The Plague by Joanne Dahme

Fifteen year-old Nell is the spitting image of Princess Joan. With her parents dead of plague, Nell takes the job of royal body double to feed herself and her younger brother, George. And for a while, everything seems wonderful. The princess is kind, Nell learns how to read, George is happy. And then, on a trip to marry Princess Joan to the prince of Spain, everything goes horribly wrong. Add in an evil Prince, the plague, a crime, and an army of unholy rats and poor Nell and her brother are in for a terrible journey home.

This book was certainly interesting at the story's start. Real world historical events are twisted and warped with sorcery to make a nasty villain. While reading, I did find myself wishing that the author had chosen to make such and such happen or that parts of the story were changed. The beginning of the book is really interesting and effectively captivates the reader but then, it falls flat. My attention wavered and in a book with just over 250 pages, this is not a good thing. Sometimes, I even lost what was happening in the story. I was saying "Wait...when did THAT happen?!"a lot. I did finish the book and the ending was hugely unsatisfying for me. I felt a little bit irritated that after 200 pages, nothing happened.

As I said, the beginning was really interesting; the book started with a great idea and I think this book could have been fascinating but as it was, it was not a book I was really glad I had read.

Nevertheless, if this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Magic and the Healing or Bewitching Season.

Magic in the Mirrorstone: Tales of Fantasy edited by Steve Berman

This collection contains fifteen different fantasy stories. Many of the short stories are about high school students or characters of a similar age, although several are more 'fantastical.' A short breakdown of the stories:

• Princess Bufo marinus, Also Known As Amy by Eugie Foster - A story similar to 'the princess and the frog' but set in a modern-day high school


• Lights, Camera, Action by Cecil Castellucci - A young actress discovers that one movie can change her entire life


• Ten Thousand Waves by Ann Zeddies - Jun Ho is not proud of his Asian heritage, but he soon learns that he cannot embrace his own power without it


• Mauve's Quilt by Craig Laurance Gidney - Quentin and his father move into an old house and he finds a quilt in the attic that seems to be more than just a quilt


• Have You Ever Seen a Shoggoth by Cassandra Clare - Sometimes the 'weird' kids in high school are hiding more than it seems


• The Amulet of Winter by Lawrence M. Schoen - Aleks, a skilled thief, is sent to steal a magical amulet but finds himself trapped in a magical library


• Veronica Brown by Sean Manseau - Veronica knows there's a sea monster in Lake Champlain but she's tired of letting it ruin her summer


• The Jewel of Abandon by Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Sometimes ignorance really is bliss...


• School Spirit by Jim C. Hines - An evil wizard's curse haunts a magical school, but a new goblin student is determined to take him down once and for all


• Blackwater Baby by Tiffany Trent - Father Joseph rescues the Marsh King's daughter from unsuspecting humans but the Fey want her back...(this story is about characters from a separate fantasy series)


• Old Crimes by J. D. Everyhope - While on vacation, a girl has a chat with an ancient Toltec god


• The Fortunate Dream by Gregory Frost - A young man finds that fairy tales are sometimes more useful than they seem


• Out of Her Element by E. Sedia - Leticia, a young girl dying of consumption in England, befriends a salamander and faces a difficult choice


• Virgin by Holly Black - Jen, a runaway foster teen meets Zachary, another runaway with a secret


• Pig, Crane, Fox: Three Hearts Unfolding by Beth Bernobich - An Asian story similar to the Princess on the Glass Hill

I enjoyed this collection of short stories - some more than others, but overall, this is a collection I would recommend to fantasy fans looking for short reads with plenty of variety.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Frog Princess, Now You See It, Aurelie: A Fairie Tale, or The Wish List

The Immortal Realm by Frewin Jones

This is a continuation of The Faerie Path series.

In this fourth book, Tania has finally started to make peace with her magical heritage and has shown the world of Faerie to her mortal parents. Life finally seems to be setting down, except that not all is well in Faerie; first children start to get sick and die. Then the illness spreads. In a place where disease is unheard of and death rarely happens, panic grips the entire realm. Soon Tania is on a quest to find the cause - and cure - before the Plague destroys her family, friends, and the place she has grown to love.

This book continues the series very well, bringing in some new characters while maintaining the ones from the previous volumes. Some of the plot felt overly complicated, but it may just be that it's been too long since I read the first three books. In fact, I was a little surprised to discover that there was a fourth book - the end of the third was a bit abrupt, but all of the loose ends that had carried through the first three books were pretty much tied up - and this book introduces another plot that will span at least one additional book. I would recommend this book to readers who really enjoyed the first three and are looking for more.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Wicked Lovely, or The Elemental Masters series

The Magic and the Healing by Nick O'Donohoe

BJ Vaughan is having a rough time - her mother's recent suicide has disrupted her concentration and, even though she's almost done with vet school, she isn't sure that she'll be able to finish. Her perspectives begin to change when one of the professors invites her to join a selective large animal rotation. In the class, she and her fellow students are introduced to Crossroads, a parallel world that intersects the 'real world' where the veterinary students encounter challenges that they had never imagined. They must learn to practice medicine with little access to information on the physiology or treatment of unicorns, griffins, or centaurs, among others. As each of the students discovers that the world is a bit larger than they believed, BJ must face her fears and discover whether or not she is willing to accept a new view on her own reality.

