Tag Archives: Adventure

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan (review by Catherine H. ’17)

October 20, 2014 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The fifth and final installment in Rick Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series fails to impress. As the demigods of the prophecy travel on the Argo II to save the world, Reyna, Nico, and Coach Hedge struggle to travel across the world to deliver the Athena Parthenos to the Greeks as a peace offering. The gods are still split into their Greek and Roman selves due to the Romans preparing to attack the Greeks at Camp Half Blood. The Earth Mother, Gaea, is close to waking and the monsters are eager to spill demigod blood to wake her. It has its funny moments, but did not leave a lasting impression on me. In fact, the ending is incredibly cliché and nothing was particularly memorable. The series has dragged on for long enough and I’m glad that it has finally come to an end. The Blood of Olympus is alright and provides a satisfactory ending, but I only recommend it to fans of Riordan’s works. – Catherine H. ’17

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The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams (review by Lauren L. ’17)

September 30, 2014 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The second installation of Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide series, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe continues the adventures of the three-headed, two-armed ex-president of the universe, his cousin, his girlfriend, and an unfortunate and bewildered human being. (And a depressed robot, but of course, everybody’s already forgotten about him.) Just as absurd as the first book of the series, Restaurant, reveals the man who actually controls the entirety of the universe and sends Arthur and Ford to Earth two million years ago, where they find that a group of telephone sanitizers, hairdressers, and marketers aren’t the best people to start a new civilization, since sticks are best used as curling tongs, and to discover fire, you need to first research it to find what people want from it. Just like the previous book, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe will be enjoyable to all . Lauren L. ’17

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City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare (review by Catherine H. ’17)

September 3, 2014 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The sixth and final book of The Mortal Instruments is packed with adventure, action, betrayal, loss, and so much more. Sebastian has begun attacking Institutes and using Lilith’s Infernal Cup to turn Shadowhunters into Endarkened, stripping away their humanity and willpower. Fearing his imminent attack, the Nephilim retreat to their capital in Idris and leave the Downworld free. Vampires, Faeries, Warlocks and Werewolves are left to their own devices and chaos erupts. Clary, Jace, and their friends go searching for Sebastian and look for the best way to defeat him. I thought this book was a good conclusion to this series, and appreciate how sacrifices needed to be made in order to resolve the conflict. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a good read. – Catherine H. ’17
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Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (review by Kshithija M. "17)

August 26, 2014 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first of several books following the adventures of famous Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon, Angels and Demons features a race against time as Langdon and his companions attempt to find a canister containing the explosive anti-matter before the Vatican City is destroyed. The book begins when an assassin sent by the Illuminati murders a CERN scientist researching anti-matter; the scientist’s daughter Vittoria Vetra accompanies Langdon as their investigation of the murder leads them to Vatican City. The plot thickens when anti-matter appears to have been placed at the Vatican by the Illuminati and several important cardinals are also missing. Angels & Demons leaves readers racing to keep up with the protagonists as they charge through the Vatican and questioning the truth as the plot twists and turns uncovering more details at every turn. This book is a perfect mix of a mystery and thriller, and both history buffs and action lovers will be left curious and excited for more of Robert Langdon’s adventures after reading this novel. – Kshithija M. ’17

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Goliath (Leviathan #3) by Scott Westerfield (review by Catherine H. ’17)

August 8, 2014 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the conclusion to Scott Westerfeld’s steampunk World War I series, the Leviathan is sent to pick up a mysterious inventor who plans to stop the war with his latest device (Goliath), and Deryn’s secret is finally revealed. Once the Leviathan has transported the inventor to America, Alek meets Eddie Malone, a reporter for The New York World, and the Prince’s story and secrets are finally revealed to the world. I really couldn’t put this book down, wanting to know what was to become of Alek and Deryn, and how their relationship would develop. The book’s many plot twists, cliffhangers, and near-disasters build momentum until Alek must make his final decision: his title as emperor, or Deryn. I think this series will please fans of adventure, action, steampunk, and historical fiction and is sure to make a lasting impression.

