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Archive for the ‘Fantasy’ category

Warriors Adventure Game

February 10th, 2010

I have not read Erin Hunter’s Warriors series. I have yet to delve into the dark world of killer cats. It’s not that I’m against the series, considering how much I enjoy a good Brian Jacques killer mice novel.

While flipping through Hunter’s The Fourth Apprentice, I was looking for the adventure game that is included since I’m always a fan of games.

Picture my excitement when I found a hybrid of the Choose Your Own Adventure/Lone Wolf stories. There’s an adventure for a narrator to lead a group down a series of paths.

But then imagine my surprise when I saw a reference to stats and a character sheet. It’s not just a Choose Your Own Adventure, it’s more like a paper and pencil role-playing game. Very exciting. You don’t have to use someone else’s concept for a character – you can make your own. I’m a hug fan of these types of RPGs because of their storytelling aspects, so I applaud Erin Hunter for taking the series in this direction.

You can find out more about the adventure game by clicking here.

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Posted in Fantasy, Game

100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson

September 3rd, 2009

I will warn you ahead of time that this is book one to a series.

The pacing to the book is a little different. It’s the story of a young, sheltered boy who goes to live on a farm after his parents have been kidnapped. You with quite a bit of scenes of lazing around the farm slowly at the beginning, including pick-up baseball games in the middle of fields. Then you jump to cold arms reaching out of the wall grabbing at people.

That was what caught my attention. The start was awkward and I personally could have done away with it. There’s one piece of dialogue between Henry and his uncle, where his uncle is very nonchalant/aloof to Henry’s troubles. It’s like he says, “Meh. Your parents are being held in South America. Whatever.”

But some of the awkwardness adds to the quirky tone of the book. Things like the protagonists being named Henry and Henrietta living in the town of Henry.

Once the plaster is off the wall, though, it’s a very enjoyable tale of tracking down an ancient evil that has been released through different worlds with some fun literary references.

Final verdict: Stick with it because the second half of the book is worth your time investment.

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Posted in Fantasy

Lead into Gold: Get The Alchemyst for Free

April 30th, 2009

In a very pleasing trend, Randomhouse is offering The Alchemyst by Michael Scott for free. Choose your favorite book vendor and select the eBook to start reading about Flamel and all his alchemy fun.

The offer expires May 8.

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Posted in Fantasy

Choose Your Own Adventure is Back!

March 11th, 2009

Summers for me were spent grabbing armfuls of these books from the public library. I remember the Cave of Time, where if you went up a tunnel you went into the future and if you went down a tunnel you went into the past. My favorite was being stuck eight seconds in the future. I always died trying to cross the street, being hit by a car that didn’t exist yet. I’m sure Stephen Hawking must flip out at the pop science, but whatever.

Also of note was this space adventure. I remember always unleashing some horrible intergalactic plague.

Well, it’s good to see that the official brand is back.

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Posted in Action, Fantasy, Sci-fi

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

February 6th, 2009

At first I thought this was a pretty gutsy choice for the Newbery (and some of me still says that) but The Graveyard Book is awesome. It’s inspired by many classic works, like The Jungle Book and Robinson Crusoe.

The premise is that Nobody Owens escaped from a killer and was orphaned at 18 months old. He is raised by the denizens of the graveyard who adopt him. What makes it work is that as we’re reading about death, life is observed. There are some great quotes:

Bod had allowed himself no friends among the living. That way, he had realized back during his short-lived schooldays, lay only trouble.

Really…if you couldn’t trust a poet to offer sensible advice, who could you trust?

But if I Unfade for one person, it makes it easier for other people to see me…

“You didn’t kill them?”
“Of course not.” Bod sad, “This is my home. Why would I want them hanging around for the rest of time?”

There was a smile dancing on his lips, although it was a wary smile, for the world is a bigger place than a little graveyard on a hill…

Love it.

