Tag Archive | adventure

The Magician of Hoad… a book review

Sometimes a book grabs you and just won’t let go. The Magician of Hoad by Margaret Mahy is one of those books. Full of magic and mystery, intrigue and politics, love and hate, secrets and imagery. I cannot remember where or how I came across the name Margaret Mahy but I am so glad I did.

The Magician of Hoad follows the paths of four youths as their lives come together and change their world. The magician, the prince, the noble girl and the hero. Destined to walk paths that are at once solitary and yet dependent on the actions and reactions of the others. I cannot even say if I truly understood and grasped the nuances of this story but I loved every confusing and exciting moment of it.

Margaret Mahy has an amazing gift of storytelling. Her world draws you in and her characters absolutely keep you enthralled. This is definitely no younger than a young adult book, BUT I found nothing lacking reading it as an adult as well. There is some violence (after all the book begins at a time of war) and a discussion of love and relationships, as well as a statement of action (though no details and in a romantic sense).

You can follow Heriot Tarbas as he finds out what it truly means to be a Magician of Hoad while learning of the balance between the King and the Hero. I honestly cannot explain more than to say, your time will not be wasted! I am already on the hunt for more by this most amazing author!cvr9781416978084_9781416978084_lg

This entry was posted on 23/12/2015, in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

The Accidental Demon Slayer… a book review

And now I flip from light romantic library finds to… demon slaying girls with small yappy dogs as pets? In my defense, it was a free book on my Kindle and I do like to vary my reading. So, The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox. You do jump all in on the action with the main character Lizzie ready for a safe 30 th birthday celebration with a potential boyfriend before Grandma rolls in on her motorbike yelling about demons and going on the run.

The basic premise is that Lizzie has inherited the ability to slay demons from her mother who ran off when she was a baby. Lizzie is then raised by her rather stuffy adopted parents until Grandma shows up. On her birthday her slaying powers are awakened and suddenly her small yappy dog (Jack Russell terrier) Pirate can talk to her and her life is full or biker witches, a thoroughly attractive griffin turned man named Dimitri and a big bad demon out for her powers and potentially her soul.

There are a laundry list of spells (hilarious… who wouldn’t want to run into a tickle spell?) and monsters that go bump in the night in this book as well as romance, a mystery and adventure. I think my only meh moment was the sexual encounter. Though I must give the author credit, there was a reason things happened the way they did and it is soon after that you realize the greater story. BUT I do love a main character who sticks to her guns and holds strong until the end. 

One of the huge pluses for this book is the absolutely unique characters. I have not read a story with a coven on the run of witches who enjoy biker bars and hard living. And the names – Ant Eater, Scarlet… the witches of the Red Skull. 

So a contemporary romance which is first and foremost supernatural with mystery and adventure. I would say this is a mature reader book with the blatant violence and romance, but it is fun. I don’t know how hard I will hunt for the rest of the series but I will definitely read the next one if I fall across it. It is a fun read. Check out how the prim and proper preschool teacher becomes a butt kicking demon slayer with the Accidental Demon Slayer Series! the-accidental-demon-slayer

The Celery Stalks At Midnight

I absolutely love the titles to the Bunnicula series books… so cute. This newest installation in the series does not disappoint…. Have you wondered about the white vegetables left behind after Bunnicula eats?? Chester has! With an additional main character in the puppy Howie, The Celery Stalks At Midnight by James Howe is a fun afternoon read (for an adult).

I have seen great improvement in Zander’s reading and comprehension just due to the language levels and accessible vocabulary. Add in a good, fun storyline and he has been absolutely motivated not only to read more but to share what he has read which has been a bit of a struggle for him! 

The adventure is fun, the characters engaging and the entire series a hoot. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Let’s hear what Zander thinks… beware of spoilers…

ZANDER:

I think anyone could enjoy this book and anyone who can read could read it. I like that they added a new main character (Howie). I don’t think it is a scary book. I think the vampire rabbit is very cute. I like that they have a ton of jokes in the book. I give it four stars and a half out of 5.

So it is unanimous… good book, fun read and well worth your time to pick up! But don’t believe us… read it for yourself!517EPWhMP9L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_

This entry was posted on 29/09/2015, in Uncategorized. 4 Comments