Friday, July 22, 2016

Dragon’s Heir by Kandi J. Wyatt



Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
In the ten winters since Kyanos was defeated, Rider Braidyn and his dragon, Turqueso, have made a place for themselves in the sleepy Boeskay colony. But when two nestlings are stolen from the hatchling cave, Braidyn’s sense of justice leads him on a quest to find the person responsible. 

After recovering one nestling, Braidyn recruits his old friends Ruskya and Carryl to help. The friends travel to a faraway desert colony where they find a group of riders with different customs, and meet a beautiful young woman who could be the key to finding the missing nestling. Can Braidyn learn to temper justice with mercy, or will he risk losing everything? 

Journey along in this exciting fantasy world in the spellbinding second installment of the Dragon Courage series, Dragon’s Heir, by Kandi J Wyatt.

My Thoughts:

Once again Kandi Wyatt has written a book full of adventures and of course dragons. We meet up with Braidyn who is grown up and determined to locate two stolen nestlings.   He manages to find one of them. When he tracks down the thief of the second one, and learns why  Sarai took the nestling, things change. Braidyn learns much about himself and what he has been longing for.  This is the sequel to Dragon’s Future. Both of these books are must reads, especially for those people who love fantasy, dragons and adventure.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Borrowed Names by Jeannine Atkins



Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult Biography
Source: I purchased a copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
As a child, Laura Ingalls Wilder traveled across the prairie in a covered wagon. Her daughter, Rose, thought those stories might make a good book, and the two created the beloved Little House series.

Sara Breedlove, the daughter of former slaves, wanted everything to be different for her own daughter, A'Lelia. Together they built a million-dollar beauty empire for women of color. Marie Curie became the first person in history to win two Nobel prizes in science. Inspired by her mother, Irène too became a scientist and Nobel prize winner.

Borrowed Names is the story of these extraordinary mothers and daughters. 
From Goodreads:

My Thoughts:

Borrowed Names is a very unique book in many ways. First it is written in verse. I loved that. Many of my students have learned that they like books written in verse. There are three biographies  of three women and their children. The first is of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter. The second is Madam C.J. Walker and her daughter A’Lelia Walker. Finally we learn about Marie Curie and her daughter Irene Joliet-Curie.  Each of these biographies shoes how their relationships with their daughters were formed and developed over time. I found in all three, there was usually one particular thing that drew them together. They inspired each other in so many ways.  I loved learning so much about all of them and will definitely recommend this book to my students.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

The Cape (A Dark Spores Novel- Book 3) by Braxton Cosby



Genre: Adult, Science Fiction
Source: I purchased a copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
The next Super hero book installment of the Dark Spores Series from award-winning author Braxton A. Cosby. 

IN A CITY OF MASKED HEROES, DARKNESS HIDES THE TRUTH! - A world mourning a fallen superhero. 
Future Chicago has become the haven for criminals and super villains of the darkest order. When an experiment goes wrong, hundreds of humans (Normals) absorb a mysterious contagion that gives rise to amazing super powers, creating a new species: Super-Normals. Some use their super powers for good, while others use their gifts for evil. Wars break out across the city and it's Good versus Evil in a grudge match to destroy the other. A nightly reality show featuring both sides' daily endeavors to create interest, captures the attention of the entire planet and Heroes are worshiped, given any and everything they desire. But there are rules to living the good life, and when one Hero breaks the ultimate rule and kills a Normal, a manhunt erupts, pitting Heroes, Villains, and the entire police force against one another in a race to capture or kill the fallen superhero. But one lone rebel emerges, hellbent on solving the murder and unraveling the secret of the Dark Spores. Yet, in the process, one question remains: will he choose the dark or light side? 

What people are saying about the Dark Spores Series: 
"The birth of the Super-Normal is upon us." 
"A collection of super hero books for the new generation of readers." 
"Super heroes versus super villains. What could be better." 


My Thoughts:
I didn’t realize this was the third book in the series when I read it. It read as a stand-alone. However, I want to go back and read the first two just so I know how the series starts. From the minute I started reading this story I was hooked. I love superhero stories. The idea that every day humans were suddenly turned into superheroes is a very intriguing idea. Divide them into a good side and evil side and you have the makings for a wonderful movie or TV series. That is how this read.  The characters are fascinating. Each has their own super power. However, the main character is a normal who used his talents to create a suit that makes him a superhero.  He has a mission to make people believe that all of them can be superheroes by doing what needs to be done, instead of waiting on those with true super powers. I don’t know that the author meant there to be a message within the story but I did find it inspiring.

The beginning of the book tells us a little about where the main character came from, his back story with an abusive father. His generous, and wealthy uncle is the man who changed his life.  I would have liked to know what had happened to his father. It wasn’t really important to the story, just a curiosity of my own. The first two novels in this series are written by different authors. It will be interesting to see how their writing style flows with that of this current book. I did enjoy it. It kept me reading late into the night.