Divergent-Review/Series Review

Please note that everything you read below is just my personal opinion. I do not know everything. Nor would I want to. Please also keep in mind, I do not Promote, Support, or Respond to Negative Commentary.

The following character | is used to separate book from series. It will be in a bright green color. 

Title/Author:

–Divergent. | Divergent.    Veronica Roth.

Times Read:

-1 for both.

I personally have not read Four. Which happens to be the fourth book in the series. It is told from the perspective of Tobias. (Nicknamed, Four.)

Genre:

-Horror. Action. Adventure. Suspense. Nail Biting Page Turner. Young Adult. Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. Dystopia. Utopia.

Rating:

-9/10

Parent Story: HERE.         Now, what do I mean by parent story? I do not mean what it usually means. No, this book is not directly related to The Hunger Games. However, The Specific literary genre is the parent story. Now, it can be argued that The Hunger Games was influenced by a different Literary work. but I have not heard of it. Granted, this is just my Library, so that could be why. There are many books that follow the same theme of The Hunger Games, but Divergent takes it to a whole new level. Which is why it is more like the Sibling or best friend of the parent story. I’m just rambling again. Anyways, that is why that link is there.

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 12+ for both.

-My Opinion: 13+. | 15+ for book 3. For once, I am not terribly angry with an age range. This is more appropriate for book 1. However, since there is a lot of death located in book 3, I recommend 15+.

Basic Review:

-*Who are you? More specifically, what are you? Or do you even know? Maybe you are dangerous and outgoing, like your father. Or maybe you are quiet and reserved, like your mother. Or maybe even Neither. Whatever you are, a test is the best way to determine that! So you can be with others JUST LIKE YOU!! And who knows? You may love your new home!.*

Sound familiar? Nah, I didn’t think so. But what if you saw an ad like that every day? What if you are so different from your family that you think you need to be somewhere else? Well, this simple test will tell you (and everyone watching) exactly where you belong. Even if it has NOTHING to do with what you love.

Long Review:

-What does it mean to be normal? To be honest, I’m not sure. But neither do most people. Tris, on the other hand, she is about as normal as normal can be. Can you do me a favor? Imagine your current landscape. And it is all white and gray. Wouldn’t you just want to claw your eyes out?! I’d go stir-crazy. But that is what Tris and her brother are raised to be.

When you become of age, you are required to take a test. Normally, you go to the “community” where others like yourself are living. And normally, it’s not where you have grown up your entire life. But this test. It is supposed to know your darkest secrets. And what you truly enjoy. So what happens when you have too many deep dark secrets that you enjoy? Well, you are divergent.

What does Divergent mean? The explanation in the book makes my head hurt. So, I’ll explain in a way that makes sense to me. It means that you don’t conform with society. You are so different, that it makes you abnormal. And this rarely happens.

When you get the choice to join a community, it is permanent. You can pick the new community or stay with your old one. But if you choose said one, you stay there forever. You usually only get the 1 option. (not including your home.) But Tris was different. She got two choices. And she chose the community furthest from what she knew. The danger Zone!!

It really is what the community should’ve been named. Most of the kids who go to new zones get picked up in a fancy way. Not the dangerous kids! The get to run onto a train moving at 70 mph. Don’t get caught under the wheels kids! Then, you have to jump off a building to finish it off! And I mean like empire state building.

Tris is scared at first. And she gets made fun of by this big burly kid. But listen to this, He was too big of a wimp to jump off the building first! Who was first? TRIS. And she had no problem! Except that she is a girl and screamed on the way down. Which she gets made fun of for later.

There is this boy that catches her eye. She feels at peace when she sees him. And considering she’s been in a lot of life and death situations, it makes sense. Why? It is revealed later in the series that he was also a divergent. Oh, and being a divergent is taboo.

Tris is always putting herself in danger. Especially for her Four. It is actually really cute. :-). But it gets to point where Four is forced to go and save her. Until the day that he cant save her. <— The reason I don’t really want to pick the series back up again. I’m not a huge fan of when the MC (Main Character) dies. That may just be me, though. Anyways.

By the end of book 1, Tris and four are a thing. If you don’t remember your high school days (or you haven’t made it to high school yet) “A Thing” basically means a couple. Like they are the real deal. And this continues into book 2.

In book 2 everything starts to fall apart. How? Well, it is revealed that the world outside the settlements is destroyed. Literally, nothing left. Like a Nuke was dropped on the city. I think the city used to be Chicago. I may be wrong on that matter, though…

Near the end of book 2, Tris meets the leader of the resistance. The one who has been causing trouble. And this leader is non-other than Four’s mom. Which makes sense why they don’t have a great relationship. Tris agrees to join up in the ranks. They are known as the Insurgents. What does insurgent mean? I have no clue. I’m just assuming it means rebels.

In book 3, everything goes to crap. Tris watches her mother and father get killed right before her eyes. Something happens to her brother as well. Tris is so self-sacrificing that she decides to put an end to everything. So that she can save her Four. She ends up dying, not realizing how much it would hurt Four.

Now Four has no-one left in his life. His mother is gone, His soulmate is gone, and his friends are gone. So he sets off on a new adventure.

As I stated above, I did not read book 4. Which is conveniently named Four. As far as I know, it tells all three books from Four’s point of view. Am I wrong? Probably. But when I read the series in the first place, book 4 wasn’t even a thing. It was more like a surprise for everyone that followed the author religiously.

Which wasn’t me. After I finished the third book, I went back to the person who recommended the series to me. And I told her that I hated the ending of book 3. Who was that person? Doesn’t really matter. I haven’t talked to said person in 2 and a half years….. Fine. She’s the sister of my ex-girlfriend. I’ve known them for a long time. But we just stopped talking. But that’s ok. Not everyone likes me!!

Review? Oh yeah. I forgot. LOL. So let’s recap. Who here knows what a utopia is? It is where everything is perfect. And a dystopia? Where everything looks perfect but is actually horrible. So what are the communities? Read the books and you’ll see that they are a dystopia. Which I would not want to live in. I’d rather stay where I am. Hardships and all! How about y’all? Dystopia, Utopia, or where you currently live? Let me know!

Would Recommend?

-YES. I actually would recommend this book. It is actually a better story than The Hunger Games. Or, it is a more in-depth story. Whichever way is easier to understand. I am trying to take the plurals out of my writing. It sounds accusatory. And I don’t want that. I want y’all to come back!!

Basically speaking, This book is great. But the series kinda goes down hill in the process. I preferred book 1 over the others. Although, Book 2 was also really good. Book 3 was too depressing, though. However, It was a great read, And I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Thanks for readin!

-Jack

The Hunger Games-Review/Series Review

Please, note that everything you read below is just my personal opinion. I do not know everything. Nor would I want to. Please also keep in mind, I do not Promote, Support, or Respond to Negative Commentary.

The following character | is used to separate book from series. It will be in a bright green color. 

Title/Author:

–The Hunger Games | The Hunger Games Series.   Suzanne Collins.

Times Read:

-2. For both.  Oh, HERE is a funny picture I found while Looking for a banner for this review. I posted it on my facebook for easy access!

Genre:

-Utopia. Dystopia. Adventure. Action. Suspense. Page Turner. Turmoil. Young Adult. Young Adult Fiction. Fiction Science Fiction.

