Books of Note: September Reads

I've decided to continue with the format for my books of note that I did over the summer and list all the books I read as well as bought and then of course, the reviews for my favorite books as usual. I've also decided to link the reviews for the books I don't review directly on the blog to Goodreads. Because I actually do review most books that I read so if you are interested, you can read them on Goodreads.

I read nine books this month, still not as many as I wanted to, but a lot of them were 400+ pages, so I let myself off :P I also managed to read only books I own this month, so no library books at all, and I got through a lot of new releases and series books I have wanted to read for a long time.

Books I Read:

1. Gates of Thread and Gold by Lori M. Lee (Giveaway win) (2/5 stars)
2. Deathwish (Cal and Niko #4) by Rob Thurman (4/5 stars)
3. The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2) by Maureen Johnson (3/5 stars)
4. Blood of My Blood (Jasper Dent #3) by Barry Lyga (5/5 stars)
5. Cup of Blood (Crispin Guest #0.5--prequel) by Jeri Westerson (4/5 stars)
6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin (4/5 stars)
7. Found (Mickey Bolitar #3) by Harlan Coben (3.5/5 stars)
8. Slaves of Socorro (Brotherband Chronicles #4) by John Flanagan (3/5 stars)
9. Inkheart (Inkworld #1) by Cornelia Funke (re-read) (5/5 stars)

Books I Bought:

1. Blood of My Blood (Jasper Dent #3) by Barry Lyga
2. Roadkill (Cal and Niko #5) by Rob Thurman
3. Jackaby by William Ritter
4. Found (Mickey Bolitar #3) by Harlan Coben
5. The Maze Runner by James Dashner


Favorite Reads of the Month:

Jazz Dent has been shot and left to die in New York City. His girlfriend Connie is in the clutches of Jazz's serial killer father, Billy. And his best friend Howie is bleeding to death on the floor of Jazz's own home in tiny Lobo's Nod. Somehow, these three must rise above the horrors their lives have become and find a way to come together in pursuit of Billy. But then Jazz crosses a line he's never crossed before, and soon the entire country is wondering: "Like father, like son?" Who is the true monster?
The chase is on, and beyond Billy there lurks something much, much worse. Prepare to meet...the Crow King.


Review

I'm going to have to break my normal review format for this one because I honestly don't even know how to go about reviewing this book, and I'm going to try to do it as well as I can without spoiling it, which means it's going to be short.

This was a ridiculously hard book to rate. There is so much in this that is not okay, but it all works out into the story, so I can't really complain and the end really clinched it for me. I'm going to be honest, horrible stuff happens in this book, and when we find out about Jazz's past it gets even worse, but it's not okay in the book, just as it's not okay with the reader and it's supposed to be like that, so while I don't care to read about stuff like that, because it wasn't there to be gratuitous I can deal with it and just feel bad for what poor Jazz went through.

This was a non-stop action book, I read it in two days and only stopped to sleep. The writing as with the previous books is amazing, the twists and turns are wonderful, and leave you wondering whether or not everything will actually turn out okay in the end, and I love that because it's usually so obvious that everything will end well in a book. The twist about Ugly J and the Crows was great, and though I pretty much had figured it out by that time, I thought it was revealed really well. Billy Dent is whack, there's nothing else to say, he was just so creepy.

As for the outcomes, I loved them, I was reading with bated breath, not knowing where it was going, or where Jazz was going, and all I'm going to say is that I was not disappointed. The conclusion was wonderful, way better and more solid than I expected it to be, and overall I am really happy I read this series. Barry Lyga is an amazing author and one of the best when it comes to writing crazed, delusional serial killers. And I do always appreciate that. I really do.

So, yes I ended up rating it five stars in the end, because what else am I going to do with a book that makes me feel the way this one did?

When a corpse turns up at his favorite tavern, Crispin begins an inquiry, but the dead man turns out to be a Knight Templar, an order thought to be extinct for 75 years, charged with protecting a certain religious relic which is now missing. Before he can investigate, Crispin is abducted by shadowy men who are said to be minions of the French anti-pope. Further complicating matters are two women: one from court with an enticing proposition, and another from Crispin’s past, dredging up long-forgotten emotions he would rather have left behind. And as if all that weren’t enough, a cunning young cutpurse by the name of Jack Tucker has insinuated himself into Crispin’s already difficult life. The deeper Crispin probes into the murder, the more it looks like the handiwork of an old friend turned adversary. With enemies from all sides, Crispin has his hands full in more than murder.


