The Spy Princess Review

The Spy Princess

Sherwood Smith

Action/Adventure

8/2/12

Hardcover, 386 pages

067006341X

978-0670063413

Synopsis: When twelve-year-old Lady Lilah decides to disguise herself and sneak out of the palace one night, she has more of an adventure than she expected--for she learns very quickly that the country is on the edge of revolution. When she sneaks back in, she learns something even more surprising: her older brother Peitar is one of the forces behind it all. The revolution happens before all of his plans are in place, and brings unexpected chaos and violence. Lilah and her friends, leaving their old lives behind, are determined to help however they can. But what can four kids do? Become spies, of course!

 

Quick and Dirty: Lilah is a princess in a time of revolution. One night she sneaks out of her castle and learns how bad things are in her town and how much the citizens hate her and all her family. Lilah feels for the people and becomes a spy for those who want things to change. As Lilah will soon, learn change is definitely on its way.

 

First Sentence: I glanced at my time-candle.

 

Review: Lady Lilah is sick of everyone treating her like a child. When she asks her father and brother why people yell horrible things at them they only give her vague answers. So, to receive the answers she is looking for she sneaks out for a walk and a look around. What she finds out is that there is a revolution coming and her brother is a big part of it. As such, she wants to help him. So she continues to spy to help her brother. Then one day the whole thing explodes in a real bad way and Lilah’s world is turned upside down.

  I wasn’t sure if I would like this story or not so I was happily surprised when I enjoyed it a lot. Sherwood Smith’s writing was done so well I felt like I was right there besides Lilah through all of her adventures. I liked this story so much I didn’t want to put it down. Also I liked the characters they had some real depths to them. Even the bad guys where done so well that you disliked them and felt sorry at the same time.

 Lilah was easy to relate to even from my grown up perspective. She is a twelve year old girl who wants to be treated like an adult; when people won’t, she decides to figure things out on her own. She is very loyal. She would do anything to help her brother and when anyone picks on her brother’s crippled leg she gets very defensive. You can still see that she has some growing up to do in the way that she sometimes makes mistakes and gets very upset about it. Through it all she is strong and brave, even in the face of danger, she does not back down.

 Lilah’s brother Peiter is a great character also. He was injured as a young boy in a riding accident. After the accident his leg did not heal properly and he walks with a limp. Many people believe because of this he would not make a good leader, but they are wrong. Peiter is smart and knows how to rule people without bloodshed. Unfortunately, because of his injury and Derek the leader of the revolution, bloodshed in unavoidable.

 The last of the “good guys” I must make mention of are the other three “Sharadan Brothers.” Lilah is the first and goes by the name Larie. The other three people who spy and take care of the poor with Lilah include, Bren, Innon, and Deon, another girl, who goes by the name Daen. Bren is the artistic one who is good at leading, Innon is the smart one who is really good with numbers, and Deon is the musical one who gets along with everyone. I liked all three but sometimes Deon got on my nerves and I was afraid she was going to blow their cover. Deon always wanted to act and I could just see her causing enough of a problem to get them noticed and caught.

 The villain of this story, Lilah’s Uncle Darian, was a hard one to figure out. On the outside he comes off as this evil king who cares about no one. All it seems he cares about is his military strength even if it means everyone else suffers. Then you start to learn about him and realize there is more to him than there seemed. He was abused and it turned him the way he is now.

 This story is wonderful and I recommend it to children in the twelve year old range who may relate to Lilah. Also if you like action, adventure, magic or spy stories you may enjoy this book, even as an adult.

 

Notable Scene: approaching noise woke us. The door slammed open, smashing into the wall and a crowd of armed people roared in, led by… Derek!

 “Castles ours!” he cried, waving a blood-streaked sword.

Loki's Wolves by K.L Armstrong and M.A. Marr

Loki’s Wolves

K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr

Juvenile Fantasy

The Blackwell Pages

May 7, 2013

EBook, 445 pages

031620496x

Candy

Synopsis:

  “The Runes have spoken. We have our champion… Matthew Thorsen.”

