Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Y/A

HOW to SET the WORLD on FIRE by OZMA Award-Winning Author, T.K. Riggins – Sword & Sorcery, YA, Coming of Age, Dragons

Are you looking for a magical fix this summer? Pick up the award-winning Young Adult book, How to Set the World on Fire by 2017 Chanticleer Award-Winning author for the OZMA – Fantasy Awards, T.K.Riggins and sink into a worthy example of the “school of magic” sub-genre sparked by the Harry Potter series.

In this fast-paced, good-humored story, Kase Garrick, grandson of legendary warrior Roman Garrick, takes up residence in the Warriors castle at The Academy, reuniting with his older sister Cali, a member of the school’s Scholars branch. From his first day, Kase gains an enemy in Cali’s boyfriend Niveous. Sent to the Disciplinary Room thanks to Niveous’s trickery, Kase makes fast friends with the two girls also in detention: Talen, a sweet but awkward savant, and rebellious Lenia, whose control over fire tends dangerously toward pyromania.

Kase hones his skills in weaponry while he and Lenia flirt themselves into love, while everything is building in anticipation to the Quest Series, the annual Academy competition. The teams are usually made up of four students from a single school, but Cali, Kase, Lenia, and Talen bend the rules to form their own team. They find support from the Grand Master and Professor Bright, the elements instructor, both of whom see the unusual potential in these four students.

When the Quest Series begins, the plot coalesces into an exciting journey, not only into the four corners of the realm, but also into the students’ psyches. Each of the five Events poses mental, physical, and emotional challenges for Cali’s team, The Liberati. Each student’s mental aptitude and fortitude are tested, as well, but not only by their ordeals—some teams join with Niveous’s crew to hamstring the favored four. Their malice, however, turns to alarm when it becomes apparent that The Liberati–Kase, and Lenia in particular—have powers far beyond those developed by The Academy.

Being a school of magic sub-genre, of course, one would be right in expecting the same feel and some of the same elements setting the stage as one would find in Harry Potter. For example, in this book, you’ll find former students turned evil, a headmaster, various schools within the larger school, an exciting and dangerous competition, Kase’s singular magic, and spiders. Another similarity fans will rejoice in, like Harry Potter, the author has just disclosed that this is indeed Book One of a series!

More impressively, the story holds up very well on its own, and author Riggins manages to create a world that has one foot in fantasy and the other in up-to-the-minute reality. Sage mirrors, for instance, are only slightly more magical than smartphones and the kids take selfies to prove their accomplishments. Very smart.

What Riggins also gets very right is the way he integrates words of wisdom into the competition. In one instance, the Grand Master exhorts them to: “Know who you are, but don’t be discouraged by who you are not.” And in another: “Sometimes the hardest part about finding something beyond your reach, is finding yourself first.” But avid readers will find The Liberati’s call to arms the best advice of all: “To the library!”

T.K. Riggins won the 2017 OZMA (Fantasy) Grand Prize in the Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards for How to Set the World on Fire!

June 26, 2018
REALITY GOLD by Tiffany Brooks – YA, Action/Adventure, Family & Social Issues

Riley Ozaki is eighteen and trying desperately to find a way out of her reality as a recent social pariah. With her reputation at rock bottom, she decides that only a huge gesture can repair her social standing, win back her father’s approval, and gain her some new friends. She decides to participate in a reality tv show. What could go wrong?

Reality Gold by Tiffany Brooks features the behind the scenes reality of reality tv—everything from love triangles and mind games to real life buried treasure and murder. This novel is a fast-paced romp through tropical jungles and into deep, dark caverns where allies may not be who they say they are and legends abound.

Riley arrives at Black Rock Island off the coast of Brazil, her home for the next few weeks, ready to put in the work needed to repair her reputation. But there is a darker side to the reality show that Riley wasn’t expecting. When cameras turn up destroyed and fellow castmates suffer injuries, Riley quickly realizes the mind games began the minute the cast landed on the beach.

Not only will the group of contestants be competing for a cash prize, but the producers of the show have added an extra challenge—whoever can find the hidden treasure rumored to be on the island will receive an additional cash prize—and it soon becomes clear that the games may turn deadly. Legend has it that seven must die before the island reveals the treasure. Six have died in the past, including Riley’s close family friend, Miles Kroger.