Review

I was hoping that Jeri Westerson would write a prequel for the Crispin series to tell us how he and Jack actually met, and I was not disappointed with this book. It was a very good prequel (and I'm always a fan of those) and it was nice to see Crispin and Jack get to know each other from the beginning. I have always loved their relationship because it's a bit different from what you normally get with mystery novels, Jack being so much younger than the typical side-kick character you find in the genre, but it works really well with the series and with Crispin's character. The storyline of this one was really cool too, and I loved how all the mysteries seemed to be separate but kind of intertwined throughout the story to where you were left wondering whether it was all just a coincidence or whether everyone might be involved. It wasn't super hard to figure out, but there were still a couple twists that I didn't see coming, and I still enjoyed the book despite that because I read these for the characters more than anything. As for secondary characters, I loved seeing Wynchcombe again, I actually really enjoyed his character. He is a baddie, but he's interesting too because half the time he's trying to kick Crispin's head in and the other half, he's helping him. He was one of my favorite sheriffs in the series. I did not care at all for Lady Vivienne, in fact, I found her annoying. That didn't bother me though, because she was supposed to be. What really bothered me was that Crispin was such an idiot about her. I mean, seriously, man, you can't think all ladies are so innocent, can you? And even after she duped him several times, he still fell under her spell. Just several head-shaking moments there, but I think it taught him lessons for later in the series. De Marcherne was a pretty cool baddie though. He was so cold and evil, and French. I enjoyed him a lot. All in all, another really enjoyable Crispin Guest mystery. I really look forward to seeing the next book in the series, and continuing Crispin and Jack's adventure where they left off!

From internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben comes this third action-packed installment of his bestselling young adult series.

It’s been eight months since Mickey Bolitar witnessed the shocking, tragic death of his father. Eight months of lies, dark secrets, and unanswered questions. While he desperately wants answers, Mickey’s sophomore year of high school brings on a whole new set of troubles. Spoon is in the hospital, Rachel won’t tell him where he stands, his basketball teammates hate him . . . and then there’s Ema’s surprise announcement: She has an online boyfriend, and he’s vanished. As he’s searching for Ema’s missing boyfriend (who may not even exist!), Mickey also gets roped into helping his nemesis, Troy Taylor, with a big problem. All the while, Mickey and his friends are pulled deeper into the mysteries surrounding the Abeona Shelter, risking their lives to find the answers—until the shocking climax, where Mickey finally comes face-to-face with the truth about his father.

Review

Thoughts on the Overall Book: I've loved the Mickey Bolitar series a lot so far, and while this one might not have been quite as action packed as the previous two, I still did enjoy it and it had a few really good twists that kept me reading it straight through. Anytime I read a novel straight through I have to give marks to the author for that. Cover--Yea or Nay: No. I really hate these new covers. They are terrible. Characters: Mickey was always a really enjoyable character. He does what he has to and he doesn't sit around moping about it. I also loved Ema and continue to do so in this one. She never comes across with an attitude and is a genuinely good friend to Mickey. Spoon was less weird in this story and I actually feel like we got to know him a little better. He surprised me. I'm not going to say much more for fear of spoiling the story, but I'll just say that I liked how we got to see some more of the characters and how they played their parts in the plot. The Romance: Not really any romance though part of the plot is that Ema met a boy online and that's whatever you want to call that. I still think there will be a romance between her and Mickey, and I wouldn't be unhappy with it, but I don't mind them being friends like they are now either. Writing Style: Same as the others. First person past tense from Mickey's POV. I enjoy his narration, I have no complaints with being in his head. As I said previously, Harlan Coben does so well with suspense, keeping the reader occupied. Granted, it's not a long book anyway, but I read it in a night and a day and it definitely felt like it went super fast unlike some books that drag on forever. It's the kind of thing I look for in a suspense novel (and I have read 'suspense novels' that did not make me sit down and read them cover to cover). The story wasn't quite as awesome or engaging as that of the previous two books, but it was still enough to keep my attention through the whole thing. It was more of a personal story for Mickey and Ema, dealing with things closer to home. Accuracy/ Believability: No complaints. Obviously, there's not a lot of problem with this in contemporary. Problems/What bothered me: Nothing really bothered me. I could say I was mildly disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Luther but the way this one ended up (and I won't say anything!) the next book--which I assume we will be getting?--will be more about that plot line. Conclusion: 3.5 stars. Not quite as action packed as the previous two books, but still very enjoyable. Recommended Audience: Fans of suspense and thrillers and that kind of stuff would enjoys these. If you liked the Jasper Dent books and want something a little less dark and desperate, this is a good series to read as a recovery. Guy read but can also be a girl read ages 14 and up.

