If The Harry Potter Saga Were A Comic Book: The Accidental Hero Review

The Accidental Hero
by Matt Myklusch

Genre: Children, Sci Fi/Fantasy, Adventure
Pages:  496 pages

Summary: All Jack Blank knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby’s Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost—an orphanage in the swampland of New Jersey. Covertly reading old comic books is Jack’s only solace. But his life changes forever when he meets an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in the world originate. Including Jack.

Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability—one that could make him the savior of Imagine Nation and the world beyond…or the biggest threat they’ve ever faced.

BARON REVIEW: I’ll be honest. This is one of those books where (again) the cover of this book drew me in.

I’m very shallow when it comes to books I pick up.

It didn’t help that its title is my favorite motif- the reluctant hero. For that alone, I bought the book without really bothering to read the summary. I figured that at the very least I’d get some enjoyment out of the little kid not really wanting to pick up the mantel of his new hero role and yet in the end becoming some sort of badass.

Usually those sort of books work for me.

Usually…

And The Accidental Hero is a little predictable but not bad for a children’s book. I have to reign myself back sometimes, you know? Kids have different tastes. I can respect the old Sideways Stories from Wayside School as the comedic and entertainingly ridiculous series of children’s books it was. It’s one of the reasons I can admire work like How to Train Your Dragon. As a children’s book it does its job quite well. Would I recommend it to the same group of friends that read Game of Thrones? Hell no.

Run Toothless! Get out of Westros while you still can! Winter is f-ing coming!

So anyway, back to this book. Jack (our protagonist)’s a run of the mill orphan abandoned on the doorstep who finds out he’s really a super hero. And the super heroes in this universe seem to work a little like how being a wizard works in Harry Potter. You find out you’re a super, and you go to a special super hero school. You know, that sort of thing. Despite the predictability, I found myself enjoying parts. It’s a little unconventional in its premise; an adventure story coming out of the world of comic book superheroes. I found it intriguing.

If I had a kid, I don’t think I’d have any qualms about letting them read this one. I’ll probably read book two if it ever comes out. But I think I’d recommend staying away from buying it in hard copy. This is a good ebook read.

Maybe I should make that a new quality check at the bottom….

Quality: ★ ★ ★  3 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 out of 5
Rereadable: Possibly. If I get around to reading the second book I probably will.
Purchase: In ebook (if cheaper)
Overall: ☺ Good book

Filler Up: Wizard at Large Review

Wizard at Large
by Terry Brooks

Genre: Fantasy, Adult
Pages:  303 pages

Summary: It all began when the half-able wizard Questor Thews announced that finally he could restore the Court Scribe Abernathy to human form. All went well until the wizard breathed the magic dust of his spell and suddenly sneezed. Then, where Abernathy had stood, there was only a bottle containing a particularly evil imp, who soon escapes.

BARON REVIEW: The Wizard at Large was an interesting look at the side characters of Questor and Abernathy. I sort of saw this book as an attempt to redeem them both for their petty actions in the previous book. Abernathy used to be one of my favorite characters until he was a royal jerk in The Black Unicorn. I think this book did a decent job at redeeming them. Even if on a whole, this book felt like the filler episode in a long running TV series.

It was an interesting story. I liked Elizabeth. And Michel Ard Rhi seemed a truly formidable opponent even though we are never show why he was doing what he was doing. In fact, I don’t think we are even shown WHAT he was doing exactly. By the way it was hinted at, it made me think that Michel raped dogs. Disturbing as that thought was, I was never proved wrong.

This book didn’t really answer a lot of questions it brings up. And I felt like Michel, like Meeks, was dealt with far too easily. So because of that, an otherwise enjoyable read did lose a few stars.

Quality: ★ ★ ★  3 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★ ★  3 out of 5
Rereadable: I might pick it up again if I ever reread the series. But as a stand alone, it’s just so-so.
Overall: ☺ Good book

If You Love Dogs, Beware: Assassin’s Apprentice Review

Assassin’s Apprentice
by Robin Hobb

Genre: High Fantasy, Adult
Pages:  448 pages

Summary: Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him sectetly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill–and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

BARON REVIEW: I was given this book on my birthday by a good friend of mine. Said that it starred a young male protagonist and his dog and that I’d probably love it since I’m such a dog lover. You know that’s like telling someone “you should read Where the Red Fern Grows because you are a dog lover”.

S0 I have to warn any potential readers that are dog lovers to be a bit wary of this story. Do not be fooled by the cute little dog on the cover. If you like dogs than this book is pretty much guaranteed to make you sad if not cry. You wouldn’t think so by the title, but (little spoiler here) the author is a little dog killing happy.

But he loved that dog! Why did they have to separate them? Why?!

