The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

308 pages

"Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it's addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he's holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific--the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer's motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.

And they've been watching Michael. They want him on their team. But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can't even fathom--and there's the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever." -Dust Jacket

One of the things I'm learning about James Dashner books is that you will spend the majority of the book not knowing what's going on. The ride will be crazy, but sometimes crazy is good. James Dashner's mind must be one messed up place. :) The conclusion of the The Maze Runner series still puzzles me. That series was like the literary equivalent of Lost. This book is like the literary equivalent of Inception, and just like Inception this book probably takes a few reads to understand. (I was on my 4th or 5th viewing of Inception before I felt like I had a good grasp of what was happening and what level the characters were in.)

I did like the subtle commentary on people living in virtual worlds. The characters in this book hook themselves up to Coffins which let them experience all physical aspects of the virtual world without actually getting hurt or killed. It's an idea we've seen in other movies/books and it doesn't seem too far-fetched. I think virtual living instead of really living is a huge problem. It's so easy to check out of reality with smart phones and other electronics. About three-fourths of the way through this book I got a little bored though. There was just too much weird stuff going on for me. I think The Death Cure kept coming to mind and I kept hoping that the author would explain things at the end in a clearer way than that book did. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end but it also left even more questions that will prompt a re-read before the next book comes out next fall. I'm getting a little tired of trilogies! The twist was good enough though to bring me back for The Rule of Thoughts in 2014. There was no language in this book which was nice, but there were some violent parts so I'd say it's a PG-13 book.

Horde by Ann Aguirre

418 pages

"A horde of freaks has destroyed Salvation and it's up to Deuce, Fade, Stalker, and Tegan to lead the refugees to safety. Deuce decides the only way to fight an army is to raise one. At first, everyone laughs at the idea of a girl leading humanity's forces against the Freaks, but after proving herself in combat, she firmly establishes her qualifications for the role.

Along the way, she works on healing Fade. He's suffering from a severe case of PTSD in an era when diagnosis is impossible. Further complicating his recovery, and their burgeoning romance, is his reluctance to being touched, a consequence of the horrors visited upon him by Freak hands. Deuce refuses to give up on him, however, and their resulting tender moments are all the more moving for being hard won.

When Deuce learns the reason the Freaks are getting smarter, she realizes time is running out for her kind. Can she overcome or render a permanent truce with the enemy? Who will ultimately survive?" -Dust Jacket

I have been waiting anxiously for this book for a year. The first two books (Enclave and Outpost) were non-stop thrill rides. Outpost ended with Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan leaving Salvation in a desperate attempt to get help. Horde picks up right where that one left off. One of the things I've loved about this series is Deuce's character development. Over the course of the three books she's learned how to love and care about people rather than just fight and survive even though those are her basic, natural tendencies. That changes how she makes decisions and occasionally not for the better, but it makes her more vulnerable and relatable.

Fade has always been my favorite. He's an awesome fighter but at heart he's a gentle soul. I like that even though there's a little bit of a love triangle (mostly because Deuce is clueless), Deuce stays true to Fade and doesn't give up on him even when he pushes her away. And once she understands her feelings she is adamant about them. She doesn't understand exactly what's happened to Fade but she knows how she feels about him and that he's worth fighting for. They've been together since the beginning and I love that they stay together. I love how much they love each other. That's sappy, but I'm a sucker for this kind of romance.

There are so many other characters to love in this book. Stalker, though not always a good guy, tries to find redemption. Tegan, brutalized by Stalker and his gang, forgives and becomes a great strength to Deuce. Company D turns into a force to be reckoned with and Deuce finds friends and allies along the way even when it seems impossible.

The tide that turns the war was unexpected and awesome. I love that an act of kindness saves the world. I think that's such a timely message. I love dystopia because there's usually always hope even when there's nothing else and things are at their darkest. Deuce has her moments of self-doubt and discouragement but she has Fade and others to lift her up and keep her going. In turn, she does the same for them. It's a great camaraderie. {Spoiler Alert} This series followed the perfect model for books of this sort. As a reader, you want the main characters to struggle to fight impossible odds but then come out victorious. You can accept other characters dying even when you love them, but the main characters have to survive so there's a happily ever after.

A word of caution: I decided not to let my 14-year-old read this last book. She read the first two and was disappointed about that. The whole series is very violent. It's not graphic or over-the-top violence but there is a lot of killing. The book is called Horde because there are thousands of Freaks and Deuce and her army have to fight them and they do so mostly close up with knives. That's not the main reason I decided not to let her read it however. Deuce and Fade have a few romantic encounters that I didn't think she was old enough to read. They're more than the "sparking" that they did in the first two books and my daughter is pretty innocent. This series is definitely a PG-13 one. The violence is along the lines of The Hunger Games. With all of that justification, I have to admit that this is probably my favorite dystopian series to date. I'm planning on re-reading it during those long, cold winter months.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

115 pages

"Nya goes to the pond to fetch water for her family. She walks eight hours every day.

Salva walks away from his war-torn village. He is a 'lost boy' refugee, destined to cover Africa on foot, searching for family and safety.

Two young people...two stories.

One country: Sudan.

This mesmerizing dual narrative follows two threads--one unfolding in 2008 and one in 1985--with one hopeful message: that even in a troubled country, determined survivors may find the future they are hoping for." -Back Cover

I picked this book up at my kids' book fair at school. I read it while sitting through jury selection last Monday. I should have taken a longer book since it took 5 1/2 hours to select jurors of which I wound up being one.

This book is good for middle grade readers. I'd like my girls to read it so they understand how blessed they are to not only live in a free country where there isn't the constant threat of war and violence, but also to be able to turn a knob and have running water. As an adult, I wished this book had had more detail. It's hard to cover several years in 115 pages but when you think about walking across a country by yourself and with other boys, it's such a remarkable feat that I would have liked to have read more about that. I could tell the two stories were going to come together many pages before they did and it was a satisfying ending. Again, good for young readers.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

438 pages

"Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change.

When the twins' grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they're about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven't ended in this magical land--Goldilocks is now a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother!

The twins know they must get back home somehow. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way?" -Dust Jacket

The author's name sounded familiar when I bought this, but I didn't realize just who he was until my daughter looked at the dust jacket. Chris Colfer plays Kurt Hummel on Glee. I watched Glee for the first two seasons until it took a decidedly homosexual direction and tried to take on too many social issues instead of just being a funny show with cool music. I thought this book was pretty good but once I realized it was written by a young adult I cut it more slack than I might have otherwise.

Alex and Conner fall through their grandmother's book into the Land of Stories. They meet a frog man who gives them a journal. The journal reveals that there is a Wishing Spell that could help them get back home but there are several items they need to collect for the spell. Each item comes from a different kingdom and fairy tale character--Cinderella's slipper, a piece of Red Riding Hood's basket, the spindle of Sleeping Beauty's spinning wheel, and some others they don't quite understand. Along the way, they encounter danger from the Evil Queen and the Big Bad Wolf Pack. They're also kidnapped by trolls and goblins. Goldilocks helps them out of a couple of rough spots and is romantically involved with Jack, of Jack and the Beanstalk fame. There were some fun twists on classic fairy tales. I liked that the Evil Queen had a reason for being evil and was actually a victim herself. It wasn't the best book of this genre that I've read but it was good. I'll definitely get the sequel. The ending, when the Fairy Godmother tells Alex and Conner why they traveled to our world and told their stories, was particularly touching. I also love that Alex thanks the people/characters for being some of her best friends. That's why I love to read. Characters in books become your friends and can help you through difficult times sometimes.

Stand for the Family by Sharon Slater

274 pages

I've been wanting to read this book for a long time. It is a book about protecting the traditional family and the assault on the family at state, national and international levels. It contains a lot of data and information so I think I will reread it in the future to really absorb everything.

What I took away from this book is the need for and the desire to speak up more and when necessary. There are more people who are for the family than against, yet those against are often much more vocal. They work tirelessly to get laws implemented that are harmful and destructive to a family that consists of a mother and father. If those who believe in the traditional family do nothing, we will see our world accept beliefs and ideas that are detrimental and destructive to our society. It was interesting which countries at the U.N. work to defend the traditional family and which don't. Sadly, the U.S. is not one of those that does since Obama has been president.

