In this sequel to The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson, demi-god son of Poseidon is back. With his friends, including a daughter of Athena and a teenage Cyclops, he must once again go on a perilous journey to defy the gods and save the day. Should they fail, their only safe refuge will be gone forever. This is a thoroughly-enjoyable continuation of Percy’s story, and proof that Riordan is on a roll with the Percy Jackson series.
Prudence Stewart’s life in Beverly Hills is turned upside-down when her family moves to Salem, Massachusetts, so they can once again embrace their cultural heritage: as powerful witches. Now Prudence has to cope with an entire school of people light-years ahead of her in talent and skill, and all she has to bring to the game is a familiarity with mundane ways, and a heck of a cheerleading routine. Is victory achieved through pom-poms and backflips? Around here, it is! This was an entertaining tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously as it merges an insular Harry Potter-esque magical subculture with modern pop culture sensibilities.
In this sequel to Peeps, the end of the world is at hand, with a plague turning people into cannibalistic vampires, even as ancient, evil creatures stir far beneath the Earth’s surface. In New York, five teens start a rock group, unaware that their unique blend of talents may hold the key to humanity’s ultimate survival. Once again, Westerfeld delivers an edgy tale of dark fantasy and urban horror, told in a variety of voices. The only drawbacks to this story are its relative lack of connection to its prequel, and an overly rushed resolution. Westerfeld could easily have drawn the story out further.
When American teenager Gwen goes to visit her cousin Findabhair in Ireland, she never expects that their summer of backpacking will turn into an epic match of wills and wiles against the creatures of Faerie, who kidnap Findabhair for their own capricious purposes. The Hunter’s Moon is a beautifully-told tale which takes full advantage of the depth and variety of Irish legends to start a new and intriguing series.
An omnibus reprint of two earlier collections – Swan Sister and A Wolf At The Door, this is a collection of fairy tales retold and reinterpreted by some of the best names in YA and fantasy, including Jane Yolen, Neil Gaiman, Gregory Maguire and Tanith Lee. While aimed at younger readers, these stories don’t talk down to their audience. It’s definitely worth picking up, with plenty of stories for your money. Sure to appeal to fairy tale lovers and fantasy fans.
It’s the return of Jasper Dash (Boy Technonaut), Katie Mulligan (Heroine of Horror Hollow) and utterly normal Lily Gefelty (all three last seen in Whales on Stilts!), as their vacation to the Moose Tongue Lodge throws them headfirst in a series of bizarre mysteries involving the assorted heroes of other children’s books. Twists abound as people go missing, identities get mistaken, and chaos reigns, all in a hilarious take on the children’s mystery series so many of us grew up reading. Anderson has a real talent for evoking that old spirit, even as he throws the characters into bizarre situations that border on the surreal.
When every adult in Camelot falls into an enchanted slumber, only a squire, a stable boy, and a maidservant have what it takes to journey across the land, find Merlin, and save the day. Monsters, dangers, and challenges galore await the trio as they learn to work together along the way. Gilman’s definitely off to a strong start with this series, which reimagines the Arthurian mythos just enough to feel fresh and inviting.
When Ilana Newhouse gets a temp job for the summer, little does she realize at first that she’ll be filling in for the Greek Fates, who turn out to be alive and well (like the rest of the pantheon) and desperately in need of some time off. But there’s more to the job than she realizes, especially when mythological characters such as Arachne and the Furies show up. And then there’s her sister’s upcoming wedding, which has turned the bride-to-be into Bridezilla. It’s going to be a bizarre, chaotic, hilarious summer indeed. Laced thoroughly with Friesner’s trademark humor and sly wit, Temping Fate is an excellent, highly humorous story that just begs for a sequel or three.
rKim suffers from a depression that prevents her from pursuing her art. Jaimie comes from a family where everything is accomplished magically. As freshmen roommates in college, they’re both out of their element, especially when Kim’s problem turns out to have a dangerous, magical origin. Now they have to learn to work together and trust one another if they want to make it to the end of the semester intact. But then again, college is all about new experiences and growing up, right? Easily one of Hoffman’s best books in recent years, Spirits That Walk In Shadow is intriguing, beautiful, haunting, and well-worth checking out.
After being both a rebellious Ugly and a bubble-headed Pretty, now Tally is one of the Specials, augmented humans who maintain the dubious status quo. She’ll have to overcome her programming and defy her masters if she wants to effect true change in their post-Apocalyptic not-so-Utopian society. But is she strong enough to rewrite her own mind and choose her own destiny yet again? Once again, Westerfeld tells a great story.
