Review: Rhodes

Rhodes by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rhodes and Zinnia fell in love during their last adventure, but Zinnia is a princess, and Rhodes is just the help.   They want to make their connection official, but her parents have not given their blessing yet.  There is a chance that another dragon shifter will try to be Zinnia’s mate by challenging Rhodes to a fight.  The top dragon on the list is Zinnia’s former kidnapper, Killian.  Rhodes and Zinnia want a future together, but what will they need to do to make that happen?  When they return to Earth for their next tour, what new dangers may come their way?

Rhodes is the fourth Angelbound Offspring book and is very closely related to the third book.  These books have been flying through my Kindle, yet this one seemed to read even faster.  There is a lot of adventure and of course, there is some romance, yet the overarching story still ties back to the original world of Angelbound.  Bauer continues to bring characters into her worlds that are easy to relate to and fun to read about.  The epilogue sets up the next story, Kaps, to be released this summer.

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Review: Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed

Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Diana has always known she was different than the other Amazons.  She was created out of clay and her mother’s tears.  She isn’t as strong or agile as the other women, but she has been promised that will change when she turns sixteen.  It is now her sixteenth born day and she is excited to be “normal.”  Not only is she still clumsy on her born day, but a refugee raft also comes through the barrier and she dives into the water to help.  Unfortunately, her helping them strands her on the other side of the Themysciran barrier.  Diana is now plunged deep into the refugee crisis and many other human rights issues that are plaguing the world.

Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed is a graphic novel origin story that is powerful and timely.  I have to start by saying that I wish more time was spent in the second half of the book.  Anderson used a lot of pages to give back story and then the climax was sort of thrown in to give the book meaning.  I would have liked more information about the issues at the end, even if that made the book longer.  I still enjoyed this story and liked the different view it gave of Diana and her struggles with the modern world.  I hope there will be another story written about THIS Diana … Wonder Woman.

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Review: Zinnia Special Edition

Zinnia Special Edition by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It has been seven years since Zinnia was taken from her family and her memories erased. She now believes that she is the last dragon shifter and that it is her destiny to become the reincarnated vessel of Chimera. Unfortunately, when Chimera is reborn … Zinnia will die. This will all happen on her seventeenth birthday, only five days away. These plans change when she hears music across the desert, goes to check it out, and realizes that the members of the band on stage are all dragon shifters. She is not the last one! Once she realizes that her handlers were lying to her; memories begin to resurface. Will Zinnia be able to overcome the handlers who have been controlling her? Will she find the family she was taken from seven years earlier?

Zinnia is the third book in the Angelbound Offspring series. Although this story can be enjoyed without reading any of the previous books, it is fun to see the other characters appear throughout the story. There is a little bit of romance and a lot of adventure as these shape-shifting teenagers try and save one of their own. Once again this is a very quick read and I like that I don’t have to spend a lot of time trying to follow along. The alternating voices give the reader greater insight and a broader appreciation of this dynamic world. I can’t wait to read the next book, Rhodes, very soon.


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Review: Superman Smashes The Klan

Superman Smashes The Klan by Gene Luen Yang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is 1946 when Tommy and his family move from Chinatown to Downtown Metropolis. Their dad is excited about his new job at the Metropolis Health Department, but Roberta and Tommy are reluctant to make the change. The only thing that makes the move worth it is the fact that Superman will be nearby. Tommy quickly makes friends, but Roberta feels like the odd man out. While the Lee family is trying to learn about their new lives, the Klan of the Fiery Kross has targeted them as their next mission. It starts with a burning cross in front of their house and then moves on to Tommy being kidnaped. The Klan is looking for bigger targets too as it moves its focus to the Daily Planet and the Unity House, a local youth club. What adventures will Tommy and Roberts have with Superman? What truths will Superman learn about himself and his history?

Superman Smashes the Klan is a compilation of the first three serials with the same title. This story was originally published in the ’40s as a radio broadcast that shook America. I was not familiar with this storyline for Superman and fully enjoyed learning a little bit of Superman folklore along the way. This book is being promoted for middle school readers, but I think young adults and adults alike will have a good escape while turning the pages. A great read for all graphic novel and Superman fans.


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Review: The Enigma Game

The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Louisa has recently lost her parents in two different enemy attacks.  She has taken on a position to be a companion for an elderly woman in Scotland.  She doesn’t think what she is doing is helping the war, until a German pilot lands in Windyedge and brings an Enigma machine that can translate German code.  Luisa is now working with a volunteer driver and a flight leader to decipher the puzzle that could change the course of the war.  How far can these young people push the Enigma machine without the Germans finding out?  Will they be able to help the war and keep themselves safe?

The Enigma Game is a companion novel to Code Name Verity.  Readers do not need to have read any of the other books in this series to enjoy this historical fiction novel.  World War II was a war with so many facets that are still being unearthed and I feel that makes it a treasure trove for any historical fiction fan.  Wein has once again taken an aspect of this time that is not normally written about and crafted a story that is easy to fall for.  The story is told in alternating voices, so readers will need to make sure they are paying attention to who is the current narrator.  I recommend The Enigma Game to all readers who enjoy historical fiction or just a good story.

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Review: ECHO Academy

ECHO Academy by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thorne has found his transcendent and is happy, that is until his father, the Emperor of the Omniverse, kidnaps her.  His one mission?  He will do anything to find and protect Meimi.  Meimi may be separated from Thorne, but she won’t let that stop her from breaking through the exile void.  Of course, this wouldn’t be a Dimension Drift book without some backstabbing by an adult in charge.  Will Meimi be able to keep the exile void annihilator away from the headmaster?  Will Meimi and Thorne be reunited?

ECHO Academy is the fourth book in the Dimension Drift series.  Bauer wastes no time jumping into the new storyline, yet she does leave a few nuggets of information about the first books for those who have not read them in close proximity.  This story, just like the first three, is full of adventure, twists, and secrets.  It seems that the series is complete, but every reader knows that a story never ends.  If Bauer decides to continue the Dimension Drift storyline, I will be looking for that book.

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Review: The Dark In-Between

The Dark In-Between by Elizabeth Hrib
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Casey and Liddy just wanted to have a fun day on the water when an accident ended Liddy’s life.  Casey may have survived the accident, but she is not the same.  She is tormented by nightmares and eerie whispers which are pushing her sanity to the limit.  When she sees a boy fall from the sky, she fully believes that she has finally lost her mind.  Who is this boy?  Will his ability to take her to Limbo be what is needed to save her sanity?

The Dark In-Between is a stand-alone supernatural thriller.  Readers will enjoy the mystery, the traveling between the living and the dead, and the risk-taking by these characters.  Hrib did a wonderful job setting up the story, yet in the end, it still fell flat.  I wanted to enjoy this book, but my mind kept wandering and I had to force myself through it.  This might be because I’ve just finished a similar book and it wasn’t the right time for me.  I still recommend this book to those who want a quick read with a supernatural twist.

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