One of the most important aspects of this book is that it helped me realize that certain people want us to feel guilty about wanting to protect the family in order to get us to not act while they act tirelessly, particularly at the U.N. We don't speak up because we don't want to be labeled as intolerant. They want us to feel guilty about our beliefs. The book points out that human rights are now being extended to human behaviors, that there is a difference between not discriminating against someone because of their race versus their sexual preference and that gays and lesbians should not be entitled to extra protection under the law because of their sexual behavior. The author includes scientific research that demonstrates that a person's sexual orientation is not genetic. Of course homosexuals would argue that point. They would also argue that the legalization of same-sex marriage will eliminate many of the problems experienced within that community, however the author shows through various research that in countries where same-sex marriage is legal, those couples suffer from the same problems as those in countries where it's not, namely higher suicide rates, more promiscuity and abuse, to name a few.

One of the best parts of this book is chapter 15 where the author lists the ten key strategies used by sexual rights activists. Sexual rights activists are those who believe that anything and everything should go, that they should be entitled to whatever sexual behavior they want, that it should be protected and that consequences of that behavior should be funded by the government.

The first strategy is to desensitize. "A behavior that might outrage us at first can become less shocking the more we are exposed to it." You see that happening every day in the movies and on TV.

The second strategy is to bypass the people. If you can't get your agenda passed by the people, you go to the courts. "It's much easier to convince a few judges to mandate your agenda."

Third is the "I'll-make-it-mean-what-I-want strategy." U.N. documents and state laws are reinterpreted to align with what the activists want it to mean and then pressure is put on countries to conform to that interpretation.

The Tsunami Strategy: flood the "market" with a plethora of bills and proposals so your opponents won't be able to keep track of them and some of them will get through.

Name calling and discrediting. Attack the messenger if you don't like what they're saying. "Label anyone who supports a moral issue an 'extremist,' a 'right wing radical' or a 'religious fundamentalist.' Brand anyone who believes that homosexual behavior is unhealthy or not good for society as 'hateful,' 'intolerant,' 'homophobic,' 'bigot,' or a 'Nazi.' Use 'anti-choice' to label those who believe that taking the life of an unborn child is wrong. Finally, characterize opposing views or positions as 'hate speech' or 'unchristian.'"

Victim Strategy. Never mind that existing laws protect every individual from harassment and violence, they are working to create unjustified support for laws and policies that promote homosexuality.

Incremental Strategy. Little by little get laws passed that eventually legalize all sexual rights.

Emotion Strategy. Stir up emotions in those who are listening that can then be used to promote your agenda.

Call it a "Human Right" strategy. If you can get a sexual behavior labeled as a human right it then becomes sacred.

Useful Euphemism Strategy. Basically, if the majority would object to its true meaning, call it by another name. I thought these examples on pages 259-260 were pretty eye-opening because these are phrases I hear often:

"Sexual rights" - Complete sexual freedom for children and adults. Government is to pay for the consequences. Unlimited access for children (without parental consent) and adults to sexually explicit materials. Government funded abortion on demand.
"Unwanted pregnancy" - Baby that should be killed before it is born.
"Forced pregnancy" - When a woman is denied the right to kill her baby in the womb (abortion).
"Celebration of diversity" - Promotion of promiscuous lifestyles.
"Religion" - Radical, outdated beliefs that infringe on basic human rights and freedoms and which can cause serious harm to children.
"Human right" - The ultimate phrase used to imply that you have an overriding right to do what you want regardless of the consequences to you or to society.
"Gay, homosexual or lesbian" - People who need special rights and protections because of a condition which they perceive to be genetic.
"Hate speech" - Advancing religious views about sexual orientation or promiscuity that cause people to feel judged (e.g. publicly professing a biblical view regarding sexuality, or calling any kind of sexual activity outside of traditional marriage a sin).
"Homophobe" - Anyone who supports traditional marriage or opposes the homosexual agenda.
"Social Conservative" - A homophobe who is usually intolerant, inclined to discriminate and is working to take away the fundamental human rights of others.
"Discrimination" or "Intolerance" or "Hate" - Maintaining that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and that homosexuality should not be promoted in the schools or flaunted in the workplace.
"Tolerance" - A doctrine which calls for embracing promiscuity and sexual anarchy. "Tolerance" calls for intolerance of religious values or viewpoints that do not accept promiscuous behavior as normal and good.
"Lowering age of consensual sex" - Legalizing adult sex with children.
"Intergenerational sex" - Sex between an adult and child.
"Sex worker" - A prostitute.
"Civil unions" - Legal recognition and benefits for people having sex with a partner of the same sex, i.e., legal recognition for couples who engage in sodomy.

The author talks about things we can do to strengthen and protect the family:
1. Eat dinner together as a family on a regular basis.
2. Set aside date nights for mom and dad.
3. Dedicate at least one night each week to your family.
4. Spend one-on-one time with each child on a regular basis.
5. Pray together.
6. Criticize less and praise more.
7. Immunize your children against premarital sex. (Talk to them about sex.)
8. Work together.
9. Do service together as a family.
10. Never give up on a family member.

This book helped me to realize that I have fallen victim to the new definition of tolerance, that having the attitude that if it doesn't affect me directly I don't need to do anything is wrong, that eventually if we do nothing to protect the family, laws detrimental to the family will be passed and our society will be forever changed. She quotes this phrase a few times: "Many small people, in many small places, doing many small things can change the face of the world."

The Ability by M.M. Vaughan

330 pages

"Some kids excel in art, others in sports or math. But Christopher Lane's talents lie only in thieving and lying--or so he's always been told. So it comes as a shock to everyone, not least to Chris himself, when he wins a prize at an exclusive academy after a very unusual interview.

It turns out Chris does have a natural gift for one thing--something that every child can do during their twelfth year, though few will ever find out.

He can enter people's minds.

Now Chris must learn to use this power, his Ability, to make the world a safer place. But while Chris is perfecting his talent, twin brothers Ernest and Mortimer are using their Ability to carry out the plan their mother has spent many years perfecting. And she's not interested in saving anyone. All she wants is revenge." -Dust Jacket

I saw this book on Amazon, bought it, my daughter stole it and read it, and then recommended it to me.  I liked the idea of this book, that when a child is 12 they can access their mind's full capacity which gives them powers and abilities that others don't have. Chris is a likable character. His father died in a war several years earlier and his mother has not been able to cope with life since then. Chris is forced to take care of her in their rundown home and try to pay the bills which is often done through stealing, but he has a good heart and a conscience. I especially like how this is evidenced when he keeps his promise to a man who gave him money even though it gets him in trouble. Miss Sonata conducts a strange interview after he's been expelled from school and then informs Chris that he's been awarded a position at the Myers Holt Academy. Only five other children have been chosen. Once he gets to the school (deep underground) he finds out that the academy has recently been reopened because of strange events happening to high profile people who also attended the Academy. Sir Bentley works with the prime minister and MI-6. The new class's first assignment is to find out who is behind the irreversible attacks on former students and stop them from hurting anyone else.

This book fell victim to what I was worried about--that the climax was much less exciting than the buildup. Ernest and Mortimer are identical twins. Mortimer is the more evil of the two but the mother who adopts them is much worse. Her real identity is pretty obvious from the beginning, but why she becomes so evil was a little weak. It might have been good to give the reader more background as to what happened to her after her friends left her. The showdown which you know is coming at the end was awfully brief and not very exciting. The attacks in the rest of the book were much more sinister and fun to read. {Minor spoiler alert} I didn't like how Chris goes home to a house that has been fixed up but a mother who hasn't changed even though he's been led to believe otherwise. The book definitely leaves the door open for a sequel, which I hope will be even better. It's a little hard to believe that Ernest will be an adequate villain so we'll see what the author does with that.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

436 pages

"Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You've never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it's up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be." -Dust Jacket

My daughters and I loved this book. It is laugh-out-loud funny and has great illustrations for almost every chapter. It's cleverly written and I loved the spin on the classic fairy tales. Frederic has a father who was scarred by chicken pox and doesn't want his son to be physically marred in any way so he requires him to get his beauty sleep and not do anything adventurous. For Ella (Cinderella) that's a problem because he's boring and she loves adventure. Sleeping Beauty is a total brat and Liam refuses to marry her. This damages his reputation as a hero as the people of his kingdom turn on him. Gustav has 16 brothers who get all the fame and glory. Rapunzel, after all, actually saved herself. Duncan and Snow are married, living in the forest, but in a bit of a rut. The princes stumble upon each other at the Stumpy Boarhound, a questionable bar and inn. There they form the League of Princes and set off on an adventure to save the bards from the witch Zaubera and become heroes.

