Fiction Books

I never did truly see the point of this novel, but hey, it was fun and everyone loves dinosaurs. I think it's a good project for writing, and I like the admittely contrived concept of looking at everyone's thoughts. But aside from that, why?

While the bonus installments of Animorphs are K.A. Applegate's chance to shine (a.k.a. Visser, Megamorphs #1) they can also spell disaster. And this book spells every letter. It's as though Applegate rubbed her hands and said, "Here's my chance to put in every random idea I've ever had along with ten hours of research on dinosaurs. No, make that five hours." And she does.

The adventure in the book starts with some of the Animorphs stuck in a dinosaur. Yep, that's right. Inside a dinosaur. It is as ridiculous as it sounds. From there, they venture into the land of dinosaurs trying to find one another. The dinosaurs range from huge deadly raptors who are conveniently acquired, to Stegasaurus who are being zapped by evil ant aliens.

To try to divert attention from the convenient ways all six Animorphs can come away unscratched by a massive T-Rex, Applegate puts in big crabs with about twenty eyes. Oh, and they invented broccoli. They're named Mercora. Their enemies are lots and lots of evil ants called the Nesk, which are the pitifully two dimensional race who tries and fails to be as interesting as Yeerks.

Are these elements not ridiculous enough for you? There's more. They make dinosaur sandals. They steal nuclear weapons that happen to be invented back in that time. And somehow they all survive when a massive meteor hits the world and kills everything.

Sometimes Applegate goes a step too far in the absurd (though occassionally enjoyable) ideas throughout her Animorph series. Time of the Dinosaurs goes an entire staircase. Only die hard Animorphs fans should read this. And even then, remember that this is a bonus installment not part of the main series essential to understand the plot line... thankfully.

This book starts out with a kid seeing a submarine crashing at the bottom of the ocean. His name is Marco and he is the prankster of this group of special humans. They are Andalites,which have the power
to gather animal d.n.a. and they change into animals.Jake is the leader
then there is Cassie,Ax,and Rachel. Well they go to save the people in
the sub,While they are saving the day nuclear sub blows up and they get blown back to in time with the dinosaurs.While they are there they

encounter two alien species one friendly one not so friendly. So they create another explosion and they go home

megamorphs
the book i read was the animorphs: megamoarphs in the time of the
dinosaurs. the book starts out with Marco on of the five animorphs
talking about a nuclear sub that sank in the ocean. so he talks to his
friends and they go to the sunken sub and boom it happens if you
want to find out what happened read the book . but they wake up
and there in the time of the dinosaurs and all of their morphs are to
weak for them to use in that world so they have to get new morphs
but how. when they wake up tobias and Rachel were eaten by a
dinosaur and the rest of them are being chased by another dino.
they reach land and demorph and they relies that this is real and
that they might not go home. But they knew that tobias and werenýt
going no matter what because they were eaten as you now know.
Now the remaining animorphs decide that they need to get a fire
going to survive and keep other animals away. but what they dont
know is that tobias and rachel are still alive and are trying to get out
of the dinosaurs stomach. And back at camp a t-rex shows up and
they run they thought that the fire would keep the dinosaurs away .
to find out what happens in the rest of the book youýll have to read
the book but on my opinion the book was one of the best iýve ever
read on a scale of one to ten it was definetly a nine.

Sorry, but this book is definately only three stars. It all starts out when Marco hears about a sunk sub and the Animmorphs go to investigate. Something goes wrong and suddenly they find themselves in preostoric times!

I don't like this book because: a)It has the whole Sario Rip thing that was already put in another book. b)When they find themselves stuck in the Creostastes(sorry, don't know how to spell it) Period, there's another alien speices. I don't like that whole thing, along with The Mutation #36, and c)How it ended was very, very predictable. I don't know about you, but I knew that the comet was going to blow them back to their own time sooner or later.

Sorry Applegate, but you couldn't give us another winner like THe Andalite Chronicles (I have a review there, too)

I really liked this book. Even though I'm an older reader (52) who collects horse fiction, and its out of my age bracket, I found it to be very readable and it held my interest. Its a wonderful book for the young teen. The main character, Amy, learns some significant lessons in life after her mother dies in a tragic accident, and she is left to run the horse rescue by herself. She learns that life does go on, and responsibilites must still be realized, even in the face of tragedy. The characters in this book are likeable, the horses and horse terminology are realistic, and the book is not overly mushy or boring. It moves pretty quickly, and has a taste of suspense at times. All in all, I believe this book would be an excellent gift for a young, horse crazy girl! I would have greatly appreciated having it when I was at that age where horses were just about my whole world, and boys came second!

This is a beautiful, touching story of love , strength , hope , and regeneration after an agonizing loss.
Even though it is a young adult novel, I recommend it to anyone of any age.

Heartland-Coming Home

Heartland is a place of dreams and horses and that's where Amy's heart belongs. Heartland is a place like no other, breaks painful memories and teaches horses to trust again. To what I know Amy's calls Heartland home like no other place in the entire world. Amy loves her family very much and especially her mom. She loves her mom because she has don many things for her. I think Amy likes having her mom's gift, having to be able to understand what they need. And saving the animals by teaching them to stay healthy and stay trusting.

