Loki:God of Mischief by John Christian Hopkins

I love reading stories about different gods that is why I really enjoyed [Loki: God of Mischief] by [John Christian Hopkins]. The story telling was wonderful and the way everything flowed kept the plot moving. Some of the action was predictable but that did not take away from the story.

[Hopkins] also had a very tongue in cheek sense of humor that really made me laugh out loud at parts (Herr Ball). He is aware of current culture and beliefs and tests them with his story as well as makes a few jabs at the modern media(Godzilla could be good for the economy).

I would recommend this book to anyone. It was easier to read that [American Gods] with less adult content so I can safely recommend it to my students who love [Rick Riordan]. I will be looking for more from [Hopkins]

One is Come by C.H. MacLean

I am looking forward to the next one in the series. [One is Come] by [C.H. MacLean] is a wonderful mix of magic, adventure and lore. The characters suffer from the typical teenage angst that is common everywhere and similar growing pains. The difference is the issue of puberty brings with it a secret that normal kids don't deal with.

The only people around the kids that can understand are their parents who have taken an oath not to speak of the magic. The conflicting powers fighting for control over the kids and their gift leads to more intrigue. I am still not sure who is good and who is bad, or even if there is a good or bad. Any book that has magic and dragons is always a good bet.

The Terminals:Spark by Michael F. Stewart

Wow! What a ride! I read this book in under twenty four hours. It was a great mix of mystery, sci-fi, and suspense. I love the character of Christine. She is the perfect antihero. I get tired of all the super optimistic characters sometimes a character that just is fed up with life works well. Charlie on the other hand seems to be the opposite but in truth they are very similar with demons of their own. 

I would recommend [The Terminals] to almost anyone who likes a good read. Unfortunately due to some of the content I can not recommend it to my students since they are 12-14 yrs old. I would really like to see [Michael F. Stewart] continue on with this idea or similar concepts.

In stores 4/15/14!

Going Home by A. American

[Going Home] by A. American was an interesting post apocalyptic, survivalist story. It showed the main character, Morgan, as an everyman who only wanted to get home to his family. The problem was that he was stranded far away when something stopped everything from working. Luckily for him he was prepared for the worst.

I love this type of story although I am not of the survivalist mindset but the author makes his characters out to be just normal people who want to survive and do the right thing. I would hope that those are really the mentality of most people. Almost everyone in this book who gets killed was on the wrong side of humanity.This book was not overtly political but rather quite humanistic.

Star Chamber Brotherhood by Preston Fleming

[Preston Fleming] continues his Kamas trilogy with [Star Chamber Brotherhood]. This one did not seem to have the confusion that the first one did which leads me to believe that was intentional in the first book. This book is about justice or revenge depending how you view it. The sense of responsibility the characters have to the idea of justice formed in the labor camps is very strong and carries the tone of the story.

I read the two books back to back and vaguely remembered the main character of Frank from the first book. I like how the story is consistent between the two books but [Fleming] uses a different character as the lead in book two. I am looking forward to reading the third book.

Forty Days at Kamas by Preston Fleming

In the beginning [Forty Days at Kamas] it was a little difficult to follow. I understood that this was the United States in the future and a totalitarian government was in place that was persecuting people. The question was why? I don't think that was ever fully cleared up but the plot and the characters were strong enough to keep the story moving.

I think the confusion may have been intentional so the reader could feel what the characters were feeling. The parallel story lines of the characters worked well.

I bought this book since I had received [The Star Chamber Brotherhood] as by [Preston Fleming] and wanted to read the whole trilogy. I recommend it for a deeper read. It definitely is not a light read.

Ultraviolet by Joseph Robert Lewis

[Ultraviolet] by [Joseph Robert Lewis] was a fun fast paced read. The main character Carmen is a very independent young woman who just wants to make a better life for her and her parents. She has played by the rules but apparently the rules change to benefit the rich corporations.

