Kids Books - Science Fiction
The Blood Of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 5)
By Rick Riordan
The final battle. The one we've all been waiting for. Riordan once again does an absolutely, utterly fantastic job with giving the characters depth. The seven are all on board the Argo II, and are heading towards Rome to stop the end of the world. Jason, the blond Superman whose mother died when he was two, and went missing from his family that included Thalia Grace. His character isn't as fleshed out as the others, but what we do know: He's afraid of breaking the rules, doing the wrong thing that will eventually cause the end of the world. We can all relate to this; Jason is perfection that has taken on a human form. Percy, all of our faves. the one we know most, has played as a pawn for the Gods Of Olympus like Jason. After losing his memory thanks to Hera, he is part of the huge plan to unite the two camps. His fatal flaw is not being able to let his friends take a blow, and this will cost him soon enough. He wants nothing more than to enjoy a quiet life with Annabeth, but it looks like the Fates have a different idea in mind for him. Although he has lots of boiling emotions inside, he hides it with all of that slapstick humor on the outside. Which brings us to Leo. He's the dude that could possibly become the new favorite, constantly cracking jokes, building things, and making awesome tacos. He has a dark past, too. His mother died in a fire when he was young, and he has always felt resentment and hate against the Fates for that. But you couldn't possibly tell, with all of the constant wisecrackers he dishes out. He may be scrawny and a little too obsessed with mechanics, but in the end, he's a very lovable character. But he's the 7th wheel. He'll never be able to fit in, and that is what disturbs him a lot during the mission. Frank, the shapeshifter, the clumsy dude with the baby face. Looking at him, you wouldn't think that he's been through that much, but his mom died at war when he was small. Also, his life depends on a stick. That's what you get for being able to shapeshift like the definition of awesomeness. Annabeth is the wise girl, the tactician of the team. She ran away from her house at seven, and has constantly gotten more powerful and wiser since then. Only second to building and architecture than Leo, is able to get absorbed into the laptop Daedalus himself had given her, and like Percy, just wants to spend a quiet life with him. She's really annoyed at Hera for taking Percy away, and her resentment may be a danger to the team later. Hazel has been given a second chance at life and intends to use it to the fullest. But rescuing the world might mean dying again, and she is afraid of this. She's a brave warrior, nevertheless, with a sick cussing supersonic horse that can reach the speed of sound. Piper, the girl whose ashamed of her heritage. She never wanted to be a daughter of Aphrodite, and tries to downplay her beauty with eccentric styles. However, there's more to her story than just that. The world is at risk of ending, and everything she'd ever known and loved would be gone. And the fact that she can't exactly fight is also what she thinks makes her a misfit on her team. All she has is a charming voice, a blade that shows gruesome scenes, and a cornucopia that is hardly worthy of respect. She's afraid of failing her team, and not being able to participate the right way. And Nico, the 8th. He isn't exactly a part of their mission but he will be helping Reyna and Coach Hedge transport a mad golden statue, the Athena Parthenos, across the Atlantic, using his power of shadow travel. He's in danger of fading away, but he doesn't care what happens to him as long as he's able to save the world. Reyna, the girl that has experienced a lot of heartbreak. Hera transported Jason to the other camp without warning when she was trying to get him. And Percy turned her down when she proposed. "No demigod shall heal your heart", Aphrodite had said. And now she has to transport the Athena Parthenos across the Atlantic with Coach Hedge and Nico. But it's worth sacrificing her life to save the world. She is Roman to the core. And lastly, Coach Hedge, the violent satyr with a soft heart. His wife, a cloud nymph, is pregnant, and he is ready to save the world, no matter what comes in his way. All of these demigods (and a satyr) area brave group working to save the world together. They will do anything to save their precious world, even if it means sacrificing their lives. But will they also be able to stop the Romans in time as well as Gaea? Octavian poses a serious threat to them in addition to the Evil Mother Earth, and makes things even more difficult than anyone could have imagined. Riordan's best novel yet; it's a crackling page turner. Don't miss this one. 5/5!