Tiffany Brooks has crafted an incredibly readable, fast-paced, YA coming of age adventure novel where everyone has a secret, and no one is who they seem. The first-person narration and short chapters make this a compelling read, one where readers will find themselves thinking ‘just one more chapter.’ The setting is lush and captivating, the characters are intriguing, and Riley Ozaki is a protagonist for today’s readers—she’s smart and resourceful, and smack in the middle of a journey to self-discovery. She must embrace life’s realities, including loss and deceit, to discover for herself what she truly wants in life and who she is.

May 8, 2018
SOULS UNTETHERED SAGA, Book 1 by K.J. McPike – YA Metaphysical, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Lali Yavari has her hands full. She’s the oldest of five siblings, a bright, sensitive daughter of a scientist (her father) and a loving mother. Except, her mother up and abandoned the family leaving only a cryptic note behind. And now Lali’s having strange visions of things and people she does not know coupled with the disturbing ability to astral project her consciousness to another place—another dark and beautiful place.

Imagine her surprise when one of the people from her visions shows up as the new kid (#hottie_alert) at school! The surrounding cast includes her boy-crazy best friend, Paisley (and Paisley’s new annoying side-kick), and Nelson, a buddy Lali has grown up with since pre-school. Just to be clear: Nelson is not fond of NewBoy, Kai. In fact, Nelson is downright irritated over all the attention Lali is suddenly giving to the new boy. But Kai’s arrival at school is no accident. He knows more about Lali than she does—why she’s having visions and, perhaps more importantly, what the visions mean. He may even be able to help Lali decipher her mother’s note, thus solving the puzzle of her whereabouts.

But his assistance comes with a price. Kai’s baby sister also disappeared shortly after she was born, and Kai wants Lali to find her. Kai knows something no one else does: Lali is the only person who can astral project to the alternate reality of Alea.

Alea is filled with thick white trees and grass that’s red and yellow. Beautiful or not, Lali soon learns that Alea is a dangerous place whose citizens are watched by a controlling government with a police force known as the “Eyes and Ears.” Could this surveillance operation have something to do with Lali’s mother’s disappearance? If so, what has her mother done to earn their wrath—and how is her mother connected to Alea in the first place? Past and current events collide in a deeply suspenseful narrative that will have readers turning page after page to determine which characters are good and which are evil. Fittingly, Lali’s brothers and sisters get in on the action and the adventure ramps up in nail-biting intensity.

McPike gives us a strong family full of teasing, quarreling and sarcasm, yet indisputable evidence of a deep and abiding trust between brothers and sisters alike. The dialogue is fast-paced, witty, and wholly believable throughout the book. Here we have a splendid contemporary metaphysical young adult novel that deserves a place alongside our beloved Ursala Le Quin.

Souls Untethered is the story of an endearing, resourceful teenager who will stop at nothing to reunite her family.

*Note: Souls Untethered original title, Xodus, won first place in the 2016 Dante Rossetti Awards for Paranormal Y/A Fiction.
- Writing: Excellent
- Sex: None
- Violence: Some physical combat, nothing graphic
- Narration: Prologue is in 3^rd person; the main novel is in 1^st person; Epilogue is in 3^rd
- Tense: Past
- Mood: Suspenseful with comedic moments
April 28, 2018
KEELIC and the PATHFINDERS of MIDGARTH (The Keelic Travers Chronicles Book 2) by Alexander Edlund – Science Fiction, Middle-Grade Coming of Age, Action/Adventure
When it comes to high-adventure Science Fiction, why should adults have all the fun? Alexander Edlund’s novel, Keelic and the Pathfinders of Midgarth proves that younger readers want in on the action.

Twelve-year-old Keelic Travers has adults all around him dropping their jaws because he has just defeated the evil pirate Jaw Take-ta-Kua in battle and taken possession of the outlaw’s ancient battleship. In doing so, he rescues his parents from Jaw’s clutches, reversing the traditional scenario of parents protecting their child. Surely all the survivors of this recent war are eternally grateful to Keelic and will follow his every order?

Well, no.

