The Language Thieves by Marc Remus

The LanguageThieves is an exciting young adult fantasy novel written by Marc Remus. 

Daniel Sullivan’s father just found a new job. So, Daniel, his father, and his mother who has been sick and unresponsive for a while leave Arizona and travel to a small Scottish island of Inverdee.

On their way, Daniel encounters the Cerebrals, an elusive tribe that drains languages from people’s minds, and who are somehow responsible for his mother’s sickness. Daniel is a bilingual who speaks English and Irish Gaelic. If discovered, he is likely to be attacked by the tribe and his language, or both, stolen.

Together with his friends Connor and Jenny, Daniel sets out to the Cerebrals’ village hoping to get her mother’s languages back. What they found out leads them to a far more sinister discovery.

This is an exciting and suspenseful fantasy book. It’s about family and friends, and what we are willing to do for them. It’s a combination of legends and modern technology and depicts preservation of traditions as well as embracing innovation. It has a set of delightfully charming characters like the stubborn and determined Daniel, skeptic but supportive Connor, smart and brave Jenny and the sweet and elusive Emily.

Scenes and settings are vividly described while dialogues between characters sound natural making the book an easy read that can be finished in one sitting. Needless to say, this is one very enjoyable book. However, the ending felt a little rushed and less conclusive than I hope it is.

Still, I love this book and I recommend it to fans of young adult fiction and fantasy books.

Congratulations to Marc Remus (@MarcRemusArt) on another great book. For more books by the author, click HERE!   

Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and theTragedy of the RMS Titanic is the fourth book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency created by Iain Reading.

From the land of Vikings, volcanoes and ice, Kitty Hawk now finds herself in the emerald hills of Ireland. After a presentation to promote the grand opening of Wasabi Willy’s Family Sushi Restaurant in Dublin, the company financing her flight around the world, Kitty is approached by a handsome stranger.

Andrew presents Kitty with an ancient envelope containing two equally ancient items: a newspaper article with an unfinished crossword puzzle and a postcard with a black and white photo of the doomed luxury steamship, the RMS Titanic.  

Just like the previous three books, this is a treasure trove of fascinating, albeit some of them tragic and some even horrible, information. I particularly enjoyed the retelling of the ill-fated maiden voyage of one of the most famous ships in history. Moreover, I appreciate the lessons on the ancient Egyptian writing, the Hieroglyphics, as well as the stories about the scariest and most notorious serial killer of all time, Jack the Ripper.

I find the pacing of this fourth installment faster and the plot more suspenseful than the first three and I absolutely love it for that. Kitty, bolder and more daring, is appropriately described as ‘the incredible and remarkable young female pilot.’ I couldn’t pick a favorite from any of the new characters not because they aren’t likable. Quite the contrary, they are all endearing in their own ways. I love Andrew, Professor Flynn, Katherine and Richard for their passion: Andrew for his passion for the truth about his ancestor, the professor for the Titanic, Kate for history and Richard for Jack the Ripper. I like Ellie for her truthfulness and helpfulness and even Thomas for his tenacity. Finally, though the solution to the puzzle was as much as I expected, I still felt good that the book ended the way it did.   

Needless to say, I love this book and I enjoyed it a lot.

However, I was a little disappointed that Kitty’s plane played a very minimal role in her adventures this time, though it was apparently understandable. Moreover, other readers may have misgivings about Kitty’s non-conforming behavior. Though I personally take as a trigger to the suspense, others may consider it inappropriate that might send a negative message to people Kitty’s age.

Congratulations to Iain Reading (@IainReading) on yet another awesome novel! For more books in this series, click HERE.  

Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue is the exciting Book Three of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series created by Iain Reading.

Kitty’s flight-around-the world adventures continue in Iceland, the land of Vikings, volcanoes and ice. As she arrives in the capital city of Reykjavík, Kitty is greeted by Konrad Cooper and his beautiful family. Konrad is a resident of Iceland and is a friend of Charlie, Kitty’s friend and benefactor.