Artemis Fowl
By Eoin Colfer
In Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, twelve year old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl discovers the existence of fairies living below the Earth's surface. Driven by a desire for the fairy peoples' gold, he hatches a dastardly plan to kidnap a fairy to exchange to said gold. However, the fairies, reluctant to part with their gold, are willing to go head to head with the teenage genius to save their friend, and protect their species from exposure. In this middle grade fantasy novel, Colfer spins together an exciting tale like never before. With insane plots, dastardly rescue missions, and youthful humor, the reader will be glued to the pages of this book until the end. (Which, as the series is eight novels long, may be quite some time.)
Warriors: Into the Wild
By Erin Hunter
Lo and behold. Warriors. The book series with lots of characters and 60 or so books. The first book, released 20 years ago, in 2003, tells us about a life form, Rusty, who escapes from the confines of his humans' nest and charges into the forest, never to be seen by the Twolegs again. Which is what those strange cats in the forest, warriors, call members of the Homo Sapiens species. So Rusty, who is only 6 moons old, begins to train as a warrior apprentice, who will catch a lot of tasty prey and fight enemy cats who live in other little tiny cat groups called clans. And he is now called FIREPAW after his brown coat. Then Firepaw meets an old cat who is very chubby; it is Yellowfang, whose teeth are not very well cared for. Oooh. But ShadowClan, a very scary clan, especially with a menacing leader called Brokenstar is demanding to hunt on ThunderClan territory because of FOOD. Unbeknownst to Firepaw, however, there is a prophecy from StarClan, where spirits of dead warriors live, that tells of fire saving the clan. Could he be the key to saving ThunderClan? So I liked this book a lot. I felt like it had better descriptions and more actions than the later mini-arcs. Very exciting and fun to read. Ok writing but not too good.
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5)
By Rick Riordan
The author could very well be the Greek God of Literature, given how great this book is! This series was at one point my favorite, and "The Last Olympian" was the best of the five! Percy Jackson is approaching 16 years of age, and the prophecy that defined the series up to now is threatening to be realized. But Kronos and his forces are far from being complacent; rather, their efforts to topple the gods to usher a new titanic age are only becoming more prevalent. The previous accomplishments and victories of Percy and his allies pale in comparison to the one they must confront now: an onslaught of of the Titans and their reinforcements. The demigods know there will be hardship in the process, but it's either suffering for chance at peace--or a complete alteration of their lives for the worse. All of the author's books were great in my opinion, but this one is particularly notable for its strong ending; so many series I've read have it where the first few books are entertaining, but the later ones decline in quality. "The Last Olympian" doesn't suffer from that problem; in fact, I believe it is better than any of its predecessors save "The Lightning Thief" (and that only because it starts the series off strong). It perpetuates the lovable parts of the core characters and plot, while introducing other elements than enhance the progression of the story. Percy, Annabeth, and their comrades and enemies are consistent in their personalities, and while there are some portions where nonsensical magic interferes with a logical storyline, the decisions made by the characters (and especially the prophetic choice itself) incorporate an engaging reality to the narrative. Yet I also appreciate the incorporation of mythological elements. While pure magic I do not particularly enjoy, having powers continues to open more possibilities to Percy and the other characters--vastly more than a normal person would be able to enjoy. Reading this book has also latently given me knowledge about Greek mythology, some of which I still use today. It incorporates emotional turns as well as lots of action, and neither gets tiring at any point throughout the novel. I would definitely recommend this to people seeking an enjoyable read while learning simultaneously; in terms of educational value in combination with entertainment, I would refer to this book above all others. But I would also recommend it to those looking for just pure exuberance: it accomplishes that wish, and much more!