Imagine how his parents and most of the other adults feel about taking orders from a 12-year-old, even one who can pilot a starship. While Keelic does his best to present a mature and confident facade, the reader witnesses his private moments of self-doubt, nightmares, and even adolescent jealousy when Leesol, a lovely and intelligent girl, converses with other boys. He may only be twelve, but Keelic is already struggling to balance the responsibilities of his professional life with the challenges of adolescence.

Plot and characterization fit nicely together in this novel as Keelic decides he wants to train to be a Pathfinder, a member of a highly elite team of people who explore the galaxy. To become a Pathfinder requires an extensive study with a curriculum of topics such as route finding, alliance and negotiation, threat identification range, vector speeds and energy signatures, as well as astrophysics, and planetary geophysics, among other subjects. This schooling gives Keelic a chance to interact with classmates close to his age, including a pair of twins who offer comic relief from time to time. The group, known as Keelic’s “Complement” engages in challenging and exhausting training that will test them individually and as a team. While the Pathfinders-in-training learn to trust one another implicitly, Keelic has another plan in mind.

It’s a dynamic of good versus evil with a bit of David and Goliath thrown into the mix. And while Keelic doesn’t have a slingshot, he does have the intelligence and battle skills needed to consider slaying the most destructive menace in space.

To Edlund’s great credit, the dazzling technology of the future is believable and inspires awe with prose that often merges the empiricism of science with the ethereal mysteries of space, resulting in beautiful, resonating language.

Keelic and the Pathfinders of Midgarth will appeal to a broad age range of readers – in much the same manner as the Harry Potter series continues to capture the attention of all.

And while Keelic and Harry may be growing up in vastly different places, they both begin as adolescents who realize special gifts and undertake an atypical education to develop and hone those gifts. If Keelic and his classmates found themselves at Hogwarts instead of the Pathfinder Academy, they likely would have fit right in with the other brave and loyal Gryffindors. Star Wars and Star Trek enthusiasts, as well, won’t want to miss this book or any others in The Keelic Travers Chronicles.

Luckily, outer space is large enough to fit every single fan.

A futuristic YA Science Fiction pick that will capture readers’ imaginations and entertain them for years to come. Keelic and the Pathfinders of Midgarth belongs in the hands of those who yearn for a great read with enchanting lands, fantastical adventures and a hero with a lot of heart.
April 3, 2018
SEAJOURNEY (ARKEN FREETH and the ADVENTURE of the NEANDERTHALS, Book 1) by Alex Paul – Epic Fantasy, High Seas Adventure, Middle Grade

What’s more fun than Neanderthals? How about Neanderthals on the high seas? Now that we have your attention…

Author Alex Paul delivers a highly imaginative, middle-grade epic fantasy adventure-packed story with everything you could ever ask for to have a rip-roaring good time.

SeaJourney (Book One) opens with an ancient archive stating that the Arken Freeth, lived 11,000 years prior, before the great flood. It follows that Arken’s world is inhabited by saber-toothed tigers and other monstrous beasts – and populated by both humans and Neanderthals.

It’s Arken’s fourteenth birthday and he’s looking forward to graduating from school and going on a sea journey with his classmates. All he needs to do is balance a huge rock on a small point. That sounds easy enough, right? Well, he fails.

The only way he can redeem himself is to combat Gart, a very large, bully of a boy who happens to hate him. Arken wins the skirmish – and more of Gart’s wrath in the process. However, both boys will board the Sea Nymph with their classmates to serve their country, Lanth. It turns out that the people of Tolaria (allies of the Lanths) are under attack. Yolanta, King of Tookan, is even now traveling with pirates to hunt down Tolarian Princess Sharmane and steal her magic necklace. The Sea Nymph is readying for war.

Arken meets a girl named Talya, a freckle-faced scout-in-training, who warns Arken that Gart plans to kill him. And when word reaches the Sea Nymph that Princess Sharmane’s vessel has been attacked, Arken, who has proved his worth leads the charge against the enemy ship. Somewhere in the middle of all that is happening aboard the Sea Nymph, there’s a Neanderthal who is gearing up to join in the fun.

With three other Arken Freeth volumes in production, SeaJourney introduces readers to a worthy hero and reveals some of his secrets and hidden powers. The book is well suited for tweens who identify with the underdog who overcomes hardships and ultimately triumphs. Also, our heroine is not based on her looks so much as her energetic attitude.

