The Royal Ranger Book Review

Title: Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger.

Author: John Flanagan.

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Humorous.

Plot: Some twenty years after the last Ranger's Apprentice book, Will is now an accomplished Ranger with a grey beard. Famous throughout the land, Will is a living legend. But his world is darkened by tragic grief and his friends are worried. Concerned, Gilan calls a meeting and attempts to find some way to help Will. It is Halt who comes up with a plan to solve two problems: assign Will an apprentice. But not just any apprentice; assign him Horace and Cassandra's rebellious daughter, Maddie.

While at first both have differing reactions to this idea, the pairing proves to be a sound one. Maddie learns humility and to be a King's Ranger, while Will slowly learns to laugh and live again. But when they stumble upon a kidnapping ring and venture to investigate, the plot things and Will faces a challenge he didn't anticipate. Will tragedy strike for a second time in his life?

Likes/Dislikes: This is the twelfth and supposedly final book in the amazing Ranger's Apprentice series. I sincerely doubt that this is the end of the series, as a whole new story twist has just sprouted and branched off. But it is a unique book in the series and I quite enjoyed it. I only wish that it hadn't been a character I liked who died.

Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level and content {violence}.

Date Report Written: March 4th, 2014.

The Royal Ranger Excerpt

“Gilan,” she said, “you’re looking well.” And apart from those wrinkles, he was.

  He smiled at her. “And you grow more beautiful every day, Pauline,” he replied.

  “What about me?” Halt said, with mock severity. “Do I grow more handsome every day? More impressive, perhaps?”

  Gilan eyed him critically, his head to one side. Then he announced his verdict.

  “Scruffier,” he said.

  Halt raised his eyebrows. “’Scruffier’?” he demanded.

  Gilan nodded. I’m not sure if you’re aware of recent advances in technology, Halt,” he said. “But there a wonderful new invention called scissors. People use them for trimming beards and hair.”

  “Why?”

  Gilan appealed to Pauline. “Still using his saxe knife to do his barbering, is he?”

  Pauline nodded, slipping her hand inside her husband’s arm. “Unless I can catch him at it,” she admitted. Halt regarded them both with a withering look. They both refused to wither, so he abandoned the expression.

  “You show a fine lack of respect for your former mentor,” he told Gilan.

  The younger man shrugged. “It goes with my exalted position as your commander.”

  “Not mine,” Halt said. “I’ve retired.”

  “So I can expect little in the way of deference from you?” Gilan grinned.

  “No. I’ll show proper deference….the day you train your horse to fly back around the castle’s turrets.”
  
                                               ~ Excerpt from Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan.

Searching For Dragons Book Review

Title: Searching for Dragons.

Author: Patricia C. Wrede.

Genre: Fantasy, Fairytale Rewrite/Mash-up, Romance, Action/Adventure, Humorous.

Plot: Mendanbar is the twenty year old, rather overwhelmed king of the Enchanted Forest. His faithful steward is constantly making lists of everything and complaining about the lack of formal occasions at the palace since Mendanbar took the throne. In the midst of an impromptu meeting between the two, Willin {the steward} brings up the distressing subject of Mendanbar's marriage. Or rather, lack thereof. This propels the king to take a walk in his forest and sets him on an adventure he didn't anticipate.

With mysterious burned out sections of forest cropping up all over the place, Mendanbar takes the advice of Morwen the witch, grabs his magical sword and heads off to meet with Kazul, the king of the dragons. When he gets there, however, he meets a concerned Cimorene who is heading off to find Kazul. Imagine his surprise when he learns that this unusual woman is a princess! Of course, his surprise doesn't last long. With perils around every corner, the mystery surrounding the forest and the capture of the dragon king takes center stage.

Likes/Dislikes: I first read this book several years ago in my early teens and it quickly became my favorite in the series. The sequel to Dealing With Dragons, this book is a real treat! It's humorous and well written, with clever twists thrown in involving all the classic fairytales. Plus, Mendanbar is a wonderful hero, brave and courteous, without being too dumb. About the only complaint I have is that it's a little too much magic for my tastes. But what can you expect from a fairytale?

Rating: PG-all ages. Highly recommended!