Books of Note: September Reads

Well, I didn't get a lot of a chance to read this month as I was working on finishing up the first novel in my Michael Crandon series (which is now a complete first draft!!) and also doing research into a new WIP I have going as well as gathering the things I need for writing my Nanowrimo story. And most of the books I read this month were re-reads, so I didn't write a lot of reviews, BUT two awesome new releases came out this month that I have been waiting for and were definitely the best new books I read this month, so I'll share my reviews with you here:

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...




Review

Thoughts on the Overall Book: Partly, this book was what I expected: not quite as good as the first--more of a between volume, but as far as story line goes, as is usual with Maggie's books, I was totally just ready to go along for the ride, not knowing what to expect or what I would get.

Cover--Yea or Nay: Yes, I really like the covers for these books, I think it's very neat.

Characters: I continued to love all the Raven Boys and Blue, I honestly don't think Noah could have been more adorable, and I am SO glad he got to be in this book. I just wanted to hug him. Gansey is pretty much the same as he was in the first one, but I think he's learning to be more...something else, for lack of a better word. Blue continues to be awesome and not stupid. I was in pain for Adam through this whole book, he is bloody killing me, and that's all I can say about that. Though Ronan wasn't every my absolute favorite character, I really enjoyed getting to know him better in this book, and see what makes him tick, and more about why he is the way he is and how he's getting better. I was excited to see some new characters too. I loved meeting Ronan's younger brother, Matthew and really wished he had been in the book more, he was so sweet. The Gray Man was the awesomest though. He was just such a cool character. Your typical man for hire, dangerous, yet so quirky, I just, wow, can I say brilliantly crafted. Then there's Kavinsky. All right, I see how he was important to the plot but I honestly could NOT stand him. I just couldn't. If I met him in real life, it would only be ten seconds tops before my hands were around his throat. He was SUCH a slimball (to put it nicely) (view spoiler)

The Romance: There is some romantic tension on the Adam/Blue/Gansey angle but it hardly permeates the plot so it never annoyed me.

Writing Style: As always, Maggie has pulled of a visual wonder with words. This whole book played like a beautiful movie in my head, I could see everything with clarity and it was just brilliant. I was a little bit disappointed that there wasn't more about the search for Glendower in this one, but finding out more about Ronan's ability was also very interesting. This is what made the plot a little slower than the first, but there is still plenty of action, especially toward the end.

Accuracy/ Believability: Not applicable. At all.

Problems/What bothered me: Well, first of all there was just WAY too much language in this book. So much more than the first one. I lost count, so I got really tired of the cussing and that was my only major problem. The other problem is the same problem I usually have with all of Maggie's books which is more of a love/hate thing anyway, and that's that she seeds them so much that I sometimes can't figure out what I should remember, what things mean something and what things don't, and whether I'm overthinking certain things, and underthinking others. It's maddening sometimes, and this is one of those series I honestly wished I had waited to read until all the books were out, but do I ever know what's good for me? No.

Conclusion: 4.5 stars. Not quite as good as the first, but fans will not be disappointed. This book is a really good set up book for the next one, and I honestly have NO IDEA what Maggie will pull out for that one, so once, again, I look forward to it with great anticipation.

Recommended Audience: Definitely older teens due to content and language. But if you've read the first one, you probably know the kind of thing you'll be reading anyway.

(To read this review with spoilers, go to Goodreads) 
Click here to read my friend, Mara's, review


The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron's blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.

When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust--if anyone--to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure

Review

Thoughts on the Overall Book: Like the first book, this was an intriguing, fast paced story set in the early Victorian period and now that I knew what to expect from the author, I was a little worried this one wouldn't be as good as the first, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it really was, if not different.

Cover--Yea or Nay: Yes I do like it. I don't even really mind that you can see her face. I love the color of the picture just like I did the first one, and it looks more like a thriller (which it is) than the first one which was more of a mystery.