Unlike most fantasy books, this one is very strongly rooted in reality - the experiences of the students are told with explicit description of veterinary examinations and procedures. At the same time, the book is about the people as much as it is about the medicine. The story focuses primarily on BJ and her struggle to make difficult decisions in her life, although, personally I didn't feel all that sympathetic even though her character is well developed. Perhaps this is partly because some elements of the story seemed predictable, even from the start. The narration of the story actually switches between the students and the king of Crossroads (Brandal) which is a little confusing at times and is never entirely resolved even at the end of the book. Overall, even though the book had some issues, they were relatively minor and didn't detract from the story. I would still recommend this book to readers, especially those who enjoy 'real world' fantasy books.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Dragonhaven, Dark Lord of Derkholm, or The Wish List

Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

Lucien is a young boy with cancer, struggling through his most recent treatment. His father gives him a blank book with a strange design on the cover so that he'll have someplace to write his thoughts. Something strange happens when Lucien falls asleep holding it, though - he finds himself in a place called 'Belleza' which seems very like old Venice but with important differences. Lucien discovers from the people there that he is a 'Stravagante,' meaning that he can travel between his world and that of Belleza. Although it starts as a fun adventure, his trips begin to cause complications at home, and things become more dangerous in Belleza; will Lucien be able to keep up his double life without everything falling apart?

First of all, I should point out that this book is written by a British author and takes a little getting used to for anyone who reads primarily American English books. Otherwise, the story is interesting and the characters are fairly well-crafted, but I definitely felt that there were some issues. Parts of the book made little sense and, in some cases the logic was explained after the fact, but I really could not accept some of the claims that were central to the plot. Also, the whole story seemed unsophisticated and the ending of the book appears to reconcile all of the loose ends, but I didn't think that it worked quite as well as it is meant to. This book is actually the first of three: Stravaganza: City of Stars, and Stravaganza: City of Flowers but I was not impressed enough with the first to continue reading the series. In general, I would say that this book wasn't bad for a light, 'fluffy' read if the subject sounds appealing, but I don't recommend it as one that I really enjoyed; consider these instead:

• The Keys to the Kingdom, Fablehaven, Once Upon a Marigold, or The Last Apprentice

Storm Thief by Chris Wooding

Rail and Moa live in Orokos, the only city in the world, or so everyone believes. Unfortunately, it isn't a particularly good place to live despite having no escape - much of the population is poor, living in shacks and eating government-issue gruel. Although the poorest citizens bear the brunt, the whole city is at the mercy of 'probability storms,' terrifying sweeps of chaos that can change nothing or everything, often rearranging streets or moving buildings and people. The storms cause death and destruction in their wake. They have already taken a toll on Rail who can no longer breathe without the aid of a respirator as a result of one storm.

As ghetto-folk, the two make their living as thieves, barely maintaining their existence, although Rail dreams of moving up in the world and giving Moa a better life. On one trip, however, Rail discovers a treasure - a piece of technology from before the 'Fade' and the probability storms. This particular item causes them more trouble than he could have imagined, forcing them to run as fugitives and venture into dangerous places as a way to survive. Soon their path will cross that of a golem from another part of the city - between the three of them, they will discover the darkest secrets of the city and have to make difficult decisions which will affect their lives and the fate of Orokos.


This was an interesting book - although it is fantasy, more or less, it reads like a SciFi novel, with a lot of emphasis on technology and political aspects of the world rather than magic. Also, there were several aspects of the book that reminded me of SciFi movies rather than fantasy - so, readers who prefer 'pure' fantasy should probably pass this one up.

I really liked the characters in this story - particularly the golem, although the relationship between Rail and Moa is kind of ambiguous despite its strength (not a problem although I found myself speculating throughout the book).

I think it's also important for readers to know that this book is kind of dark - very solemn and with the constant feeling of the oppressive storms hanging over the city. Additionally, the ending is incredibly vague, without any real resolution - I don't know if there's going to be a sequel or not, however, according to Wooding's site, a new book called The Fade will be coming out soon (it sounds like it's related, but possibly a prequel).

Another random note: Wooding writes in British English, which doesn't make very much difference, but once or twice it made me blink for a moment, so readers who are bothered by that sort of thing should take it into account.

Given all of this, I have to say that it was an interesting book - and it certainly held my attention - but is probably not one of the best novels I've read. Readers who like more serious, SciFi-inclined books might want to check it out, but if you're looking for dragons or magic, this is not the book for you.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Lady in Gil, Fly by Night, or The Summoning

The Two Princesses of Bamarre

By another of my favorite authors, Gail Carson Levine, The Two Princesses of Bamarre tells the story of Meryl - the adventurous older sister - and 12-year-old Addie, the younger, more timid and reserved sister. The two are best friends, although Meryl wants to save the kingdom from all of the nasty critters (like ogres) and also from the strange disease, called the Gray Death that strikes without warning or regard to rank, while Addie wants to stay safe at home. When the Gray Death strikes Meryl, however, Addie must face her fears and find her own answers. With the help of a sorcerer, Rhys, Addie embarks on the adventure of a lifetime in an effort to save her sister and, perhaps, find herself.

This is a wonderful story. Pure fantasy, this story gives readers well-developed characters and an intriguing plot. It's a quick and easy book to read, but definitely worth it. This is one of those fun stories that you'll find yourself going back to time and again. I definitely recommend it!

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Princess Academy, Dark Lord of Derkholm, Black Pearls, or Princess Nevermore