Trapped within the dead city of Marandur, Master Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain must escape both merciless barbarians and the pitiless Imperial Legion. Beyond those dangers lie the mightiest and most unforgiving powers in the world of Dematr: the Great Guilds that rule the world with iron fists.
Mari's Mechanics Guild and Alain's Mage Guild have always been enemies, but they are united in wanting to kill their rogue members before Mari can fulfill the ancient prophecy of being the one who will finally overthrow their power. Mari and Alain must risk those dangers because halfway across their world lies a place where truth has long been hidden. A place that could explain why their world's history begins abruptly, with no hints of what came before. A place where they might learn how the Mechanics Guild came to control all technology and how the Mages manage to alter reality temporarily. A place that might tell them how to achieve a task that appears to be impossible.
​Never before have a Mage and a Mechanic worked together, and their combined talents offer their only hope. But she and Alain must first survive the deadly and implacable Assassins of Altis.

​The Assassins of Altis is one of many books written by Jack Campbell. The novel was originally published by Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio but has since become available in e-book and paperback formats. It is the third book in the six-part series, The Pillars of Reality and the sequel to The Hidden Masters of Marandur. Campbell is wonderful at creating interesting and unique action sequences in his books and this was no exception. The third book picks up where the second left off with Mari and Alain being hunted by their enemies and trying to escape the dead city of Marandur.
The character building in this book was spectacular especially for the beautiful Mage Aja. Alain with Mari and Alain the reader is introduced to some new mages and mechanics. New foes are introduced in this novel as well. I really enjoyed the hilarious dialogue in this installment of The Pillars of Reality. The Assassins of Altis continues with both a person vs self and a person vs society conflict. Like its two sequels The Assassins of Altis is a combination of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy and Romance written for a New Adult audience. The character chemistry is well done throughout the book. Mari and Alain teach the reader that anyone can change and that sometimes change is necessary to grow.
The dialogue between Mari and her peers is engaging, especially in this installment that combined with the all-around fascinating story makes for a book the reader will not be able to put down. The third book is original and interesting. It is action packed and suspenseful while still able to establish funny or serious scenes when it is appropriate. My favorite part of this novel was by far Mari and Aja’s interactions, it was interesting to watch Mari gain allies and friends throughout the story.

Someone wants to kill Mari, a young steam mechanic in the guild that controls all technology. She has learned that her world of Dematr is headed for a catastrophe that will destroy civilization and that mages really can alter reality for short periods. Someone also wants to kill Alain, a young mage who has learned that mechanics are not frauds, as his guild teaches, and that mechanic Mari is the only person who can prevent the oncoming disaster.
Narrowly escaping death, the mechanic and the mage stay alive thanks to their combined skills, an alliance never before seen. But it becomes clear that both of their guilds, the most powerful forces in the world, are trying to destroy them. Other powers, like the great empire and a mysterious secret order, also seek to kill or capture them using every weapon from imperial legions to mage-created trolls, dragons, and rocs.
Trying to survive and learn the truth about their world so they will know how to save it, Mari and Alain realize the answers they seek may lie in the dead city of Marandur. But Marandur is guarded by the legions that have sealed it off from the rest of the world for more than a century. Mari and Alain's only hope may rest with the unseen masters of Marandur.

Originally published by Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio and available in audio, print and ebook formats, this book is the second of six books. and written by Jack Campbell, The Hidden Masters Marandur is a compelling work of fiction. It is the second book in the Pillars of Reality series is made up six books, beginning with The Dragons of Dorcastle and concluding with The Wrath of the Great Guilds. In my opinion The Hidden Masters of Marandur is a unique novel in that it has a very peculiar twist towards the end of the novel. Fantasy, magic and steampunk combine in this Science Fiction novel to create an epic story about friendship and adventure.
Among many other things (this is a weak and unnecessary opening statement), what really pulled me into the story for the duration of this novel was the character chemistry. I loved the detail with which the author brought the world and characters to life. Master Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain return to the spotlight as they explore uncharted territory in both their relationship and their world in their second adventure. While both teens search for answers, they are both hunted by the Great Guilds who seek their undoing. The second installment to The Pillars of Reality explores both a person vs. self, conflict as well as a person vs. society conflict, as the character’s struggle with their morals and society’s standards. The Hidden Masters of Marandur combines the magic of Fantasy, the genius behind Science Fiction and the comedic dialogue of Satire. The end result is funny and alluring to New adult readers. Mari and Alain’s grand adventure in this novel will teach readers to never give up and to always work hard in order to reach their goals. 
​The Hidden Masters of Marandur continues the interesting approach to the New Adult, Science Fiction and Fantasy writing established in the initial book in the series . It is perfectly suited for its audience with its laugh out loud humor and interesting world. The sequel to The Dragons of Dorcastle and the second of six books; The Hidden Masters of Marandur introduces the series’ main conflicts and explores the world of Dematr. After finishing the novel, my favorite part of this engaging book is the friendship between Mari and Alain. Both characters create an unformidable team that shows how truly amazing having a friend can be.