Just when Kitty is enjoying the pristine beauty of the Icelandic landscape, strange but delicious food and Icelandic hospitality, she is caught in the middle of an intrigue that throws her on the path of an environmental activist, a psychic, a paper plane enthusiast/researcher, dangerous criminals, corrupt government official, mystical beings and forces of nature.

More than the exciting and suspenseful scenes: the running, the shooting, the chasing, etc. I enjoyed not only the physical description of Iceland but also the information about the culture of this beautiful country. I am particularly amazed with Mannanafnanefnd or The Icelandic Naming Committee, the governmental body that regulates which names are allowed in Iceland. I would never know about that if not for this book. Another surprising information is the belief of the Icelanders in mystical beings like elves, trolls and hidden people. I’m from a superstitious country myself so I appreciate the respect that the Icelanders bestow on mystical beings.

Moreover, if I like Kitty Hawk in the first two books, I love her in this third installment. She is portrayed not only as a young but skilled pilot but also as a smart teenager with genuine interest in everything around her, dauntless and willing to try something new, and most importantly kind and self-sacrificing that she is willing to put her life at risk for the safety of others. She is undoubtedly a present-day teenage heroine that young people may look up to.

Aside from the difficult pronunciation of a few Icelandic vocabularies, which I believe can't be helped, and a few typo errors, I like everything about this book. I recommend it to young and adult readers alike.

Congratulations to Iain Reading (@IainReading) on another great book! For more books on this series, click The Kitty Hawk World.  

Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway’sGhost is the second book in the Kitty Hawk Detective Agency Series created by Iain Reading.

Kitty is so excited. Her dream to fly around the world is about to come true, thanks to the generosity of her sponsor, Charlie Lewis whom she met with his brothers during her expedition in Alaska.

After a short vacation with her parents, Kitty finally begins the first leg of her journey in her trusty and newly-modified De Havilland Beaver seaplane and lands at Key West, Florida. Just like ordinary tourists, Kitty has a look-around and even joins the tour at Ernest Hemingway’s house.

After befriending the Johnny Depp look-alike tour guide at Hemingway’s house, Kitty visits Fort Jefferson at the Dry Tortugas National Park and accidentally comes across a suspicious activity that involves mysterious glowing lights, ancient shipwrecks and sighting of the great Ernest Hemingway himself and his boat the Pilar.

Just like the first book in the series, Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold, this is an exciting, suspenseful and very informative Young Adult Fiction novel. But I find the pacing of this book faster and the scenes more suspenseful. I also notice that Kitty got more matured and, if possible, more daring and more stubborn. I think she also got less self-conscious and more comfortable in her own skin and more confident in what she can do.        

I simply love the lessons on ancient Spanish treasures especially the meaning of the symbols and markings on the silver bars. Apparently, this is another well-written, well researched and well referenced book by the author.

Congratulations to Iain Reading (@IainReading) on another amazing book! For more books in this series, click HERE.      

Have Amber - Will Travel by Keith Vlasak

Have Amber – Will Travel is a fantasy adventure novel written by Keith Vlasak.

Standing five feet eleven inches tall, Paige Dylan is simply not a typical college student with her beauty queen looks and Medieval Longsword Champion title. That’s probably because she’s not typical at all, nor is any of her two brothers and two sisters.

Unlike other ordinary children of ordinary families, the Dylans secretly go on exciting quests they call ‘adventures’ as they are magically transported in another place and time. Unlike their previous quests, however, this time, they are not transported to Camelot but in ancient Egypt. What more, they bring along with them Paige’s classmate Steve Webber and her Introductory Writing 101 teacher, Professor Dettman.

More than exciting, this is a very informative book about the gods and goddesses of Egypt as well as ancient Egyptian religious beliefs. Moreover, the book realistically depicts the relationship between siblings especially the behavior of each child. How the oldest always feels responsible for the younger ones and how the younger ones lash at the older ones trying to find out how far they can go. The fighting scenes are superbly described and the setting is magnificently reproduced in words. The characters are well developed and at some points relatable, especially Paige.  