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On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers (review by Elisabeth S. ’16)

February 2, 2014 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

On Stranger Tides details the adventures of former puppeteer John Chandagnac, whose ship is captured by pirates and who is forced to change sides and become a pirate at gunpoint. He becomes “Jack Shandy,” to the pirates, and he inadvertently saves the pirate captain’s life, thus becoming a full-fledged pirate. The book was neither overwhelming nor underwhelming, neither incredibly avant-garde nor too comfortably formulaic. Jack Shandy made for an enjoyable protagonist, though the novel gets kind of muddled two-thirds of the way through. The pacing felt too slow for the kind of blow-by-blow action-adventure book it’s trying to be. It was also unfortunate that the female character was useless–too much of a damsel in distress. The romantic subplot felt too one-sided and like too much of an afterthought to engage the reader. However, the novel does improve with a highly intriguing magic system and strong characters like Davies, Blackbeard, and even Hurwood. Overall, On Stranger Tides was an entertaining read but not much more than that. – Elisabeth S. ‘16

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Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (review by Maya V. ’17)

January 22, 2014 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The three kingdoms of Auranos, Paelsia, and Limeros are divided by power struggles, wealth, and conflicting ideas. In this time of peril, four young people from these kingdoms are fighting to protect their homelands: Cleo, the princess of Auranos; Jonas, a rebel fighting for the rights of the Paelsian people; Magnus, the Limerian prince and successor to the King of Blood; and Lucia, the sister of Magnus, princess, and sorceress of Limeros. As they fight each other’s lands to protect their own, they soon find their lives intertwined with one another. An adventure and fantasy novel with a sufficient amount of drama, this book will appeal to many young readers. The characters’ thoughts are written in great depth and honesty, which allows the reader to truly connect with the young adults of the story. The recurring theme of independence and how one can still reach his or her goals without the support from adults provides motivation to those in similar situations. The setting and plot development are gripping, and you will not be able to put the book down. With several perspectives, detail, adventure, and violence, Falling Kingdoms is an extremely enjoyable read! – Maya V. ‘17

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Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (review by Elisabeth S. ’16)

October 30, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ship of Magic is the first book of a delightful trilogy that details the adventures of 7 or 8 POV characters, featuring the headstrong Althea Vestrit as the catalyst in a fictional world shared by Robin Hobb’s other series. Due to the ambitions of her brother-in-law, Althea has been stiffed out of her inheritance, the prized Vestrit family liveship that she has spent her entire life aspiring to captain. She will stop at nothing to regain her birthright. Meanwhile, out at sea Captain Kennit has goals of his own, which involve stealing a liveship of his own. The wills of beautifully written and believable characters clash in this adult fantasy novel which guarantees to keep all readers on the edge of their seats. With the character of Wintrow, a thirteen-year-old priest made a slave by his own father, and the seemingly sentient liveships, Ship of Magic raises interesting ethical questions about what is moral and what isn’t, concerning the ownership of another sentient being. All in all, this book is strongly recommended to high fantasy fans looking for a wonderfully inventive series to keep them occupied for awhile. – Elisabeth S. ’16

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The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (review by Nikita R. ’16)

October 22, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thirteen-year-old Percy Jackson is once again brought into a world full of danger and uncertainty when he undertakes a dangerous quest to rescue his best friend Grover from a vulgar, monstrous Cyclops. Traveling with his half-brother Tyson and his comrade Annabeth, the trio experiences a lifetime of adventures as they encounter the mythological foes of legends, from the cunning sorceress Circe to the fearsome monster Charybdis. Full of engrossing, distinct characters, the strongest point of Sea of Monsters is the rich, humorous dialogue that reveals a phenomenal level of characterization, while also making the reader chuckle. Riordan’s world of mythological wonder mixed with relatable personal struggle makes this novel a must-read for teenagers and adults alike. – Nikita R. ’16

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Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor (review by Maya V. ’17)

October 2, 2013 mspelmanlibrarian Leave a comment

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Days of Blood and Starlight does not disappoint. Karou is now in the Middle East, living with the only chimaera left in the land of Eretz. After finding out about her past life and true identity as a part of the chimaera race, she feels that she must take action and save her people in the war against the angels. After her forbidden romance with the enemy, she is completely focused on helping the chimaera army grow stronger. However, she struggles to prove herself worthy to the others, who do not believe she can handle being a leader. She does not know which path to take: Should she continue to fight for power and lead the chimaera army to victory, or should she return to her mundane life as an average teenager? Should she seek help from the enemy, who she once trusted? This novel is a wonderful continuation of the first book in the series. The storyline grows more intense, nerve racking, and addictive after only the first few pages. Having read the second book with the same passion as the first, I can barely wait until the third is released in spring! – Maya V. ‘17

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