Characters: I liked Katherine even more in this book than I did in the first one. She has grown in a very capable and smart young woman. There was never a moment I became exasperated with her, because she never did anything stupid, and when she did overstep the mark a little, I honestly couldn't blame her. I was thrilled with the fact that she never really trusted anyone, she never actually told anyone anything and that made me like her all the more. Female characters can sometime be way too trusting and it makes them look weak and silly, but Katherine kept the sensibility that I liked in her from the first one, with a bit of added steel. She's a real no-nonsense kind of girl. I liked the addition in this book of Mrs. Hardcastle and the other busy body ladies and the parts they play in the story, which I will not mention for fear of spoiling. And Mrs DuPont, her Paris housekeeper was one of those snobby servants that are so annoying, but you can't help but like them too. I'm still not really sure how I felt about Henri Marchand. I usually am rather fond of the flirty characters like him as long as I know they mean no harm, but he is definitely not my favorite of those kinds of characters. There was just something missing to make him lovable, and while I didn't dislike him, he wasn't a favorite character. I think I rather shared Katharine's feelings for him. Since she came to Paris looking for Lane, he's obviously not in the book much, which made me a little sad since he was one of my favorite characters from the first book, but I continue to really like him. (view spoiler)

The Romance: There is a potential for there to be a love triangle between Katherine Lane and Henri, but thankfully (apart from a few teasing) this never happens, so don't worry. In fact, Katherine doesn't, in my opinion, have any feelings for Henri at all. She is far too busy to be chasing after all the young men, after all.

Writing Style: As with the first one, the writing style is very well done to the period, and is descriptive and flows well. There were a couple parts I had a little trouble picturing things, but I did eventually figure everything out that I needed to. I like Katherine's narration, which is good, because I hate being trapped in the head of an annoying female character, but as I said before Katherine is very sensible and I enjoy her narration.

Accuracy/ Believability: The author did a lot of research for this book, and it shows. I enjoy reading about books with awesome inventions that are actually accurate, and I learned some things reading this that I hadn't known before. I know only a little about the Crimean War, so leaning a little more of the backstory and what could have been going on behind the scenes during it was very intriguing and made for a really awesome espionage thriller. (which I always love). I didn't have any complaints on accuracy, and the Author's Note goes into the details of the historical aspect. I think she did a very good job portraying Napoleon III as well, I know how hard it can be to pull of major historical figures in fiction, especially if they only have token appearances, but I think she did very well with him.

Problems/What bothered me: No problems.

Conclusion: 5 stars. Just as good as the first book, maybe even a little more fast paced. The ending was very satisfying, and I am glad for the fact that I don't think the author will be continuing this particular story. I am excited to see what she comes up with for her next book, however.

Recommended Audience: girl read 15 and up. Readers of the first one definitely, and girls who enjoy a girl read with a smart heroine and more thriller aspects and espionage than romance. 

(To read this review with spoilers, go to Goodreads) 
Click here to read my friend Mara's review


I hope to have some more normal posts next month, I have a few more ideas, but as I've said, I've been busy with other things so I hope you'll bear with me and my horrible blogging habits. I'll hopefully be sharing some more about Michael Crandon's debut novel A Company of Rogues and if you want to know more about that, visit my previous post. I'll also be getting up some more excerpts of that soon too. At the end of October I am also going to finally reveal the title and theme of my NaNoWriMo novel, and I am VERY excited about that and can't wait to start writing it =) If anyone else is doing Nano this year, let me know, and hopefully we can look each other up in November!

Books of Note: September Reads

Well, I certainly read some amazing books this month! and then some that were very, utterly, and horribly disappointing. But this isn't a rant post, this is a book review post, so I'll share some of the better books I read!

Warring kingdoms, bloody feuds, and a boy’s battle for survival. Step back into the Dark Ages with this riveting epic adventure.

In the wilds of Dark Age Britain, a bard abandons his son, Essa, in a village trapped between two feuding kingdoms. As the once-nomadic boy grows rooted in the life of the Wolf Folk, forging allegiances and young love, King Penda of Mercia threatens to attack, thrusting Essa into the violent and cunning world of the tribal rulers. Joined by unlikely friends, unsure of whom to trust — or even of who he is — Essa sets off on a dangerous journey, using his newfound intuitive gifts to guide them as a deadly battle brews. Will his desperate efforts to save his loved ones bring him closer to understanding why his father has never returned? Fast-paced and full of intrigue, this debut novel transports readers to a time of blood and steel, when peace was fleeting and won only at a cost.

