Young Warriors edited by Tamora Pierce and Josepha Sherman

This is a collection of short stories around the theme of young warriors, including:

• The Gift of Rain Mountain by Bruce Holland Rogers
• The Magestone by S. M. and Jan Stirling
• Eli and the Dybbuk by Janis Ian
• Heartless by Holly Black
• Lioness by Pamela F. Service
• Thunderbolt by Esther Friesner
• Devil Wind by India Edghill
• The Boy Who Cried "Dragon!" by Mike Resnick
• Student of Ostriches by Tamora Pierce
• Serpent's Rock by Laura Anne Gilman
• Hidden Warriors by Margaret Mahy
• Emerging Legacy by Doranna Durgin
• An Axe for Men by Rosemary Edghill
• Acts of Faith by Lesley McBain
• Swords That Talk by Brent Hartinger

Although these stories have a common theme, they all approach it differently with settings across many places on Earth and beyond, and throughout time as well. Some of the stories are historical (not fantasy) but most of them have magic or fantasy elements. I found it interesting to see the ways in which different authors approached the idea of "warriors" - not all of the characters fight with weapons, but all of them fight for something. I would recommend this collection to fantasy fans who enjoy thought-provoking stories and coming-of-age tales.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Rampant, Dark Mirror series, Knight & Rogue novels, or The Seer and the Sword

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Dashti is a "mucker" from the steppes, but after her mother dies, she looks for work in the nearest city. When she lands a position as a maid to Lady Saren, she doesn't realize quite what it will mean - Lady Saren's father has decided to seal her into a tower for seven years and now Dashti will go with her. Their fate is punishment for Lady Saren's refusal to marry the man that her father has chosen, claiming to love a different lord instead. Life in the tower quickly grows old, though both of Lady Saren's suitors show up to talk to her. However, the situation grows more desperate as food stores run low and Dashti must find a way to deal with the difficulties regardless of what might be waiting outside the tower.

This is a retelling of the Grimm fairy tale "Maid Maleen," which is not a story with which I was familiar. It was definitely an interesting premise, however, and the whole story is told in first person by Dashti, as if it is her journal, even including illustrations. The story is engaging and unpredictable. I would recommend this to fantasy fans who enjoy fairy tales and stories that have an Asian flavor.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Princess Ben, Bound, or the Abhorsen trilogy

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

In the kingdom of Kendel, people who communicate with animals through the gift of "animal magic" are hunted and killed for it. So it is imperative that no one find out that Prince George and his mother have the gift. After his mother dies, George's relationship with his father is strained and keeping his secret becomes more difficult for the prince as he gets older. When he turns seventeen, George visits the neighboring kingdom of Sarrey to meet his betrothed, Princess Beatrice. She is cold and reclusive, spending all of her time with her wild hound, Marit; but it turns out that it is because she also has a terrible secret. The real question is whether or not George and Beatrice can trust one another and work together to solve the problems - and maybe even find love.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down once I got in a few chapters. The characters are realistic, including their struggles to find themselves while keeping their secrets. Parts of the plot seemed less cohesive later in the story than at the beginning, but it all came together well at the end. I would recommend this story to fantasy fans who are looking for a story with a little more depth and characterization, or who enjoy stories about relationships between humans and animals.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Spirit Fox, No One Noticed the Cat, Radiant Darkness, or The Minds series

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

In this sequel to The Summoning, Chloe finds herself locked up by the Edison Group with several others of her housemates from Lyle House (a group home for "troubled" teens). Chloe (a necromancer who can summon ghosts) is finding out new things about herself and the Group's experiments every day, but unfortunately, she doesn't have many options. When she and Tori (a witch) manage to escape and meet up with some other friends (Simon, a sorcerer, and Derek, a werewolf), they realized that their adventures - and problems - have just begun.


I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. Once the story picked up, it was much more engaging and there was more character development than the first book really addressed. Honestly, I would suggest skipping The Summoning (you only miss a few minor details) or making sure that you have both of them so that you can go straight on to the second. I would recommend this series to fantasy fans who enjoy books that take place in the real world and are less about "magic" and more about the supernatural elements.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Wicked Lovely, Swoon, Gifted: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, or Dragonhaven

Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine

Claire Danvers really wanted to go to MIT, but since she's only sixteen, her parents have decided that it would be better for her to go to a small, local college instead. Unfortunately, Texas Prairie University in Morganville, Texas leaves a lot to be desired. A bad experience in the dorms leads Claire to look at off-campus housing, ending up with roommates Michael, Eve, and Shane. But that's when things get even more complicated: Morganville is run by vampires. Claire isn't willing to stand idly by, which means that soon she is in the thick of vampire-human relationship issues, dragging her new friends along with her.