With fast-escalating action on every page, a likable, capable hero, plenty of mystery and an abrupt ending, readers will be lining up for more. Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals, SeaJourney #1 is sure to please those who crave fantastical adventures with pirates, underdogs, prehistoric beasts, and Neanderthals!

March 11, 2018
FROM the SHADOWS by KB Shaw – YA, Science Fiction, Action/Adventure

In the tradition of H. G. Wells and Isaac Asimov, K.B. Shaw’s From the Shadows piques the reader’s imagination. In the world where Cameron Rush, a shy, geeky boy from Wisconsin, and Rosa Costas, the bright, sassy daughter of a New Mexico ranch foreman, live, twenty-first-century technology makes a quantum leap and changes the nature of human experience.

Sounds amazing, right? This new technology could take tailgating to a new level. Seriously, what could possibly go wrong?

Only, Robert K. Merton’s law of unintended consequences still prevail. So, there is that…

Fifteen-year-old Cameron and Rosa have never met in person. However, they know each other well, as they met in a chat room, and talk daily on their multiComs. The couple takes GundTech’s multiCom technology — computers, without cameras, that capture images and display them in a way that allows virtual eye contact among users—for granted. It’s been around forever, well, at least ten years. They also take for granted their personal AIs.

A multiCom computer’s artificial intelligence (known as its AI) allows it to think, have personalities, experience emotions, and develop self-images. Each computer’s AI is unique and requires that the user demonstrate respect and courtesy to get a requested response. Cameron and Rosa understand this — as the rules of operation were clearly explained in the operating instructions. Therefore, they are never surprised when Sam and Vee, their respective multiCom AIs, sometimes add their two bits worth during conversations.

But they never expect to meet the AIs in person.

Unbeknownst to them, Cameron and Rosa were preordained centuries ago to play an integral part in the technological evolution triggered when GundTech’s mysterious creator introduces the Interactive Holographic Transmitter. With the IHT, time and space can be manipulated enabling humans, alone or collectively, to touch, see, hear, and ultimately, smell, and taste events as they happen.

Throughout this complex, fascinating tale, Shaw manages to keep the teen protagonists real and likable. They are “in touch” with their families, community, and school; they tease, flirt, grumble and complain, and impress the reader with their spirit and ingenuity.

In this well-crafted book, the amalgam of speculative fiction with a hint of Gothic eeriness works very well. What happens, to whom, how, and why is the stuff of possibility thinking. Fast-paced and engaging, with no loose ends, From the Shadows provides readers no opportunities to rest or close the book. Here’s a YA novel that’s a good read for any age.

March 2, 2018
AMASKAN’S BLOOD, Book 1 of the Boahim Series by Raven Oak – Coming of Age, Sword & Sorcery, Epic Fantasy, YA
In Amaska, residents serve Anur, the God of Justice. Amaskans, men and women, train with a rigor akin to the Spartans to be in peak physical strength and to be ever alert for the presence of danger. Yes, the Amaskans kill, but only to right a wrong as directed by the “Order.” They take no delight in carnage, but they will not stand idly by when someone is suffering an injustice. Knives are their weapon of choice. When not in combat, they identify themselves proudly with tattoos of circles on their jaws.

The Tribor, on the other hand, are a people void of morals who worship Itova, the Death Goddess, and kill with abandon. Their triangular tattoos are covered by their clothing and there is nothing noble about their instinct to murder.

Then there are the previously warring kingdoms of Alexander and Shad, now existing in a tentative peace, one that rulers hope will be solidified through a royal marriage. A princess of Alexander is betrothed to a prince of Shad. If the union is successful, the two kingdoms hope the brutal conflict over the borderlands will cease once and for all. Unless, of course, the marriage a ruse on the part of one side, the first step in a strategy to conquer. There’s speculation and intrigue as readers speculate who are the allies and who is about to be betrayed.

Locales, readers soon learn, are of great importance in this book and provide insights into the characters. The author includes a map of “Boahim” and we learn much about its “Little Dozen” kingdoms.