Review

Thoughts on the Overall Book: I enjoyed this book a lot! I liked the setting, of course, I can't pass up much having to do with ancient Britain, I loved the characters, and the overall story was well crafted and believable. I did a faith buy on this book (because I couldn't get it from the library) under recommendation from a friend and I'm glad I did because I ended up liking it even more than I thought I would. The first couple chapters are a little slower but it's necessary to get to know Essa and the other characters and after that the book picks up into a really great, suspenseful story.

Characters:Essa, of course, is a great protagonist. You feel for his position and his abandonment by his father, Cai. Now Cai is a rather interesting character because you can dislike him for how he treats Essa, but you can also understand his reasons behind it and since he isn't completely terrible you can maybe forgive him a little bit. It also probably stands to reason that I loved Wulf and the brotherly relationship that forms between him and Essa because I just love that kind of thing, and Wulf also had a great sense of humor. I also liked the girl characters too. Lark, I knew I would like right off, and Anwen, I was afraid at first that she would be annoying, but she surprised me and turned out to be a really awesome character as well.

Writing Style: The style was good, it fit the time period well, and the author clearly did her research as she stated in the author's note. I also liked how it was third person from Essa's point of view. It was the kind of book that you couldn't really be in anyone else's head. It could have been first person, but I think it was fine the way it was.

Problems/What bothered me: The only thing that really bothered me was the fact that Essa could put himself into animals, or I'm not really sure how to describe it. Thankfully I was warned of the fact beforehand though, so it didn't surprise me as much as it would have otherwise, seeing as there is no indication of any fantasy like story line in the book's description. It was weird at first, but once I got used to it it didn't really bother me. It kind of fits into the whole ancient British thing too, with a Faery kind of undertone, so I was okay with it. The only reason I complain about it is because I couldn't really see why it was necessary. Yes, it was helpful at moments to Essa, but a woodsman or whatever could have managed the same sort of things, I imagine.

Conclusion: 5 stars. I found as I read the last half of this book that I really enjoyed it immensely. I think it was just a mixture of the characters and story, but I loved it. The ending surprised me a bit, but after a few minutes I decided I kind of liked it, even though it was abrupt. I'm excited to get to the sequel to see if it is just as good.

Recommended Audience: I'd safely say that fans of Rosemary Sutcliff would enjoy this book because it had the same sort of feel as hers do. Still not quite up there with Rosemary's but close. As for age, probably fourteen and up, not really for content purposes because there wasn't anything I caught to complain about otherwise it would not have gotten five stars, but because I think the story line would be better appreciated by an older audience.

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

Review

Thoughts on the Overall Book: This is not the kind of book I normally read, but it came highly recommended to me by a friend I trust so I thought I would give it a go, and, as I know I have said before, I seriously can't pass up books with brotherly relationships. They're so hard to find that I have to eat up the ones I can. I did really end up enjoying it though. There were parts that were a bit odd, and I am not really a fan of magic and especially not witches (in fact I think this is one of the only books I've read with actual witches in it that wasn't a fairy tale or some sort of re-telling) but I liked the originality of it. It was definitely something like I had never read before and after a while I kind of got used to the weirdness, though I'll admit that I kept expecting everything to be a farce since that was kind of how it was set up to be. I really liked the idea of the singing magic though. As a huge lover of music and a musician myself, I really appreciated that.

Characters: This was the highlight of the book for me. Though the storyline might not have totally been to my liking, the characters definitely were. Ryder and Falpian were amazing, and there were some really good supporting characters as well. I loved Ryder's sisters and I also liked his relationship with them and how he protected them. Falpain and his dog Bo were great too, and don't even get me started on the whole 'twins in spirit' thing between him and Ryder. Perfect!!!! That was just so well done and simply lovely. My hat is off to Lena Coakley for writing such an amazing brotherly relationship.

Writing Style: The writing really was good, the author says in her author's note that this was a work of several years and I think the tinkering paid off. It flowed well, and it was clear and understandable, which is good for a fantasy world. While I'm talking about that, I should mention how I loved the setting in this book, and the people. It was, again, really unique, and vivid. The author's descriptions were wonderful and I could picture everything perfectly, and even though she didn't do all that much to describe the characters, I could see them clearly in my head. That is just good writing. I also liked how she switched back and forth between Ryder and Falpian, that's always important when dealing with two different sides and sympathies.