The current books in the series are: Glass Houses, The Dead Girls' Dance, Midnight Alley, Feast of Fools, Lord of Misrule, Carpe Corpus, and Fade Out. (The first two books were also published in a single volume titled The Morganville Vampires.)


These books were fast-paced and highly addicted. They're slightly more fluffy than some vampire books, but less fluffy than I expected. The main characters are well-developed and the plot is not entirely predictable. One of the things that I like best about these books is that the characters and dialogue feel very realistic. I would definitely recommend this series to older teens who are looking for books about vampires or something set in the real world full of life-or-death fantasy situations.


**Note: Book 8, Kiss of Death, is supposed to be released April 27, 2010; Book 9, Ghost Town is set to come out in November.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Wicked Lovely, Fablehaven, or Tantalize

Knight & Rogue Novels by Hilari Bell

In the first of the Knight and Rogue Novels, The Last Knight, Sir Michael Sevenson is a knight errant in a 'modern' age when knights are a thing of the past. His reluctant squire, Fisk, joins him on his adventures, but often voices his dissent. Things take a turn for the worst when one of their first jobs is to rescue an imprisoned maiden...except that it turns out she was a suspected murderess. Now it is up to Michael and Fisk to track her down and bring her to justice. In a world full of 'magica' and traps laid along the way, they'll have to learn to work together in order to accomplish their mission.


In the second book, Rogue's Home the story focuses on Fisk and his family when he is recalled to his home, Ruesport, by his sister, Anna. Her husband, Max, has been framed as a blackmailer and the family holds out hope that Fisk might be able to clear Max's name once and for all. Along with Michael - who is suffering the consequences of his choices at the end of the first book - the pair will have to work together to solve a very different kind of problem, and try to stay alive doing it.


These books were really fun and I found myself really hoping for a third book once I finished them (it looks like Player's Ruse will be released in January, 2010). The story is told from both characters' points of view in alternating chapters. The different voices add a lot to the story and make the characters very identifiable and more realistic. The plots are also interesting and not entirely predictable - this is not the usual knight-and-squire sort of relationship or story. I would definitely recommend this to fantasy fans, particularly those looking for something amusing or those who really enjoy stories about knights in shining armor.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Heroics for Beginners, Dark Lord of Derkholm, or The Last Apprentice

Aurelie: A Faerie Tale by Heather Tomlinson

In this story, three humans - Princess Aurelie, Garin, and Netta - are childhood friends with Loic, a river dragon. But then a promise is accidentally broken and their friendship is no longer enough to bind them all together. Years after they have gone their separate ways, Aurelie's path starts to cross with the others'. Political unrest is threatening to destroy their lives and destroy more than one country. Soon it seems that the only way to solve all of the problems is to come together and renew their friendship.


This was a cute story - it's a very short, quick read. Although Aurelie is definitely the most prominent and well-developed character, each of the others plays a significant role in the way that the tale plays out. Parts of the plot are a bit predictable, and the ending is almost too neat, but it's nice for a slightly fluffy, upbeat fantasy tale. I would definitely recommend this for fantasy fans who are looking for a quick read or something that's a little fluffy; those who enjoy fairy tales will probably like this story as well.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Swan Kingdom, The Fairy's Return, or Dragon Slippers

Poison by Chris Wooding

In this 'phaerie' tale, Poison lives in a little village called "Gull" in the middle of the Black Marshes - it's a harsh life, but there's rarely a reason to leave. When Poison's little sister is stolen from her by a malicious faerie, however, she decides that, rather than accept it as fate, she will find the Phaerie Lord herself and force him to return her sister. Along the way, she collects various allies including a soul-catcher named Bram, a girl named Peppercorn (who Poison thinks is fairly useless), and a strangely intelligent cat named Andersen. Drawing on the stories that she has read and heard from her mentor, Fleet, Poison bravely sets herself at every problem. What she doesn't realize at first is that not everything is as it seems. Something is awry in her world and she becomes convinced that it has to do with the Heirophant - he's been writing again and everyone seems upset about it. Now Poison must figure out what's going on and find a way to make everything right again, no matter how much it costs her in the end.


This book was rather gruesome - it has that 'original Grimms' sort of feel with horrible things happening and graphic descriptions of them. (I am personally not a huge fan of gruesome). The story itself was good overall, although somewhere near the end it takes a somewhat bizarre, existential twist and turns into a very philosophical piece questioning life, the universe, and everything, essentially. All in all, it wasn't bad - but I did find it incredibly surprising and unpredictable in the sense that the way it ended up was entirely unlike the way that it started. The characters were well-developed and most of the plot followed a general fantasy vein with predictable elements that were often just a little 'off-kilter'. This is definitely not a light, fluffy book - I would only recommend this book to fantasy fans who are really looking for a darker book with some horror and gore in it, and those who want something really out of the ordinary that inspires deeper thought and reflection.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Wicked Lovely, Lady in Gil, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, or Fly by Night