This book is mostly about a girl named Amy. And Amy is trying to help these horses that can't trust anyone anymore. And later in the book something bad happens. Someone get into a terrible accident. But you have to read the book to find out.

Bought this for my 15 year old daughter. She loved it and actually read it. Which is always nice to have a teenager read!

This is about a girl who loved horses, and her mother owned a ranch called "Heartland". They take care of and help any type of horse. One day they went to rescue a horse and her mom died from getting hit by a falling tree. Amy is left to save Heartland.
I think this story is really good. It reminds me of my life because I take care of horses. I also think that Amy will safe Heartland and be just like her mother. Also I think Amy and Ty will get together. I would recommend this book to people because this story is sad and truthful about life.

Timid, scrawny, Willie Beech is the abused child of a single mother. She sends him to Mr. Tom, who lives in the English countryside, because London is being bombed by the Nazis.

The two main adults in this story, the mother and Mr. Tom, seem very similar in the beginning. Yet, by the end, we see that they are completely different. What really hit home was this: hard times can make hard people, but one's true colors shine through when faced with others in need.

Mr. Tom's gruff exterior is only his exterior. He's really got a warm heart, which he opens up to Willie and shows him the love that's supposed to be in a family.

The mother's quiet, strict exterior masks her bitter, mean nature. She has no love for her children, and abuses them in subtle, neglectful ways.

We don't actually see the abuse, we see the end result...which, in my opinion, is far more powerful. I cried for Willie at the end of this book, and cheered Mr. Tom for doing everything he could to save this poor boy. When children are old enough to understand the results of abuse, every family should read this book.

This book is very intense but a good read. It is about evacuees from the London area because WWII was beginning. This particular town is painted different than most during this era. The people are nice and giving. If anyone does misuse the children they are put out for it! The major characters meet each other and both are not too sure of the other. It tells the story of a lost soul bringing healing to another lost soul. There are some intense and disgusting scenes but when you come out on the other side it is worth it! I don't recommend this book for anyone under the age of 12 or 13.

I decided to read this book for seventh grade accellerated reader. This great piece of literature has quickly become one of my all time favorite books. I'm very hard to please when it comes to books. When you read this, you become so attached to every last character. It is truly amazing.

I thought that this book was a very good book to read. I thought that it gave a lot of details and it was very interesting and exciting. This book was sort of hard to understand because Mr. Tom said different words funny. I really liked the part where Mr. Tom went over to London to try to find Will at his house. I also liked the part where Will was taken from his hospital bed and brought back to Mr. Tom's home. The ending left me hanging because at the end he said Dad I'm growing. I would give this book about five stars.

"Good Night, Mr. Tom" puzzles me. When I read it objectively, looking only at the writing, it's not so impressive. The flow isn't particularly good and at times the book clunks along. The dialogue is engaging, though, and thoroughly real.

And the story itself is incredible. "Good Night, Mr. Tom" tells of a young London boy who is sent out to live in the country during World War II for his safety. There, away from an abusive home, Willie is able to grow and learn what it means to be loved.

With a series of remarkably realistic and fun characters, Willie (renamed Will in his new home with "Mr. Tom") moves and grows. Aspects of the book will make the reader cry (quite a few), aspects will chill you, but on the whole you will smile through your tears, because this book is just... special. It's got a very special feel to it, through tears and sad moments.

So while at times the story gets dull, it's an excellent book. I would recommend this to young teens, mostly because it deals with serious issues and might be a bit much for younger kids.

Definitely recommended.

Best vampire story ever. Sure, some might argue that some of our blood-sucking heroine's feats are ridiculously far-fetched, but c'mon, it's fiction. I just like that the plot is really fast-paced, engaging, and has a solid foundation. Pike's interpretation of the vampire makes more sense than some other vampire characters. Plus, she could probably kick their butts. The Last Vampire rules!

Sita, the main character of the book is a 5,000-year-old vampire, who looks 20, and believes she is the last vampire. Sita goes by many names but chooses the name of Alisa Perne as she walks among the humans on Earth. She soon realizes that she is being hunted by someone who knows what she is. She thinks it might be the client of a detective she killed in self-defense. The detective had found out her secret and was a threat.

To figure out who is hunting her, she goes to high school and makes friends with the detective's shy son Ray and then falls in love with him.

She begins to think Ray is actually her old love Rama reincarnated.

Another person from her past, her old enemy Yaksha, is actually following her, trying to kill her to atone for his sins. Yaksha is her creator and the most powerful Vampire ever. Sita was led to believe that she had killed him long ago.

Then there's Seymore. Seymore is a student who wants to become a vampire, after he figures out Sita's secret.

Can Sita and Ray be together and be happy? What will happen when Sita meets up with Yaksha after all these years? Will Seymore become a vampire? Can Sita ever be free of her past? Read The Last Vampire to find out!




