Audible Book Review: Sky Raiders, Rogue Knight, and Crystal Keepers, by Brandon Mull; the Five Kingdoms, books 1-3

Fablehaven, and Beyonders are two excellent young adult series. Brandon Mull does a good job of putting his characters in incredible situations and taking the reader for a ride. Five Kingdoms doesn't disappoint. Which similar to the other books in that our main character is experiences a "fish out of water" experience, the world (or worlds) of the five kingdoms gives Mull a chance to really tell different kinds of stories with each book. Here are links to the Audible pages for Sky Raiders, Rogue Knight and Crystal Keepers. They are all ready by Keith Nobbs who does a good job of it.

Plot: Cole is your normal Arizona teenager who likes to hang out with his best friend, Dalton, and has a worked his long time crush, Jenna, into a good friend (but he DOESN'T have a crush on her). Life is normal, but normal lives make boring stories. Halloween night sees them checking out a local haunted house when nightmares become real. Captured by slavers from a strange world called The Outskirts Cole, Dalton, Jenna, and a couple dozen of their classmates are hauled off to a place out of dreams. Their dream, however, is more of a nightmare. The Outskirts consists of five kingdoms, each with its own kind of magic - called shaping, and its own cultures. It turns out that people from our world tend to have extraordinary shaping abilities and the High King has a big interest in collecting those with power. Cole, however, will not meet the High King because he is bought by a representative for the Sky Raiders, a group of wild individuals that scout out and ransack floating sky castles on the edge of the world. The job is dangerous - Seriously. Cole is nearly killed in his first mission and they say it only gets worse from there.

But Cole is not only determined to survive but to find a way to free his friends. While with the sky raiders he learns of the nefarious deeds that the High King perpetrated on member of his own family that enabled him to seize control of the five kingdoms. Cole joins forces with the rebellion in an attempt to help establish a government that will stop the slavery of outsiders and free his friends. As he and his new friends travel the five kingdoms in search of those with the power to challenge the High King they uncover a hidden layer of power that is more threatening then the High King. Along the way Cole catches hints of where his friends may be and despite the challenges he is determined to free them and find a way home.

My personal favorites: Sometimes it's hard to put my finger on exactly what I like about Brandon Mull's books. His characters are good, his world building is fantastic, and his magic if fun. the same can be said of many other authors as well. As I ponder on Mull's writing I come to the conclusion that he is one of the few authors that can really pull off "surprising, yet inevitable." That is, the art of plotting a twist that comes at you sideways but leaves you saying, "I should have seen that coming." I'm never sure what to expect when our heroes come to a tight spot. He writes young adult, but is not afraid to throw more mature concepts and conflicts into his writing, while keeping the books age appropriate. He writes in an unapologetic style, meaning you may not like the ending but your desires are not going to interfere with his story. With that said, I like the direction his stories go and while Beyonders tends to garner the most ire from readers, I personally really liked it.

Considerations: Nothing in the writing itself is questionable or objectionable to young adult readers. Some of the themes of loss, death, being unable to return home, and slavery may be lost on younger readers (older middle grade). The characters don't always act their age - a common issue I have with the vast majority of young adult. But let's face it, an honest portrayal of teenagers would be hard to get through. For evidence I submit Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - It took me three tries to get into that one.

Brandon Mull has another great series with Five Kingdoms. I was a little hesitant at first, I think because it sounded too much like Beyonders, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm looking forward to the last two books (Mull has mentioned that there will be five books). The first book was just over 12 and half hours, the 2nd was just over 13 and a half hours, and the third was just over 13 hours.

Audible Book Review - William Shakespeare's Star Wars: The Jedi Doth Return by Ian Doescher

A long, long time ago, in a playhouse far, far away.... And we have the conclusion to the original trilogy of Star Wars by William Shakespeare (as written by Ian Doescher). The Jedi Doth Return was a lot of fun and, like the other two books, does a great job of mixing 15th century with sci-fi. Here is a link to Audible's page for the book. The usual cast returns and continues to do a great job. Ian Doescher tries to make each book bring something new to the story. I liked the way he did Jabba and the ewokes. I also like the depth he gives us into the characters, as dramatic as it is. All it all, I enjoyed the production.

Plot: Luke and his friend have two missions. First, to rescue Han from the nefarious gangster Jabba the Hutt, a task made difficult by Jabba's cunning and resources. Second, thwart the empire in completing their second, more powerful Death Star. Along the way Luke comes to embrace his heritage and seeks his father's redemption. Everything hinges on the actions and success of a few brave souls and their drive to see evil destroyed.