This book took us all summer to read but my girls begged to read every night and could remember details about the story that I couldn't--like the fact that Rapunzel has magical tears which proves vital at one point of the story. Fortunately, there's another book by this author called The Hero's Guide to Storming Your Castle. We can't wait to read it because this one was definitely a favorite.

The Unwanteds: Island of Silence by Lisa McMann

406 pages

"The battle is over. The magical barrier between the dreary land of Quill and the fantastical world of Artime is gone. Now residents of both places are free to mingle, but tensions are high. The artistic warriors of Artime struggle to forgive those in Quill who condemned them to death, while the Quillens attempt to recover from the shock of Artime's existence, the loss of their leader, and the total collapse of their safe, orderly world.

Alex Stowe has recovered from his physical wounds since his death-defying role in Artime's victory, but his confidence is shattered. He battles self-doubt after Artime's beloved mage, Mr. Today, makes a stunning request, which is further complicated by the mysterious arrival of two silent orange-eyed teenagers. Meanwhile in Quill, Aaron is devastated by his fall from grace. Spurred by rage, Aaron devises a masterful plan of revenge that will return him to power...if no one gets in his way." -Back Cover

The first half of this book was just so-so for me. One of the things that I don't think is explained very well is why Aaron hates Alex so much. His vengeful attitude just doesn't seem grounded in anything significant before the battle at the end of book one. I think Aaron is the weakest character which is kind of a shame since he's the villain. The fact that this book is told almost totally from Alex's point of view doesn't help that. Aaron falls from grace and then in a matter of weeks, thanks in part to handing out stolen food to hungry Wanteds and Necessaries, begins his rise to power once again. Why adults would fear and trust a teenage boy who has no magical power is a bit strange. The adults seem to think he's the only one who can restore Quill...or maybe they're just biding their time. One thing I did like about Aaron's story is that he (and you) don't quite know who's on his side and who's playing him.

I did enjoy more of Mr. Today's back story. He restores the memories of the original founders of Quill and that creates an interesting dynamic. He sees a lot of potential in Alex and wants him to take over in part because of the twin connection that he and Aaron share, like Mr. Today and Justine did. But of course things happen before Alex fully commits and Mr. Today is able to share all of his knowledge because about midway through this book really picks up in intensity. Finally there was something to justify the "The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter" tagline. Meghan, Samheed, and Lani go off on an adventure that puts them in a lot of danger and leaves their future a bit uncertain. This is the typical middle series book in that it acts like a filler between the first and third. It of course leaves you with a bunch of loose ends which hopefully the third book will tie up in a satisfying way. It was hard to put down once things started to get exciting and thank goodness the third book comes on in September. My teenage daughter picked it up as soon as I was finished and she's loving it.

Seven Miracles That Saved America: Why They Matter and Why We Should Have Hope by Chris and Ted Stewart

294 pages

"'When the odds were stacked against us--and there have been many times when the great experiment we call America could have and should have failed--did God intervene to save us?'

That question, posed by authors Chris and Ted Stewart, is the foundation for this remarkable book. And the examples they cite provide compelling evidence that the hand of Providence has indeed preserved the United States of America on multiple occasions. Skillfully weaving story vignettes with historical explanations, they examine seven instances that illustrate God's protecting care:

• The unlikely discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
• How (and why) desperate English colonists were able to survive the 'starving time' at Jamestown
• The Battle of New York during the Revolutionary War
• The miraculous creation of the United States Constitution
• Abraham Lincoln's desperate prayer that turned the tide of the Civil War at Gettysburg
• How a series of extraordinary events changed the Battle of Midway during World War II
• The preservation of Ronald Reagan's life from an assassin's bullet, allowing him the time he needed to help extend freedom around the world

Never, at any of these critical junctures, was a positive outcome certain or even likely. Yet America prevailed. Why? 'No man is perfect,' writes the authors. 'And neither is any nation. Yet, despite our weakness, we are still, as Abraham Lincoln said, the best nation ever given to man. Despite our faults, this nation is still the last, best hope of earth.' In short, God still cares what happens here. This reassuring message is a bright light in a world that longs for such hope." -Dust Jacket

I really enjoyed this book. It is definitely a Christian book and those who believe differently may not find this book as inspiring as I did. Because I do believe that America is an exceptional land and is favored by God, it was wonderful to read these examples of why that's true. We are the "best nation ever given to man." That doesn't make us better than other people or nations, it just gives us the responsibility to promote freedom and democracy around the world and be an example to other nations. 

I particularly enjoyed the first five miracles mentioned as it's been awhile since I've studied American history. I was reminded of just how great our Founding Fathers and Abraham Lincoln were and I couldn't help but feel that even though this is a blessed land, its leaders struggled and struggled mightily before God intervened. It is my belief that God lets us struggle to teach us and mold us into who He needs us to be. If only all of our leaders could be men like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Despite all the negative things happening in our country there really is reason to have hope.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

164 pages

"'To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation.'

This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts." -Back Cover

This was a beautiful little book. I definitely want to read it again, as it is meant to be a fable and I'm sure there are other messages yet to discover in it. One of the ideas that is repeated in this book is that 'wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure.' I don't want to spoil the ending, but I loved where Santiago's treasure was found. Santiago spends his time trying to achieve his Personal Legend, which I took to mean his destiny. In the beginning, he's content to be a shepherd. He has his own flock and he gets to travel, which was always his dream. But in his travels he meets a king who tells him that he will find his treasure near the pyramids of Egypt. The journey there takes him to unexpected places where he meets people who help him fulfill his Personal Legend. Things don't turn out exactly as he expected them to. That resonated especially with me because my own life has taken me to places I never expected but which have led me to where I am today and since I don't believe in coincidence, I think everything happens for a reason and we are led to where God wants us to be. The trick is learning to listen and follow where He leads.

There were some wonderful little gems of wisdom in this book. Next time I read it I want to write more of them down or underline them even though I hate writing in books. A few of the ones that stood out this time were:

"He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises."

"We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand."

'''No,' the alchemist answered. 'What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can learn, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which most people give up. It's the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.' 'Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested.' The boy remembered on old proverb from his country. It said that the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn."

'''You are wise, because you observe everything from a distance,' the boy said. 'But you don't know about love. If there hadn't been a sixth day, man would not exist; copper would always be just copper, and lead just lead. It's true that everything has its Personal Legend, but one day that Personal Legend will be realized. So each thing has to transform itself into something better, and to acquire a new Personal Legend, until, someday, the Soul of the World becomes one thing only.'
The sun thought about that, and decided to shine more brightly. The wind, which was enjoying the conversation, started to blow with greater force, so that the sun would not blind the boy.
'This is why alchemy exists,' the boy said. 'So that everyone will search for his treasure, find it, and then want to be better than he was in his former life. Lead will play its role until the world has no further need for lead; and then lead will have to turn itself into gold.'"

Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy

177 pages

"Mildred has always dreamed of growing a one-thousand-pound pumpkin to enter her town's Pumpkin Show. Her aunt Arlene thinks she's obsessed, but Mildred prefers to think of herself as focused. And growing giant pumpkins is way more interesting than boys or clothes or the other girly things Aunt Arlene wants her to like. She's been trying for four long growing seasons - ever since her mama died - and every one has ended in disaster. It's not easy, especially with dogs who don't realize how delicate seedlings are, and tornadoes that could destroy months of work, and most people thinking that an eleven-year-old doesn't stand a chance. But Daddy believes in Mildred, and so does her best friend, Jacob. Maybe this will finally be her year." -Back Cover

I picked this book up at the school book fair earlier this year. It's taken us several months to get through it, mostly because we were so involved with end of school stuff. I also think that it took a little while to finish because the girls weren't asking to read every night. We've read a lot of fantasy and this is a book about an ordinary girl and an ordinary life. It made me realize that we need to read more of this type of book because that's how life is and it's good to read about how people deal with adversity and every day situations. The magic and adventure is fun and exciting but that's not all books should be.

In the end, this is a story about how a young girl deals with the grief of losing her mother by trying to stay connected with her through growing pumpkins. She has an overbearing aunt who doesn't seem to understand why Mildred loves pumpkins so much when she should be doing the things that other girls her age are doing, but I love what her aunt does in the end. I got a little choked up. This is a good book for elementary-aged kids.

Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck

277 pages

"'I was just a baby when we were relocated and I don't remember much. Everybody has that black hole at the beginning of their life. That time you can't remember. Your first step. Your first taste of table food. My real memories begin in our assigned living area in Compound 14.'