As accomplished as the situations and settings are, the real feat of this novel is the depth of characterization. At the heart of this tale are twins, young women who were born five minutes apart. Princess Margaret of Alexander is delicate, genteel, silly, spoiled, and absurdly naïve about political matters. At least her sister, Adelei thinks so.

In contrast, Adelei, raised in Amaska since she was five years of age, moves with the strength and stealth of one who has killed many times for a cause, who puts duty above any earthly pleasure. She has the advantage and the burden of having two fathers, King Leon of Alexander, her biological father, and Master Bredych of Amaska, the man who adopted her when she was five. How she came to leave her kingdom of origin and return a decade later is a riveting, suspenseful tale, part of which is told in flashback. Of course, present events are tied to the past, and Adelei will have to reconcile what has happened to her when she was a child, known then as Iliana, if she is to perform the assigned task of protecting her twin sister.

Princess Margaret is preparing to marry Prince Gamun of Shad, a young man with the worst of reputations (think Joffrey in Game of Thrones), although the dreamy young woman hopes it is only petty gossip maligning her betrothed. In protecting her sister, Adelei is also protecting their shared father, the elderly and ailing king, and the entire Kingdom of Alexander.

As events unfold, can two such markedly different sisters learn from each other? And, if so, what will the consequences be? Just when you think you know where the novel is headed, the author will surprise you, frighten you, charm you, and, ultimately, move you profoundly.

Raven Oak’s fantasy novel, Amaskan’s Blood, pays such careful attention to detail that readers will likely feel as if they’re reading historical fiction. While it does take occasional detours from realism, this epic novel reads like an extraordinary and engrossing depiction of actual events. This is a credit to Oak’s very precise and inviting prose and her enormous talent for elaborate plot twists imbued with emotional drama. Will fans of fantasy still like this book? Absolutely! In fact, if you’re longing for the next season of Game of Thrones to begin, this is the novel to read while you’re waiting.
- Writing: Excellent
- Sex: Nothing graphic – advised for 13+
- Violence: Killings involving knives and blood
- Narration: 3^rd Person
- Tense: Past
- Mood: Adventurous/Suspenseful
February 27, 2018
The SPIRIT SHIELD SAGA: SEER of SOULS by Susan Faw – Epic Fantasy, Mythology & Folklore, Coming of Age Y/A

Be ready for Susan Faw’s grand adventure, where she serves up a world in which humans and the not-quite-human Primordials must make peace and work in harmony against a common foe. This young adult novel, liberally seasoned with mysticism and magic, incorporates themes from mythology, folk/fairytale, and legend, with an Adonis-like hero, a battle between good and evil, and the restoration of a monarchy to its rightful ruler.

Seventeen-year-old Cayden Tiernan, a seemingly simple shepherd boy, lives on a farm with his twin sister and father in far reaches of the kingdom of Cathair near the Land of the Primordials, somewhere between the sea and the capital city. These demi-god twins are blissfully unaware of their true identities and their pre-ordained destiny. They take their supernatural gifts and abilities for granted, never questioning their purpose or station in life – or the prophesy proclaiming a savior will appear to free the kingdom from the unholy grasp of Queen Alcina. They only know they have a special bond, a psychic connection, and perceive their differences from other people in their world – although, the perception is small at this point, and not clearly defined.

The spurious Queen Alcina seeks to circumvent the prophesied appearance of the savior destined to free the Cathairians from her onerous rule by drafting all young men from seventeen to twenty-five to serve in her legions. Her edict loosens the winds of change. Unrest and rumors of treason begin to blow across the land.

The story takes off when Cayden volunteers for the army to deflect being arrested for the justified murder of an evil soldier. By doing this, he triggers events that take him on a hero’s journey into a dangerous world where mystical beings and abounding magic rub shoulders with the familiar world of his youth.

Faw’s alternate world echoes the medieval period in human history and utilizes a coming-of-age plot structure with an engaging and adept storytelling sensibility. Fans will be thrilled to learn that Seer of Souls is the first book in The Spirit Shield Saga. Faw shines brightly as a keen, larger-than-life storyteller and deserves the praise and accolades she is receiving for this series. Seer of Souls contains epic villains and courageous heroes, hints of burgeoning young love, graphic violence, and mind-stretching magic, a promising read that will draw a strong audience from Y/A readers.