Date Report Written: March 4th, 2014.

The Croods Movie Review

Title: The Croods.

Starring: Nicolas Cage {Grug Crood}, Emma Stone {Eep Crood}, Ryan Reynolds {Guy}, Catherine Keener {Ugga Crood}, Clark Duke {Thunk Crood}, and Cloris Leachman {Gran}.

Release Date: To Theaters: March 22, 2013. To DVD: October 1, 2013.

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Action/Adventure, Fantasy, End-of-the-World.

Plot: As a prehistoric caveman, Grug Crood has his hands full trying to protect his family from all the potential dangers lurking just outside their cave door. His eldest daughter, Eep, provides him with the most headaches. Her adventurous sense of curiosity is undaunted by the dangers surrounding her. When she sneaks out one night, lured by the mysterious glow of a fire, Eep meets Guy - a much more advanced and handsome young caveman. He tells her the world is ending {the continental drift} and invites her to come along with him to the mountains. When she says no, he gives her a shell and tells her to call him if she gets into trouble.

Later, when an earthquake destroys their cave right after an argument involving Eep's news of having met a guy, Grug reluctantly sets out on a cross-country trek toward the mountains. With Guy now a captive, tension in the family begins to boil as Grug watches his daughter become fascinated with the young man's ideas and the shift in her loyalties troubles him. But with danger following them and unknown perils ahead, Grug has no choice but to accept Guy's help. Or they'll all die.

Likes/Dislikes: I must admit that I didn't like how animistic the cavemen are portrayed as; cavemen didn't exist, but ancient people did and I'm pretty sure they didn't look or act like that. And Eep's skirt was so short, you could see up it at times. On the other hand, this movie was hilarious! My husband and I were laughing out loud as we watched the character's antics. The slap-stick, rather painful humor tickled me pink. I could really relate to both Grug in wanting to protect his family, and Eep in wanting something more than the boundaries set upon her. Nicolas Cage did very well with the vocal acting, in my opinion. And I loved the giant cute pussycat! The owl-cat was also very creative and highly amusing.

Rating: Official Rating: PG. My Rating: PG - mainly for rather painful humor of people getting hurt and running into things. I wouldn't let a five yr. old watch this, but maybe an eight yr. old.

Date Report Written: March 12th, 2014.

The Desolation of Smaug Movie Review

Title: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Starring: Martin Freeman {Bilbo Baggins}, Ian McKellen {Gandalf the Grey}, Richard Armitage {Thorin Oakenshield}, Benedict Cumberbatch {Smaug the Dragon}, Orlando Bloom {Legolas the Elf}, Evangeline Lilly {Tauriel the She-Elf}, Luke Evans {Bard the Bowman}, and others, including the remaining twelve dwarves.

Release Date: To theaters, December 11th, 2013. To DVD, April 8th, 2014.

Genre: Classic, Fantasy, Sequel, Epic, Action/Adventure.

Plot: Bilbo Baggins, now in possession of the mysterious ring, continues his perilous journey with the thirteen dwarves toward the Lonely Mountain. Pursued by vicious Orcs bent on killing them, the little party is driven to seek shelter from a potentially very dangerous person. Even Gandalf is wary of asking him for help. With no choice but to risk it, he leads them to the home of Beorn, a mighty wild man who can take the form of a giant black bear. Described as the Beast, even the Orcs are scared to challenge him. With his help and protection, the dwarves make it to the edge of Mirkwood.

It is there that Gandalf, finding evidence of his worst fears. Leaving the dwarves to face the dangers of the wood alone, he sets off to investigate the potential return of Sauron in the form of the mysterious Necromancer. Not feeling too opitmistic, Bilbo follows the dwarves into the forest where they encounter hideous giant spiders and dangerous wood elves, including Legolas. Finally escaping and making it to Laketown, the dwarves seem to be at their journey's end. They have no idea that their adventure has just begun.