Rating:

-9/10 | 8/10

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 11-13 | 9-15

-My Opinion: No. Hell no. 14+ for BOTH. Answer me this, Would you really want to have your 9-year-old child read a book that says it’s ok to kill those around you for food?! I sure wouldn’t. Heck, everyone else may be ok with that, But I think it’s wrong. But what do I know? I’ve just been reading for 19 years.                   乁( ⁰͡  Ĺ̯ ⁰͡ ) ㄏ

Basic Review:

-What happens at the end of the World? Nothing. And that is where we were headed at the end of WW3. However, a miracle happened. With nothing left, some revolutionary humans came up with an idea. To rebuild the world. And to build their new Utopia on the remains of the battleground. Their capital is in the once beautiful Rocky Mountains. How will they live their new lives? By indulging in their own perfections, and by enjoying games. Now, many years later, a young girl by the name of Katniss is hunting a deer in the forest. She is the best hunter that there has been in her district. Little does she know that the Hunter will soon become the Hunted. Who can she trust? Will it be the boy that threw bread at her? Who will betray her? Her mentor? And can she afford to lose it? Or will it be the end of everything if she does?

Long Review:

-In my freshman year of high school, a teacher saw me sitting on the stairway steps just waiting for class to start. This was just a month into my freshman year. To be honest, I have almost always been that way. Even now in College. I don’t run off to my locker to hang. I go from class to class and just wait. She was an English teach. Now, I never did have her as a teacher. But, she gave me something more meaningful that another English class. It was her Hunger Games series. I read through those books in just under 2 weeks. This was before the movies came out by the way. Granted, it wasn’t that long of a wait. August ’11 is when I both started and finished these books. The first movie came out in march of ’12. When I got to the third book I was craving what was going to happen. However, I had no idea what was coming. The first time I read it I wasn’t fazed. In my Junior year, i re-read the entire series. I didn’t even want to finish the third book. I did, but I didn’t want to.

The hunger games. Really is the best name ever given to a game. What does it mean? It means that you fight for your district. You make friendships and then betray those friends. All in order to get food for a year for your district. And how do you betray them? By murdering them in cold blood.

So what happened? Well, it is after the events of the third World War. The only Continent that still had useable ground was North America. So the new civilization was set up here. What do I mean by useable ground? Let me put it into the perspective that I saw. Does anyone here remember the story of Chernobyl? A nuclear power plant exploded there. The ground is so radioactive that it will not be useable for the next 10,000 years. Want me to put that number in perspective for you? Humans have only been on this earth for 30,000 years. We truly Screwed up on that one! Sorry, Review…

Now these districts. I imagine them to be a lot like the concentration camps that Hitler used. Quick fact! I am 50% German. I tend to use the word “Da” a lot. I thought that it mean Yes. I learned just a few minutes ago that it actually means There. the word “Ja” actually means Yes. However, you say them the same way. (I learned that from Jason Bourne. Lol). In german, the word Konzentrationslager is used. It means, (you guessed it!) concentration camp. What was the name of the worst one? Oh yeah, Auschwitz. Though, There are no gas chambers there. Just guards that will kill you if you step outside the walls. Which Katniss did almost every day so that she and her little sister could live. We learn later in the series that not all the districts are like this, though. 11 and 12 are the worst ones. And going to the games is the most dreaded thing ever. Death is better. Especially since 11 and 12 NEVER win the games. 1 and 2 are the most wealthy. In fact, the children there are trained for the games. Their most valiant warriors get to go to the games. Every. Single. Year.

Now the capital. It is just like every country’s capital. Someplace that is significant. The capital in the united states is Washington D.C. In Colorado, Where I live, our capital is Denver. In the books, the new capital is the rocky mountains located in Colorado. Yes, I know that the Rockies span more than just one state. But the most beautiful of the range is located in my backyard! Now I know that this is not the review but bear with me. Please!!  … Now I know that this is probably just a few seconds for you, but I’m 20 minutes into the future and I have lost my train of thought… So, I’m going to move to the next subject.

By looking at the title you already know that this is both a book and series review. However, it was right here that I decided to make it a dual review. Once again. 

Katniss. How did she end up in the games? Well, she volunteered to make sure that her sister, Prim, wouldn’t go and die. So she sacrificed her life for her sister’s life. Quick fact! Katniss is a type of Flower. Primrose is also a type of Flower. The girl who played Prim is named Willow Shields. Willow is a type of tree. Just thought that was Really funny!! That Director/producer sure has a sense of humor!  Volunteering as Tribute NEVER happens. Unless you are in the rich districts. But this shows you how willing she is to die for her sister. Now her sister, she doesn’t make it in the long run. But at least she lasts through two books!

Now I’ll be completely Honest. I have not watched the second, third and fourth movies. They seemed to be extremely DARK. (LOL). <- Cause they in Theaters! Anyone? No? …. Fine. But I am serious. The movies really ruined the books for me. Well, the one movie ruined the series for me. Since I only saw the one.

Peeta. Also known as the boy with the bread. It’s funny cause his name IS a bread!! The Author had a lot of fun coming up with the names for all the characters. Now, I’m not sure if you know this, but the boy with the bread and the girl on fire end up together! Granted, they get separated in book 2 and don’t reunite until book 3. When he’s trying to kill her…. I guess that’s love?!

No. It isn’t love. What happened is that his brain was broken. And he was forced to see everything in a different way. As such, anyone that was his friend is now his sworn enemy. And the one he has to kill to get a clear head? Katniss. Though, I’m sure once he realized he killed katniss he would’ve taken his own life. Or that was the plan anyways.

Now, how did they end up together? Well, that is where book one is important. Now, you can go straight to book 3 and scratch your head cause you have no idea what is going on. I will not stop you. Nor could I even if I wanted to. The Hunger Games is set up to were only one person can survive. Even if you are from the same district, you have to kill them to survive. But katniss and Peeta (enemies at first) never intended on falling in love. That was when the hunger games became like a game to the people running it.

They made up a rule that two people from the same district could survive. As such, Peeta and katniss somehow make it to the final stage. As they wait for their names to be shown across the screens, something happens. The rule is broken. And only one person can survive. But what the guys in charge didn’t expect to happen, katniss and Peeta decide to die together. By eating poisonous berries. Now if you are trying to make the games seems real, you cant let that one happen. So they yell and say never mind!! And that is how the wound up together.

Now, what is a mocking Jay? It is a crossbreed. Its a mix between the Mocking Bird (Which tends to squak back at you), and the Blue Jay. It is implied that Katniss is the mocking Jay. And in the third book, she is seen as the war hero. But her sister? Just another pawn.

During one of their Attacks, the medics are sent out to help the children. Prim is one of the medics. And then a bomb is dropped on all the medics and the children. I guess they were trying to show that they meant business and were ready to kill everyone. Even innocent children.

How does the series end? Katniss and Peeta are healing back in district 12. They are mentally scarred. They question everything. Even if they should be living while everyone else died. And if I remember correctly, they had a kid or two. Now I may be mistaken, but it has been a few years since I read it. 5 years? Cause t was late 2011, early 2012? That seems right.

—

Now then. What did this book do? Well, it started a new craze. All of a sudden, every book I was reading was like this. The most memorable series was Divergent. Which, I will do a review on next.

—

This review was supposed to go up on Saturday (1-14-17), but it wasn’t ready to be published. However, now it is! I think I kinda rushed it at the end… But I’m on the train (1-17-17), and want to get this finished before I get to work. I hope you enjoyed!!

Would Recommend?

-Even though I can’t personally read them anymore, Yes. I do recommend. Well, I can read them, but as I stated above, the Movies ruined the books. Maybe I’ll pick them up again in a few months. Who knows?

Thanks for readin!

-Jack

Twilight-Review/Series Review

Please note that everything you read below is just my personal opinion. I do not know everything. Nor would I want to. I will not respond to negative comments. 

The following character | is used to separate book from series. It will be in a bright green color. 

Title/Author:

–Twilight. Stephanie Meyer. |  Series.