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4)
By Rick Riordan
I rate this book a 5/5 because it has a VERY INTERESTING plot, amazing characters, and it's even a bit funny as well! And the theme is awesome as well, I mean, greek mythology? SO cool! I definitely recommend this book to all ages (except like, preschoolers or kindergarteners of course)!! But there is one flaw.... When you start reading it, you'll want to read more and more and more! XD! So, that is why you must read percy jackson immediately!!! And guess what, if you finish this series, there's even the other series: Percy jackson and the heroes of olympus!!! And others as well that all relate to greek mythology! Like The Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase, and Trials of Apollo!
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
By Rick Riordan
There are five books in the Percy Jackson series, and many more books in the series Heroes of Olympus, which is kind of the sequel series to Percy Jackson. Today I will be reviewing the first book. The first book is good, I guess, it's okay. But it didn't appeal to me that much. *SPOILERS BELOW So basically the story centers around a kid named Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson has been expelled from every school he's been to so far because of accidents, like landing the whole class in a shark tank in the aquarium. When his current school, Yancy Academy, goes on a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his class, including his nemesis, Nancy and his best friend, Grover. His teacher, Ms. Dodds, turns out to be one of the Furies. The Furies are demons, basically, in Greek Mythology. His other teacher, Mr. Brunner, gives him a sword that can be disguised as a pen, called Riptide. Percy defeats Ms. Dodds and sends her back to Tartarus, which is the ultimate-horrible-place-to-go-when-you-die- place. Percy and his mom drive to Montauk Beach, but is met by Grover, who gives them a warning to go back. However, while driving, they are attacked by a Minotaur (monster that is half-bull, half-man.) He takes Percy's mom and Percy kills the Minotaur, before falling with exhaustion. Later, he and Grover are rescued and taken to Camp Half-Blood. While at Camp-Half Blood, Percy discovers that he is a demigod, a son of a mortal and one of the gods/goddesses in Greek Mythology. He also learns that Grover is a satyr (a mythical creature with horse-like features) and that Mr. Brunner is a centaur (half-horse, half-man). He also meets other demigods, like Annabeth, who is a daughter of Athena, Luke, who is a son of Hermes, and Clarisse, who is a daughter of Ares. Since no one knows who his god parent is, they place him in the Hermes cabin. Later, when they play a game of Capture the Flag, a trident appears above Percy, revealing that he is the son of Poseidon. Percy learns that Zeus, the king of the gods, thinks Poseidon used Percy to steal Zeus' lightning bolt, Zeus' chief weapon. The Oracle (a fortune-teller) tells Percy to return the stolen lightning bolt to Zeus to prove that he didn't steal it. Percy then has to go on an odyssey to find the lightning bolt with Annabeth and Grover. Percy, Annabeth and Grover defeat several mythological creatures, including the demon Medusa, who has snakes for hair. Now here's where it gets super confusing - at least for me. The trio find Hades, god of the dead, who has taken Percy's mom because he thinks Percy stole the Helm of Darkness (Hades' most powerful weapon). He says if Percy returns the Helm, Hades will return his mother. Percy realizes that Ares has all the stolen items. The backstory behind that is that when the lightning bolt was stolen, Zeus sent four of the most agile, quick, young and smart gods out to search for it, Apollo, Artemis, Athena and Ares. Only Ares found the true thief, Luke (the son of Hermes) but didn't turn him in. Instead Ares took the lightning bolt and the Helm of Darkness to start a war between the gods (because Ares is the god of war.) Percy challenges Ares to a duel, and surprisingly, wins. After getting all the items and returning them to their rightful owners, (and freeing his mother), Percy, Annabeth and Grover return to Camp Half-Blood. At Camp-Half Blood, Percy doesn't know that Luke is the thief (because Ares left that detail out) but Percy gets it quick enough when Luke tries to kill him with a scorpion. It is also revealed that Luke is a servant of Kronos, the King of the Titans, the enemy of the Gods. After all that, Percy decides to not stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, only in the summer and to spend the rest of the year with his mother. Okay, here it is. There's a lot of five-star reviews, and I like this book. But it isn't one of my favorites because for one, the characters seem a bit one-sided. Percy's brave, Annabeth's witty, Grover's loyal. That was pretty much everything interesting about the characters. That kicked it down one star. The imagery and world building - amazing. Up one star. Descriptions were pretty good. Up one star. Managed to make my emotions go up and down and all around. One star more. One star less because it was so confusing and generally, I couldn't understand it near the end even though I have a solid base of Greek Mythology. It is a good book, I just feel it could use some improvement. But let's just say this - it's a book that stuck with me through and through and basically, it's worthy of putting on a special shelf on my bookcase. ~FelicisOwl
UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1)
By Chanda Hahn
This book is the perfect mix of fairy tales and reality. It shows a girl liking a guy and him not liking her back. Something I can relate to often. It also shows betrayal, fear, new found identities, and a perfect dosage of "Hey, wake up!" I would recommend this book to anyone who would listen.