Just a generation ago, this place was called America. Now, after the worldwide implementation of a UN-led program called Agenda 21, it's simply known as 'the Republic.' There is no president. No Congress. No Supreme Court. No freedom.

There are only the Authorities.

Citizens have two primary goals in the new Republic: to create clean energy and to create new human life. Those who cannot do either are of no use to society.

This bleak and barren existence is all that eighteen-year-old Emmeline has ever known. She dutifully walks her energy board daily and accepts all male pairings assigned to her by the Authorities. Like most citizens, she keeps her head down and her eyes closed.

Until the day they come for her mother.

'You save what you think you're going to lose.'

Woken up to the harsh reality of her life and her family's future inside the Republic, Emmeline begins to search for the truth. Why are all citizens confined to ubiquitous concrete living spaces? Why are Compounds guarded by Gatekeepers who track all movements? Why are food, water and energy rationed so strictly? And, most important, why are babies taken from their mothers at birth?

As Emmeline begins to understand the true objectives of Agenda 21 she realizes that she is up against far more than she ever thought. With the Authorities closing in, and nowhere to run, Emmeline embarks on an audacious plan to save her family and expose the Republic - but is she already too late?" -Dust Jacket

This is the first Glenn Beck book I've read. The chilling aspect of this book is that Agenda 21 is real and you can see how it is infiltrating our lives today if you know what to look for. This book is Agenda 21 taken to the extreme but it's not completely unimaginable in our future. The afterword is worth reading.

Emmeline is likable enough albeit sort of bland. That's not her fault though, considering where she lives and how she's grown up. Can you imagine walking on a treadmill pretty much all day every day and that's about all you do? Your home is a concrete box and the animals outside the fence are fed better and treated better than you are. Babies are taken from their mothers because the Authorities know best how to raise them...and then they wonder why the children aren't thriving. (Speaking of which, I saw an interesting story on the news about how music affects babies in the NICU.) Emmeline's world is changed when she has a baby and it is taken from her to be raised in the Children's Village. Then she's paired with someone she actually cares about and realizes that she has things to lose and things to fight for. Her mother has stashed mementos in her mattress for Emmeline to find that remind her of life before and that will help her in the future. The book ended a bit abruptly for me. I'm sure it's meant to leave the reader with hope for Emmeline and let you imagine what happened next, but sometimes it's nice to know what the author would have written had he kept going!

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

390 pages

"QUILL PREVAILS WHEN THE STRONG SURVIVE

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their graves.

On the day of the Purge, identical twins Alex and Aaron Stowe await their fate. While Aaron is hopeful of becoming a Wanted, Alex knows his chances are slim. He's been caught drawing with a stick in the dirt--and in the stark gray land of Quill, being creative is a death sentence.

But when Alex and the other Unwanteds face the Eliminators, they discover an eccentric magician named Mr. Today and his hidden world that exists to save the condemned children. Artime is a colorful place of talking statues, uncommon creatures, and artistic magic, where creativity is considered a gift...and a weapon." -Back Cover

So, on the front cover of this book there's this statement by Kirkus Reviews: "The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter." Having finished this book, I feel like that review set up some unfair expectations for this book from the very beginning, because when you compare a new series to two of the greatest series of all time, you give that new book some huge, nearly impossible shoes to fill. About halfway through this book I felt like this one wasn't living up to that at all. Artime is the main land in this book as Alex goes there early on. It is an interesting place. Mr. Today is not Dumbledore by any stretch of the imagination, but he has created a unique land, with a mansion that can grow to accommodate the numbers living there, tubes that can take you anywhere within that mansion, magical creatures that guard its gates and its forests, and professors who teach various magical arts classes. Some of those teachers are magical creations of Mr. Today's, like Ms. Octavia who has the mouth of an alligator and the body of an octopus. Simber is a stone cheetah with wings. Most animals in Artime are a combination of two or more animals.

The children arrive there thinking they're going to be killed. To the outsider, all they see is a large iron gate, a small, dark building, and a bubbling lake of oil. Then they walk through a mirage of sorts to see what Artime really is--a safe haven for them where they can develop their creativity and also learn to use it as a weapon. There's a beautiful mansion, lake and forest. Alex's new and old friends quickly graduate to their Magical Warrior Training while Alex continues to be held back and work on art. That delay causes Alex to withdraw from his friends and spend as much time alone as possible working on his pictures, trying to impress Ms. Octavia enough to let him start his training. Alex's magical training is delayed due to concerns over his connection with his twin Aaron and the fact that he sneaks into Mr. Today's office to watch Aaron on the blackboards that show the viewer live feeds of Quill.

I liked that magical weapons are developed according to creative ability. Those with theater strengths learn soliloquies and poems that can freeze or otherwise harm their enemies. Those with art skills make stuff like paper dragons that can attack an enemy and use paint brushes for blinding and invisibility spells. Eventually after Alex starts his training he learns to create 3-dimensional doors that take him to other places and he visits his brother. Mr. Today watches Alex as he works to visit and warn his brother but despite the advice of the teachers refuses to intervene because he doesn't want to take away free will. He refuses to punish someone for something he thinks they will do but hasn't actually done yet. The residents of Artime know that eventually their secret will be discovered and they will be forced to fight Quill, but Mr. Today refuses to make the first move. Instead, he has the residents of Artime train and prepare themselves for war.

What I didn't like is that Quill is supposed to be the Hunger Games part of the story. Justine is evil but you don't really get to see what makes her that way or what she does to maintain her power. The reader doesn't get to spend enough time in Quill or with the characters there to really abhor it. The Unwanteds families immediately forget them and life goes on as normal. I would have liked to have had more time in the beginning of the story where Alex helps the reader know just how bad things are there especially considering this is a series.

This is a good middle grade book. Once the battle started there were some interesting plot points revealed that helped the story pick up a little more suspense and interest for me as an adult. I'll read the next book. The third doesn't come out until this fall. I really think I would have liked it more, however, if it hadn't had that pressure put on it of living up to the other two series. On the other hand, it's also sort of what made me want to read it in the first place.





{SPOILER ALERT}
Just so I remember for the next book...
Mr. Today and Justine are twins. Mr. Today supported Justine's plan in the beginning until he realized what was really happening and then he spent the next 30 years secretly working against her. Justine knew magic which she kept secret. It was Lani's spell that killed her but only she and maybe her father know that it was her because she was invisible when she cast it. Lani's dad, General Haluki, second in command to Justine, was actually working with Mr. Today for all those years because they were friends. He let Mr. Today cast a wolf spell on him so he's the huge wolf that Alex sees in the forest. He traveled back and forth between Quill and Artime.

Samheed and Will Blair are bitter about being Unwanteds in the beginning. Will knows that it was Aaron that reported him and got him sent to Artime. He spends the whole book plotting revenge against Aaron and he and Samheed study Alex to learn everything they can about him. Towards the end of the book Will, an acting talent, transforms himself into Alex and sneaks into Quill. The Quillitary bring his body back at the start of the war. He has obviously failed in his attempt to kill Aaron. Samheed was also reported by Aaron but he realizes he's made a mistake consorting with Will and helps Artime win the war. His father is also a general and they have a confrontation on the battlefield where Samheed realizes that his father is willing to kill him and almost does until a teacher throws an enchanted spear from a tree.

After Alex visits Aaron in his dormitory room, Alex realizes just how committed Aaron is to Justine and to Quill. Alex can't convince him to come to Artime where he'll be safe from Will's attempt to kill him. Aaron follows Alex back through the 3-D door and he, Alex and Mr. Today have a conversation in Mr. Today's office. Mr. Today and Alex fear that he will expose them. Aaron has had a few brilliant ideas that have promoted him to Justine's Assistant Secretary. While trying to solve the problem of Quill's rundown vehicles, he thinks about the lake of bubbling oil and suggests its use to Justine but wants to visit it first so he, Justine, and a few generals head out. Because Justine has always given 6-month's notice before making a visit, Mr. Today is unaware of her arrival and is talking to all of Artime out on the lawn when they open the gate. He doesn't have time to hide Artime with magic so their secret is revealed but it makes Aaron look complicit because Mr. Today acknowledges him by name. That ruins his position with Justine and makes Aaron willing to do anything to get back in her good graces.