December 26, 2017
SONG MAGICK: A SONGMAKER NOVEL by Elisabeth Hamill – Science Fiction/Fantasy, Y/A, Sword & Sorcery

Exiled from her beloved home and her family, seventeen-year-old bard, Telyn Songmaker, starts a journey of mystical proportions that will test all that her spirit and strength can endure. Ultimately, she will become the only hope for the return of magick to the realm, if she can fulfill the hidden legend through her Song Magick–it’s a novel of adventure and love by Elisabeth Hamill.

The stakes are high; this is not rabbit-out-of-a-hat magic. Magick spells will harness energies that change people and their environment. Using her songs to spin magick, Telyn learns from experience the brutal consequences that accidental spells can bring.

When she meets up with a group of the King’s dedicated Tauron, guardians of the enchanted woods, they band together in a desperate quest to restore love and enchantment to the realm. The future depends on changes that only magick can deliver. But has Telyn honed her skills to achieve the required magick of the legendary seed-voice? Is this young bard really the legend that the realm has been waiting for?

When the mysterious Mithrais, Westwarden of the Tauron, is drawn to Telyn’s campsite by her beautiful harp playing, there are more sparks in the air than just from the campfire. When Mithrais takes his leave and returns to his vigilant guard watch within the woods, Telyn is attacked by three assassins. She fights valiantly, yet one of the swordsmen holds her down and another raises his weapon to slice off her hand.

Hamill weaves her lyrical language as a master musician, and the effect is magic, bringing her readers on a soulful quest, through a budding romance, and witness cherished friendships in the midst of impossible dangers. Suspense artfully builds along the journey, the fast-paced hand-to-hand combat scenes thrill, and the description of the final challenge is breathtaking.

Fans will be pleased to learn that Song Magick is the first book in the Songmaker two-book series. Truthsong is the second and well-worth the read. Hamill also writes adult science fiction and fantasy.

Heroic Science-Fiction/Fantasy at its lyrical best as the fate of the realm rests on one young bard’s ability to bring back the mystical, magical music of long ago. Even though Telyn Songmaker is young and powerful, can she muster the strength and courage to reclaim the Song Magick of Legend and vanquish evil from the realm?

December 18, 2017
The VITRUVIAN HEIR by L.S. Kilroy – Y/A Steampunk, Fantasy

It is the 23^rd century. Eighteen-year-old Lorelei (Lore) Fetherston lives in Vitruvia. This area, once known as the United States, is under a monarchist regime that dictates Victorian and Edwardian principles, including the subordination of women on various levels. One issue that greatly affects Lore, is the custom of parents to arrange their children’s nuptials. Lore is earmarked to marry Gideon, a man she does not love, in three weeks time. If she were to have her way, she’d marry Fallon, a man her parents have dismissed. Added to this, Lore’s talent for writing is summarily squelched under the iron hammer of Vitruvian’s laws against freedom of speech.

While trying to figure out how to escape her upcoming marriage, Lore becomes the recipient of her grandmother’s tiny music box that contains information on Artemis Klepes. Meeting with the supposed crazed scientist, Lore receives from him a journal, which transforms into a suitcase filled with her grandmother’s controversial book collection. Although the banned literature is nothing less than eye-opening, it doesn’t change her current situation. Lore still must find a way to escape her arranged marriage.

Kilroy’s futuristic realm, replete with a repressive quasi-Orwellian setting, is riddled with everything sinister. Among her mix of developed and elusive characters and creatures (i.e., yoctos, minuscule beasts; galateans, humanoids), Kilroy keeps readers wondering who can be trusted.

While punctuating her narrative with cruel and brutal scenes, Kilroy weaves in Lore’s gift for story writing. Amid oppressive situations, Lore collects the personal accounts of repressed women—stories she hopes one day will be made known to the world. It is in the shaping of this heroine as a lover of humankind that makes Lore such a unique and appealing character.

A natural storyteller, Kilroy engages her audience on a deeper reading level from the get-go through inferencing. This powerful tool enables readers the opportunity to create the necessary puzzle pieces that will aid in completing the plot.

Balancing familiar with unexpected description and a smooth narrative voice, this is a Y/A classic in the making and has the power to develop a loyal readership.

December 4, 2017