Times Read:

-3. | Series=3 (ish)

Genre:

-Fiction, Science Fiction, Action, Suspense, Turmoil, Conflict, Adventure.

Rating:

-10/10 | 10/10

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 15+ | 15+

-My Opinion: I agree with the 15+ for the first three books. But book 4 is a 17+ in my eyes. Due to some mature themes in this book.

Basic Review:

-Bella Swan is just a normal girl. She hates the rain and moved to the wettest area in the United States. Her dad is a cop, and her school life is normal.  That is until she sees a boy staring at her. Something about his eyes makes her feel different. And so she starts down the path of no Return. Towards her Bloodsucker.

Long Review:

-So we are back! About 3 months ago (roughly) I did a review on Breaking Dawn. The plan was to do a series review not soon after. Then I remembered how much I loved the first book as well. (Not near as much as book 4 however. Book 4 was the bomb!) I figured it would be confusing having two titles that both say Twilight Review! So, I combined them into one review. Might as well.

So, Let us start!

—

Bella Swan. Who is she? Well to start, she is the only person in Arizona that is able to get sunburned. Her skin is as white as a Catfish’s belly. Which is really white! (I’ll include a link to a picture. I don’t exactly have one on hand.) She is also one of those people who prefer not to socialize at all. Like a Hermit, but on a different level. (Could be higher or lower. You decide.)

When we first meet her she is on her way to the wettest part of the United States. Seattle. And Bella hates the rain. But I think she may hate the hot more. Her mom and dad just couldn’t make it work. Her mom remarried, and her dad married his job. (He is a cop). Anyways, Something happened in Arizona that made her want to move. Not that that is the worst thing. Moving can be a good experience. And in Bella’s case, It is!

When Bella starts attending school, she makes friends and enemies. And she appears to have attracted the attention of a certain boy. Perfect teeth, White skin (Like hers, but it looks like ivory), Tall, Handsom, A family that looks just like him, And a voice that can make even the Birds swoon. Bella finds herself trapped. She wants to get to know him, But something is warning her to stay away.

One day, in the parking lot, she is standing next to her truck. And she sees Him staring at her. Little does she know, he was about to panic… All of a sudden, a truck loses control and is barreling towards her. She sees her life end before her life. Her only regret? That she didn’t get to meet the mysterious boy. And it goes black.

Then she opens her eyes and sees the boy standing over her. But that is not possible, as he was on the opposite end of the parking lot. Not even Usain Bolt could’ve made it to her so fast. And what’s else? There is a dent in the truck (van?) that would’ve crushed her.  It is this, and much more that start her down the path she was always meant to be on.

–

We are onto book 2. Bella and Edward are dating. But something is wrong. He can’t seem to keep her safe. Cause her best friend is his sworn enemy. And then something happens. The Cullens are forced to leave. Their presence disappears completely. The house is in shambles. Charslie’s practice is gone. Edward and his family no longer attend school. And Bella’s heart is shattered.

Because of this problem (That Edward did NOT see coming…. Or even Alice for that matter), Bella enters a state of severe depression. For almost 6 months (from October till about March, If I remember correctly…) she became a hermit. Unable to eat. Crying herself to sleep. And repeating it all over again. Charlie decides it is time to intervene. And then Jacob re-enters her life.

All of a Sudden, she is alive again. Her best friend is back. And she is happy. They go out and ride on his motorcycle, Hang with his buddies, and have no care for what they are doing. And then Bella guesses what disease Jacob and his buddies had. And it was no disease, but a curse. But Bella isn’t dumb. She sees right through his facade. I mean, she guessed Edward was a Vampire, didn’t she?

Now let’s talk about Alice for just a minute. She has visions to where she can see into The future. However, this only works for certain people. It is revealed in book 4 (Breaking Dawn) that she cannot see the future Bella’s baby. Nor can she see any of the wolves futures. This is due to the amount of chromosomes that they have. Time for science!!

Now, I am not all too great with science. In fact, it is one of the classes I almost always fail. Except for archaeology. For some reason I understand it. But that’s a story for another date! Anywhosers…

Humans are born with 23 pairs of chromosomes. This adds up to 46. “What am I? An idiot? I know how to add numbers.” Look, I’m not trying to insult you. I’m just doing some basic math calculations. Vampires have 25 pairs which adds up to 50. Now werewolves have 24 pairs. Carlisle reveals this fact when he took blood from Jacob in book 3. When he was passed out in the forest. (I’ll continue that in a few mins.)

Alice says that she cannot see with Bella’s child around. Or even the child located in her womb! As such, Alice gets incredibly horrible Migraines. (I get bad migraines. They really suck!) This is where Alice and Jacob form a bond. Granted, they basically become family later in book 4, so why not?! Ok, back to book 2.

Alice sees a vision of Bella jumping into the ocean. (It is called Base Jumping. 100-200ft tall cliffs into the ocean. The tricks people can do on them is awesome! But extremely Dangerous. Can be very fatal. Like falling onto Concrete.) Alice tells Edward, Edward calls Charlie (Jacob answers the Phone), Asks where Charlie is, Jacob says at the Funeral, Edward hangs up, and Alice shows up. Long story short, Edward hears an Incomplete Vision from Alice, Gets the wrong information, and tries to kill himself.

This book is quite the emotional rollercoaster!

–

Book three… The Newborn crisis.

Ok, the book is actually titled Eclipse, but I think that “The Newborn Crisis” sounds a lot cooler. But, I guess in order to stay with the theme, Stephanie chose Eclipse.

Now, what is a newborn? Contrary to popular Belief, we are not talking about newborn babies. Though, in a way that is not totally wrong. We are talking about newborn Vampires. *SPOILER* Bella becomes a newborn vampire in book 4. Though, She is more stable than the monsters everyone else Becomes. *END SPOILER* They are already crazy and go out of control whenever they get a hint of blood a mile or two near them.

Newborns are also incredibly strong. Imagine an 18 wheeler barreling towards to at 90 MPH. Scary, right? Well, that is just one punch they can throw. And when they get any blood, well, You’re gonna wish you were never born. Cause they will devour you!!

Which happens to be the reason why the Wolves and the Vampires band together for the first time in History!! Least, that is what we are told. And guess what? It doesn’t stop there. Due to what happens in book 4, the wolves and vampires become family. (If you can’t tell, I really like book 4. The Absolute best book of the series!!)

Needless to say, Neither side likes this. Only Bella is happy. And Edward is trying to be happy, just for her. There are fights that break out, and they might have just given up right there. But Bella reminds them of something. If they don’t band together and take care of the Newborns, the newborns will end of killing everyone. The vampires, the wolves, and the innocent humans.

What would you do? (Go to the comments and tell me what you would do. Just for the Halibut!) I’d pull up my bootstraps, shut the hell up, and get it over with. And maybe make a friend or two. Like Seth Clearwater did!!

–

Breaking dawn. Now I already did a review on this one, so… I’ll just cover the basics. Follow the link to that review Here.

So, the basics: Bella and Edward get married, Bella gets pregnant and gives birth within a month’s time, Jacob has a fight with Sam and leaves the Pack, Jacob falls in love with Bella’s child, Other wolves come and join Jacob’s “Pack”, and the Vampire government comes to kill everyone. I basically just explained the whole book. I think I gave more information here than I did in the Actual review!! Oh well.     乁໒( ͒ ⌂ ͒ )७ㄏ

Would Recommend?

-Yes on Both.    This is a special review because I felt like doing both at once. If you don’t like it, Well… It’s Too late. Cause you read this far.       ᕕ( ՞ ᗜ ՞ )ᕗ

Thanks for readin!

-Jack

I have a question for you!