  Matt hears the words, but he can’t believe them. He’s Thor’s representative? Destined to fight trolls, monstrous wolves and giant serpents… or the world ends? He’s only thirteen.

  While Matt knew he was a modern-day descendent of Thor, he’s always lived a normal kid’s life. In fact, most people in the small town of Blackwell, South Dakota, are direct descendents of either Thor or Loki, including Matt’s classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke. No big deal.

  But now Ragnarok is coming, and it’s up to the champions to fight in the place of the long-dead gods. Matt, Laurie, and Fen’s lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team, find Thor’s hammer and shield, and prevent the end of the world.

 

Quick and Dirty: This is the story of three children who have been chosen to save the world. The book is full of Norse mythology including gods and horrible monsters. This book is a must read.

 

First Sentence: Matt walked through the center of Blackwell, gym bag in hand, jacket thrown over his shoulder.

 

Review:

  This story is mostly about three children named Matt, Fen, and Laurie who are from a small town in South Dakota, called Blackwell. The story is told in all three of the characters’ voices. These children are special because they are descendents and champions of the long-dead gods Thor and Loki. Matt, Laurie and Fen must work together to find the other children who are champions of other gods, find objects with magical properties and save the world from Ragnarok. Ragnarok is what the Norse called the apocalypse. During their travels they meet many creatures good and bad from the old myths including trolls and valkyries.

 

   Matt Thorsen is the main character of our story. He is a descendent and champion of the god Thor. The Thorsten’s all have the power of Thor’s hammer but Matt’s is much more powerful. Also he has the power to sense when something bad is close by, such as trolls. He is thirteen years old and the youngest child in his family. As such, his parents think that he should be just like his older brothers, but he is nothing like them, so he feels like a disappointment to his parents. While most of the members of the Thorsen family play football Matt would rather be wrestling or boxing, which comes in very handy when he is chosen as Thor’s champion. I liked Matt he was not like most kids his age but maybe that was because he was the son of a sheriff. Matt made a good leader for himself and the other descendents. Even in the beginning when they did not all get along they still followed him without too much question. I also liked how he grew as the story progressed. In the beginning he was scared and unsure about how he was going to lead the other kids, but by the end of the book he was a very strong leader who knew how to get everyone to work together and how to succeed. Fen and Laurie Brekke are the other main characters in the story. They are cousins and descendents of Loki. Fen is Loki’s champion. Many of the Brekke’s can turn into wolves and Fen is one of them. In the beginning Fen is hard to like because he has an attitude problem and likes to get into trouble. Then you learn that his life has not been easy in the least and you start to feel bad for him. As the story advances I actually started to really like Fen. He was very protective of Laurie and would do anything to keep her safe. Also once he became a friend he was super loyal. You learn that a lot of his attitude is because he is scared and just using his attitude to keep people at bay. I think Laurie was my favorite character. Laurie has her own powers such as being able to find other descendents. She has other amazing powers but you will have to read the story to find out her coolest powers. Laurie was a nice girl who wanted to take care of her cousin and make sure he stayed out of trouble. She is not your typical girl though. Even though she had no idea about the ancestry of Thorsens and Brekkes she did not freak out when she found out. Also she had no trouble jumping in and helping during a fight. At the same time, she was the person who was best at breaking up fights and getting everyone to get along.

 

  There are other children who join their group and play important parts. The first ones we meet are Ray and his twin sister Reyna. They are descendents and champions of the twin gods, Frey and Freya. They have a hard time with the group and don’t want to help at first. The twins have a secret that they are not telling the group. The next important character we meet is Baldwin. He is the descendent and champion of Balder and because of this he cannot be hurt or feel pain. Only one thing can hurt him. Balder is the nicest guy anyone could meet and is always so happy. Everyone, even Fen, who has a hard time trusting and liking people, likes Balder instantly. The last person who is important that we meet is Astrid. She is a witch who is dating the descendent of Odin. She is sent by Odin to help them retrieve Thor’s hammer and shield. Astrid is hiding something from them and they may figure it out to late.

