Posted August 31, 2015 in Reading, Review / 2 Comments
A Whole New World by
Liz Braswell Series: Twisted Tales #1 Publisher: Disney Press (2015)
eARC (336 pages)
Via: NetGalley Rating: Also by this author: Once Upon A Dream Also in this series: Once Upon A Dream Reading Challenges: 2015 Fairytale Retelling,
Read 2015 Synopsis
This dark and daring version of Aladdin twists the original story with the question: What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie?
When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.
What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.
Find the book: Goodreads
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Tagged as 3 star, Fairytale Retelling Challenge, NetGalley, Read 2015, You Read How Many Books Challenge
Posted July 22, 2015 in Reading, Review / 0 Comments
The Isle of the Lost by
Melissa de la Cruz Series: Descendants #1 Publisher: Disney Hyperion (2015)
Hardcover (320 pages)
Rating: Also by this author: The Ring and the Crown Reading Challenges: 2015 Fairytale Retelling,
Read 2015 Synopsis
Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that’s been left to rot and forgotten by the world.
But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon’s eye: the key to true darkness and the villains’ only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it…who will it be?
Maleficent, Mistress of the Dark: As the self-proclaimed ruler of the isle, Maleficent has no tolerance for anything less than pure evil. She has little time for her subjects, who have still not mastered life without magic. Her only concern is getting off the Isle of the Lost.
Mal: At sixteen, Maleficent’s daughter is the most talented student at Dragon Hall, best known for her evil schemes. And when she hears about the dragon’s eye, Mal thinks this could be her chance to prove herself as the cruelest of them all.
Evie: Having been castle-schooled for years, Evil Queen’s daughter, Evie, doesn’t know the ins and outs of Dragon Hall. But she’s a quick study, especially after she falls for one too many of Mal’s little tricks.
Jay: As the son of Jafar, Jay is a boy of many talents: stealing and lying to name a few. Jay and Mal have been frenemies forever and he’s not about to miss out on the hunt for the dragon’s eye.
Carlos: Cruella de Vil’s son may not be bravest, but he’s certainly clever. Carlos’s inventions may be the missing piece in locating the dragon’s eye and ending the banishment for good.
Mal soon learns from her mother that the dragon’s eye is cursed and whoever retrieves it will be knocked into a deep sleep for a thousand years. But Mal has a plan to capture it. She’ll just need a little help from her “friends.” In their quest for the dragon’s eye, these kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain’t so bad.
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Tagged as 4 star, Fairy Tales, Fairytale Retelling Challenge, Read 2015, You Read How Many Books Challenge
Posted July 15, 2015 in Reading, Review / 0 Comments
The Ring and the Crown by
Melissa de la Cruz Series: The Ring and the Crown #1 Publisher: Disney Hyperion (2014)
Audiobook {10 hours and 23 minutes} (284 pages)
Via: Library Rating: Also by this author: The Isle of the Lost Reading Challenges: Read 2015 Synopsis
Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve?
Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world’s only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen.
But even with the aid of Emrys’ magic, Eleanor’s extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen’s Guard.
Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie’s face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she’s always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she’s always dreamed of–the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor’s court: trust no one.
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Tagged as 4 star, Library, Read 2015, You Read How Many Books Challenge
Posted June 17, 2015 in Reading, Review / 0 Comments
The Sea of Monsters by
Rick Riordan Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2 Publisher: Disney Hyperion (2006)
Paperback (279 pages)
Via: Library Rating: Also by this author: The Lightning Thief,
The Titan's Curse,
The Sword of Summer Also in this series: The Lightning Thief,
The Titan's Curse,
The Battle of the Labyrinth Reading Challenges: 2015 Mythology,
2015 What's In A Name?,
Read 2015 Synopsis
Percy Jackson’s seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get . . . well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy’s friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.
In this fresh, funny, and hugely anticipated follow up to The Lightning Thief, Percy and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their beloved camp. But first, Percy will discover a stunning new secret about his family—one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon’s son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.
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Tagged as 4 star, Library, Mythology Reading Challenge, Read 2015, What's In a Name Reading Challenge, You Read How Many Books Challenge
Posted January 8, 2015 in Reading, Review / 6 Comments
The Lightning Thief by
Rick Riordan Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1 Publisher: Disney Hyperion (2005)
eBook (377 pages)
Via: Library Rating: Also by this author: The Sea of Monsters,
The Titan's Curse,
The Sword of Summer Also in this series: The Sea of Monsters,
The Titan's Curse,
The Battle of the Labyrinth Reading Challenges: 2015 Alphabet Soup,
2015 Mythology,
2015 What's In A Name?,
Read 2015 Synopsis
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
Find the book: Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository
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Tagged as 4 star, Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, Library, Mythology Reading Challenge, Read 2015, What's In a Name Reading Challenge, You Read How Many Books Challenge