-Did I give enough Info? For my reviews, I try to aim for a minimum of 500 words. Give or take 20. Usually take 20. Every once and a while I manage to get 750 words or so. And then once in a blue moon, I get over 1,000 Words. Like today. I reached almost 1,700 words. So let me know, did I do good? Or my Harry Potter Review! I think it was like 1,800?

Hamlet-Review

Please note that everything you read below is just my personal opinion. I do not know everything. Nor would I want to. I will not respond to negative comments. 

Title/Author:

– Hamlet. William Shakespeare.

Times Read:

-1.

Genre:

-Classic, Turmoil, Death, Suspense, Conflict, Drama.

Rating:

-9/10

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 12+

-My Opinion: 15+. We didn’t read it until my Senior Year of Highschool. So I was 17, going on 18. This is not a lighthearted book like Romeo and Juliet was. (Even though it wasn’t really lighthearted…), so I recommend a slightly older age.

Reason I have an opinion: My younger brother was forced to read the College edition of The Odyssey when he was in 6th grade. Not only did they not understand it, but it was way too inappropriate for them. I have had to read books that I thought were a grade level or two ahead of me, but that was overkill. That is why I have an opinion. Cause some people don’t. Sorry, Just had to let that out!

Basic Review:

-To be or Not to be. That is the question!    Or so Hamlet thought… In this version of Hamlet, we get to see the original text, along with plain ol English.

Long Review:

-Don’t freak out, Don’t freak out. Hamlet is actually a good read. I recommend getting No Fear Shakespeare. It has the original text on the left and plain old English on the right. Definitely worth it!

Fun Fact Time! Shakespeare made up one of the most common names used as of late. any guesses?  Jessica.

Have you ever wondered what your role is in this world? Or why your father died suddenly? Hamlet has. In fact, he pondered both of those questions with his famous phrase. “To be, Or not to be.” And he did this whilst holding a skull in his hand…

In this book, Hamlet chooses to question everything. And to have a lot of internal monologues. Or eulogies. Whatever it is called. And he kills his Lover’s Cousin. With a sword… As he kills hamlet… Anyways…..

Remember how I said that his father was killed? Well, his brother (Hamlet’s Uncle) killed him. And his ex-wife (ex because he is dead) was in on the whole ordeal. And then she married the uncle. And expects Hamlet to be ok with her having fun with him instead…

Due to this fact, Hamlet goes crazy. Or he was faking being crazy. It really isn’t explained all too well. Take it or leave it! (been a little while since I’ve read it…) What I do remember is that he starts seeing ghosts. More specifically, the ghost of his Late father. And he talks to/with it. And then he holds a skull in his hand…   This is how Hamlet lives his life as a teenager. (Thought your life was hard? Try being crazy and labeled as normal… And watching your mother have fun with your uncle…)

Then there is the part of the book where Hamlet takes a backseat. One of the acts talks about a man named Laertes, Hamlet’s Lover’s Cousin (Who is in love with her (He name is Ophelia) and believes Hamlet is unworthy of her.) In the end, Hamlet and Him duke it out.

The 3rd act (It’s either the 3rd or the 4th. And the thing I said above is either the 3rd or the 4th.) follows the monologue of the Late King Hamlet (Yeah, King Hamlet and prince Hamlet…) as he talks about his Battles. In one such battle, he and this other king are fighting over a piece of land. They decide to duke it out in a duel. King Hamlet wins the duel (dueling back then means killing your opponent) and now that king’s son (who is named after his father) is plotting revenge against the kingdom of Hamlet.

Ever wanted a book that makes your head hurt? Or like a giant impossible puzzle? Then this is your book to read!!

I really enjoyed it! And if I did, then I think you would as well!! (Or maybe not…)

Would Recommend?

-Yes. Not as much as I would recommend Romeo and Juliet, but worth your time!!

Thanks for readin!

-Jack

The Way of Shadows-Review (For Adults)

Please note that everything you read below is just my personal opinion. I do not know everything. Nor would I want to. I will not respond to negative comments.

(DOW 1-19-17) I realize now that I was really rude in this review. So, before you read this, let me apologize to the author. Brent Weeks: I am sorry that I wasn’t a fan of your book. It was not what I was expecting. Quite truthfully, I was shocked and surprised. I am just trying to warn others to be ready for this kind of Book. Especially those that are around my age. I hope you will Accept my apology. I will update my rating for the adults. 

DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU’RE ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18! 

Title/Author:

– The Way of Shadows. Brent Weeks.

Times Read:

-1, and will not read again. Just wasn’t a book for me.

Genre:

-Adult. (there are more things to add here, but I want to make sure everyone knows that this is not a book that is for those younger than 20.) Action, Suspense, Conflict, Rated M Themes, Nail Biter.

Rating:

-3/10 |||| (DOW 1-19-17) If you are an adult, I will rate this at a 5/10. Some adults may like this better.

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 18+

-My Opinion: 20+. Or Older. I truly truly truly Wish I Hadn’t read it. But, I believe it is now my duty to write a review on it. Especially for the young adults that are just getting to adulthood. This book is not what you have read before. But who knows, You may actually like it.

Basic Review:

-In a city where nothing is right, how do you live? Will you be the Orphan, the humble commoner, the boy took advantage of, or the whore next door? Or maybe you will become the ultimate thief. Like the fabled Durzo Blint. Join the Orphan, humbly named Azoth, as he is taken in by the fabled assassin. And he kills his Arch-Rival.

Long Review:

-This one all depends on your choice of books. And really, how much you don’t care what’s in it. This book is full of cursing. And not the fun stuff. I mean real deal curses, that really don’t ever need to be repeated. You know the F-word (no, it’s not father. 😛 [the parent trap joke]), well add another 20 characters on to it. That is basically what we are talking about. Oh! And lots of murder and Mature material. I honestly was shocked at how much was in there. I was gonna get the other two books but decided against it. And I rarely decide against getting books. Trust me.                    I think I just like the teen books more. This was way too adult for me.

So where do we start? Well, how about the background? Yeah? Well, I’m gonna do it even of you don’t think that’s where we should start. 🙂

The city is Plagued with greed. You are either one who sits on top, or who sits on the bottom. There are no other options. Even the master assassin, Durzo Blint, doesn’t get a choice. Though he would beg to differ. For him, everything is personal. He doesn’t care if you are a lowly sewer rat or a rich king. If you offended him, you are next on his list. This is who Azoth wishes to become. No matter what.

Like that? Well, it is really just a small part of the book. all of these next themes are x10 in this book. Rape, Incest, Murder, Thievery, And other mature themes. Oh, and the swearing is x100. Every other word is a curse. this is NOT a book for children. Nor for those who just became of age. I do NOT recommend this book. its rating is a 3/10. If you want to read it, go ahead. However, I hated it. But again, this is just my opinion.

Does anyone remember the Black Plague? YOU DO?!?! Dang, you must be really old then! How did you manage to live through it?! :-P. But in all seriousness, does anyone remember it from their history books? It was a dark time in Europe’s history. Death was everywhere. there were no honest professions. You would swindle money out of those less fortunate than you. And then someone would steal that from you. Maybe even put a knife to your throat. When I read this book, that is the city I imagined. I figure that it is not 100% accurate, but the Author has a way with words. The way he wrote is astounding, I just didn’t like the book.

*For those who played video games instead of learning their history*. Another way to put it is for the gamers. There is a video-game called Dishonored. Now this game has magic and such, but the city is what I am talking about. Everyone is out to get you. Not that it really matters. You can kill them. Since you have become an Assassin. (Apparently, the Night Angel Trilogy has Magic later on. That’s why I thought this reference would be good.)     If you want to get a feel for this book (if you even decide to read it) then play this game. Should get you to see what I see.