Likes/Dislikes: The first Hobbit movie moved so slowly and tried to be too many different things that I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. This sequel, while jam-packed with lots of new material that isn't in the book, moved with a fast pace and kept my interest. Up until they got to the mountain and popped in to wake the dragon, that is. From there, it slowed way down as the dwarves wasted time and gold trying to stop Smaug. They only succeed in making him made. And the whole classic conversation with Bilbo and the dragon is all botched and chopped up. That really disappointed me. However, I did enjoy all the epic fighting scenes and the return of Legolas. The addition of the girl elf just made me laugh though. Also, the orcs are a lot more hideous this time around than they were in the original trilogy. I really liked how they beefed out Bard's storyline, but {as is typical with guys}, they didn't do much with the mysterious Beorn. He was a lot cuter in the book than in the movie. *winks*

Rating: Official Rating: PG-13. My rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for violence that includes lots of beheadings and blood. Not recommended for young children under ten.

Date Report Written: March 6th, 2014.

Searching For Dragons Excerpt

"If I may return to the topic of discussion, Your Majesty?" the elf said stiffly.
  The King rolled his eyes. "Can I stop you?"
  "Your Majesty has only to dismiss me."
  "Yes, and if I do you'll only sulk for days. Oh, go on. What about the North-Northwest dungeon?"
  "It has come to my attention that it is not properly equipped. When it was first built, by Your Majesty's great-great-great-great-grandfather, it was naturally stocked with appropriate equipment." Willin set his list on things to do on Mendanbar's desk. He drew a second scroll from inside his vest and began to read. "Two leather whips, one Iron Maiden, four sets of thumb-screws -"
  "I'll take your word for it, Willin," the King said hastily. When Willin got going, he could read list for hours on end. "What's the point?"
  "Most of these items are still in the dungeon," Willin said, rerolling the scroll and stowing it inside his vest once more, "but the rack was removed in your great-great-grandfather's time and has never been replaced."
  "Really?" King Mendanbar said, interesting in spite of himself. "Why did he take it out?"
  The little elf coughed. "I believe your great-great-grandmother wanted it to dry tablecloths on."
  "Tablecloths?" Mendanbar looked out the window at the North-Northwest Tower and shook his head. "She made someone haul a rack up eight flights of stairs and down six more, just to dry tablecloths?"
  "A very determined woman, your great-great-grandmother," Willin said. "In any case, the dungeon is in need of a new rack."
  "And it can stay that way," said Mendanbar. "Why should we get another rack? We've never used the one we have." He hesitated, frowning. "At least, I don't think we've ever used it. Have we?"
  "That is not the point, Your Majesty," Willin answered in a huffy tone, from which the King concluded that they hadn't. "It is my duty to see that the castle is suitably furnished, from the topmost tower to the deepest dungeon. And the dungeon -"
  "-needs a new rack," the King finished. "I'll think about it. What else?"
  The elf consulted his scroll. "The nightshades are becoming a problem in the northeast."
  Nightshades are always a problem. Is that all?"
  "Ah...." Willin cleared his throat, then cleared it again. "There is the matter of Your Majesty's marriage."
  "What marriage?" Mendanbar asked, alarmed.
  "Your Majesty's marriage to a lady of suitable parentage," Willin said firmly. He pulled another scroll from inside his vest. "I have here a list of possible choices, which I have complied after a thorough survey of the lands surrounding the Enchanted Forest."
  "You made a survey? Willin, you haven't been talking to that dreadful woman with all the daughters, have you? Because if you have I'll.... I'll use you to test out that new rack you want so badly."

                                                                  ~ Excerpt from Searching For Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede.

A Round of Interesting Blog Posts 24

I haven't done one of these in quite awhile, and I'm debating whether making it a once-a-month post instead of weekly. But in the meantime, here are some very interesting posts I've come across this week from the blogs I follow.

Adelii's blog, It's a Writer Thing. Adelii is a good friend of mine and her new writing blog is a blast to read, and very enjoyable. She's new to the blogging world so please encourage her and drop a comment or follow her blog, and tell all your writer friends!

Kindred Grace How to Use GoodReads. This was a very instructive post; if you don't have GoodReads or need a simple how-to for it, then check out this post!

Elena's blog Elenatintil. Elena, like me, enjoys Once Upon a Time and wrote up a quickie review of the third season's return episode.

Casey's blog Writing for Christ - The Audience of One. Casey has an interview with the author of Tide and Tempest {my own review of which will be coming soon}, and a giveaway of the book.