She becomes a heroine to many people when she decides to fight back but also puts those she cares about in danger. With the help of another victim of the corporate greed she works to make a change for those she cares about.

The questions that Carmen struggles with about where is the line between vigilante and terrorist adds a very humanistic twist to this story. I also love to see strong women protagonists. For too long girls were always the weak and helpless in need of rescue. I am glad to see that changing.

The Reset by Daniel Powell

The beginning of [The Reset] seemed a little slow and confusing but as I got farther in things began to come together. [Daniel Powell] did a good job creating a dystopian landscape as well as characters that make you cheer for them.

The characters could have been explained a little more because it was almost like a disjointed puzzle putting all the pieces together. If you liked books like [Alas, Babylon] and [The Road] I definitely recommend you give this book a read.

Defy the Night by Heather and Lydia Munn

[Defy the Night] by [Heather and Lydia Munn] was a very telling coming of age story. In fact throughout most of the book I really did not like the main character, Magali. I thought she was selfish and egotistical. I guess that was the point though.

The setting of "free" France during early World War II is something most people are not aware of because it was when most of the world was in denial. The people there fought on silently doing what they could for whom they could. This was not the Resistance as most people know of but perhaps it's predecessor.

The book was very well written and as I stated before the characters definitely had their own personalities. I will be adding this book to my classroom library and recommending it to the school library.

Supervolcano: All Fall Down by Harry Turtledove

The follow up novel to [Harry Turtledove's] [Supervolcano: Eruption] was worth the read. The continuing story of the characters as they try in their own ways to survive was enjoyable.

[Supervolcano: All Fall Down] picked up right where [Eruption] left off. In the midst of this disaster the way [Turtledove] portrays his characters not as hero's out to save the world but as humans with all their faults makes the story more believable. It even has a serial killer mystery twist within the plot.

I definitely prefer my science fiction based on real science and not super natural. That is what [Turtledove] has produced so far with the two books from the [Supervolcano] series. I like my fantasy with a good does of reality in most cases.

Oh Boy!

I have just gotten five free books to review so I am going to be busy. Keep looking for my latest review!

Enders by Lissa Price

I have been waiting for [Enders] by [Lissa Price] since I read [Starters] as an ARC. I absolutely love the premise of these stories. I have recommended(and will continue) to recommend them to my students. In fact I have pretty much made [Starters] required reading for the kids in my Future Problem Solving group.

The characters are strong and I am always happy to see a female in a strong role which thankfully has been the trend in YA literature (with one blaring exception recently).

The story is fast paced, in fact I read the book in under 24 hours. [Enders] picked up right where [Starters] left off. I look forward to reading more books written by [Lissa Price].

Chronicle of the Mound Builders by Elle Marie

[Chronicle of the Mound Builders] by [Elle Marie] is a fast paced, thought provoking ride. The tie between the past and the present using a female archaeologist as one of the main protagonists is a different take on a mystery.

As someone who if familiar with the Cahokia Mounds and the mystery that surrounds them I personally found the plot of this story intriguing. The characters were believable even in some of the more fantastic elements. It all fit together.

I could have done without the sex scene because it seemed gratuitous  but I get that is common in fiction today. The story could stand very well on its own without that though.

I have recommended this book to my sister who is an anthropologist and a big [Elizabeth Peters] fan.

Supervolcano: Eruption by Harry Turtledove

I got really excited when I saw this book! I love reading about disasters and post apocalyptic and the concept of a super volcano under Yellowstone is something that fascinates me. [Supervolcano: Eruption] by [Harry Turtledove] lived up to all my expectations. The characters were well developed and very believable. The intertwining stories kept the plot moving.

Usually I have stayed away from [Harry Turtledove] since stuff with aliens is not my thing and that is what I thought about when I saw his books but in the first installment of [Supervolcano] I was happy to not see one alien! [Turtledove] does have a good story telling style and perhaps I may give some of his alternative history a shot.