^^ Yeah yeah yeah. I know. My imagination is very different. That is because I’m in my head a lot more than those around me. Maybe that is why I didn’t like the book… I’m not sure.

I don’t really think I can say much more. 1: my brain has stopped working. 2: I think I’ve reached the end of this review.

Would Recommend?

-NO!  I’m sorry, but this was a horrible read. However, If you are an adult and like this kind of stuff, then this may be the book for you. I am an “adult” and would rather read things for young adults, teens, and children. Like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Ranger’s Apprentice, Barsoom, Magic Tree House, Twilight, Dr. Seuss. This is just my honest opinion.

Thanks for readin!

-Jack

Fahrenheit 451-Review

Please note that everything you read below is just my personal opinion. I do not know everything. Nor would I want to. I will not respond to negative comments. 

Title/Author:

–Fahrenheit 451.  Ray Bradbury.

Times Read:

-Once. Read it for summer reading my Sophmore Year of High School. It was a good book, but it’s too real for me. I may read it again, though… I’m not sure.

Genre:

-Action, Suspense, Science Fiction, Conflict, Nail Biting Page Turner, Dystopia.

Rating:

-10/10. You have to read this. Yes, I am using Tech to get this message out. Because this is where we are headed. And it is terrifying!

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 13+

-My Opinion: 13 and on is fine. We read it when I was 14, some friends were 15, and one of my buddies was 16 (when we graduated he was 20).

Basic Review:

-What happens in a future where Tech is king? Books are but a distant memory. Tech is all that is important. And when people revolt, then disappear, you act like nothing is wrong. Because it isn’t. Or so the Government tells you.   But what if they are lying to you? What do you do? How do you get out of that hell?   It’s simple. You either conform with Society, or you die. Take your pick.

Long Review:

-This one isn’t all too bad. I finished it in about 2 hours, even though my classmates took the entire summer to read it. And I got the better test grade (only the first test. After that we went into vocabulary, and…… Well, I…… Nuff Said?)

Some of my readers may actually enjoy this future. I found it to be horrifying. Oh, and this book was written a many years ago. Before California had ten lane highways. But, I’ll cover that in a minute.

Who here likes to read? Raise your hands in the comments! ✋ Have you done it yet? ……. I’m waiting………..  Ok, I assume that by now you have done it. Well, imagine this: All books are considered illegal. Our firefighters don’t stop fires, they start them. To burn books. Technology is everything. We watch TV with these things in our ears, and reading glasses are screens. And to go against any of this means your death.

Does that sound like fun or what?! I myself will go with What!!! I represent the small part of the world that enjoys reading. I have said many times that i hate E-Books. And this book just strengthened that feeling. Quite honestly, this book for told the future. Google Glasses. Earbuds.   Tvs mounted in the wall. People falling away from reading…. Was horrible. However, I HIGHLY recommend this book! 10/10. Trust me.

This book was Published back in 1953, by Author Ray Bradbury. This man shocks me. Somehow his fiction books that are set in the future, are almost real. Like the Google Glasses (I am NOT endorsed!) or books being burned! (Yes, People do actually burn books. For fun. I am not one of them. Books are super important to me. As is the game of Chess. Keeps my brain from melting away…)

This book is called a Dystopia. Where everything seems perfect on the outside. But on the inside, it is a personal hell. There is no such thing as a utopia, at least not on planet Earth.

—

Our MC (Main Character) is a firefighter. Although, they stopped using water a long time ago. Now they go to start fires. If a citizen is caught holding a book, hell erupts.  Imagine this: Your entire house is soaked in Gasoline. Except, it really isn’t gasoline. More like Chlorine trifluoride. Your doors are locked. Your family is screaming at you, and begging to be let out. And you just wet yourself. because you have a book. The firefighter looks right at you without any compassion, and throws the match.

Say you read a book. Like the bible. Or even a Dr. Seuss book. You are instantly put on the Hit-List. You questioned society, and now you pay the ultimate price. You decide not to wear your Glasses and earbuds today. Hit-List. You ask why the Firefighters start fires. Hit-List. You smile. Hit-List. You rebel and try to get a firefighter to read a book. You are never seen or heard from again.

Quick Fact! : Chlorine trifluoride is the most flammable liquid on the planet. It is so dangerous, the Nazi’s decided to leave it alone. I read up on it, and it can burn through concrete. I have poured molten bronze and iron (2,000°F, & 3,000°F) and would be terrified to see this stuff in action.

Our MC Wonders what happened to his young friend. She was only 19 (ish. Im guessing.) and so full of joy. She didn’t appear on his walk home that night. Or the next. It was right then that our MC started to rebel.

By the end of the book, he is hunted. And the military will do anything to kill him. Including dropping a nuke on his neighborhood. (He was far away when it happened. But it still happened.)

This book is scary. Stuff like this could happen in the near future. But that doesn’t mean you should give up. Go out and read this book. Trust me, It is really worth your time.

I recommend that you read this as soon as you think is viable. Like the age of 12 or 13.

Would Recommend?

-Yes. Read it (An actual book, not an E-Book) and spread the word. We are already headed down this dark path. And I must say, I for one would rather not be 100% Tech.

Thanks for readin!

-Jack

The Inquistition-Review

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry. I am still playing catch up with my reviews.

Also! I recently got the Opportunity to post my posts on the website Niume. Now, their website is a pain as I have to follow specific guidelines, and they tend to mess up my posts. However, it is an honor nonetheless. As of today, (DoW 10-23-16), I have 8 followers on my Blog. On Niume, I have 27. I’m trying to get my followers on there to head on over here. We’ll see how it turns out, though!

Also, before reading this review, make sure you go and check out the first book’s review Here!

Title/Author:

–The Inquisition. Taran Matharu.

Times Read:

-1. Such an AMAZING book, however.

Genre:

-Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Turmoil, Conflict, Fantasy, Action, Pager Turner, and Nail Biting Page Turner.    If you check the Tags I included Invasion. Traditionally “Invasion” is about aliens coming and, well, invading. However, in books like Lord of the Rings, an invasion is what the Orcs did. Which is what they are doing in this book. And Fletcher goes to the front lines in the 3rd book. Which I can’t wait to get!!  Anyways, back to the reviews.

Rating:

-10/10 Will recommend to everyone that I know.

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 12-17

-My Opinion: 13 years and older can read this book/series. Once again, I HATE the phrase “Age Range”. So instead I give a base age, and then you can go on from there. (I think I may leave this note in every review, let me know what you think.)

Basic Review:

-When we last left Fletcher he was to start his prison sentence. After spending a year in his Village Prison, Fletcher is to go to trial. He is Malnourished, near crazy, and everything is against him. But when he survives the Manticore’s poison, It is revealed who he really is.  Join Fletcher as he forges new friendships, and watches others Vanish.

Long Review:

-During his trial, it is hinted who his parents might be. Nobels. And very important ones at that. One of his professors tell a story of his friends (the nobles. I’m sorry, I’m writing this without internet, so I can’t get their names. Besides, why would I spoil that?) and how the demon bird (Athena) was seen flying away from their home with a buck naked baby in her claws.

Traditionally, when a summoner dies his or her demon fades away to that place where all demons live, and become wild once again. Or lost. Depending on how compassionate you are. As such, Athena started to fade away while making sure her master’s baby makes it away safe. Athena’s master is Fletcher’s mom. Notice how I said is? Well, it is revealed much later on that she didn’t die. And I may or may not tell you how. (Do you hate me yet? Cause I don’t spoil the books for you?) “Yes. But not because you won’t tell me, it’s cause you keep teasing me!” Well, don’t get so mad. It’s how I roll. You’ll just have to deal with it. 🙂

Now where was I? Oh yeah, Athena fading away. Well, so yeah. She drops the baby off at the farthest village she could make it to. Anyways, (back to the present day) Fletcher learns that his father (who isn’t his real father) was severely beaten just because they could beat him. And his best friend (the dwarf) was taken into custody as well and beaten.