However, though I enjoyed the book a lot, history lessons and all, I think the entire book is heavy, in fact too heavy, on details, considering that the target audience is young adult. I also find the pacing too slow. Moreover, the plot raises too many questions that are left unanswered and for a standalone novel, it gives the reader an incomplete and, somehow, unsatisfied feeling at the end of the book. Despite those and a few noticeable errors (like it’s eyes and I can count you instead of I can count on you), this is a very enjoyable book.

Congratulations to Keith Vlasak (@keithvlasak) on such a great book. For more books by the author, click HERE. 

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the first book in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series written by Iain Reading.

Young and spirited pilot Kitty Hawk is excited about the summer. She just receives sponsorship from Tilley Clothing Company to spend the summer in Alaska and study the social interactions and feeding habits of humpback whales. Not only does she get to live with a warm and generous couple in Juneau, but she also meets new friends whom she learns a lot from. After identifying a particular whale by the marks of its tail, Kitty witnesses a spectacular phenomenon that she, so luckily, gets to record on her laptop. Things are going way even better than she expected, until her attention is caught by a suspicious looking fishing boat and her summer adventures turn from fun and exciting to ultimately dangerous.   

This is an exciting, enjoyable, informative and a totally entertaining book. It has a very promising beginning that turns into an all-out suspenseful story with surprising twists and unpredictable turn of events. Descriptions of the settings, Canada and Alaska, are rich and vivid while the dialogues are realistic and fitting for each character. The author creates an endearing protagonist in Kitty Hawk. She is smart albeit impulsive and kind yet tough. She is completely clueless about how special she is which makes her all the more charming.

However, though I appreciate the history lesson, I find it too long. I also find some scenes, especially the captivity, a little dragging. Still, I enjoyed this book immensely and I recommend it to readers who love adventures.

Congratulations to Iain Reading (@IainReading) on such a great book. For more books in this series, click HERE.  

Now I Know It's Not My Fault by Laurie B. Levine

Now I Know It’s Not My Fault is a poignant, eye-opening novel written by Laurie B. Levine.

Alex Geller is a bright teenager who has a habit of cracking up ‘wise ass’ comments. With the sudden death of her mother when she was nine years old, Alex, together with her two brothers, is left with her emotionally unavailable, perfectionist and fault-finding father.

When Paula Hanover, her beautiful and ‘very cool’ Science teacher, starts paying attention to her, Alex begins to feel special and loved. Finally, she knows what it feels like to have a mother. However, Paula is not as kind or as sweet as Alex thinks she is.    

This is a touching and memorable book about physical, emotional and psychological abuse suffered by a girl under the hands of a selfish and expert manipulator. More than that, the book displays the needs of a teenager to belong, to be understood and to be encouraged.

Moreover, the book depicts the effects of callous and unmindful criticisms to a teenager especially by a father who is supposed to be supportive and accepting. It portrays how emotionally damaging an expression of disappointment can be to a child who is trying to find her place in the world.  

The book is written in conversational tone and easy to read. The dialogues are very realistic especially between teenagers like Alex and Amber, Alex and Adam and Alex and Sandra.

However, I noticed several errors (typos, missing words) within the book. Though they did not deter me from fully enjoying the story, they were an unwelcome distraction.

Congratulations to Laurie B. Levine (@laurieblevine) on such a great book! 

My 2017 Booklist

This is a very short list. Needless to say, it’s not complete yet and as a book reviewer and book blogger, I add a title on the list as I go along. However, there are books that I plan to read this year. These are on my list last year but, apparently, I haven’t gotten around to reading them. Some are mainstream while others are indie.

Most of the books I read come from Online Book Club, my employer, where I do official reviews. Others are free e-books, from Amazon, which I find interesting. Most of them I feature on my blog. A few come from Booksgosocial where I write Amazon reviews in exchange for free books. Most of these I also post on my blog. Fewer still are books from indie authors who trusted me enough to give me Advanced Review Copies in exchange for honest reviews. Late this year, I discovered Instafreebee where I get free e-books, some of them I featured on my blog.  