Rise of the Earth Dragon: A Branches Book (Dragon Masters #1)
By Tracey West
This is a great book about a boy who works with his mother on an onion farm. He then is summoned to the castle for an unknown reason. He then gets separated from his mom and is very scared. He then receives a part of the crystal that will help him bond with his dragon. But when he meets his dragon it looks like a giant worm. But things get worse. Thy get trapped in a tunnel with no way out! Can they get out, or will they fail?
From Percy Jackson: Camp Half-Blood Confidential (An Official Rick Riordan Companion Book): Your Real Guide to the Demigod Training Camp (Trials of Apollo)
By Rick Riordan
Super cool guide to camp half blood. Great read and i love the stories such as the curse, Rachel , etc. god (s) i can imagine how terrible the film was. Never hire Apollo to make you film. Def another great book by Rick Riodran
The Lost Continent (Wings of Fire, Book 11)
By Tui T. Sutherland
So wow, I'm really loving all the new things introduced in their next arc of the Wings of Fire series. This one takes place at the same time as the tenth book, and I definitely don't recommend trying to jump into the series here. You should definitely go back and read from the beginning. I also highly suggest you read the prequel, Darkstalker before you read this one. Now with that out of the way, I loved the new types of dragons brought into our journey through the world of Wings of Fire. They're all so cool and unique. I thought how we got the history of this Lost Continent was really well done, and you can see how over time the dynamics between the different types of dragons shifted and evolved along with the environment of the continent itself. I liked the characters a lot. Blue was sooo frustrating, but that's just how he is. I thought he went through a lot of growth in this physically and mentally which was awesome to see. Luna was a great sister character pushing Blue but not too hard. Cricket was a fun, eccentric character that asks all the questions I had while reading! I really liked all of the other characters as well, and Sundew actually made me laugh out loud as I was listening to the audiobook. There is some instalove in this which was kind of annoying, but I appreciated that the novel was self aware about it and kind of pokes fun of it using other characters. I'm pretty excited to see how the new dragonets will handle their situations going forward, because this new arc promises some awesome rebellion and personal growth. It was wonderful coming back to the series through fresh eyes. I certainly had fun exploring the world, as well as the new dragons, set up by the author. It was the best course of action to focus on three species of dragons in this new world as opposed to the six that were in the previous books, especially if we are going to bring the two continents together as hinted at in the end of the last book as well as the end of this book This series follows the wonderful pacing of the previous books, starting at a calm but curious beginning and immediately throwing you into the action. I certainly was never bored while reading the book. The characters were each unique in personality and I can tell that the author is trying to branch out their appearances to match their personalities I would say the only down side would be the protagonist. That doesn't seem like a good thing but I would say this critique is that the protagonist has a loose personality. We have the main things established for Blue: He follows rules, he doesn't want to fight and cause a scene, etc. but other than that we don't see until later how his personality falls in line with his belief (the author tries to make "following the rules" a personality but it isn't). I enjoyed seeing his character slowly coming into picture but I only wish that it was clear from the beginning so we could follow his growth better. This could also apply to the other characters but not as much. I would certainly recommend this book (I already have) because it is so much fun.