My personal favorites: Jedi continues the excellence in the performance, giving us heroic heroes and dastardly villains - all portrayed as if on stage. I like trying to identify the different styles that Doescher uses for the different cultures and characters. The battle of the fools is great as well - using the Shakespearean understanding of "fool." This is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy and I appreciate the commentary at the end.

Considerations: There is nothing in this production that I consider questionable or offensive. However, if you don't like Shakespearean language, you might have a problem with it.

This was a great listen and while I have seen the books, I will probably keep to the audio. Shakespeare wrote for a performance, and even I struggle to read him. The total production, with afterwards, was just over 3 and a half hours.

Audible Book Review - Dracula by Bram Stocker (Audible Edition)

I haven't read a lot of classics. It's a major failing. However, one of them was Jane Erye, by Charlotte Bronte. When I asked my mother if it was considered a Gothic novel her reply was, "It's what Gothic novels aspired to be." With that said, one of the other classics I've read was Dracula by Bram Stocker. It may be considered the epitome of the Gothic novel. I know it wasn't the first story about vampires, but it was a rather defining one. I read it for a class in college and while I was hesitant I came to love it. With my over active imagination I never read it after 3:00 pm (yes, I was a 20+ year old college students), but I loved it. I've re-read it a couple of times since then. This last time I found a free copy on the kindle store, and said, why not? Come to find out, with some books, if you own the kindle version, Audible (which is owned by Amazon as you probably know) will give you a deal on the audio version. I scooped it up for 99 cents and while I didn't listen to it at once, I enjoyed it when I did. Here is a  link to the Audible page for the book. There are several versions of the book on Audible - let's face it, it's a classic and has been done several times. The version I got was a multi-cast recording, with each character having their own unique voice which helped add to the story. Led by Alan Cummings and Tim Curry (who doesn't have many lines), the other narrators were: Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Susan Duerden, John Lee, Graeme Malcolm, Steve Crossley, Simon Prebble, James Adams, Nicola Barber, Victor Villar, Mare Vietor, and John Lee. They all did a great job and I really enjoyed the production.

Plot: Johnathan Harker is a new solicitor in his firm and has been sent to Transylvania (a mountainous region of Romania) to meet with Count Dracula. The Count wants to come to London and experience modern 19th century life. However, Johnathan begins to believe that the Count is going to imprison and eventually kill him as a way of keeping some deep secret. Anxious to see his fiancee, Mina Murray, Johnathan chances a daring escape. Mina herself is having difficulties with her best friend, Lucy Westenra. Lucy, always a restless sleeper, has wandered from her bed several nights now and appears to have caught a disease that leaves her pale and weak. Three men who have all courted her and loved her have donated their own blood to help her, yet it does not appear to be enough. Something is afoot and Mina is worried because she has not heard from Johnathan for a while as well.

My personal favorites: It is important to remember that the people who first read this book probably had little idea of vampire lore like we do today. Putting aside the current romantic idea of the vampire, Dracula is an awesome force of nature whose tells and give-a-ways. The first time I read the book I was screaming at Johnathan to pay attention to what was happening and to run, but of course the characters have no idea the danger they are in. I also find the character of Renfield interesting. The production was well done as well.

Considerations: This is a story about blood and death. There are some disturbing scenes but nothing related is over the top. As the story is written in the forms of letters and journal entries the descriptions are those of someone reflecting on the situation. I wouldn't have a problem recommending it to anyone who feels comfortable with Gothic novels or the idea of vampires.

I look forward to re-listening to this during Halloween or other times when the mood takes me. the production was well done and the story is still one of my favorites. The total length was just under 15 and a half hours.

Book Review - Scorpion Mountain by John Flanagan, Brotherband Chronicles book 5

My wife is about ready to start the latest book by John Flanagan, Scorpion Mountain, so it's probably about time that I review it. One thing I like about Flanagan is that his books are clustered in shorter story lines that cover a book or three and then they jump to the next interesting part in the characters' lives. Scorpion Mountain finishes out the Heron's time as duty ship to the Araluen king. It appears that Flanagan is ending these the Heron's story lines with a saga, written by the crew and sung at a feast. I like it as it matches the culture and enhances the world. I will agree with Hal about the quality of the sagas, but Erak is too much fun to watch during them that I hope he continues doing that way.

Plot: Hal and the crew are back from Socorro with the freed slaves in hand when they finally have a chance to present themselves to the king. While there they happen to meet Princess Cassandra and save her life. The adventures of her young earned her some enemies (see Erak's Ransom, Rangers Apprentice book 7). There is a group of assassins that won't rest until they've killed her and that is has got to stop. Gillian is charged with the mission as the usual candidates are managing something else. Hal and the Heron's are to take him to Arridia as well as provide him with any military support he needs. It's a big job but they've got to do it somehow.