 

   The description of this book may say that is for ages eight and up but I am an adult and I really enjoyed this story. I am now going to purchase a copy of this book for the library I work at and I am eagerly anticipating the second book. This book is full of Norse mythology which is fascinating. The characters are enduring and the action is fast paced. I recommend this book to everyone, child and adult alike. You will not be able to put it down.

 

Memorable Scene: “Our champion is Matthew Thorsen, son of Paul and Patricia Thorsen.” Matt froze.

 There was a moment of stunned silence. Then whispers slid past. Did he really say the Thorsen boy? He’s just a kid. No, that can’t be right. We heard wrong. We must have.

 Granddad’s voice came back on the speakers. “I know this may come as a surprise to some of you. Matt is, after all, only thirteen. But in Viking times, he would have been on the brink of manhood. The runes have chosen Matt as our champion, as the closest embodiment of Thor.

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Icefall

Matthew J. Kirby

Published February 1, 2013

Paperback, 321 pages

0545274257

9780545274258

Synopsis:

   Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, princess Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father’s victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. Those charged with protecting the king’s children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father’s watchful eye? Can Solveig and her siblings survive the long winter months and expose the murderer before he succeeds in destroying a kingdom?

 

Quick and Dirty: This story is for anyone who loves tales of Vikings and the lore that goes with them. It’s a story of finding one’s self, danger, betrayal, and courage.

 

Opening Sentence: The fjord is freezing over.

 

The Review:

 

    This story is about a Viking princess named Solveig who does not believe she has anything that makes her special and how she finds herself. Solveig’s older sister Asa, is very beautiful and Solveig cannot compare to her beauty and their younger brother Harald, is strong and brave. When the three of them are sent to a hidden fortress to protect them from Gunnlaug, a man who would do anything to marry Asa, and steal their father’s land. Solveig learns she can be more than she thought. Unfortunately someone that was sent to protect them is a traitor and Solveig has to help keep everyone safe and happy.

 

    I had a hard time starting this book. The beginning of the story was very slow and did not really hold my attention. As the book progressed it started to pick up and by the end of the book I could not put it down. It was so intense and fast paced. Initially everyone was just settling into their roles in the book and there was not so much to tell, but once they realized that there was a traitor among them the tension built up. At the end when they are confronted by the enemy so much is happening and you are hoping that the good guys win that it gets exciting. I really enjoyed that this book used words the Vikings would have used instead of using standard English. I also liked the Norse folklore that is told throughout the story. It gave the story history without overwhelming a person or being boring.

 

    Solveig was my favorite character. I liked how the author, Matthew J. Kirby had her change over time. In the beginning she was a timid girl who did not think she was could ever be like her siblings. Then as the story continues she starts to learn about herself. She learns that she is a wonderful skald, the Viking title for a great storyteller. She also realizes she is braver than she ever thought possible. From the beginning Solveig wasn’t like other princesses who only thought of themselves and thought all work was for servants. Instead she helped do the chores and was a very good friend to the workers. She is also very loyal. Once she made a friend she would do anything for them. The last thing I liked about her was that she was so kind hearted. When people got hurt she cried for them and told them stories to make them feel better.

 

  My second favorite character was Hake the berserker who was sent to protect Solveig and her siblings. For those of you who do not know what a berserker is, a berserker is a warrior unlike any other. They are the toughest and strongest and if you get them mad they literally go berserk and destroy anyone and anything in their path. I liked Hake because he came off as this big gruff man with no feels when in reality he was the sweetest guy. Solveig had grown attached to a goat before Hake and his berserkers arrived. Hake killed the goat not knowing it was Solveig’s friend. He felt so guilty for what he had done he gives Solveig a wounded Raven to apologize for what he had done. When the enemy appears Hake is willing to give up his life for Solveig who he had come to love.