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Posted in Fantasy, Horror

Tales of Beedle the Bard

December 8th, 2008

I just finished Beedle the Bard and actually liked it better than Deathly Hallows. I am a fan of books that present themselves as history even though we know it’s fiction.

This is a Brothers Grimm for Wizarding families to teach the morals that even though you have magic, it won’t solve all of your problems. I also appreciate the commentary provided by Dumbledore as well as Rowling’s commentary and Dumbledore’s commentary. Librarians will especially chuckle when they read about one of the Malfoys trying to censor books off of Hogwart’s shelf because of the questionably positive depiction of Muggles corrupting the youth of Wizarding communities. It’s Rowling’s own way of responding to the people wanting to censor the Harry Potter series.

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Posted in Fantasy

Palace of Mirrors by Margaret Peterson Haddix

November 24th, 2008

This one’s set in the world of Just Ella, but you don’t need to have read it to understand Palace of Mirrors.

We’re now in the rival kingdom following a peasant girl named Cecilia. Cecilia goes about her normal peasant-type chores during the day, but at night she is trained by one of the King’s Order in the ways of being a princess. Cecilia is in hiding for her protection while a decoy princess sits on the throne.

This fits right in with Haddix’s mystery and hidden agendas. Just like with Found, there’s a surprise at the end that ties everything together. This surprise was told to me ahead of time (thanks, Ms. Standhart…) and I still was able to enjoy the book.

There is a romance, but it’s more of the close-friends type through most of the book. If you’re looking for a light fantasy, with people kissing frogs and all that, this is probably not your choice. Castle life is rough, with lots of betrayal and murders. If you like mysteries and intrigue, you’ll like Palace of Mirrors.

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Posted in Fantasy, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Mystery, Romance

Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Night Wolf

November 5th, 2008

From the creators of the Edge Chronicles, Paul Stewart and and Chris Riddell, comes the story of Barnaby Grimes. In book one, Curse of the Night Wolf, we follow a pseudo-Victorian Gothic horror hero through the rooftops of a dark city.

It’s got the same great names/descriptions as the Edge books as well as the detailed illustrations. These add to the feel and accentuate just how ridiculous high society can look and a hint how horrifying werewolves can get. It’s a little bit of an edgier (sorry…had to do it) story than the other series, but I liked it.

My only complaint was that it was too short. I know that there’s book two scheduled for release in February and that in the UK they’re already at book three. Definitely excited for the next books. I started and finished this one on election day.

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Posted in Fantasy, Horror

On Target with John Flanagan

April 10th, 2008

Frank Beddor was crazy and jumped up on our tables. Ally had less table-jumping but great insight into the writing process (dirty water out of the hose first).

John Flanagan was a good way to end author visits for the school year. He told us about his work in TV but how he really wanted to be an author. I loved the fact that his big celebration was not a big house/car but that he could do his dream and still support his family. (That excitement was demonstrated by looking like a “loon” as he and his wife pulled up to stop lights (instead of the bland faces people normally present.))

He also talked about how he started Ranger’s Apprentice to hook his son on reading. His son’s favorite part was Halt catching Will in the tower. He never knew you could actually feel fear in a story. Flanagan then stuck the stories in a desk for 12 years until his daughter recommended to get them published as Book 1. It’s cool that now we’re talking script by Paul Haggis (who, for the first time in Academy Award history won back-to-back awards for the scripts for Crash and Million Dollar Baby).

It’s even cooler that Paul Haggis took notice of Ranger’s Apprentice because the scriptwriter’s son loved the books. I am stoked because I still am boycotting the Stormbreaker movie because I’m such a fan of the Alex Rider series and usually young adult books-turned movies stink. (Did you see Eragon? Yeah, me neither.)

Flanagan had a great thing to say about all of the rejection letters (he gets so excited, he says sarcastically). You can’t guarantee success, but you can guarantee failure. He then shared Steven Bradbury’s story. (He also shared how kangaroos go from cutesy to old men kangaroos who lean on golf tees like they owe the place.)