This year, I only have a few on the list, mainstream and indie.

1. Don Quixote by Cervantes
2. Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
3. The Key by Marianne Curley
4. Winter by Marissa Meyer
5. The Necromancer by Michael Scott
6. The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
7. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
8. Nightmares : The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel
9. Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling
10. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
11. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
12. The Path of Decisions by Mike Shelton
13. Bear Prince by Emma Alisyn/Danae Ashe
14. The Golden Maple Tree by Marc Remus
15. Faerie Prince by Rachel Morgan
16. Linear Shift by Paul Kohler
17. Annie’s Second Chance by Willee Amsden
18. Nightlord Sunset by Garon Whited
19. Hatching the Phoenix Egg by Joel Horn
20. Lost Time by DL Orton

As I already said, it’s a very short list. IF YOU’RE AN AUTHOR, you may want to have your book on that list in exchange for an honest review. If you’re a reader like myself, you may want to check out my ‘2016 Book List’ to get an idea on what books to put on your own reading list. I recommend that you read the reviews first.

2016 Book List

1. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
2. First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom
3. Paper Towns by John Green
4. Fling by Lily IonaMackenzie
5. Out of Time by Sarah Mackie
6. Kennedy’s Revenge by StephenL. Rodenbeck
7. Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin
8. Echo From Mount Royal byDave Riese
9. Ruby’s Choice by D. F. Jones
10. Wedding Haters by Melissa Baldwin
11. Silent Messages by John Albion
12. The Blogger by James Raven
13. Holding Fire
14. Blinders by Michael Amon
15. Blood Thief by James Holmes
16. Reflection of Innocence byJohn Tolliver
17. Eight Days by Scott Thompson
18. The Knights of Neverthelessby R.A. McClure
19. The Inlooker by Terry Tumbler
20. Junior Inquisitor byLincoln S. Farish
21. Time Stands Still by Stacy Froumis
22. Wilkes: The Awakening byJ.A. Harris
23. Don’t Be Yourself: Be ABetter Person by David Ross
24. The Last Ever After by Soman Chainani
25. What The Hand by Todd Stockwell
26.  Shot Down by Steve Snyder
27. Magora: Gallery  of Wonders by Marc Remus
28. Rune Gate by Mark Cooper
29. Prevarication: DeceitfullyYours by Monica L. Smith
30. Running to Stand Still by JTheron
31. The Day of the Tiger by William Paskett
32. The Shadows Behind HerSmile by Karen Millie-James
33. The Nuremberg Puzzle by Laurence O’Bryan
34. Hyde’s Corner by J BBergstad
35. Path of Destiny by Mike Shelton
36. Town Secrets by Scott Gelowitz
37. Necessary Evils by BillCarson
38. Provoked to Anger by CherayGardison
39. Save the Last Bullet for God by JT Alblood
40. The Spirit Guide by Elizabeth Davies
41. Being Medusa and Other Things That Suckby A. Lynn Powers
42. Land of Two Seas by ChandanSen Gupta
43. Shadow Cell by Joseph D’Antoni
44. Saved by Angels by Bruce Van Natta
45. Dead-End Sex by Arnold Holtzman