My personal favorites: I love how the characters keep evolving. This book gives us a look into Invgar's mind as the nearly blind strong man, as well as let's Jasper have some fun. Sometimes it's easy to forget the other characters with Hal, Stig, Thorn, and Lydia, but Flanagan gives us some good reminders that the rest of the crew is just as cool as our four commanders. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the way they figured everything out.

Considerations: Like Flanagan's other books, this book is a great middle grade/young adult book that I don't have any difficulty in recommending to anyone.

I enjoy Flanagan's books and look forward to reading this one to my kinds when they are just a little older. The total length was 480 pages.

Coming up for air

It's time to come up for air. Not in the sense of a drowning man trying to get another breath of air before sinking below the waves, but more like the pearl diver returning for his necessary allotment before returning to his highly immersive task.

.....

Don't you hate it when you have to tell somebody something and then when you actually see them you can't remember what it was? I commonly hear people my parents age talk about how they know they are old when they enter a room and forget why they did. That happens to me now, and I don't feel that old. Perhaps I'm just in denial.

Speaking of old, my birthday is this weekend. "One year older and wiser, too" goes the song. I don't know about the wiser part. There are days I still wonder whose idea it was to let me be a father. Several months ago (or maybe it was last week. who knows with this ancient memory) I was very frustrated with Tigger. He has a very short fuse that is very easy to light. His teacher at pre-school say he's great and doesn't have any problems at school, which is good. At home, however, he tends to blow up over some very small things. More often then anything else I lose my temper about him losing his temper. I worry that my temper (and the losing of it) is part of the problem and have tried to keep control of it. Angel says that my temper is scary because it's hard to tell that I've lost it until I blow sky high. I once lost my temper with Kanga because she was screaming at me (for telling her to put away her backpack) that I hulked out and screamed/bellowed back in her face. The worst part was I knew it wasn't doing any good. As soon as I started I knew how ridiculous it was and that it wouldn't help. I had the scene from Monsters Inc. in my mind when Boo sees what Sully does for work. Kanga and I talked it out after we both calmed down and promised not to scream at each other anymore. I'm proud to say that I have kept my part of the promise and I understand when she has difficulty keeping her's.

Anyway, I was frustrated with Tigger and thought, "Maybe Dad will know how to help." I picked up my phone and almost called him when I realized that he had no idea how to help. Sure, he could tell me what he and Mom did when we were young. Of course he could provide some insights and advice. But I wanted him to fix the problem and he didn't have the familiarity with my children to do it. The only person that could fix my problem for me was me. I could get advice from others, but they couldn't tell me, "X will solve the problem for you." My father was just as clueless at my age as I was. I think I did still call my dad just to catch up with him and see how he was doing, but I didn't mention my problem. A week or so later we were visiting with them and I brought up my realization. My father smiled and said, "Now you have learned wisdom, my son." Which may sound archaic but that's my father for you. So perhaps I have gotten wiser.

Audible Book Review - The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

It's amazing how different semesters can take your time over. In the past I was able to successfully blog every week, but this week is certainly taking a lot of time. I've got two other books I need to review, plus I'm almost done with one more in the same series. Well, as the semester winds down I can finally get to this. While I may not have read everything Sanderson's written, I've enjoyed everything I've read. The Rithmatist is no exception. Sanderson has a way with magic. He creates some of the most interesting and diverse magic systems there are. And the awesome thing is that he uses the rules of the magic to make it cooler. I recently bought Warbound, which was the first Sandrson book I read which uses the idea of breath and color in magic. The Alcatraz books use magic sand, lenses, and innate "talents" to great effect. Stormlight Archives uses spirits tied to ideas and gems. And don't get me started on Legion, The Emporer's Soul, and Mistborn. Each system is unique and intriguing. What's more, Sanderson immerses the reader in the world. I love the cussing in his books. That may sound strange, but it's amazing how strong "Colors!", "Shattering Glass!" and "Dusts!" can be. Here is a link to Audible's page for the book. For anyone listening to the book, there are quite a few illustrations that help. They can be found on Sanderson's home page here. The spoken descriptions are very good, so they not be necessary. Michael Kramer narrated it and did a fantastic job. He also narrates Sanderson's Stormlight Archives and the only thing that threw me was that one of the characters sounded a bit like Sadeas, but the syntax and other contexts rapidly established Nalizar as his own character.