Rachel's blog The Inkpen Authoress and a bonus link, 21 Ways to Identify a Fellow Writer. Rachel is celebrating the recent release of her first novel, so come check out her "home-base."

Ruth's blog Booktalk and More. Ruth is just as excited as I was to see the return of Once Upon a Time and shares a link to background info on the show.

Tarissa's blog In The Bookcase. Tarissa is hosting her once a month share your bookshelves event where, all month long, you can link up your book-related posts and explore other people's links.

And that's all, folks. Keep blogging!

Nefertiti Book Review

Title: Nefertiti.

Author: Michelle Moran.

Genre: Fiction, Historical Setting, Ancient Egypt, Romance, Drama.

Plot: When ambitious Nefertiti sees her chance to the throne of Egypt, she takes it - despite the fact that it means marriage to the potentially unstable heretical heir and co-regent Amenhotep the 4th. Her life viewed from her sister's perspective is glamorous; filled with riches beyond her wildest dreams and all the prestige of the ancient world's only superpower, her world really is a dream come true. But it's a hollow world, fractured through with insecurities and jealousies involving Kiya, Amenhotep's other favored wife, religious shifts, foreign troubles, the continuing failure to produce a son, and a widening split between Nefertiti and her once beloved sister.

All Mutnodjmet wanted from life was to live peacefully, quietly tending her garden of herbs away from all the palace scandal and stress. But, knowing her father trusts and depends on her to keep her ambitious sister in check, Mutnodjmet accompanies her family to Thebes and then Memphis and then, eventually, to the famous city of Armana. Along the way, as she watches from the shadows as Nefertiti gives birth to daughter after daughter to her husband and climbs the ladder of power, all Mutnodjmet increasingly longs for is a quite garden and the general she's fallen in love with. But when Nefertiti and Amenhotep/Akhenaten take their need for dominance and control too far, Mutnodjmet's loyalty is gravely shaken and nearly lost. But her time spent in the palace with the royal family isn't over yet. The worst is just around the corner.

Likes/Dislikes: This book had great potential; a fictional biographical look at life in ancient Egypt during the very exciting reign of the heretic king and his beautiful queen. But, unfortunately, this book is more a work of fiction set in a historical setting, rather than a historical fiction - a fact which rather disappointed me somewhat, considering that Egypt is a favorite subject of mine. It is, however, very well written. The beginning was rather slow and a bit boring to me, but it set the stage well and the speed picked up as the story progressed. There is some mention of sex, but it's mostly mentioned in passing {as though it was the weather or some other everyday occurrence}, and between married couples. One minor character is gay but this is only mentioned and not further delved into, thankfully. All in all, a good idle read for a cold winter's day or for curiosity's sake, but not for much else. I also found it sad how the two sisters became so divided and it was all Nefertiti's fault.

Rating: PG-15 and up. Mainly for content, as mentioned above.

Date Report Written: February 20th, 2014.

Splitting Harriet Book Review

Title: Splitting Harriet.

Author: Tamara Leigh.

Genre: Christian, Fiction, Romance.

Plot: Harriet was once a rebel. Now she's a reformed rebel working as a waitress and very involved in the church her father helped build. But with a new pastor, changes are just around the corner and changes are something Harriet doesn't handle very well. When one of those changes includes a motorcycle-riding ex-rebel consultant to help revive the "dying" church, Harriet finds herself facing her past in a very head-on, slightly attractive way. And she's scared silly that she'll end up down the same road again. But will she?

Likes/Dislikes: I didn't really like that the whole central theme of this book involved reviving interest in a church. Going to church shouldn't be about what music is playing. The people in this book were more concerned with all the activities going on, with the music at the two services and getting attendance numbers to soar. It was already a large church to begin with. Additionally, Harriet whined constantly about everything, especially her irrational fears of becoming a rebel again. And when she was a rebel, she seemed to lack the drive for it. Her being a rebel wasn't very convincing at all. On the other hand, I loved how Maddox wooed her with patience and jelly beans. It was a sweet touch. Though if you're suffering from morning sickness while reading this {like I was}, then the descriptions of the jelly beans might upset you further.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Report Written: Feb 25, 2014.