A break came up during the trial and Fletcher is greeted by the one who got him into the school in the first place. (If you didn’t read the first review, you have no idea what I am talking about.) He said that he had a way to save Fletcher’s best friend, but not Fletcher himself. And because Fletcher loves his friends, he agreed to it.

When Fletcher goes back up to his trial, he tells his best friend that (that guy’s name who got him into the school,) has a plan to save them. And the dwarf agrees. So Fletcher “admits” that he was the sole perpetrator. That he alone should be punished and killed. His best friend looked up at him in horror as he realized what was happening. When he tried to intervene, Fletcher told him this was the plan from the beginning. And now it is time for Fletcher to die.

It was decided that Fletcher would die by manticore poison. That noble family was the only known people that could survive a full dose of the poison. Everyone else would die within a few minutes from just a small drop of the poison.   Let me put this in perspective. Take ACID. The stuff from those cartoons we all used to watch. Imagine a small drop coming out from a dropper. That went down your throat and you are screaming in pain. And then you probably drop dead. That noble family, on the other hand, can drink a Liter of said ACID and live to tell the tale.   That’s really the best description I can give you.

This was both a death sentence and a secondary trial for Fletcher. It is basically illegal to put a noble on trial. So if Fletcher survives, then it means that the charges must be dropped immediately. If he doesn’t survive, then he is dead and no one has to worry about him anymore. And Fletcher’s enemies are betting that once Fletcher dies, his best friend (the dwarf) and his girlfriend (the elf) will go on a rampage. That way they can declare War without any reason.  It’s actually a great plan, but it fails.

Fletcher gets struck by the Manticore (a demon) and he feels a burning sensation. And then nothing but black. When he awakes he sees his girlfriend’s face above him. She tells him that he barely survived the poison, and the only reason he is alive is because of the elve’s healing magic. He is crestfallen because it means that he is not a noble. So when he eventually stands up all he sees is sky. It is because he is in a Giant tree. And he soon learns something important.

He learns that he really is the Son of that noble family. He was writhing on the floor for over an hour. Anyone else should’ve died within 2 minutes. The judge of the trial had to admit that he was a Nobel, and all charges were dropped. As such, Fletcher gains many more enemies. But he got to see his girlfriend again!

Let us skip ahead just a bit. Fletcher and his friends are on a mission to infiltrate the Orc’s main base. Their secondary mission is to rescue the mother of one of their classmates. While infiltrating they run into some trouble. And it is revealed that there is a traitor amongst them who is trying to kill them. At every single turn too!!

It is soon revealed who the Traitor is. It is right around the time that Fletcher and his team find his classmate’s mom. After the traitor is killed (you have to read to find out how.) the structure around them starts to collapse. Fletcher orders everyone to go into the portal that will take them to the demon plane. He then calls Athena to go and grab his late classmate’s mom. She reacts to that name. And she yells this:

“Athena…. My Baby!!! Where’s my Baby?!?!” Fletcher learns right there that that is his mom. It has been 16 ish years since they ever saw each other. He tells his mom to go into the portal, and that he was right behind her.

So that is the book! I tried to gloss over some of the more important parts. That way you have to really go and read the book. But I realize I forgot to mention that Fletcher was given Athena. And that Athena and his salamander have an interesting relationship. Both trying to be his number one. And cause of that they kept quarreling. His salamander would be around his neck, While Athena (who is much like an eagle) is perched on his shoulder.

Oh! I forgot to mention this during the last review. When you gain a demon, it’s consciousness joins yours. Because of that, your magic power increases. When any harm comes to your demon, you feel the pain. Or pleasure.  In the first book, Fletcher was rubbing his girlfriends’ demon (they weren’t together at that point. Just friends.) under the chin. Like you would a dog. His girlfriend calls his name with a  big of a stutter. When he looks up he notices that the Elf is flushed. The pleasure that The demon was feeling was transmitted over to her master. She also feels the pain that her demon suffers later in the second book. I won’t say how or by what, but it is heartbreaking.

Would Recommend?

-Duh.   Sorry, that was mean.  Yes, I do recommend this book. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up loving it more than me.

Hope y’all will come back for the series review! (going up this weeks as well.)

Thanks for readin!

-Jack

The Novice-Review

First off, welcome back. And sorry for both this review and last week’s review coming up late. Been sick n just now starting to not feel lethargic. (Date of Writing 10-16-16). I was wrong. Got Swamped yet again. So please enjoy my interesting comments. Tomorrow’s review may come up late as well. But, I’ll try my best to make sure this doesn’t happen. (Date of Writing 10-21-16). (DoW 10-23-16) Yup, the review is coming up a day or so late.  Sorry.

I love this series as well, so enjoy!

Title/Author:

–The Novice. Taran Matharu.

Times Read:

-1. I may re-read this book again very soon. I’ve been trying to wait until book 3 comes out. Unfortunately, I have to wait until May 9th, 2017. I’ve been in contact with this author as well. I’m hoping I can get him to give me a signed copy, but We’ll have to see. (I haven’t specifically asked him…). Anyways, Here is the link to that book. It’s in the pre-order stage right now.   I read this one in about 4 days. I read the second one in under 24 hours. I expect that I’ll read the third under 24 hours as well, or faster.  Not the fastest book I’ve read. I read Fahrenheit 451 in 2 hours. Not that I chose to read it. School readings really SUCK at times. (I’ll probably write a review on Fahrenheit 451 soon. As a bonus review or something.)

Genre:

-Action, Fantasy, Conflict, Science Fiction (It’s really not Science, but it’s listed in that section. Anyways….), Magic, Suspense, Page Turner. Amazing book, and book series!

Rating:

-10/10. You have to read this book. It’s like The Inheritance Cycle and Ranger’s Apprentice Mixed together, but it’s almost better. I won’t say it is better, but it is right there.

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 12-17

-My Opinion: 14 years and older can read this book/series. Once again, I HATE the phrase “Age Range”. So instead I give a base age, and then you can go on from there.

Basic Review:

-Fletcher has no memory of his parents. He was told that he was dropped off at the front gates of this village. No Name, No Nothin. The Blacksmith takes him in as his own son. And he learns the skills of a blacksmith, which is where he gets his name. So, as a nobody loser that gets bullied, All he knows is the Blacksmith’s trade. And his bow n’ arrow. But when he suddenly summons a Demon, his life changes. And until he learns to master it, its a really bad thing. Which means persecution. Especially since his number 1 bully blames him for committing a crime he didn’t do.

Long Review:

-Trouble LOVEZ Fletcher. (Yes, I spelled loves wrong. Cause I can.) He has never been able to stay away from it. No matter how hard he tries. Be it getting locked outside the village gates Every sing night, or even his bow breaking in half. Or getting put on trial for a crime he didn’t commit and sentenced to die by manticore poison……… I just spoiled a part of book 2, didn’t I? Well, until I opened my big mouth saying that I did, I didn’t. Lol, I Funny.

Anyways. The book starts with Fletcher out in the woods staring down his sights. Well, as close to sights as you can get on a bow. He is an amazing hunter and nails his prey. But when he goes back to the village, the gates are closed. Early. That is because almost everyone in the village hates Fletcher. Especially the Guards. After he argues with them he finally finds his way into the Village. And we learn how much everyone really does hate him.