Problems/ What Bothered Me: I truthfully didn't have any problems here, despite the fact that I could have done with a little less of the witchyness. I'll forgive it because I ended up enjoying the book a lot.

Conclusion: 4 Stars, I really liked it. I also LOVED the ending, and this book kept me guessing through the whole thing too which is great. I actually was worried for a moment it wasn't going to end the way I hoped it would, but it did ;) It was a very satisfying read. I also trust there's a sequel? I'm definitely looking forward to it!

Recommended Audience: There wasn't anything in this book content wise, and I'd say anyone probably thirteen and up would find it enjoyable. Fantasy fans and lovers of different books with new ideas would like it. And of course those like me who love brothers-in-arms stories. It's also a guy and girl read, though it may not look like it from the cover. Guys, seriously, you would like this book, just get a cover to put over the picture on the front if it bothers you!

Dane is 100% Viking. He's courageous. Tough. But he has a big problem.

He needs to choose a nickname. Dane the Dangerous? Dane the Despicable? He just can't decide. Even his best friends, Drott the Dim and Fulnir the Stinking, aren't any help. But when Dane witnesses his proud father shamed by the tyrant Thidrek the Terrifying, Dane's indignation earns him a moniker that sticks--Dane the Defiant.

So defiant is Dane that when Thidrek kidnaps Dane's beloved Astrid in hopes of trading her for Thor's Hammer, the ancient, magical weapon of mass destruction, Dane goes after him like a bat out of Valhalla. Navigating treacherous seas, a nasty smiting by the gods, and a rather lonely frost giant, Dane and his rowdy band of Norsemen will stop at nothing to end Thidrek's terrifying reign and take their place among the greatest Viking heroes of all time.

Review

Thoughts on the Overall Book: This was one of those books that I just grabbed at the library with a kind of indifference like 'it looks like it could be good, I'll give it a go'. I wasn't really sure of it, but when I started reading it I really instantly fell in love with the story, characters and writing style. It was just really funny, but with a good mix of drama and adventure thrown in as well. The characters were great, and it was overall a very pleasant surprise! It's definitely not a historical fiction, but I really like how the authors mixed in a bit of modern day stuff which would make it a more fun read for the recommended audience (12-16, I'd say) and also the mixed in Norse legends and Viking Lore. I've always been a fan of Norse Mythology, so I really liked how that was worked into this book.

Characters: Dane is a great hero. He's flawed but he also knows how to do the right things, and I thought he was a well-crafted young protagonist. His friends are awesome too like Drott the Dim and Fulnir the Stinking, and don't forget Jarl with the gorgeous hair and an obsession with hair-care products :P I also really liked Astrid as the heroine. She was awesome because, though she was the damsel in distress, she was also more than capable of taking care of herself. And she also didn't have the Attitude at all. Sure she could throw axes better than all the men, but she never flaunted that fact.

And then there's the villain, Thidrick who liked to knit on his spare time, and also held matinée executions every saturday where children under ten could get in free. Seriously, is that not enough?

Writing Style: It was good, fast paced, and laced with humor outside of the dialogue. My favorite kind of style for this sort of book.

Problems/What bothered Me: Overall, I didn't really have any problems with this book. Since it was not presented as historical fiction, I won't say anything about the inaccuracies that were only there for the sake of humor. The only thing I had a problem with was that it seemed whenever someone got hurt they were well again, WAY too quickly. Like almost instantly, and that is a huge pet peeve of mine, but the book was enjoyable enough I'll let it slide this once.

Conclusion: 4 Stars, I really liked this book. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to reading the sequels. The authors seemed like really fun guys too, I enjoyed reading the interview in the back of the book.

Recommended Audience: I'd say this is more of a guy read, but girls who like guy reads will enjoy it too, because Astrid is a great heroine who girls would like to read about. (She's also the only girl character which makes this so much better) As I said before probably ages 12-16 would enjoy it the most. If you're looking for Viking historical fiction this is not it (Go read Judson Roberts' Strongbow Saga') but if you're looking for a fun quick read, this is a great book to pass the hours with. And I think fans of Ranger's Apprentice or John Flanagan's other books would like these a lot.

~~~

Also, I made another button! This one if for "On a Foreign Field". If you've read the book, copy it to your blog and link it either back to mine (http://hazelwest.blogspot.com) or to the purchase link: https://www.createspace.com/3882345

Slainte, Hazel