I received a copy of this book free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Frozen Movie Review

Title: Frozen.

Starring: Kristen Bell {Princess Anna}, Idina Menzel {Queen Elsa}, Jonathan Groff {Kristoff}, Josh Gad {Olaf}, Santino Fontana {Hans}, and others.

Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Family.

Release Date: To theaters November 27th, 2013. To DVD, March 18th, 2014.

Plot: Born with the amazing ability to create snow and ice, Elsa and her sweet younger sister Anna are enchanted with this gift. Sneaking downstairs one night as children to play, Anna watches in gleeful awe as Elsa creates a winter wonderland in the ballroom. Their innocent fun is quickly shattered when Elsa accidentally hits Anna in the head with a bolt of ice, knocking her out and almost killing her. The girls' parents come to the rescue and take Anna to the trolls who save her. However, they warn Elsa that unless she learns to control her ability, she'll live in fear and it will destroy her.

Her parents then go to what could arguably be extreme measures to protect their daughters. They separate the two and keep the palace locked up. As they grow up, Anna wonders why they went from best friends to suddenly having closed doors between them all the time. When their parents tragically die at sea, Elsa becomes the queen. For her coronation, people come from all over and the gates are finally unlocked. However, having lived for so long by herself, Elsa is revealed to be living in a world of fear and quickly loses control when pushed by an angry Anna who just desperately wants her sister back. Unleashing a horrendous snow and ice storm, Elsa flees into the mountains and builds an ice palace, intending to lock herself away forever. But Anna's love for her proves stronger than she thought.

Likes/Dislikes: With a line of classic princess movies under their belt, you'd think Disney wouldn't be able to top it. However, they've managed to push the limits with Tangled and Brave, and have now outdone themselves with Frozen. This movie intrigued me ever since I stumbled across their Facebook page way back in summertime. The whole theme of being able to create ice and snow - in essence, ruling winter - is a personal favorite of mine. And this movie was well worth the wait because it fulfilled all my expectations for it and then some. It's beautiful, enchanting and so wonderfully wintry! The princesses aren't annoying dumb; they're smart and it's so touching to see their love for each other. It made me think of my sister and I as kids. And the true love twist is wonderfully refreshing. Of course, there is magic and some things {as pointed out by my husband} are left unexplained, but these minor issues don't distract from the film in its entirety. I'll certainly be adding this to my movie collection.

Rating: Official rating: PG. My rating: G. Highly recommended for all ages, especially sisters.

Date Report Written: March 5th, 2014.

Rebellious Heart Book Review

Title: Rebellious Heart.

Author: Jody Hedlund.

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Action/Adventure, Romance.

Plot: All Susanna Smith desires is to be educated like her younger brother and to read books to her heart's delight. Unfortunately, being a woman in Colonial America, the only thing she's expected and allowed to do is to find a suitable husband and produce children. When she runs into her childhood friend Benjamin Ross, the faintest hint of hope begins to flare. However, Benjamin is a poor country lawyer who has to make a good marriage as well - preferably to someone with lots of money. In addition to that little complication, he still hasn't forgiven her for the snide remarks she made to him as a child.

When the two become involved in helping an abused runaway indentured servant, they start to find common ground and begin to fall in love. But with danger close on their heels in the form of British officer Wolfe, the hints of revolution beginning to rumble, and Susanna's mother proving a formidable force to be recounted with, with their growing affection be too fragile to withstand the challenges ahead?

Likes/Dislikes: This was a well written historical fiction set during a very interesting {though perhaps, overly popular} time. Susanna's lack of education is overly expressed to the point of boredom and she flip-flops a lot. She has good intentions and a good heart, but after awhile she just whined too much for me to really like her. Benjamin was more likable but even he became a little too whiny - going on and on about the same thing for pages and pages. But if you take out those minor flaws, it was a very colorful story and I did rather enjoy it once it got started. It took me a long time to get interested though.

Rating: PG-14 and up for content; a young woman is pregnant after being abused {not shown, only mentioned in backstory}, and two young woman are found brutally murdered.

Date Report Written: February 20th, 2014.

I received a copy of this book free from the publishers in exchange for a honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.