46. Smiling Exercises and Other Stories byDan Malakin

47. Peter’s Sisters by LM Foster
48. Of My Own Hand’s Weaving by Mary Boscoletta
49. The Faerie Guardian byRachel Morgan
50. Cyber Storm by Matthew Mather
51. Truth Unveiled by KimCleary
52. Aisuru by Anma Natsu
53. Witch of the Cards by Caherine Stine
54. Creole Moon, The Betrayal by ST Holmes
55. The Princess Companion by MelanieCellier
56. Dawn’s Eerie Light by Roy Ziegler
57. Teepees and Trailer Parks by HopeCallaghan
58. A Deadly Secret
59. Loved, Desired, Touched by the Alpha Cowboyby DD Boone
60. The Lost Identity Casualties by KimEkemar
61. Sabbatical of the Mind by David L. Winters
62. Bag of Bones by Hope Callaghan
63. Spiritual Dog: ‘Bear’ by J. Wesley Porter
64. Paper in the Wind by Olivia MasonCharles
65. The Stalker by Hope Callaghan
66. Disclosing the Secret by Vincent Amato
67. Anna’s Way by DF Jones
68. Genna’s Fight by Sheldon P. Newton
69. The Dragon Ring by C. Craig Coleman
70. Ink by Zita Harrison
71. Summer Storm by Tori Del Rey
72. Blowing Smoke by George Hiegel
73. The Cloud Seeders by James Zerndt
74. Armageddon’s Arc by Victor Baptiste
75. Neworld Papers: The Warriors’ Tale by KBShaw
76. Linear Shift by Paul Kohler

77. Who Are The Joneses Anyway by Bob andSusan Karcher
78. The Drift by Chris Thrall
79. Why You Won’t Go To Hell byBen Andrews
80. Bear Princess by Emma Alisyn/Danae Ashe
81. Altering Events by DennisN. Del Prince
82. Never Never Part 1 by Colleen Hoover/Tarryn Fisher
83. The Marvels by Brian Selznick
84. Puzzle of Fate by A. RezaKamarei, PhD
85. Never Never Part 2 by Colleen Hoover/Tarryn Fisher
86. Never Never Part 3 by Colleen Hoover/Tarryn Fisher
87. Sandy’s Story by DF Jones
88. Living on Sugar Mountain by Ryan Stadler
89. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
90. Accidental Cinderella by Emily Evans
91. Re-Enactment Project by KO Johnson
92. Catcher in the Rye by J. Salinger
93. Talk to The Moon by Katlynn Brooke
94. Beautiful Lies by RM Lagman
95. The Dark by Marianne Curley
96. The Night Before Christmas by RoseCollins

97. Elementals by Michael Anstead
98. 9^th Street Chronicles by WE Self

99. 1984 by George Orwell

100. The Reanimated Legends ofRock by Durell Mitchell
101. Annie’s 1st Break by WilleeAmsden
102. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling
103. Lost Coast Rocket by Joel Horn

104. Diana The Abduction byRiana Alammar
105. Cress by Marissa Meyer
106. Out of the Box Everlasting by JenniferTheriot

107. Gift of the Mancynn byDominic Hodgson
108. All’s Fair in Love and War by J Theron
109. The Royal Dragoneers by MRMatthias
110. Dream Oracle Series by Seraph
111. The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. by Sam Miller II

112. The Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts
113. Motivation 3 by Swift
114. Unspeakable Acts by Janet Leigh Green
115. Parable of the Tooth by KDLassiter
116. Crossing in Time by DL Orton
117. The Honey Bubble by GeorgePutnam
118. Running Home by Barbara Ellen Brink
119. Wonder by RJ Palacio
120. Police Under Fire by AubreyA. Barker
121. The Perseid Collapse by Steven Konkoly
122. Tabikat by Harriet Redfern
123. The Black Star by SD Smith
124. The Magic of Thieves by c. Greenwood
125. The Secrets in My Eyes byHarry James Hamilton
126. ROAN by ER Barr
127. Interesting Times by Matthew Storm
128. The Underbelly by EvelynCole
129. Gun by Lee Hayton
130. A Peripatetic Life by Raymond Walley
131. The General’s Legacy by Adrian G. Hilder
132. L.I.F.E. in the 23^rd Century by Jason R. Richter
133. Nightmares by Jason Segel/Kristen Miller
134. Coal by Constance Burris
135. The Light by Judith T.Lambert
136. Achieve Your Dreams by Scott Hughes
137.  A Soul Divided by Daniel M. Quilter 
138. Altdorf by JK Swift