During a routine drive to dinner with her parents, sixteen-year-old Annie Walker’s car is struck by a pickup truck. The resulting accident kills her parents and leaves Annie unconscious. When she wakes up, she thinks she’s in a hospital, but the truth is far stranger. Annie has been downloaded into a computer program called PATTIE.With the help of PATTIE’s brilliant programmer, Eric, Annie struggles to come to terms with her new existence. She also finds that being inside a computer has both advantages and disadvantages. Unfortunately, the disadvantages can kill her.

​All That Remains of Me is a novel by H.S. Stone.  It is in my opinion a masterpiece of the young adult genre. I really enjoyed reading this book. The story opens with sixteen-year-old Annie in a violent car crash. The wreck scene was wonderfully written and served its purpose of giving  the reader that “spark” that fully engages the reader in the contract for the willing suspension of disbelief. 
The thought of humans being stuck inside computers is horrifying, interesting and some might even say exciting. This concept was refreshing for it’s out of the box plotline. The story touches upon many valuable life lessons about life, friendship, and love. The characters were realistic and well written in that they were not caricatures of the modern day teenager. I found that I could easily identify with both of the main characters, Annie and Eric. 
The chemistry between the two was wonderfully written. It was by no means a “sweep you off your feet” love story but more of a “slow burn”. Annie is a very funny and relatable heroine, and Eric is the perfect contrast , nerdy but strong willed and loyal. This book was a page turner and I will probably read it a few times more just to revisit the characters that I have come to greatly enjoy.

A hidden prophecy. A chosen princess who speaks with snakes. A family duty. Sixteen year old Princess Antigone, daughter of the infamous ancient Greek King Oedipus, wants to lead a normal life and fulfill her duty to the gods, her city, and her family, but fate has other plans. The Olympian gods bless her, the snakes talk to her, her parents want her to marry a foreign prince, her embroidery looks like burial shrouds for dogs, and she has fallen in love with the wrong boy. When the mysterious and devastating prophecies surrounding her family are revealed, Antigone must choose where her allegiance lies: With the gods who have betrayed her family but who she is obliged to serve? With her plague ridden city? With her family which lay in ruins? Or even with herself? ​

Antigone is the first book by Canadian author Coreena McBurnie. The author, who has a degree in classical studies with a focus on Greek and Roman cultures is passionate about Greek mythology. Having read Homer’s Odyssey in its native Greek language she has a scholar perspective and enthusiast’s appreciation for ancient story telling.
Antigone The True Story follows Antigone, the daughter/sister of one the most recognized Greek characters, Oedipus. The story follows Antigone as she struggles to fulfill her destiny in a life filled with gods and prophecies. The author starts the story of Antigone in the very early story line of the Oedipus trilogy, actually set in the first installment, Oedipus The King. In the normal progression of this myth, Antigone a very minor character until the last installment, Antigone. In this book, Antigone the character I brought to life with imagery encompassing both the mundane and supernatural elements that are often glossed over by the mythologies and plays. 
I was initially interested in this book due to the fact that it both follows a Greek myth and is considered a Young Adult novel. The author’s interpretation and take on the story was loosely aligned to the Greek play and she obviously had a great deal of fun creating the backstory and details about Antigone’s life. However, the story never really captured my full attention. I felt like I was reading a scholar’s analysis at times when I wanted the story to follow the energetic Young Adult style. The author treated the young adult characters very superficially and as bad stereotypes. This was confusing to me as the readership targeted is the Young Adult market. While the story as a whole had all the elements of a well written book, the initial spark that pull’s in the reader in just wasn’t there for me. I would not recommend this book for mainstream Young Adult readers. It might be a better fit for those of you who are intimately familiar with the Oedipus trilogy and Antigone mythology. 

