Tag Archives: book review

Ranger’s Apprentice Series

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Will has been chosen to be the apprentice of the mysterious Ranger Halt. Throughout his apprenticeship as a ranger, he must face dangers that we can only imagine, travel to lands across the sea, and save the Kingdom of Araluen from imminent disaster with his friend, Horace, and master, Halt. When he is made a full fledged ranger, he must face  new dangers such as… a sorcerer?

A series that has sold millions of copies worldwide, Ranger’s Apprentice is a great series for anyone looking for a sense of adventure. A well written book with great character development, not only through the first book, but also through the entire series. Probably a book for all ages of teens, possibly a little younger for some families, because of some mild swearing in some of the books.

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims

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Rush Revere is a substitute school teacher at Manchester Middle School, but he’s no ordinary substitute. He brings a surprise the students were not expecting: a talking horse named Liberty. He shows videos in the classroom of the pilgrims that the students think are pre-recorded videos, but are really Rush Revere and Liberty(who is also a time traveling horse) live in the past. But when two students, Freedom and Tommy, suspect something; Rush is forced to take them with him into the past with him while he studies the pilgrims for his class. A great children’s book that teaches crucial points of American history that Obama doesn’t want children to know about.

The Iliad

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The Iliad is a historically important poem. We know very little from the Dark Ages of Greece. It was composed in the Greek language by Homer in the 7th or 8th century B.C., 400-500 years after the 10 year siege of Troy, but it was not written onto paper until the first century A.D. It is probably differs from the original, but it still has the main plot. Since it was originally composed as ballad, Homer has written the battles like an announcer calling a football game.
The story begins during the last year of the siege of Troy by the Achaians(Greeks). There has not been much fighting. The reason for the war was that the prince of Troy, Paris, had kidnapped Helen, the wife of King Agamemnon’s brother, Menelaus. Hundreds of ships had come with thousands men. The King Agamemnon refused to give up fighting for 10 years, even when the Trojans gave very generous offers.
But when Agamemnon takes the daughter of a priest of Apollo, Apollo sends sickness and death into the Achaian camp. Achillês, the son of a mortal man and an immortal Sea Nymph, is forced by Agamemnon to give his girl to Agamemnon if he is to give the Priest’s daughter back. Achillês gives in, but his mother has asked Zeus to make her son the hero of the war for the Achaians. Achillês sits brooding at the boats while the rest of the army attacks the Trojans. Paris’ brother, Hector, turns out to be the champion for the Trojans.
With the help of Artemis, Ares, and Aphrodite, among others; Hector turned the tide of war. He drove the Achaians back to their ships. Paris is mortally injured during the fighting and dies inside Troy. Achillês sends his best friend out in his own armor, but he is killed after killing about twenty people. Achillês is heartbroken and decides to join the battle. His mother brings him new armor from the forges of Mt. Olympus. Could Achillês turn the tide of tide of war and defeat Hector and the Trojans?
It was a slow but entertaining book. The original ballad version was probably riveting. It is still a major book, despite being thousands of years old.

Blood of Kings Trilogy Book 3

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book 3, By Darkness Won, by Jill Williamson

Vrell leaves, again, determined to serve Prince Oren in Southern Er’Rets. She leaves with Gren Hoff, Achan’s childhood sweetheart. But when Vrell is caught in Sitna, she regrets her decision. When she is stormed, a form of fighting using bloodvoicing to separate the person’s soul from their body, by her old master, she forgets all of what has happened in the last year.

Achan is assaulted by questions he cannot answer—can Esek still be alive? Who is this mysterious Hadad? And who is the real enemy, Hadad or Esek and Lord Nathak? To add to his worries, he is betrothed to Lady Averilla, Duchess Amal’s daughter, and he learns that Sparrow has been stormed and he believes he is the only one that reunite her with her body. All the while he has to fight the war that will either bring back light to all Er’Rets, or put all Er’Rets into darkness.

A great ending to a series that keeps you up all night reading. It is the perfect ending to a perfect series.

Blood of Kings Trilogy Book 2

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book 2, By Darkness Fled, by Jill Williamson

Achan, Vrell, and the knights flee into Darkness. Many enemies pursue them. They travel from Mahanaim to Mirrostone. Then a detour to Barth, and off to Melas. Each city brings new challenges that both Achan and Vrell must endure.

Achan struggles to fit into his new roll. He tries to understand his gift, but he doesn’t understand why Arman, the only true God, has chosen him.

Vrell tries to keep her secret, being a girl, but it is becoming hard to. She decides to stay with the men until they arrive in Carmine. She realized that her betrothed, Bran Rennan, is no longer interested in her. With conflicting emotions, she struggles in her roll as Achan’s squire.

Book two sets the stage for book three. A great transfer book through all three books.

Blood of Kings Trilogy Book 1

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imagebook 1, By Darkness Hid, by Jill Williamson

Achan has the lowest position in Er’Rets, a stray. All he has ever done is milk goats and chop potatoes. Sir Gavin, an old Kingsguard knight offers to secretly train him as his squire. But during the Prince Gidon’s coming of age celebration, Achan finds that he has an unusual gift, bloodvoicing, an ability to talk to people from clear across the kingdom using their mind. The Prince takes Achan as his squire on the road to Mahanaim where trouble follows Achan all the way.

Vrell Sparrow has been running from Prince Gidon who wants control of Carm. She has found that she can bloodvoice. A greedy old man in Mahanaim has sensed her and has sent two New Kingsguard knights too fetch her. She encounters unpleasant adventures throughout the journey, and some take place in caves. Soon after she arrives, she is sent to help a solider who her master wishes to train in bloodvoiceing.

Their worlds collide when Vrell brings Achan to the Mahanaim dungeons where she tends his wounds. When Sir Gavin rescues Achan, everything is turned around in Achan’s world.

A great introduction to a great series. It introduces the characters so that you become attached to them. Politics and action, secrets and discovery, this is a great book.