Review: The Queen's Choice

The Queen's Choice by Cayla Kluver

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior believes she will soon die and must name her heir. Anya has recently learned that the queen would like her to take her place since Anya’s cousin, Illumina, does not have the desired qualities of a ruler. Anya does not want this position. In order to keep from becoming queen, she decides to take a journey into the Warckum Territory to find Prince Zabriel, who should become the next ruler. Zabriel had disappeared into the human realm because he did not want to rule either. Her quest quickly becomes more desperate when she is attacked in the human realm and her wings (and her magic) are brutally cut off. Can she find and convince Zabriel to return and take the crown? Since she can’t return without her magic, what will become of her and the ones she loves?

The Queen’s Choice is the first book in a new fantasy series. Although the story has some refreshingly new spins on the human/faerie story lines, too many of the components tie up too cleanly. These aren’t enough of a distraction for the reader to hate the book, but life doesn’t have THAT MANY clean closings. Kluver’s world building was enjoyable without being overbearing and readers should be able to enjoy the tale whether they have read a lot about faeries or are new to the genre. Sometimes cliff hangers are a downside to series books, but the ending to The Queen’s Choice gives enough satisfaction with a touch of mystery to make the reader add the second book of the Heirs of Chrior series to their “to-read” list.




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Review: And We Stay

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Emily Beam has survived the unimaginable. Her boyfriend, Paul, walked into the school library with a gun and killed himself in front of her. She is angry, grieving in her own way and feels extremely guilty. Her family determines the best course of action is to send her away to a boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts. She quickly discovers that the school is famous for being the home of the poet Emily Dickinson and with the help of two unexpected friends Emily is able to begin healing by writing her own poetry.

And We Stay is told in alternating styles of verse and prose. Although the story jumps in time to give backstory and details as needed, these changes only enhanced the reading experience. Hubbard’s second novel will be quickly consumed by those who wish to read about hard topics such as suicide, teenage pregnancy and societal pressures on today’s teens. This book is a very quick read and does not require a large commitment of time to finish. Because of the mentioned topics and length I highly recommend this book to reluctant readers who wish to read about realistic topics as well as avid readers.




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Review: Eyes Wide Open

Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Christy Snow is stuck in a hole under a room full of coffins and believes she is about to die. She was using her phone as a flashlight and now only has enough juice to make a short call and is not able to leave enough information. In an unexpected turn of events, she is able to get out and stumbles into the psychiatric ward of the hospital. The staff believes she is delusional and will not let her leave. To make matters worse, the boy she calls for help arrives to give assistance and becomes confined also. What is the truth? Before she fell in the hole or now? The memories seem real, but she can’t remember her early childhood either. Can they both be having a shared delusion?

Eyes Wide Open is a compilation of four short novellas released earlier in 2013. The high intensity story line and heart palpating events will cause the reader to devour each novella in one sitting, or if the reader can’t control himself, they may find an afternoon wiled away with this great book. This is a Christian thriller that leaves no guesswork at the end. The reader will understand what Dekker was pushing toward and hopefully will think long a hard about how we and the world see us. As a reader I feel there will be a connection between this book and others to come. ** Sits with fingers crossed **




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Review: The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant by Joanna Wiebe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Today is the first day of school for Anne Merchant. She can’t believe that she has been accepted to this private school, but is also astonished that her uniforms are so small. It is as if she grew overnight. At orientation she discovers that she has been assigned a staff member who will watch and grade her on her one special skill, and when she accepts this expectation she must sign it with her blood. She continues to unearth more and more questions such as: Why is there a red line across the island? Why is she forbidden to cross it? Why is Anne not allowed to live in the dorms with the other students? The ultimate challenge that all of her fellow students are faced with is becoming valedictorian.

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant is the first book in the V Trilogy. Readers quickly learn what the V stands for and will think they know where the book is going. I will assure readers that their guesses during the first half of the book will be thrown out eventually. As a first novel, Wiebe creates characters that readers will love to hate as well as a protagonist to root for. The story moves quickly without cutting short the intrigue and plot twists that readers of adventure mysteries expect. If this is a first novel, I can’t wait to see what else Wiebe has in store for us.




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Review: The Troop

The Troop by Nick Cutter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



When a group of Boy Scouts venture to a small island for their survival lessons, the lessons becomes all too real after a stranger arrives and then quickly becomes ill. Their scoutmaster, the local doctor, attempts to investigate the disease, but ends up becoming the next victim. The troop has no choice but to wait for the boat that is scheduled to pick them up, but it becomes evident that they are not going to be rescued and in order to survive they must fight against this unknown disease and eventually each other. Do they have the skills needed to survive? What is this disease and can they keep from catching it?

The Troop is not for the faint of heart. Cutter uses graphic descriptions of diseases and destruction as he leads the reader through the story. This book takes the reader on a wild ride inside the minds of victims and non-victims alike. One downside of the story is the intermittent notices giving insight into actions off the island. Due to this information, the reader discovers the outcome of the island before actually experiencing it with the boys. It is not enough to take away stars and it does lead to reader anticipation while waiting to discover the “how.” Whether the reader is looking for a medical mystery or an adventure story, they will not be disappointed in this read.




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Review: Defy

Defy by Sara B. Larson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Alexa Hollen is faced with a choice. She can cut off her hair and pretend she is a boy to serve in the king’s army, or she can enter the breeding house and be raped until she is pregnant. Obviously, the choice is easy, especially since she is an extremely good fighter who has been training with her father and twin brother. She quickly earns a place as one of the prince’s guards, but must keep her gender secret. When a sorcerer comes into the castle and kidnaps her, a fellow guard and Prince Damian, they are taken to an enemy country where sorcery is not looked down upon. During her time in captivity, Alex quickly learns that she is not the only one who has been keeping secrets. She finds that two men want to lay claim to her heart, but after years of hiding her feminine side, she is unsure about her own feelings and what actions she should take.

Defy is a fantasy novel that includes many redeeming attributes, but these same characteristics make the story slightly formulistic. As Larson’s debut novel I believe it will be well received by readers of fantasy books, and I look forward to the developing series. As all of the twists and turns were revealed, I felt like screaming “another one!” Many of these twists did not need to be included and added to the formulistic feel. Now that Larson is a published writer, I hope she explores the characteristics that are vital for the story and doesn’t feel the need to include so much variety. I do not hold this against the series and look forward to the second book projected to be released in 2015.




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Review: The Invention of Wings

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



It is Sarah Grimke’s eleventh birthday and she is given ten year old Hetty “Handful” to be her handmaid. That night she tries to write a legal document setting her slave free, but in this early nineteenth century Charleston, it was not to come to pass. Sarah and Handful reluctantly accept their positions in life, but both are harboring secret dreams that they sometimes don’t even admit to themselves. The Invention of Wings takes these two stories and tells a tale interwoven with history. Kidd was inspired by the true story of Sarah Grimke and she is able to add depth and emotion to this tumultuous time period.

The Invention of Wings causes the reader to reflect on the early American abolition movement as well as the limits on women at that time. Although we don’t want to downplay the role of those who secretly assisted in the abolition of slavery and inner workings of the Underground Railroad, we should continue to be awed and inspired by those who were vocal in a public setting to the realities of slavery. Many readers will pick up this book because the author also penned The Secret Life of Bees, but I recommend this book to all readers on its own merit and see it being recommended to teens and adults alike.




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