Mr. Today, Alex and Simber leave the battle to use the secret passage to Justine's palace and seal it off so she has nowhere to escape to. Aaron is there and throws a killing spell at Alex that would have killed him if not for his enchanted vest that all of Artime's residents are wearing. Simber takes both of them back to Artime but drops Aaron in the ocean. It's revealed about halfway through that Quill is actually an island, surrounded by other islands inhabited by good people. Quill has walled itself off from all outsiders. Aaron makes it back to short and then puts on a vest and pretends to be Alex since they are identical twins. He's determined to kill Mr. Today. Ms. Octavia senses something is off as she talks to him as Alex but it's not until Samheed realizes that he's holding his throwing star in the wrong hand that they figure out he's Aaron instead of Alex. They stop him in time.

The book ends with the wall being torn down between Quill and Artime with people free to come and go but knowing that most won't. General Haluki is now in charge of Quill but Alex doubts that will last after Aaron is freed and returns to Quill, bitter and angry. The Purge still continues because that's what the people want (?)  but Artime always has room for every Unwanted. You know that there will be other showdowns between Alex and Aaron in the future.

Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster

231 pages

"ALERT: Humanity has been upgraded. You are now obsolete.

Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual community talent show, expecting the same old lame amateur acts. But when he wakes up, his world will never be the same. Televisions and computers no longer work, but a strange language streams across their screens. Everyone's behaving oddly. It's as if Kyle doesn't exist.

Is this nightmare a result of the hypnosis? Will Kyle wake up with a snap of fingers to roars of laughter? Or is this something much more sinister? Narrated on a set of found cassette tapes at an unspecified point in the future, Human.4 is an absolutely chilling look at technology gone too far." -Dust Jacket

This was a really entertaining read. I was honestly sort of surprised by how much I liked it. I think the thing that I liked the most about it was how it was told. Being a "transcript" of cassette tapes was a really interesting way to tell Kyle's story, especially considering who the editor is and why he says he put Kyle's cassette tapes in book form. After a few pages in, it seemed like this story probably takes place in England. There are some references and words that most Americans don't use, yet there are also several references to American TV, so sometimes it's also ambiguous. The editor's commentary is fun and it was a great addition to have him reference research papers and books written about the Straker tapes.

There is a sequel to this book but it is also a great stand-alone book. There is no big cliffhanger at the end and the story could easily end there, letting the reader imagine what happens next.

An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo

199 pages

"Lizzie and Karl’s mother is a zoo keeper; the family has become attached to an orphaned elephant named Marlene, who will be destroyed as a precautionary measure so she and the other animals don’t run wild should the zoo be hit by bombs. The family persuades the zoo director to let Marlene stay in their garden instead. When the city is bombed, the family flees with thousands of others, but how can they walk the same route when they have an elephant in tow, and keep themselves safe? Along the way, they meet Peter, a Canadian navigator who risks his own capture to save the family. 

As Michael Morpurgo writes in an author’s note, An Elephant in the Garden is inspired by historical truths, and by his admiration for elephants, 'the noblest and wisest and most sensitive of all creatures.' Here is a story that brings together an unlikely group of survivors whose faith in kindness and love proves the best weapon of all." -Amazon

This is a fast, sweet story. It is inspired by a true story of a zookeeper in Belfast who kept an elephant in her backyard to save it after the zoo ordered all large animals shot in the event of a bombing. Another part of the story was inspired by the widow of one of the men who tried to assassinate Hitler. The author changed the story to take place in Dresden, Germany. The family is helped by a Countess who is the widow. It is told from Elizabeth's perspective (the daughter of the zookeeper) as an old woman living in a nursing home. She recounts the events of that time to a nurse and her son who looks a lot like Elizabeth's younger brother did at that age and who has the same name. Karl believes Elizabeth's story from the beginning but his mom takes some convincing. 

Elizabeth, her mom, her brother, a Canadian RAF pilot and the elephant walk hundreds of miles west of Dresden after it is bombed. The relationship with the elephant, who has experienced the loss of her mother, is a special one for all of them. In a way, it's the elephant that keeps them going as they travel at night and rest during the day. The story reads so fast that I felt like it was a little hard to really care about the characters because you didn't have enough time to get to know them, but I liked how the story ended and what the author had to say about elephants and people:

"There is a third inspiration for the story though: elephants themselves. I have always thought they are the noblest and wisest and most sensitive of all creatures. I think in my next life, I would like to be an elephant, please. Then I could write about people, who, as you can tell from this story, and from human history, are often not nearly as noble and wise as they should be, sadly." 

Beyonders: Chasing the Prophecy by Brandon Mull

504 pages

"When Jason and Rachel first arrived in Lyrian, all they wanted was to find their way home. Now they know that the roles they must play are essential to the final effort in the crusade against the evil emperor, Maldor--though the cost could be their lives.

In her final prophecy the Oracle of Mianamon saw many possible futures for the people of Lyrian. But among all of those futures, she glimpsed only one unlikely course that might allow Jason, Rachel, and the heroes at their sides to defeat Maldor and restore peace to Lyrian. Her vision calls for Jason's and Rachel's paths to diverge as they embark on their most perilous adventures yet. Will their journeys lead them home at last, or somewhere neither could have ever imagined?" -Dust Jacket

This is among the best books of good versus evil in my opinion. I'm so glad that I re-read the first two books right before reading this one. It would not have been the same otherwise. There are so many characters that I would have forgotten the little details about each one and spent a portion of the book trying to remember them instead of enjoying them.

I love that Brandon Mull wasn't afraid to sacrifice characters that you really love and care about. This book left me emotionally exhausted but totally satisfied. It's gut wrenching but realistic of an epic battle. The Oracle warned that victory would require great sacrifice. I was sobbing at the end and parts along the way. I love when a story does that to me. These are characters that you've loved for over 1,500 pages plus a few years as I've waited for the sequels. These are characters who are forced to make difficult decisions and who do so selflessly for the greater good and for their friends. Overall this is a story of friendship. I love that the Oracle's prophecy is just specific enough to give them an idea as to what they need to do, but vague enough that it requires faith to act. Galloran and Ferrin both have wonderful conversations with Rachel when she doubts the authenticity of the prophecy. Jason and Rachel are teenagers from another world, yet their courage and commitment inspire other heroes and together they accomplish the nearly impossible. Everyone has a part to play and I loved how everything came together.

{MILD SPOILERS}
Rachel winds up being a gifted Edomic, possibly the best in years, and she experiences the lure and exhilaration of her power. That gift makes the end of the story bitter sweet yet also leaves you feeling like it really couldn't have been any other way. That kind of power can often corrupt the wielder.  

I love that Galloran is the type of man that good men and women love and are loyal to. I have so many favorite characters in this book. Ferrin is right up near the top. He is torn throughout the whole series between who he was created to be--a servant/spy of Maldor--and who he wants to be--a true friend. I love his development throughout the story and his ultimate decision even though those close to him still doubt his intentions. When he's arrested after all he's done you want to shout at the Amar Kabal but you also understand exactly why they're doing what they do. I think his decisions more than any others held the most power to forever change the course of events. Drake, Jasher, Tark and Nedwin are also amazing. They are reminiscent of great literary characters like Aragorn and Faramir of Lord of the Rings, good men who do brave and valiant things for those they love. This book is full of non-stop action. Brandon Mull has done a great job visually creating the world of Lyrian and its beauty and dangers. The Maumet and Groddic chapters were awesome battles as were the duels with the torivors. Mull does a great job tying everything together. There are a few unexpected twists in this book which are like icing on an already delicious cake. Just don't forget your box of tissues.

Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull, Take 2

483 pages

"Jason Walker needs to find a way back to Lyrian. Rachel remains stranded there, and Jason has precious information that the friends he left behind must learn in order to have any hope of surviving and defeating the evil emperor Maldor.

When he finally succeeds in returning to the strange and imperiled world, Jason immediately finds himself in more danger than ever as the most wanted fugitive on the continent. Meanwhile, Rachel has begun to discover new abilities of her own that may prove vital against Maldor's tyranny.

In the aftermath of a failed quest, a new mission arises--to assemble the remaining heroes of Lyrian. Can the necessary allies be convinced before the emperor crushes the young uprising? Jason, Rachel, and their band of battered heroes will face new enemies and demanding obstacles as they strive to launch a desperate rebellion." -Dust Jacket

I'm so glad I re-read the first two books in this series. Not only did it refresh the 'ol memory as to what happened and all the many characters, but it also reminded me of what a great story this is. I love fantasy stories where heroes must fight nearly impossible odds, sacrifice for their friends, and do hard things. I can't wait to now read the finale!