The next day there is a traveling salesman who is being harassed by Fletcher’s number 1 bully and his cronies. So Fletcher intervenes. Later that night they are at the local tavern. And the bullies come around again. This time a fight breaks out, and Fletcher goes on the defensive. In the end of this scene, (cause I will not spoil the book) Fletcher wake up the next day and finds a gift left to him by the salesman.

We later find out that this is an incantation spell. What I mean by that is that it gives Fletcher his first ever demon. Normally the first demon given to you is a small bug. r you can be given a higher demon by one of your elders. Fletcher just summoned the demon. A Salamander, which is incredibly rare. Remember that incantation I just spoke of? Well, it was written on HUMAN SKIN, by an Orc that lived a couple hundred (i think it’s close to a thousand) years ago. Known as the White Orc. I can’t help but picture the White Orc from the Hobbit. And the description really doesn’t help me come away from that picture. Anywhosers, Fletcher summons this rare demon and this starts the real pursuit.

I’ll skip ahead a few days after all of this amazing action happens that I don’t want to spoil. Fletcher finds himself in a town where he is pursued. There is this guy staring at him in the Bar, and fletcher gets out of there as soon as he can. Turns out this guy helps him get into the school that trains demon users. Long story short, he becomes an ally for Fletcher.

When Fletcher gets into the school he makes friends with a Dwarf and tries to become friends with a female Elf (They become really close later in the book. Especially in the second book. Fletcher and the Elf. Not the Dwarf. They are just really close battle buddies/friends.) who snubs him.

We will skip ahead in the book when it is time for the games. Fletcher has this dream about how to summon spells. In said dream, Fletcher is watching through the eyes of his demon. And he sees the orc has finger tattoos. So Fletcher has one of his Dwarf’s family (cause he is accepted as a good family friend now.) member tattoo certain incantations on his fingers. And this is how he wins the Games.

And then he is publicly arrested and that is where book 2 starts off. And this is backlash from the crime that he didn’t actually commit. All the while his bullies AT this school are sneering at him and are glad to see him die. (Cause his trial really is a death sentence. He has 0% hope of survival.)

Well, I’m done here. I think I left a big enough hook for you to come back without spoiling the book. If I did, then be sure to read it and then get book 2. Which I’ll be writing very soon! Be sure to come back for that review!!

Would Recommend?

-YES!!!!!! I really wonder why I even leave this section in. I say what I feel when I give said reviews a rating. Guess I just re-enforce that you need to read/don’t read.

Thanks for readin!

-Jack

The Royal Ranger-Review

Hope you have been keeping up on my Series Review of The Ranger’s Apprentice. I will be finishing that Post within the next few months! (Date of Writing: 10-5-16)

Also, sorry for both this review and yesterday’s review coming up late. Been sick n just now starting to not feel lethargic. (Date of Writing 10-16-16)

Title/Author:

–The Royal Ranger. John Flanagan.

Times Read:

-1. But after I finish the Barsoom series (which starts with A Princess of Mars) and we move (All but 6 of my books are in boxes [9 boxes stuffed full of books. Yeah, I’m a bit of a book freak…] My family and I move in 3 weeks or so.) I will be Re-Reading the series and then be buying the BrotherBand Chronicles series. Or as much of it as I can afford.

Genre:

-Classic, Conflict, Fantasy, Fiction, Suspense, Pager Turner, Finale.

Rating:

-10/10 better than most of the series! Ok, not really. But this book is amazing.

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 10+

-My Opinion: 13+

This book is a bit different from the others. Will is now an adult. The 12th book takes place 15 years after the end of book 11. As such, Will is training someone who means the world to him. And something has happened to the love of his life, so he is a wreck. In this book, we lose a lot of the characters that we fell in love with. But such is life.

Basic Review:

-I kinda spoiled a bit, didn’t I? Well, Will is a wreck. Something has happened to the love of his Life, who also happens to be his wife. Yes, Alyss is…… Gone….. But she….. left in a way that is honorable. I’ll tell you in a minute. Because of this Will has started to go crazy. One of his best friends, Gilan, and the Ranger Commandant is worried about him. As such, Gilan calls a meeting with Will’s oldest friends. Halt, Pauline, Horace, and Princess Cassandra (Evanlyn).And they try to figure out what to do with the most capable ranger ever (As Halt said).

Long Review:

-As I stated above, Will Treaty is in a funk. He has gone Crazy hunting down a man that killed Alyss Treaty. Yes, I said it. Alyss is gone. 18 months before the book starts, Alyss is on a mission. You know Courier stuff. A bandit named Jory Ruhl set fire to the Inn that she was staying in. In his defense, he was just there to steal. He didn’t know about Alyss. Alyss originally made it out but heard the screams of a small child still inside the building. So without a Mili-second of hesitation, she ran back in. She reached the child and toss her out the window to her escort. As she was climbing out the window, the building collapsed. There was nothing she could do. Never had a chance. (Or so the book says. However, her body was never found. And even though I asked John Flanagan about it, he wouldn’t say. So she may actually be Alive!!)

We have Lost Alyss. We have also lost King Duncan. Well, Somewhat. He is really sick and as such Evanlyn has taken over. With her husband Sir Horace by her side. And their rebellious daughter (she plays a role. Just let me continue.) is complicating their life. Anyway. We have also lost the ranger Commandant, Crowley. HE passed in his sleep with a smile on his face. So Halt is at peace. The ranger Commandant position was offered to Gilan, and he accepted. We have also lost Ebony. She was Shadow’s pup. We now have Sabel, which I take to be Ebony’s pup. But I may be wrong. I probably am. I asked the Head Ranger about that and he didn’t tell me who her mom is. Anyway…

Because Alyss has passed, Will is intent on hunting down her killer. And he is ruthless. We have seen Halt MAD. But you have never seen Will mad. Take Halt’s anger, and Multiply it by 5.     Actually, remember when Halt insulted King Duncan in public (if you remember, he was perfectly in control of himself. He just needed to go find Will.) with the ruthless anger he had, that’s basically what Will has right now. He has shrugged off two assignments from Gilan. Halt is appalled at this fact, as Will loves being a ranger. One more shrugged off assignment, and Will treaty will be removed from the Corps.

Gilan has decided that Will needs an Apprentice. Halt loves this idea. When he was in his Funk, Pauline sent Alyss to be with him for a bit. And he lightening up. He has an idea in his head, and NO ONE is prepared for it. He suggests that the Crown Princess shall be His apprentice. Gilan freaks. He keeps stating that no female has ever been a Ranger. And Evanlyn freaks out even more. She doesn’t want her rebellious daughter to be in the way of Danger. Horace has to agree with his wife. Only Pauline isn’t upset by this fact.

Halt calms everyone down and says that Princess Maddie will be in the hands of the most capable ranger ever. Everyone is shocked by this statement. “Will is a much better ranger than myself.” <-or something to that effect. Will is Maddie’s GodFather, and he loves her more than anything. A lot like how Halt and Pauline love Will and Alyss. As close as you can get to Parental love. And so, the first female ranger will be trained by the most famous ranger in history. (yeah, his legend even surpassed Halt’s. Damn cool!)

So Gilan and Halt go and talk to Will, letting him know what’s up. After some hesitation, he takes on Maddie as his apprentice (not like he had a choice in the matter… You can’t say no to both the Commandant AND the famous ranger Halt [Who used to be your mentor…]).

Maddie is so high on her horse (literally. She makes fun of the ranger horses.) that she believes that she will only be with Will for 2-3 days. Instead, Horace and Evanlyn took away her right to be the princess. So in that respect, she will be with Will until she learns some respect.

