there are orchards in need of workers to pick the profusely-growing fruits of the West Coast. What the Joads don’t understand is that the owners of these farms printed up many more handbills than they actually needed. When they arrive at California, there are many more workers than work, and the Joads find themselves competing for work, often taking a low-paying job for fear of starving (though with the wages they earn, starving is inevitable anyway).

The book really has two parts: the Joads’ journey to California and their experiences once they arrive. Each chapter of the Joads’ journey is broken up with an “interchapter,” a short essay in which Steinbeck describes an element of the journey experienced by the migrant workers. Chapter One describes (and personifies) the dust and the weather that caused the problems in the first place. Chapter Three, my absolute favorite chapter of any book, ever, describes a turtle crossing a highway. It’s a short chapter, but it’s ripe with symbolism, and as the book progresses, it becomes apparent that the turtle’s stubborn journey is a metaphor for the Joads’ (and the journey of all migrant workers).

My favorite part of the book is Steinbeck’s poetic style. The words roll off the page. But again, read the book when you have time to enjoy them. No sense in rushing such beautiful literature.

You can read the book from numerous perspectives—examining the juxtaposition of the interchapters, for example; examining the politics of the book (numerous times, the book was banned or frowned upon for suspected support of communism, though that’s not what Steinbeck was advocating); examining the metaphor Steinbeck creates between the Joads’ journey to California and Moses’ journey to free his people (they both cross a desert to reach a “promised land.”) But the angle from which I love to examine the book is that of the spirit of man. There’s nothing more inspiring than Jim Casy (yes, the initials are relevant) questioning religion and realizing that our definitions of “right” and “wrong” are often arbitrary, and, as Casy says, there’s just “what people do.” When we’re cut off from each other and not thinking about the consequences of our actions, that’s what’s not holy. When we think about fellow man, that’s holiness.

Tom Joad, the main character, could be considered a disciple of Casy. At the end of the novel, Tom leaves his family (for various reasons, but their safety is his primary concern—I won’t say more so as not to spoil the plot). But he tells his mother, “I’ll be all around in the dark – I’ll be everywhere…I’ll be there in the way guys yell when they’re mad…I’ll be there in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry and they know supper’s ready, and when people are eatin’ the stuff they raise and livin’ in the houses they built – I’ll be there, too.” This speech embodies all that Casy has taught him–that we are all human beings, and we are all interconnected. The Transcendentalists would be proud.

Despite any of the various political ways people have read this book over the years, I love it for its celebration of the spirit of man. Tom, Ma, Casy, and Rose of Sharon especially embody this trait. The final scene, which is probably the strangest final scene of any work you will read, embodies this trait especially. I won’t give it away—you can look it up if you really want to. But what it comes down to is that mankind was meant to live, not just survive like animals, and despite oppression and hardship, he will ignite the flames of his spirit and use his life to leave a footprint of his existence and leave the world a little better than he found it.

This is a young adult dystopian novel taking place in an alternate reality in which the discovery of “halves” in the past has drastically altered the present. Each time a child is born, a paired “half” is born on the same day in some location around the globe. Halves are matched with their counterparts on their eighteenth birthdays and are (usually) smitten and, from that day forward, unable to live without each other. When one half is in pain, the other feels it. When one half dies, the other usually does, too.

The protagonist, Aaron, has an abnormal condition: his clairvoyance, the element linking people to their halves, was injured at birth, and doctors fear there will be a problem when he meets his half. In the meantime, Aaron is stubborn and hot-headed. He doesn’t buy the concept of halves, noting that there was a time in human history when people chose their own mates. Just before his eighteenth birthday, he meets Amber, an attractive girl with whom he falls in love. And Amber’s birthday is the same as Aaron’s, so it looks like they might even be halves. But there’s a problem: Clive. Clive is violent, and his father is a sinister doctor doing research that seems to be less than legal. Clive’s birthday, of course, is the same as Aaron’s and Ambers, and Clive insists he is Amber’s half. In fact, Amber and Clive have been identified as halves since they were babies, a practice that is generally frowned upon.

When Amber doesn’t seem to want to submit to Clive, Aaron hopes maybe she will be assigned as his half. But he finds out that Clive (and his father) have an operation planned that will make Amber docile, the perfect wife but no more than an empty, non-resistant shell.

The book builds up to Aaron finding out who his half is. Of course I’m not going to ruin it. This is a great read for a high-school student, especially a male reader. There’s plenty of action and teenage aggression and lust. It’s a page turner from the start. The one thing that bothered me was the absence of Aaron’s parents. At times, things were happening, like kids entering the house at midnight, and the parents didn’t wake up. Also, Aaron got beat up a few times, but his parents didn’t seem too aware of that fact. Other than that, I enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend it to hesitant readers in my high school English class. It’s a compelling read that, I believe, would keep them turning the pages. I’ll admit, I lost some sleep over this book, as the pages compel you to turn… despite the fact that it’s past bedtime!