{SPOILER ALERT--BOOK SUMMARY}
Jason's been back home for 6 months but having a hard time adjusting. He wants to get back and help his friends. He's been visiting the hippo at the zoo frequently and contemplating jumping in. One day he finally hears the music again and does jump in even though there are several spectators who scream at him to get out. The hippo swallows him and he falls through the tree into Lyrian again. Tark is there playing his sousalax. He tells Jason that he thinks he's being followed by a lurker/torivor so he lets Jason off the raft at the edge of a dangerous forest. Jason tells Tark that the Word doesn't work.

Jason encounters little people who seem friendly but who turn into giants at dusk. They try to catch and eat Jason. He climbs the chimney and they try to smoke him out. He gets away when a torivor shows up and the giants run away. The torivor follows him at a short distance but doesn't speak or appear to have any features. It's just a dark, human-shaped form.

The torivor hovers over Jason when he sleeps and causes him to have nightmares, to doubt his friends, and to doubt returning to Lyrian.

Meanwhile, Drake and Rachel are also being followed by a torivor. They go to find the charm woman both to help them get rid of it and also to test Rachel's ability with Edomic. She can start and extinguish a fire with a simple command, a task that Drake taught her and that took him several years to master. Rachel seems to have an aptitude for it.

Jason enters a small town to find food. The townspeople are frightened of him and the torivor that follows him. The torivor is attacked but kills its attacker. Jason finally reaches out to Ferrin for help using Ferrin's hand that he's carried with him from the Beyond. He communicates with the hand by writing words on the palm and then the hand replies with sign language. Ferrin tells him that a lurker is one of Maldor's most dangerous spies. The lurker won't follow Jason into a big city so Ferrin tells Jason to go to Ithilum.

Jason gets to Ithilum and the torivor stops following him. He walks near the tide pools and a soldier asks to see his permit. Jason offers him a bribe. The soldier escorts him to the Dockside Inn to look for Aram, the man Tark said would help him because he owes Tark a favor and because Tark has given Jason money and jewels to pay him. Aram is a huge man, taller than Jason who is 6 feet. Aram says he no longer works for hire. Jason jokingly asks if he's a giant because he's so big. Aram gets angry and makes Jason come with him.

Aram takes Jason to his home where his mother, Moira, questions Jason about his identity and intentions. Jason tells him who he is and why he needs help. Moira tells Jason that Aram is half giant, half human. His father (giant) died trying to protect Moira and Aram when the giants attacked their village. Aram grows at night but not as big as a giant and shrinks in the day. Moira's hope is that her son will willingly join Galloran and fight for a noble cause because she is dying.

The charm woman helps Rachel create and charm a doll that will fool the torivor for awhile into thinking it's her. The charm woman tells Rachel that a torivor is an entity summoned from another Beyond by the wizard Zokar who then trapped them here. Drake scouts ahead and sees that the torivor has summoned soldiers to help flush out Rachel and Drake. Drake and the doll head off in one direction and the charm woman and Rachel go another. The charm woman tells Rachel that she's an Edomic prodigy but that using Edomic can become intoxicating and have disastrous results if the user does more than he/she is capable of. Rachel gives the charm woman a nickname of Elaine because she won't share her real name. They make their way to a cave where Elaine has Rachel first light the fire and then try to ignite a living branch. The task is too great for Rachel and leaves her feeling sick and dizzy. The living resist Edomic which is why it was so hard. Elaine wants Rachel to learn that you have to operate within your limits, that pushing too hard could kill you.

Jason sleeps at Aram's house but Ferrin's hand keeps shaking, trying to get his attention. Jason doesn't want to answer because he doesn't want to jeopardize his location. He doesn't trust Ferrin. Finally though, he talks to the hand. Ferrin signs that he knows where Jason is and who's helping him because he's across the street. Jason has no choice but to let him in. Aram, in his shorter stature, pretends to be Burt, Aram's brother. They question Ferrin and aren't sure they can trust him. Ferrin warns that there are soldiers and torivors at the city gates and they won't get away without his help. They send Ferrin off for horses and decide to get away without him. Jason and Aram use a secret well and swim out of the city. There are barrels filled with air at intervals along the swim. Jason has a close encounter when one of the barrels is filled with water and he barely makes it to the next one. They meet up with a man named Chancy outside the city who has brought horses for them. The lurker shows up, throws Jason from his horse, and then flies off to get reinforcements. Jason and Aram realize that speed is going to have to replace stealth.

When they get to Potsug, he designated rendezvous spot with Tark, they learn that he hasn't made it. They decide to move on and hire a ferry to take them across the river. Ferrin splashes on board and warns of an ambush up ahead. He tells them that he heard Chancy getting horses for people fitting their description and followed him. He saw the torivor and raced ahead of Jason and Aram to warn them. They cut the ferry line. Ferrin has a horse nearby. They decide to make a stand before Aram shrinks at dawn. Aram and Ferrin kill several soldiers. Jason, who isn't proficient with a sword yet, throws rocks because he is a good pitcher. One of the soldiers rides away. Aram shrinks. Aram's changing size creates some witty banter between Ferrin and Amar. Ferrin always makes his disparaging comments when Amar is small however.

Ferrin, Amar and Jason go to Fortaim to see the Blind King. They find one of his towers demolished and inside Galloran's tower they find Ned, who now prefers to be called Nedwin. Jugard is lying dead on the floor. Nedwin found him stabbed to death on the floor of his cave when he went to retrieve him. Galloran had said that the keepers of the syllables should be gathered since Maldor's vengeance on them has been swift. Corinne is Galloran's daughter. Nedwin was Galloran's right-hand man and was captured and tortured much longer than Galloran. Because of all he suffered, he is immune to pain and skilled at knowing what herbs and poisons do certain things. Chancellor Copernum (whom Jason wont the title of Chancellor from after a battle of wits) was his chief torturer so he has a vendetta against him. They find Galloran and Dorsio (who communicates with his hands because he can't speak) hiding in a secret basement. Galloran asks about trusting Ferrin. Jason says he's not sure. Galloran makes Ferrin give him a piece of his neck that includes an artery and tells him that he is to take credit for all of their rebellious deeds from now on.

Jason and company plan an assault on a bridge they need to cross. While Jason is asleep, Rachel and Drake show up. She explains how she used his ring as a locator and gives Jason a necklace to ward off lurkers. He's happy to see her. The assault on the bridge goes as planned. Nedwin breaks off from the group to go get Malar from Whitelake.

Rachel discovers more of her aptitude with Edomic as she practices with Chandra who can move objects. Jason has no ability with it so instead he trains with his sword with Ferrin who is a skilled swordsman. Nedwin comes back to say that Malar was drowned and warns of a huge ambush waiting at Three Peaks. Ferrin realizes they either have a spy or a displacer has grafted a body part on someone and has known all of of their plans. He checks everyone and finds a displacer's ear on Nedwin. They decide to feed it false information for awhile and then take it off when they reach the Sunken Lands because the sounds will give away where they really are. They also remove the eye on his hand that he's always kept covered with a glove.

In the Sunken Lands they encounter grullions. They are like big leeches. They suck blood and try to overturn the canoes. Chandra and Tark's canoe is overturned and they fall into the water. Galloran, Rachel and Drake use Edomic to heat the water. Chandra dies saving Tark. Nedwin and Drake go to get Corinne while the rest go to the Drowned City.

Dorsio, Rachel and Galloran enter the Drowned City to talk to the beast that guards the oriantum. The best is actually Orruck, Zokar's apprentice along with Maldor. He has been transformed into a huge walrus-like creature. He speaks to Rachel mentally and wants her to demonstrate her skill. It's all a distraction because Orruck senses that Galloran and Rachel are prepared to use the Word to unmake him if needed. (Jason learned that the Word is actually the one that destroys Orruck.) Galloran senses his attack and Rachel speaks the word. Orruck is instantly destroyed.

Tark and Ferrin dive deep for the oriantum globes, some are large ones that are gate crashers. Drake and Nedwin arrive with Corinne who has brought Galloran's other sword. They are torivorian, which means that Galloran has won them after a duel with a torivor. Maldor can send them out to watch or duel, but once a torivor duels it is free (if it wins) so he rarely does it. Shortly before Galloran was captured, Maldor sent one to duel Galloran and Galloran won.