 

  There are secondary characters that played roles in the book such as Solveig’s siblings. Asa, was your typical princess. She would not help with chores and mopped around the fortress most of the time. She barely talked to her own sister and it turns out she had a secret but to learn Asa’s secret you will have to read the book. Harald, Solveig’s little brother was a sweetheart. He idolizes Hake and wants to be a big strong warrior right now. When anyone calls him little he gets upset and tells him he is not little. He is your typical little boy so full of energy and always curious about everything. Besides these two, there are the servants. There are five servants that play their parts in this book. There is Bera, the cook and her son Raudi. Without these two everything would fall apart around the fortress. The next servant is Ole, he is a thrall which means slave. He helps Solveig and the others by catching fish. He also tries to save Solveig from the enemy when they show up. Thirdly, there is Per a warrior who is in love with Asa and is very close friends with Solveig. Lastly there is Alric, who is also a skald and is the one who helps Solveig find her calling. Without him she would never have figured out who she wanted to be.

 

  I recommend this book to anyone interested in Vikings and their lore. I also think this is a good book for anyone looking for a quick and simple read. There is adventure, betrayal and a touch of romance in this story, but above all, it is Solveig’s tale of finding herself.

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Published 2013 by Amulet Books

371 pages

 

 

 

      If you enjoyed the original Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and would not want anything changed about the story then this book is probably not for you. On the other hand if you would like to see a much darker version then you may like this story. This story has all that a good fantasy should have such as, magic, curses, love triangles, and mythical creatures. Splintered is a story about a girl named Alyssa Gardner who is the great-great-great granddaughter of Alice Liddell the original human girl to go to Wonderland. The females in Alyssa’s family have been cursed ever since Alice went to Wonderland and it is up to Alyssa to break the curse.

 

     I love a good love triangle and this book actually had two with Alyssa being a part of both.  The first part is between Jeb the boy who has been her best friend forever and the guy she has always had a crush on and his girlfriend. Jeb is the skater punk type. He has piercings, longer hair and scars. Don’t let his image fool you though he is a sweet heart who is very over protective of Alyssa and is always trying to keep her out of trouble. Jeb also had a very rough childhood. Jeb’s girlfriend on the other hand is Alyssa’s worst enemy and not a very nice girl. She has money and problems at home so she thinks it is ok to treat others poorly especially Alyssa. She is the perfect prima-donna type girl, Blonde hair perfect body. You know the girl most of us always wanted to be or couldn’t stand. The other love triangle as I mentioned also contained Alyssa but it also included Jeb. The third member of this love triangle is Morpheus the caterpillar from the original story, but in this story he has turned into a blue and black moth. He is a hard character to tell much about without giving away plot but he is the bad boy, player type that would make most girls swoon. Throughout the story it is hard to tell which side he is truly on and what he is up to.

 

   I really liked the character development especially Alyssa’s she starts out as a girl trying to rebel against the curse. As the story progresses she is trying to break the curse. There were times where I did not like her character because she acted before she thought which usually got her and Jeb into trouble. She was very naive and trusting in the beginning. As the story progressed she started to think about her actions and didn’t just trust everything she was told and she became a very strong lead character. Morpheus’s character was so well developed that I disliked him and liked him all at the same time. He was charming and mischievous but he had his own reasons for doing things that I did not like. Jeb by far was my favorite character he wore his heart on his sleeve and I wanted him and Alyssa to get together so badly. Jeb was like the boy next door that was always there to help.

 

   I also liked the way A.G. Howard described Wonderland. She did not just take Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland and just add her story to it. Instead she made it her own. As I mentioned in the beginning this is a much darker version of Wonderland and none of the characters you would remember from Wonderland are the same. They are all there but they are not as Lewis describes them. For example the walrus from the walrus and carpenter story is actually called an Octobenus and he is half walrus and half octopus. This may make you think twice about reading it, but don’t this just adds to the story.

 

 

     I recommend this story to young adults and adults alike. This book was so full of interesting new additions to the original wonderland that it is hard to put the book down. Throughout a lot of the book I was in shock at how things were unfolding and wanted to read more just to find out what Alyssa would do next. This story is darker than the original but it is worth reading and the ending makes the whole book worth the read.