Charlie's love for Brooke has grown in the years they've been together, but when his father dies in a tragic climbing accident, he discovers a well-hidden family secret which turns his life upside down and threatens to destroy his sense of self as well as his relationship with Brooke.

Tin Men is the second book in the Clay Lion trilogy by Amalie Jahn. As far as YA books about time travel go, Tin Men definitely ranks high. Tin Men is the second book in The Clay Lion trilogy. While the first book followed an 18-year-old Brooke in a desperate attempt at saving her brother; Tin Men follows college age Charlie as he searches for his mother with consequences. It is a successful well written, well thought out second novel in the same story-line as the first book. Like the first book, the author is very careful in her use of time travel and doesn’t use it to solve every issue the protagonist faces.

_​What if you could go back in time to save a life?
The rules are simple, you must be 18, you can only go back 6 months and you must never ever change the past. But that is exactly what Brooke plans to do.

​This book only recently made it on to my reading list. I didn’t know much about it, but decided to give it a try. As soon as I opened it up and started reading, I knew this book was something special. In fact it was so special, that I devoured it in about four hours! I absolutely loved reading The Clay Lion. I read a lot (book blogger…duh!) and I just can’t say enough good things about the book.
The story line is very realistic and engrossing. There are no literary short cuts, story hacks or missing elements in the way the story was presented. It is evident from page one, that this book was written by a true master’s touch. The character development and portrayal was of the same high caliber writing. I was able to connect with Brooke emotionally. Due largely to the fact that all of the characters were written expertly made this book a page turner.
One of my favorite elements to this story was that the author (Amalie Jahn) was able to work in a number of life lessons useful to all ages. I loved how The Clay Lion pulled me in without using any extra noise or frivolous details we see in many YA books these days. The author did such a good job, that I think that readers from all walks of life and all ages will enjoy it. It would not surprise me if many of the readers found themselves and their outlook on life changed by the story. I would recommend this book to everyone, no matter your age or situation. It’s just a great read.
After reading, it makes perfect sense that The Clay Lion received four awards, Readers' Favorite International Book Award, Literary Classics Seal of Approval, Kindle Book Award for Young Adult (2015), and Literary Classics Gold Medal. If you liked The Giver then you will love this book. If you are just looking for something new I would start here. I can think of no other book to better introduce someone to the world of fantastic literature.
Note: I’m reading the second book in the series (Tin Men) and it’s a page turner as well.

If you would like more information on The Clay Lion click here._

Let me begin with this, if you have not read The Lunar Chronicles then go read it now. Its great. While Cinder wasn't my favorite book in the series it was not bad at all. It was slow at first but really began to spark my interest about a quarter into the book. I have a love- hate relationship with this book. On the one hand I really do think it is an amazing book. Its way out of my reading comfort zone but I really enjoyed all the funny dialogue and the cute sidekick. It was a great story and on top of that it had so many layers! I never knew where the characters would end up in just two pages because of all the different layer in this book.
On the other hand however I felt like Cinder was just slow. While I can usually get through a slow book I tend to loose interest if the hook isn't set within the first one-hundred pages. Cinder never really set that hook at all. At first I was reading it purely because everyone on the internet was raveing over how great it was however I didn't REALLY enjoy it until the very end. While I did like Cinder's character and absolutely ADORED Iko there wasn't a point when I said to myself, I hope they don't die. I did find though at the end of the book I was eager to read more. I am very glad I read Cinder because I have come to love the books that follow. 
Then there was the fairy tale aspect.. The story would have been completely fine on its own without being based on Cinderella. However I did enjoy the Cinderella retelling. All of that being said I think it was GENIUS how Meyer was able to tie each story line together in the series and still keep it pretty true to the fairy tale AS WELL AS ORIGINAL. So if you haven't read it why not give it a try? It is MOST DEFIANTLY worth it.

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THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! I read this not long after I finished the Harry Potter series and found myself looking for a book that could live up to that standards without basically retelling the story, and I found it. The Darkest Minds has the perfect balance of jokes, serious subjects (guilt, disease, power etc) and romance. The characters in this book are very easy to believe and very realistic in the decisions that they make. Although this book is considered to be a "Thriller" I never found myself scared. The main character is perfectly flawed and goes through so much development. If you like books about kids with super powers this is for you.  I would recommend this book to anyone who read and liked Harry Potter, Maximum Ride, or Percy Jackson.

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