They stash the boats and most of the oriantum. They feel they might be ambushed on their way to the West Gate of the seed people, the Amar Kabal. Drake fears they will not be well received. Galloran tells how they've been preparing a defensive stand for years and might not want to go on the offensive.

The horses Rachel sent around the Sunken Lands show up and help the company travel faster. Tark has lung rot and is fading quickly. They have to get him to the Amar Kabal if he's to survive. Their pursuers are gaining and a lurker shows up and makes the horses run away which makes the race more desperate. Eventually some of the horses come back and Galloran, Rachel, Corinne and Tark race ahead while the others try to slow down the soldiers with the few oriantum globes they've brought. At the gate, Galloran calls to the soldiers and tells them who he is. At first he is denied entrance but eventually Captain Halak let's them in. He privately tells Galloran that he's been watching their race and would've stepped in to help had it become necessary but because of politics he had to act indifferent.

The group stays overnight in Halak's quarters. They realize that Nedwin has an advanced case of lung rot when he topples over that he either hadn't felt or was hiding. They rush him to the healer's tent. Both he and Tark will be all right but they will have to rejoin the group when they're fully healed. The rest journey to where the Conclave meets. Along they way they meet Farfalee and Lodan, Jasher's wife and son. Lodan is about to experience his first death. Farfalee is also Drake's older sister. Galloran is going to try to convince the Conclave (the five eldest seed people) to join the fight against Maldor, which will be difficult because the Amar Kabal are in denial.

Jason, Ferrin, Lodan and Corinne practice with their swords while Rachel practices Edomic. They leave for the conclave where the Conclave challenges Galloran on his proposal to fight Maldor. They want to stay put and protect their land, waiting for the inevitable time when Maldor defeats them. Galloran fights a member of the Conclave, wins with Rachel's mental help, and proposes that they consult the oracle at Mianamon on whether or not success is possible.

Galloran tells Jason and Rachel that they have a choice for the first time as to whether or not they want to continue and go to the oracle. They both decide to go. Galloran says that he must go to see Maldor on a diplomatic mission, but Tark, Corinne, Nedwin, Drake, Rachel, Jason, Farfalee and some other seed people should proceed to Mianamon. They must pass through the Forsaken Kingdom, which is rumored to be rife with disease and shut off from the rest of Lyrian to protect the others. Drake and some of the seed people argue about Drake's cowardice in accepting the invitation to the Eternal Feast. Drake sees his people as being cowardly for not standing up to Maldor.

Jason and company have to pass through the Howling Notch. Ferrin begins to question his own intentions and motivations. He tells Jason that he's afraid he will betray Jason and Jason tells him he should act out of friendship and loyalty. Ferrin gives Jason another piece of himself that contains an artery as added protection from his treachery. The Howling Notch is a pass where the wind blows incredibly hard. They have to army crawl and hold onto a rope to avoid being blown off the mountain. Two of the seed people are lost.

In the Forsaken Kingdom they encounter the walking dead. They attack the group. Rachel realizes that she can ignite their dead flesh. It exhausts her. The group goes to make a stand on a stone butte. Halco (seed person) is bitten and he tells Drake to cut out his seed. Rachel passes out as she issues one last command to ignite their attackers.

The group realizes that the dead are being controlled by three walkers in the distance. Farfalee takes one out with an arrow and Nedwin sneaks up and takes out another. The groups comes down off the butte and is confronted by three sentinels who guard the land. They are also infected with the goma worms but they have maintained their reason and resisted the blood lust through sheer force of will. They tell the group that they cannot leave the Forsaken Kingdom. The group tells them how urgent their mission is. Farfalee threatens to shoot them and the sentinels get out goma worms ready to throw at them. Rachel lights their hands on fire, further adding to her exhaustion and overuse of Edomic.

Halco catches up with the group. He's infected with the worms but says he's in control. Rachel summons wild horses to them so that they can travel faster. They are being pursued by hundreds of the sentinels. They head towards the river and meet up with Sakar, a seed man sent ahead to talk to the drinlings. The drinlings helped protect the kingdom of Kadara until the king didn't help them in their hour of need. They negotiate with the sentinels and the sentinels leave. The drinlings only live for 3 years. They can eat dirt, plants and almost anything else. They age rapidly. The drinling leader says that his two children, Nia and Io will join the delegation to Mianamon. They say Halco can either join the sentinels or be killed so as not to spread the disease. The drinlings are immune to the worms. Halco decides to join the sentinels because their job is a noble one.

The group gets to the Last Inn. It's a huge building. They eat and settle into their rooms. In the middle of the night soldiers burst into the room. Nedwin is gone. It's a trap laid by Duke Conrad of Hathernham. He suspected that eventually they would seek the oracle so he's been waiting for them. Maldor speaks with Jason through a displacer. He is interested in Rachel.

Maldor offers Rachel a chance to be his apprentice in order to save her friends. He tests her skills in Edomic by asking her to create a sphere of water and then heat it. Maldor admits he has been to the Beyond. Rachel goes back out to where the others are bound. She thinks about her fate and theirs. She hears Galloran's voice in her head asking her about their captors. Galloran enters the inn disguised as an old man. He then draws his sword and Rachel sees that he has two different colored eyes grafted on. He let Maldor graft them on when he went to Felrook. Dorsio and Jasher are there to help also. Jasher's brought oriantum. Nedwin had snuck off and met up with them outside the inn. When everyone is freed they all join the fight. They overpower the soldiers and all surrender but Duke Conrad. He fights Galloran and is slain quickly. Galloran becomes still when a torivor shows up to fight. Galloran defeats another torivor and then replaces his blindfold.

The jungle proves to be more formidable than the Sunken Lands. They are all hit with darts that cause moss to grow on their bodies wherever they were hit. The moss continues to grow as they move on. They reach a point where the vines at their feet begin to move and quickly entangle them. There is also an odor that makes them queasy and pass out. They are tied to a pole and carried to where the oracle lives. She speaks with each member of the group individually. She tells Jason that summoning him from the Beyond was the only future she could see that would have a chance at defeating Maldor. She tells Rachel that she could be the only one strong enough to replace the oracle. She also tells Rachel that in five years and nine weeks the Beyond and Lyrian will line up enough that she might have a chance at getting home to her parents. The passage of time is different in the two places. Galloran tells Rachel that he can read the torivor's mind and that's how he's able to defeat them. He's never shared that secret with anyone before.

The next day the oracle makes her prophecy. She has to poison herself and embed herself in clay in order to try to see the future. She says that there is only one path that has any chance of success. There must be two quests: Galloran leading one group consisting of Rachel, Io, Ferrin, Nedwin, Nollin, and Tark to rouse Trensicourt, the Amar Kabal and the drinlings. They must march on Felrook in the spring and make it fall. Jason must lead another group consisting of Jasher, Farfalee, Drake, Aram, Corinne and Nia to find Dorian the Seer who may have helpful knowledge. Both quests must succeed if they're to have any hope and many will perish. The oracle dies before she can be cut out of the clay.

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull, Take 2

454 pages

"Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason transporting from the hippo tank into a strange, imperiled world.

Lyrian is full of dangers and challenges unlike any place Jason has ever known. The people live in fear of their malicious wizard emperor, Maldor. The brave resistors who once opposed Maldor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes." -Dust Jacket

My new(ish) church calling has left me with less time to read over the past several months which is a bummer. I got Chasing the Prophecy when it came out, but it's been a year since I've read the others. I've learned that reading sequels is much more fun when the story is fresh in your mind, so I have to read the first two books again. I don't read many books twice except my very favorites because there are so many other good books to read, so I've decided that I've got to write a synopsis of each book at the end of a post so that I don't have to re-read them unless I really want to! Having said that, reading a book twice lets you see things you missed the first time. This is a great series. It's no secret that I'm a big Brandon Mull fan, not only because he's a good writer but also because he's a great guy. He treats his fans well. Reading this book again, I kind of wished that Jason and Rachel were a little older. It's sometimes hard to believe that 13-year-olds could do as much as they do. An 18-year-old would be a little more believable for me. This time around I was struck by the conversation on page 326 about being a hero:

"How did you two come to oppose Maldor?" Jasher inquired. "Galloran led me to understand you are Beyonders."
   Jason and Rachel took turns explaining how they came to Lyrian, and how they crossed paths at Galloran's ruined castle.
   "In the end," Jason summarized, "Galloran encouraged us to pursue the Word. He basically challenged us to be heroes. With Maldor already after me I'm not sure I had any other choice."
   "Do not dishonor your involvement," Jasher chided. "For each of us destiny is a blend of potential, circumstances, and choices. You could flee and hide. You could bargain with Maldor. You have chosen a heroic path. Walk it without apology."

