The One-Eyed Giant, In the Land of the Dead, and Sirens and Sea Monsters, by Mary Pope Osborne (Hyperion Books, 2003)

For those familiar with Homer’s epic saga, there will be very few surprises in these books, the first three in Mary Pope Osbourne’s Tales From The Odyssey series. They retell, in plain English, without much of the fancy poetical trappings, … Continue reading

New Skies, edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor, 2003)

From Tor comes this reprint anthology, containing seventeen young adult-aimed science fiction stories published within the last two decades. It’s an odd mix, eclectic and almost intellectual in natural, spanning the variety of talent and style. Philip K Dick is … Continue reading

Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe, by James M. Ward (Tor, 2005)

At sixteen, Halcyon Blithe came into his powers relatively late, especially for a family renowned for turning out powerful wizards. However, as the seventh son of a seventh son, he definitely has a lot more magical potential than wizards twice … Continue reading

Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour and #2: Touching Darkness, by Scott Westerfeld (Eos, 2004/2005)

In the town of Bixby, Oklahoma, the laws of nature have been warped and transformed by ancient nightmarish forces. At the stroke of midnight, the world freezes, raindrops hanging in midair like watery jewels, and people becoming as stiff and … Continue reading

The Magickers and The Magickers #2: The Curse of Arkady, by Emily Drake (DAW, 2001/2002)

Eleven-year-old Jason Adrian’s world is thrown into disarray when a chance injury renders him incapable of attending soccer camp like he’d planned. Looks like it’s Grandmother McIntyre’s home for him, this summer! Anything’s better than spending time with the family … Continue reading

Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (Hyperion, 2005)

Perseus “Percy” Jackson is about to discover his destiny. The good thing is that he may very well be the son of a god, one of the many offspring produced by the various deities and supernatural creatures of the immortal … Continue reading