So Will trains her like Halt Trained him. Poking fun at.  On one occasion Maddie decides to make breakfast and coffee for Will. As an apology. Needless to say, it didn’t turn out too well. And Will was laughing. Maddie got really hurt by that and will said this: “The eggs deserved better. But you gave me something better that I haven’t had in a long time. You made me laugh.” Will didn’t laugh or smile those entire 18 months.

Because of this, Will and Maddie developed a much better relationship. A few months go by and Gilan sh0ws up. He asks Will how she is doing, and Will has pride in his voice when he talks about her. Gilan then asks if Will would be willing to go on a mission with her. At that time Maddie walks in. And they decide to go on this mission.

Will and Maddie find Alyss’s killer during this seemingly completely UNRELATED mission. And when he tries to kill Maddie, Will loses it.

There are many twists and turns in this book, and I absolutely LOVE it!! It also happens t0 be the longest of the 12 books. So you better be ready to enjoy a few days! (Well, Took me 3 days to finish it anyways. Maybe take others longer, or even shorter. I just wanted to savor the last book!)

Would Recommend?

-Yup. You HAVE to read this book and the entire series. Here is the review of the series that I have been updating. Link. (I just remembered that I left the link up at the top…. Well, guess you’ll get two links?)

I have been in contact will the Head Ranger (John Flanagan) and he has said that we need to stay tuned. Ranger Maddie may be making another appearance. I won’t tell you when (cause I don’t know), or how (again, don’t know), or why (this seems simple. Cause she’s a RANGER). I will let the Head Ranger fill you in on the rest of the details. Just know that if you thought the series was over, well actually it is. But it may have a spinoff! I don’t really know. I’m just spitballin here. John Flanagan just said he wasn’t done with the characters.

(Hey Mr. Flanagan, I didn’t spill anything you told me. Which to be fair, wasn’t much. But I kept my mouth shut!) <- I promised him I wouldn’t say a thing.  Not that I have many followers to bother me (as of today I have 8).

Alright, I’m done here. I think I’m just rambling. Sorry.

Thanks for readin!

-Jack

The Gods of Mars-Review

I do not have the review for tomorrow ready (been sick this week) so I wrote this as a Bonus. I may or may not get it done in time, so this will either be a bonus or an apology review. But I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Oh, and if you complain that I don’t go over much in the reviews, it is because I hate it when books or movies are Spoiled. So I just leave a Hook and my Personal opinion. No spoiling there!

Title/Author:

–The Gods of Mars.  Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Times Read:

-3

Genre:

-Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Page Turner, Nail Biting Page Turner, Classic, Action, Conflict, Action.

Rating:

-10/10 You really need to read this book. It is the second in the series of the Barsoom series. And it is amazing! Rather than make you feel bored, you have the need to continue reading.

I know this book is fiction. But I really do believe that there is Life besides us. So who am I to say that this is Fiction? In all truth, I’d love to meet the Famous John Carter. Imagine that… Just like his nephew meets him in book 5 (I have not finished it, nor have I written a review. Just a small teaser.)

Age Range:

-Author(s) Suggest: 12-18

-My Opinion: 13+

If you read the first book (which you need to in order to understand the following books.  Here is the link to that review and to the book on Amazon.) then you can read this at 13+. If you don’t want to understand anything about the series, then you can be 15+ to read it.  See how I’m forcing you (even though I have a 0% hold on you) to go read the first one?

Basic Review:

-What happened to the Immortal Savior of Barsoom, John Carter? It is said that his body made the final voyage. And this is seen as truth when Carter awakes in the strange land. What happened to his wife, his child to be (in the egg), and his best friends?   Join Carter in his next big adventure.

Carter’s last adventure was to save the world he loves. He traveled to the factory that sustained life on Mars and forced the doors open. And then he collapsed, dead. When he awoke (for John carter can never die. Seriously, he remained at the age of 35, never changing. And he had no memory of his past.) he was back in the cave in Arizona. And NEVER did he want so hard to die.

12 years later he finds his nephew on the streets. His nephew recounts how his uncle was found dead in his front yard, but he always wondered whether or not he really died. His last notes to his nephew were to build a certain tomb. With an open casket, and a handle on the inside of the Tomb. I’ll explain right down below.

Long Review:

-His nephew wasn’t all too surprised to find Carter in front of him. Carter tells his nephew that he is never going to leave his princess again, but comes bearing the tales he lived. And since his nephew is a writer, Carter expects him to write a story about it. And Carter returns to his home. Where his Wife and Son await him.

Let’s talk about his nephew real quick. At the end of his notes at the beginning of The Gods of Mars, he leaves his initials. E.R.B. Now, why is this important? Well, try and place the initials to a certain name. I’ll wait here…. Still waiting…. I’ll help you out. E: Edgar. R: Rice. B: Burroughs.

This is part of the reason that I always considered the Barsoom series to be true. I understand it is fiction. But I also believe that it could be true. Cause we are not the only creatures located in the universe. But You’re not here for that. I’ll get back to the review.

Then the book starts and we get to see the rest of Carter’s story. For 10 years Carter starred  at his lost home. Longing to feel that odd passage that would bring him back to his wife, and the egg that contained his child. (I still don’t understand that part, though. She gave birth to an Egg…..) One night while standing in his front yard he closed his eyes after looking at his home. And then the tugging sensation happened. He pulled against it and there he lay. His body was on the ground, but Carter didn’t care. He looked towards his home and away he went.

When Carter awakes he expects to find the dead sea bottoms of his beloved Barsoom. But he is in a strange land where vegetation flowers everywhere. For a few minutes, Carter wondered whether or not he was on the right planet. And then he walked and flew again.

After Carter gets his bearings again, he notices some figures off to a side. They looked like a plant of some sort. And then one turned toward him. Imagine a Venus Fly Trap that is 7 ft tall (2.25 meters) and has legs. And then fuse that together with a dinosaur. And there you have the Plant Men.

Carter finds this Green warrior fighting for his life against these plant fiends. And the fighting man inside him rushes to that creature’s aid. After fighting off the fiends the warrior remarks that he is proud to fight shoulder to shoulder with John Carter. Then Carter turns to see his oldest friend. Tars Tarkas.

He, along with his Oldest friend, find out what it means to be “DEAD”. And together they fight the Holy Therns. Who by coincidence eat Human flesh rather than Animals. And they love to feed the Lesser humans to the Banths (Which until book 4 I had no idea was a gigantic Lion. Yeah. Like Simba but 4 times bigger.) The Therns look just like Carter. White skinned instead of Red, Green, Yellow, Black, or Furry. (I’m not being racist. Read the books. The Yellows are like Banana yellow. And the Blacks are Pirates with THICK beards.)

While debunking the Mysteries, Carter finds a fellow RED man from Hellium. And he seems to fight in a similar style to Carter. So they choose to fight together. And I’m going to stop right here otherwise I’m going to spoil the entire book.

In this book, Carter learns the truth behind the God’s of Mars. He also learns the fate of his unborn egg. He also discovers races that were thought to be Extinct, or never even existed. And he Debunks the Mysteries of them ALL.   Look, you need to read the entire Barsoom series. But the first 3 books are the only way to understand the rest. Trust me.

___

Oh! And don’t worry, Carter will only stare death in the face a few times. Including when he is…. Actually, you need to read it. 😛

Would Recommend?

-Yes. Duh. Why are you even asking me at this point? I love the Barsoom series and you should too.  I just wish I could’ve met the Author. But I was born in 1997. He died in 1950. I’m a bit far off.

There is something about these books that calls out to the adventurer inside of all of us. Both men, women, children, and the elderly want to be the swashbuckling hero that saves the day, every day.

Thanks for readin!

-Jack