This first person fantasy action adventure does an excellent job binding the dark worlds of magic and assassins together seamlessly. The book all in all is engaging, imaginative and well written. But it has incredibly pessimistic outlook and comes off as a rather depressing tale. Almost needlessly so in places.Often times I felt Hobb killed characters just because she could.

Reminds me of someone else I know…

If that’s your cup of tea then you shouldn’t have any problem with this book.

Not that assassins have a life should be filled with buttercups and daisies fields but at least Assassin’s Creed didn’t leave me feeling depressed.

But it did make me feel like a badass. 

Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★ ★  3 out of 5
Rereadable: It’s really well written. If I can get over the sad parts, then sure.
Overall: ☺ Good book

So… It’s Not a Book About Dogs: Terrier Review

Terrier
by Tamora Pierce

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages:  581 pages

Summary: Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost’s Guard, and she’s been assigned to the Lower City. It’s a tough beat that’s about to get tougher, as Beka’s limited ability to communicate with the dead clues her in to an underworld conspiracy. Someone close to Beka is using dark magic to profit from the Lower City’s criminal enterprises–and the result is a crime wave the likes of which the Provost’s Guard has never seen before.

BARON REVIEW: My grandparents actually sent me this book for my birthday while I was in high school. I read the summary and it really didn’t appear to be my cup of tea. So I put it on my shelf to gather dust for a couple of years. I only recently picked up again because I realized I should really read the books already on my shelves before going out to buy new ones.

I used to love journal stories as a kid. I read the Dear America novels until I became absolutely sick of first person journal entry stories. Despite knowing that Tamora Pierce is a great author, the whole it being written like a journal entry threw me off. As an adult, journal entry stories take the immediacy out of it for me. I like to believe the protagonist is in danger and if they are writing this entry after the fact, then it kills all tension for me.

Still this book was quite good. I won’t say it’s my favorite ever, but I didn’t dislike it. It’s well written. The world is very real and gritty. And I liked Beka despite her sometimes interesting way of describing her own body (worked quite well with her character but I will never be able to look at peaches the same way again).

My only beef with this story was that the villain was frustratingly transparent. I realized who it was fairly early on into the mystery; but it took Beka forever to figure it out. I’ll give Pierce the benefit of the doubt and say that Beka wasn’t exactly re-reading her journals like I was but still- I felt like I was watching one of those old movies where the bad guy sneaks up behind the protagonist wielding a dagger and the audience can’t help but shout “behind you!”

Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★ ★  3 out of 5
Rereadable: Possibly. As I said, not really one for journal written stories. But if I’m really bored someday… it’s a thought.
Overall: ☺ Good book

If Only She Stayed a Tree: The Titan’s Curse Review

The Titan’s Curse
by Rick Riordan

Genre: Fantasy-Adventure, Young Adult, Greek Mythos
Pages:  304 pages

Summary: When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it’s up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared—a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.

BARON REVIEW:  I was never a huge fan of Thalia or Nico jumping in on the prophesy at the last second. They both felt like a combination of Scrappy Doo and Jade from Jackie Chan Adventures stealing all the glory from the already established and beloved protagonists.

The world would finally make sense. 

The sexist antics of the Artemis Hunters didn’t amuse me either. I’m all for female power… but there’s just something creepy about the amazonian Artemis Hunters and their pretentious cult.

When I first read this book it was by far, my least favorite of the three written. Going back and re-reading the book however has made me realize that the book really isn’t all that bad. When I let go a little of my hatred of Thalia, a girl who reminded me far too much of girls I knew in high school, the book doesn’t upset me nearly as much.

I just couldn’t take Thalia. She was the type of personality that rubs me the wrong way. The bossy know-it-all who can’t ever admit when she’s wrong. Who hides behind make up, whacky hair and spikes to cover up her own insecurities. However, once Thalia joined the hunters, she became a lot less annoying to me. And once Zoe died, well, the Hunters seemed a lot less pretentious.

But these are all a matter of opinion. This book is still just as well handled as the other books in the series. I still enjoyed reading it. And even if re-reading it a fourth time didn’t cause me to warm up to Thalia, it did make me see her from a new angle. Once you understand why she acts the way she does, she’s a lot more tolerable.

Still annoying… but more tolerable.

Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★ ★  3 out of 5
Rereadable: It may be one of my least favorite in the series but I’ll probably pick it up again as I go through the rest of the books.
Overall: ☺ Good book

You Could Skip This Book If You Wanted To: The Arctic Incident Review

The Arctic Incident
by Eoin Colfer

Genre: Fantasy, Children’s
Pages:  277 pages

Summary: The Arctic Incident sees the slightly older, perhaps slightly more mellow arch-criminal Artemis recovered from his last adventure, richer now that he has his half of a hoard of fairy gold, and happier since the Clarice Starlingesque superfairy Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon returned his mother’s ailing mind to full health.