Amber House by Kelly Moore, Larkin Reed and Tucker Reed

Amber House 
 Kelly Moore, Larkin Reed and Tucker Reed

Published 2012

349 pages

 

 

 

   This book has something for everyone. It has love triangles, history, magic, “haunted” houses, drama and mystery.  The main character of our story is Sarah Parson whose family has lived in and owned a house called Amber House for many generations.  Sarah and her family stay in the house for a little while after her grandmother dies. While living there Sarah learns that she is no ordinary girl but actually someone special. She comes from a long line of women who can see the past of those who lived in the house just by touching certain artifacts in the house. Sarah uses this gift to find a hidden treasure that is rumored to be on the estate. Everyone thinks the house is haunted because of its long history but the only ghosts in the house are the memories of those who used to live there.

 

  For those who are into love triangles in steps Richard and Jackson. These boys are so different and come from two very different worlds. Richard is the poster boy that most girls drool over. He is blonde, tall, smooth, charming, and rich. I had my issues with him in the beginning. Everything came easy for him. The girls loved him and he had everything money could buy. This made him cocky and he had a dangerous streak that could get him into trouble. As I continued to read it turns out that things are not as perfect for Richard as it seems but if you want to know what is not perfect you will have to read the story. Then you have Jackson who I liked from the beginning and rooted for throughout the whole story. He is the opposite of Richard he is tall and dark. He has scars on him from an accident as a child. He is hard to get to know because in the beginning he kind of is distant but he opens up throughout the book and you get to see his sweet funny side. Turns out he has a secret though. Again if you want to know his secret definitely read this book.

 

  There are other important characters also that I should mention. First there is Sarah’s mom. From the beginning she comes off as cold and unfeeling. It is very hard to like her. She never thinks of anyone else and she doesn’t think before she speaks so sometimes she says the meanest things to or about her children. As the story progresses you think that there is no redeeming quality in this woman. Then Sarah sees something with her gift that sheds a new light on Sarah’s mom and why she is the way she is. A deep tragedy that affects Sarah’s whole family.  The other character that was dear to my heart was little Sammy, Sarah’s five year old brother. Sammy is a little autistic. He is a sweetheart though. He is always reminding Sarah to say thank you. Also when they came to Amber House he “gave” Sarah her room. Throughout the book Sammy is acting weird and no one seems to realize it.

 

  I loved this book. The authors Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed do an amazing job getting you interested right from the beginning. The first sentence of this book is, “I was almost sixteen the first time my grandmother died”. Now this could mean anything such as she died and the doctors were able to revive her or it could be something more magical. I had to find out what they meant by this sentence. Also they do such wonderful jobs on the characters. There is Sarah who is at an age where she is trying to figure out who she is and she is thrown into a world where she is more than just an ordinary girl and all these memories keep popping up of her ancestors. You feel for her and want her to succeed. Then there is Sammy who is a dear right from the beginning and is the perfect little brother. Next you have Sarah’s mom and Richard. I just could not like them in the beginning but as the book progressed I started to like them. It takes some very good writing to make you like someone who was just not likable in the beginning. Lastly the way they describe the house and all the rooms in it. I wanted to live in the house even with all its memories of the past whether good or bad.  I am looking forward to the next book where hopefully they will tell more about Jackson. It cannot be released fast enough for me. I recommend this book to all girls of all ages. You do not have to be a young adult to read this book and like it.

For the Love of Reading

 Hello, my name is Candy Hamilton. I am a children and young adult librarian. It probably comes as no surprise then that I love to read. On my blog I want to share that love of reading with others. As such I will use my blog to review books I have read to help others find books, authors, or maybe a new genre that they can enjoy. Most of these will be in the young adult and children's catagory, but if you have a book you would like me to review whether it is a newer book or even something older just leave me a comment and I will do my best to find a copy of the book and review it for you. I hope my blog is helpful in some way to everyone.

                                                                                               Thanks,
                                                                                               Candy