A Look Back:
2009 Books
Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander
$6.50
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
416 pp
Thus says Cheveyo: mage, teacher, the first person in Thea's life to remain unimpressed by her lineage as Double Seventh, the seventh child of two seventh children. From birth, great things were expected of Thea, gradually replaced by puzzled disappointment as it became evident her magical abilities are, at most, minimal. Now, with Cheveyo, Thea has begun to weave herself a new magical identity, infused with elements of the original worlds where Cheveyo and others like him walk. But back home, she attends the Academy, the one school on earth for those who, like her, can't do magic. It is at the Academy that Thea realizes she will indeed have to fight, since her enemies are hungrier and more dangerous than she thought. What's more, her greatest strength may be the very powerlessness she has resisted for so long. (Barnes & Noble)
The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
$14.00
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
256 pp
Eli, the 15-year-old son of a billionaire techno-preneur, has spent the last six years with his family in the massive underground shelter his father has built, knowing that nuclear war has destroyed the world he knows-and killed his grandmother and his twin brother, who couldn't reach the compound in time. With nine years to go before the air outside will be safe to breathe again, the food supply shows signs of running out, but Eli's father has a solution-provided they jettison all morals and ethics. Repulsed and already suspicious, Eli begins investigating his father's claims, and sets up a family death match against a man who grows increasingly irrational and sinister but no less powerful. (Publishers Weekly)
The Beast of Noor by Janet Lee Carey
$15.50
Publisher: Gardners Books
497 pp
Late one night, piercing screams awake the villages of Noor. And the next day the bones of a young woman are found deep in the surrounding forests. Terror courses through the hearts of the villagers, along with something else...relief. An attack such as this is not uncommon in Noor.
The Shriker, a massive beast of unimaginable strength and rage, has roamed the dark woods for nearly three hundred years, savaging those unfortunate enough to encounter him. The people of Noor have lived in fear for so long that most have forgotten that the Shriker was once a loyal dog until the day his master betrayed and cursed him, condemning him to life as a monster. But Miles and Hanna Ferrell have never forgotten where the Shriker came from -- how could they? It was, after all, their ancestor who betrayed the dog. (Barnes & Noble)
The Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey
$6.50
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
302 pp
After eloping with an outlaw, King Arthur's sister, Evaine, is banished to Wilde Island. Merlin, however, foresees a prophecy regarding the 21st queen in her future lineage: "She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island." Centuries later, Queen Gweneth (the infertile queen number 20) devours an egg stolen from the dragon, Lord Faul, in an attempt to conceive. When she does give birth, her daughter, Rosalind, is born with the "devil's mark": her left hand bears a claw in place of one finger. Rosalind hides her hands underneath golden gloves and Queen Gweneth repeatedly commits murder to preserve the secret. The lonely princess doubts any man will ever marry her, but when she meets Kye-a young knight who vanquished a female dragon that has plagued Wilde Island-she falls in love. Soon after, Rosalind is captured by Lord Faul (her true father) and becomes nursemaid to his offspring, known as pips. When one of the pips drowns, Lord Faul's tears quench his "inner fire," killing him and ending Rosalind's capture. She returns to Wilde Island to claim her rightful place as queen, and though she is put on trial for being a witch, Rosalind's "curse" ultimately becomes her triumph. Fantasy lovers will readily empathize with this brave heroine who learns to be true to herself. (Barnes & Noble)
Partners Again by Arthur T. Lee
$11.00
Publisher: Nobility Publishing
227 pp
When Albert McTweed’s parents begin having problems at home, he is forced to deal with ideas and emotions well beyond his years. He develops a deep disdain for all things elementary. Losing himself in the Old West of his imagination brings comfort. But soon the frustrations at home taint the sanctuary of his pretend world, and the dangers from his pretend world threaten the real one.
A family adventure, Partners Again follows the struggles and triumphs of the McTweed family and their 12-year old son, Albert, who will stop at nothing—in or out of his imagination—to put his broken family back together again! But when the McTweed’s family problems draw in the likes of a ravenous 6th grade teacher, known as The Hungry Hippo in professional wrestling circuits; a Colonel Principal rumored to have murderous tendencies; a dog-ugly gunslinger with puffy sideburns; and the infamous mob boss called Al Godón, Albert must scramble to find the real source of his imagination’s power before it’s too late.
In Partners, three worlds collide: the real world, the imaginary world, and the real world exaggerated by Albert’s imagination. Determining which one is which is only half the adventure!
Wolfproof by Maureen McQuerry
$12.50
Publisher: Idylls Press
183 pp
"Open the door and you never know what will wander in-a pale manstealing lamplight, a glittering Star, or a pack of baying hounds andtheir fearsome horned master. Join Timothy James, Sarah and Jessica asthey battle an ancient one-eyed Evil with the help of a mysterious oldwoman and a magical wolf. When the Wild Hunt comes riding, the onlyhope of escape is to face your fears and become...wolfproof." (Barnes & Noble)
Traveler’s Market by Maureen McQuerry
$14.00
Publisher: Idylls Press
228 pp
In this exciting second installment of The Wolfproof Trilogy the perilous worlds of myth and middle school once again collide as Timothy James, his sister Sarah and their friend Jessica race against time and an ancient Evil to save their mother and restore peace and harmony to the Travelers Market. (Barnes & Noble)
Saving Sailor by Renee Riva
$11.00
Publisher: RiverOak Publishing
220 pp
The year is 1968. After spending the first half of summer vacation driving her Italian family crazy with her fake southern accent, 10-year old A.J. finds a soul mate on the other side of the island to divert her attention. She is intrigued to learn that Danny shares her same burning desire to know God and realizes that few people her age think as deeply as the two of them do. However, the depth of their newfound faith and friendship is soon tested when Danny's father betrays his wife. Set in a simpler time, Saving Sailor is a heartwarming tale of how hearts can change and relationships can be restored. (Amazon.com)
Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn
$5.00
Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
248 pp
Fourteen-year-old orphan Jack Morgan, former small-time thief, is on the run, framed for theft from megacorporation Braxton Universis. Hiding out on an unoccupied planet, his only companion an artificial intelligence programmed with the personality of his con man uncle Virge, Jack witnesses a battle between incoming spaceships. While looking over the wreckage, he meets Draycos, a dragon-like K'da, sole survivor of an advance team of K'da and their Shontine allies-murdered by their enemies, the Valahgua, with a terrible energy weapon called "the Death." With Valahgua-backed mercenaries searching the planet for survivors, Jack and Draycos work together to escape. Despite Virge's continuing doubts, Jack agrees to help Draycos find out who betrayed his people; but first they must prove Jack's innocence and get the police off his back. (Barnes and Noble)