Plot: Rithmatics is the ability to draw chalk lines and figures and make them come to life. Such skill is needed as the American Isles are constantly under threat from wild chalklings, two dimensional chalk creatures that will kill without mercy. Rithmatics is the only thing, short of a bucket of acid, that can hold them back. Joel has always wanted to be a rithmatist. The fact that he studies at one of the top rithmatic schools in the Isles doesn't help his chances though. A rithmatist is something that you are or aren't - no amount of studying will change that. Joel is not a rithmatist. But he knows rithmatics better than many of them and is doing everything he can to try to learn more. However, non-rithmatists are discouraged from studying rithmatics. Joel is determined however, and finds his opportunity when rithmatic students begin disappearing from their homes without a trace of where they went. Perhaps a non-rithmatist is just what is needed to solve the mystery. However, can a non-rithmatist survive the solution?

My personal favorites: Like I mentioned, Sanderson is fantastic with magic. Rithmatics is a simple, yet rich science that was fun to think about while listening to the book. The mystery was well done to boot. I loved the Characters and as Howard Taylor says there were some "stand up and cheer" moments. The young characters behaved believably, which is always a plus. I look forward to seeing what else Sanderson does with this world.

Considerations: This book is suitable for young adults and didn't have anything I objected to. There are some great suspenseful parts that might frighten middle grade readers, but overall it is a appropriate for young teens.

I loved The Rithmatist and will probably return to it several times in the future. Sanderson's world building is almost unmatched (with Frank Herbert being the only contender) and it was a fantastic listen. The total length was just shy of 10 and half hours.

Audible Book Review - The Heroes Guide to Storming the Castle and the Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy, The League of Princes, books 2 and 3)

Angel did end up picking up the second book in the League of Princes books with her credit and we both dove into the book quickly. Once again I'm behind on my reviewing of books. In fact, I just finished the third book yesterday, so I figured I would write the two together. Storming the Castle was a fun read that was part adventure, part heist, and part romance. The princes continue to develop and we get to come to understand them more and more. The villains are certainly villainous and it pulls some some twists and turns as it goes. Here's a link for the Audible page for Storming. Being an Outlaw continued the plot of Storming, albeit without our hero's knowledge, and carries the series to fun conclusion. It is full of our favorite characters and even introduces some new ones. It can seem a little overstuffed at times, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Here's a link for the Audible page for Outlaw. As per the first, Bronson Pinchot reads the book and does a wonderful (amazing, fantastic, marvelous, incredible) job. It is worth noting that series does a great job of giving us characters - no Heroes - of all kinds, shapes, interests, and strengths of both genders. It's worth saying that the books are not entitled "the League of Princes guide" but simply, "the Hero's guide" because the princes in the story are not the only heroes.

Plot: After the League of Princes (Charming) were hailed as heroes they were almost immediately discredited by the infamous Bandit King (a.k.a. Deeb Rauber) who then went on to bigger and badder things, like forming his own kingdom. The princes tried to settle down but Gustav still hates to live with his brothers and Liam couldn't go home for fear of being forced to marry Briar Rose. Liam shacks up with Frederic and Elle and soon makes enemies with Frederic's father who doesn't like Liam's attempt to teach them swordplay. Luckily for Frederic's father Liam is kidnapped and dragged to his own wedding. It's time to get the band back together for a grand rescue, but what starts out as a rescue of their friends turns into an attack on the Bandit King's fortress. Unfortunately for them, Deeb has made some new friends and they are far nastier than he is. Even after the League deals with Deeb and his friends, they are not done. But they don't know that until they are declared outlaws. Now just to clear their name, find out what's going on, and beat the
bad guys. All the while trying to dodge the bounty hunters on their tail. Oh, and did we mention that the ladies were framed as well?

My personal favorites: I really enjoy how competent each of of the characters are in their own way and the way they interact. Christopher Healy does a really great job of bouncing the different personalities and people off each other. I felt that each of the characters were able to grow, develop, succeed, and fail in their own way. Even Duncan and Snow had their highs and lows. Duncan's speech at the end of Outlaw was great. It felt natural to me and yet was a surprise. I should point out that while characters (particularly the couples) had traits in common, I felt like everyone was their own person. I have to say that one of my favorite things about these books is Bronson Pinchot's narration. It's no wonder that Outlaw was nominated for the Audie.

Considerations: Like the first, these are well written middle grade books that do a great job of writing to their audience. There was nothing that I felt was inappropriate for the age group.

I ripped through these two books pretty quickly and enjoyed every minute of them. The narration was a big interest, but the stories were well done. There are lots of things you can look find in these books that could come up in an English class, but they are also very entertaining. That's a rare combination. The total length of Storm was just shy of 10 and half hours and Outlaw was just over 10 and a half hours.