But there is still much unfinished business: Artemis Fowl Sr. disappeared when a daring escapade designed to free his family from their criminal–not to mention deeply lucrative–past and move the family’s assets into legitimate enterprises went horribly wrong. Held captive by the Mafiya (the Russian organized crime syndicate) for over two years, he has been declared officially dead, but Artemis Jr. knows in his heart (yes, he does have one) that his beloved father is still alive, and he is determined to find him. Meanwhile Captain Short is temporarily on assignment to Customs and Excise as punishment for letting Fowl separate her and her People from their gold and is finding her stakeout duties a little dull. It soon becomes obvious that the pair have need of each other’s considerable skills, and before long they are on track for an adventure that will ultimately have far-reaching consequences for both of them.

BARON REVIEW: This one is not  exactly my favorite book in the Artemis Fowl saga. It’s still enjoyable nonetheless. It’s a good book but it kind of falls short in comparison to the action of the others.

Artemis has mellowed out some more. He’s dealing with his own growing and conflicting moral standards. We get more into the history of what happened to his father. And we get a glimpse of how dark and ruthless Artemis can be. Artemis gets a taste of that side of himself and seems throughly disturbed. While that’s interesting I think Eternity Code delves deeper in the subject and thus intrigues me more.

We also get our first glimpses of Holly/Artemis’ budding relationship. One that Colfer will continue to tease his fans with for the remainder of the series.

I’d still recommend this book though. And of course, I still enjoy re-reading it. Just because it’s one my least favorite in the series does not mean it by any way disappointed me. It just felt like filler before you reach the really good books like Eternity Code and Opal Deception.

Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★ ★  3 out of 5
Rereadable: I really reread all the books in the Artemis Fowl series.
Overall: ☺ Good book

Buyer’s Remorse Doesn’t Quite Cover it: Magical Kingdom For Sale/Sold Review

 Magical Kingdom For Sale/Sold
 by Terry Brooks

 Genre: Fantasy, Adult
 Pages:  324 pages

 Summary: Landover was a genuine magic kingdom, complete     with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement had promised. But after he purchased it for a million dollars, Ben Holiday discovered that there were a few details the ad had failed to mention. Such as the fact that the kingdom was falling into ruin. The barons refused to recognize a king and taxes hadn’t been collected for years. The dragon, Strabo, was laying waste to the countryside, while the evil witch, Nightshade, was plotting to destroy no less than everything. And if that weren’t enough for a prospective king to deal with, Ben soon learned that the Iron Mark, terrible lord of the demons, challenged all pretenders to the throne of Landover to a duel to the death – a duel no mere mortal could hope to win. But Ben Holiday had one human trait that even magic couldn’t overcome. Ben Holiday was stubborn.

BARON REVIEW: I read the first two books of this series while I was in high school. In fact, believe it or not, I used these books to write a research paper on. I compared how the author’s own life was mirrored in his work, even a fantasy work. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy sneaking by that research paper with a fantasy book instead of the memoirs all the other kids picked up.

As a teenager, a lot of themes in the first book flew over my head. I wasn’t very close with the protagonist, Ben, and didn’t really sympathize with his character. It’s funny how old I considered him. I believe Ben is only in his 30s, but as far as I was considered, he was well on his way to being elderly. And the fact that he was a widower, I just couldn’t relate.

Compared to what I usually read, reading about an older protagonist was surprisingly difficult for me.

Yes. This is exactly how I remember it. 

But through my second read through, I  found I really enjoyed Ben and his adventures. Ben was a really relatable guy who had been dealt a bad hand in life. You really kinda had to feel sorry for the guy. It helps that now that I’m closer to his age, I understand him a lot better.

Funnily enough,  Willow, a character I had cherished as a teenager, bugged me a lot more now than when I first read about her. She seemed like another Belldandy (that’s from Oh My Goddess! for all you non-anime fans); perfect at everything and inexplicably in love with Ben. It’s that cute sweet girl thats so sweet its gotten f-ing annoying.

“I’m not good enough, Keiichi. I’m perfect in every way but I sometimes get jealous of other less perfect girls so we can’t be together!” 

The book never really explained why Willow loves Ben save for that it’s part of a prophecy. If I were Ben, I’d feel pretty uncomfortable that this girl only seemed to like me because her Gods told her too. But then again, if I were Ben, I’d probably think I scored so… what the hell ever, I guess.

Willow’s deus ex machina inclusion to get Ben over the loss of his wife really knocked off a few points off my rating for the book. I still loved it; just disliked the romance.

Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★ ★ ★  4 out of 5
Rereadable: I already reread it once. If I re-read it again maybe my opinion will change again?
Overall: ☺ Good book

It’s Really Nothing Like It Sounds: The Book Thief Review

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult
Pages:  550 pages

Summary: It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery….

Narrated by Death, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever they are to be found.

With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

BARON REVIEW: I kind of feel like this book tricked me. I picked this book up thinking it would be literally about a child who stole books. Which… I guess it kind of was. Serves me right for buying a book off the bargain rack without reading the summary. Don’t let my whining fool you. This is a fantastically well written book. My review is only an account of opinion. I personally found the book “okay” simply because it depressed me. The book is full of things I can quote as being so insightful and haunting. I just couldn’t help hating it because of the way it made me feel at the end. A good book if you don’t mind feeling depressed at the end of it all.

Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★  2 out of 5
Rereadable: I’d have to be in a really good mood and willing to sacrifice said good mood.
Overall: ☺ Good book

Wanted, Royal Messenger. Flexible Hours. Good Pay. Death Wish Required: Green Rider Review

Green Rider
by Kristen Britain

Genre: High Fantasy, Adult
Pages:  471 pages

Summary: On her long journey home from school after a fight which will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G’ladheon ponders her future as she trudges through the immense forest called Green Cloak. But her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves as a galloping horse bursts from the woods, the rider slumped over his mount’s neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan that he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king, and that he bears a “life and death” message for King Zachary. He begs Karigan to carry his message, warning her not to read it, and when she reluctantly agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission “for love of country.” As he bestows upon her the golden winged-horse brooch which is the symbol of his office, he whispers on his dying breath, “Beware the shadow man…” 

Karigan’s promise changes her life forever. Pursued by unknown assassins, following a path only her horse seems to know, and accompanied by the silent specter of the original messenger, she herself becomes a legendary Green Rider. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

BARON REVIEW: This first couple of reviews are going to make you guys all think that I never write any bad reviews. The critics are coming, I promise. I just have a lot of reviews to get through. Wanted to cover all my bases.

I heard all about this book from my ex best friend in middle school. She was super obsessed with a lot of things; Legally Blonde, Orlando Bloom and this book, Green Rider. She was constantly trying to get me to read it. It got to the point where she talked about this series so much that I’m thinking she wanted to be a green rider (and according to our early roleplaying chatroom days, I’m certain that she did). So after I read this book, I can’t for the life of me see why. Being a green rider would seriously suck. What a rough life. Though really, the green rider lifestyle has nothing on growing up in Westeros.

I can already tell me and this gif will be great friends.

This book was fantastic though. Great fantasy. I loved the main character. I loved all the side characters too- even those that only showed up for a chapter or two. I felt their loss when they perished. And that’s hard to do if we were only just introduced to them. Karigan’s thrilling race to deliver a life and death message to the king was truly an amazing and terrifying journey; the shadow man was a formidable villain.

I can’t think of any way to improve the story in all honesty. I wouldn’t say that it’s my favorite book ever written. Again there were parts that I thought were fantastic but I personally didn’t enjoy because they just didn’t interest me. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the story. I just didn’t adore it to the capacity my friend had.

Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★ ★ ★  4 out of 5
Rereadable: Sure. Someday.
Overall: ☺ Good book

Pretty Fair: Fairest Review

Fairest
by Gail Carson Levine

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages:  326 pages

Summary: In the kingdom of Ayortha, who is the fairest of them all? Certainly not Aza. She is thoroughly convinced that she is ugly. What she may lack in looks, though, she makes up for with a kind heart, and with something no one else has-a magical voice. Her vocal talents captivate all who hear them, and in Ontio Castle they attract the attention of a handsome prince – and a dangerous new queen. In this masterful novel filled with humour, adventure, romance, and song, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine invites you to join Aza as she discovers how exquisite she truly is.

BARON REVIEW: Going with a fairly short review to start with. I’m a fan of Levine. Have been since Ella Enchanted. So I was really looking forward to another princess adaptation from her. This one was of Snow White… and it was pretty nice. (Yes, I’m starting this blog off fairly mild.) I really liked the tie ins to Ella Enchanted. The world was well imagined. I never quite knew what was going to happen, save from some small guesses based on the typical Snow White fairytale framework. I liked the message that was given at the end. This book was well imagined, well executed. Overall, not as lovable as Ella Enchanted but not a bad book. Give it a shot if you’re a fan of fairy tales.

Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 out of 5
Enjoyment: ★ ★ ★  3 out of 5
Rereadable: Sure. I’d pick it up again.
Overall: ☺ Good book