"You have chosen a heroic path. Walk it without apology." I love that.







{ENTIRE BOOK SPOILERS}
Jason works at a zoo. He hears strange music and ends up falling through the hippo's mouth in Lyrian. He hears and sees the Giddy Nine strapped to a raft about to go over a waterfall. He grabs a man's bow and accidentally shoots it into the shoulder of one of the musicians. His rescue attempt causes panic on the raft and Tark is the only one who survives. Tark later reveals that they had been told their sacrifice would summon a hero to Lyrian, which is why Tark is so despondent that he survived. He feels like he's ruined everything.

Jason runs away and ends up at the Repository of Learning where he learns some of the history of Lyrian and also finds a book bound in human skin that contains the first syllable of the word said to destroy Maldor. He is told to go see Galloran, the Blind King, who once tried to destroy Maldor with the same word. At Galloran's castle he meets Rachel, another Beyonder. Galloran gives Jason the title of the Lord of Caberton and a ring to prove his title, which will help open doors to him. Galloran tells them where to find another syllable of the word, in a cave at the bottom of a cliff.

Jason and Rachel travel to the cave and argue over who will jump. Eventually Jason tricks Rachel and jumps off the cliff. He swims to the cave and meets Jugard, who guards the syllable. He tells him and also warns him that the only way of the cave is past a huge crab named Macroid. Rachel ends up joining Jason in the cave because a huge dog is after them. The dog is being controlled (conscripted) by Maldor and follows them into the cave. They use the dog as bait to get passed Macroid because the crab is drawn to blood.

They stay overnight in a town and meet a man named Ned who helps them escape because of their association with Galloran. He tells them to go to Trensicourt. On the way there, they meet a displacer named Ferrin. Displacers are a wizard-born race who can separate themselves from parts of their body. They get into a fight at an inn and are arrested and put in jail. Ferrin helps them break out because he knows they will be sentenced to death for killing one of their attackers. They steal some horses and get away.

When they get to Trensicourt, Ferrin tells them he won't be welcome there and that he'll meet them in a neighboring town in a fortnight at the Stumbling Stag. Jason and Rachel go to find Nicholas, a friend of Galloran who's lost everything in his support of Galloran including his legs. He gets around his house on a zipline chair. Nicholas instructs them on how to get presented in front of the regent to have Jason's claim as Lord of Caberton recognized. It starts with Rachel and Jason splitting up so as not to draw too much attention from the chancellor's spies. Jason goes to the Upturned Goblet where he gets in good with the owner Tedril by gambling freely. Tedril has connections with the regent. He also claims to know Bartley, who just so happens to be there. With a wink, Jason convinces him to help him lie.

Bartley takes Jason to the palace where his claim is presented and validated by Bartley and others. Partly because he has Galloran's ring, his claim is accepted. He immediately challenges the chancellor for the chancellorship. The chancellor and regent are the only people who are allowed into the lorevault where a syllable of the word is inscribed. Jason will be allowed to ask three questions and whoever supplies the best answers will be the chancellor. Rachel hands him an envelope with the first two questions to ask. One is the name of the chancellor's father and the other is to name the inscription in the lorevault. The chancellor answers the first two easily (unknowingly giving Jason another syllable) but then Jason has to come up with the third question to win or else he'll be stripped of his title and lands. He asks the chancellor to come up with the longest one-syllable word. Jason wins with the word "strengths." The chancellor relinquishes his title but gives the warning that Jason won't live out the night.

Jason sleeps under his bed and survives an assassination attempt with a poisoned blade. He receives an invitation to the Eternal Feast at Hathernham Castle. Maldor's biggest enemies receive invitations. He meets with Dolan in the lore vault and decides to accept after looking at the map and seeing Whitelake close to Hathernham. Whitelake is where another syllable is said to be hidden. He takes a carriage under the guise that he's going to the Eternal Feast and meets up with Ferrin and Rachel.

They ditch their carriage near Whitelake. They notice that the lake looks like white goo and smells like rotten eggs and that everything sinks. The lake stays hard if you bounce on it. Rachel volunteers to cross it because she's the best runner. It almost kills her. The temperature increases the closer you get to the island in the middle. On the island she meets Malar, a displacer who only has his head and hand because he once betrayed Maldor. Now he guards the 5th syllable. Malar tells Rachel that all displacers are spies for Maldor and to confront Ferrin, who is obviously one of Maldor's observers.

Ferrin says that he lied in the beginning but has been a friend to them since when he's confronted. He leaves Rachel and Jason and they head towards the Sunken Lands where the next syllable is guarded by a pythoness. They can't help but enter the city of Whitelake to get supplies and there Tad catches up with them. He was one of the guards at the waterfall. Jason stole his crossbow to try to save the Giddy Nine. He's also a displacer and agreed to work for Maldor. He gives Jason and Rachel a horse and tells them they won't get away but to try. Outside the city, Jason and Rachel are chased by imperial soldiers who corner them in a ravine. Jasher, a seed man, shows up and saves them. Galloran sent him to help Jason and Rachel.

Jasher, Jason & Rachel journey to the Sunken Lands. They are full of dangerous swamps, poisonous insects and huge carnivorous frogs. Jasher finds a boat stashed by his people and they work their way to where the pythoness lives, in a gigantic tree. Jason goes into the tree and meets Corinne, the daughter of the woman known as the pythoness. Corinne's mother has died and Corinne now guards the syllable. She has mushrooms in her tree that make a person forget who they are and why they're there. She questions Jason and then accepts his explanation. She gives him the 6th syllable and some mushrooms to help him remember the syllable. Outside the cave Jason tries to explain the Rachel what happened and Rachel tells him who he is and what they're doing. All three of them spend the night inside the tree. Jason also learns that Galloran secretly tattooed the 2nd syllable on a man named Kimp and that he's at Hathernham so Jason decides to accept his invitation.

Hathernham is an opulent castle. Jason is given a huge room and a feast to honor his arrival. The other guests are obese and glutinous. Tark is also there. Jason meets Drake, another seed man, who has lived many lives and is on his last because he seed didn't form properly the last time it was planted. Drake tells Jason that much of the food is designed to make you crave it. Jason gets the last syllable off Kimp in the bath house and then announces his intention to leave at dinner. Duke Conrad (lord of the castle) challenges him to a duel. Jason demands to choose the weapons and picks billiard balls. They throw them at each other across the pool table and eventually Jason knocks the Duke out. Count Dershan tells him that his asylum will end the minute he leaves the castle. Tark, Drake, and a man named Tristan join him.

Immediately after leaving, they hear the sound of dogs and see Kimp after them. Tristan makes a valiant last stand. Drake, Jason and Tark also fight. Jasher shows up and goes after Kimp. They both get blown up by an oriantum globe. Tark finds Jasher's seed and gets away with it. Jason surrenders to 20 armed soldiers. Drake, Rachel and Tark get away.

Ian and his soldiers take Jason to Felrook, Maldor's castle. Just outside the city, Drake kills the soldiers and frees Jason. He tells Jason that the only way to get in front of Maldor to speak the word is to ring the gong. Ringing the gong gives the person the right to address Maldor. Drake takes out the guards while Jason makes a run for the gong. Jason speaks the word in front of Maldor. He feels its power and immediately forgets it, but it doesn't destroy Maldor. In the dungeon, Maldor tells Jason that the word is a fake, a big ruse to keep his enemies distracted and give them false hope. The word has power because it once was used to destroy another wizard. Maldor offers Jason the chance to serve him but Jason refuses, thinking of Galloran's example. Maldor says he will be tortured and broken.

Jason is taken to a cell. A snake enters through a hole in the wall and after an exhaustive game of cat and mouse eventually bites Jason. The snake's venom acts as a truth serum and Jason gives details about Galloran and his quest, as well as his fears, one of which is claustrophobia. Jason wakes up in a small metal box. Ferrin shows up and rescues him because he considers him a friend.

Ferrin says he knows a way for Jason to get home. He takes him to a cave where there's a pool of water that is also a portal. Jason fights with Ferrin because Jason wants to get the information to Galloran and Rachel that the word is a fake. Ferrin eventually knocks him out, ties rocks to Jason, and pushes him into the pool. Jason grabs onto Ferrin though and winds up taking his hand back to Earth. He knows he has to get back to help his friends.