I especially liked...

The way Sita was made to be just a regular person with hopes and dreams and feelings just like us. Not All moody and dark like other vamp novels.

I didn't like...

There was nothing that I did not like about this book.

When I finished reading this Book I wanted to...

To write the author and tell him to make some more about this wonderful character

This Book made me feel...

Very upbeat and pumped up with adrenaline.

The author of this Book...

Christopher Pike: is one of my favorites even thought he writes books for teens I have tried to keep up with his books as an adult.

I recommend this Book because...

It is a good read with all the makings of a movie. The romance did not outwiegh the suspense and the action.

Further Comments...

I was so glad to find out that he made 5 more books in this series and the 2nd was just as good if not better than the 1st.

I read The Last Vampire series when i was 13, which i am now 22, and the story still affects me today. I have to say that this series is still a favorite of mine, and I remember that when i finished the last book I felt an emptyness for it being over, so I read it again. Sita goes through things that no vampire in any other story has gone through (I dont want to ruin it), and it is an emotional ride. Read this series and you will never forget it!

This book was really good i could hardly put it down. Sita or Alisa Perne is telling the story of her life. She also explaines her fears. When she falls in love with a boy named, Ray Riley, she finds out that he is in danger.Pat, Ray's girlfriend, is suspicious of Alisa. I could tell that Pat was very upset. I like this book because I love to read about vampires. I think others should read it. It's a good book! So drop what your doing and read it or Sita will get you! Beware of vampires.........

The Last Vampire is a good horror novel, but fails to draw you in completely. The main character, Alisa Perne, or Sita, is a stunning, petite blonde who has lived as a wandering vampire for five thousand years. It gets tiring hearing her talk about how beautiful she is, and how she knows men love to look at her body. It is also tiring as she lists endless super-human traits she owns that make her invincible. Pike seems like he just couldn't stop listing abilities. His writing is flawed in places.

What makes this story interesting is that Pike has removed the setting from Transylvania to a place no one associates with vampires - India. And he works in Krishna as a character. You know - the blue dude with the flute whom Hare Krishas worship.

I will read the rest of the series, but Pike has failed in creating a heroine that readers can relate to and root for. I get tired of all the men eating out of her hand.

Beautiful writing. Simply one of the best books by a living author that I've read. If you have interest in great writing, baseball, or Christianity, you'll enjoy the book. If you're a fan of all three, it'll be one of your favorites.

This book is the bomb-diggity! I'd gladly trade Dickens, Tolstoy, and maybe Milton for Duncan!

This is a rich, wonderful novel. Towards the end, I intended to read over lunch. One hour stretched to two, then even longer. I laughed out loud several times, and then cried. The waitress finally came over and asked, "Okay, what are you reading?! I've got to get a copy!" Everyone who loves great writing, wonderful characters and beautiful storytelling needs to get a copy. This kind of book doesn't come along every day - maybe not even every ten years. It's breathtaking.

I have purchased so many copies of this book to give to my friends and family! Some people are intimidated by its size; it is worth every page!
Baseball, family, humor, religion, 60's.....all combined with a skill that had me reading passages aloud. I gave my copy away....i will buy another.

The interplay between family members is often magical.

What originally attracted me to this novel was a former high school classmate of mine stating that it was one of his favorite books. Being the curious individual I was, I went on Amazon and read many of the 5 star review the books receives. I ordered a copy and began to peruse. Unfortunately, the book was not just below my expectations, but I wondered why so many people appreciated a novel that was filled with two dimensional characters and overflowing with cliches that are static in almost every piece of pop culture that is set in 60's-70's nostaglia (family is divided on present political issues, one son becomes a hippy, one becomes a soldier, etc.). Clearly David Duncan had a message, but it is one that has been heard repeatedly.

I got the book faster than anticipated. I also read the book faster than anticipated. Now I need to get the last book of the series. I can't believe how easy it is to read these books, and I mean that in a way that adults will enjoy it too. I would recommend ALL of Tamora Pierce's books for anyone, but especially for women and teen girls. It's full of strength and spirit for females without being abusive to males. Check it out!

I loved this book. I am hoping for a realtionship between Daine and the Numair. I loved the story line and the plot was quite interesting. I cant wait to read the fourth of this series.

This book is no disappointment for anyone who likes Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. A great read. Recommended for anyone looking for adventure. This book, of course, is a sequel, and is well worth reading. Tamora Pierce does not disappoint with her intriguing plot, life-like characters, thrilling adventures. Brilliant cover art for this edition. As usual a wonderful installment in her Tortall adventures.

Ever wished you could trash an empiral palace using dinosaurs? Then this book is for you! Animal lovers unite to take out the bad guy.

Daine and her teacher Numair Salamin are sent to Carthak as part of the peace legion. But although Ozorne says that he didn't attack Tortall Daine can tell that he's up to something. She can feel it.

In this book Daine is captured by...sorry I won't tell you. Numair tries to save her and...another thing I won't say. Ozorne is growing powerful and Daine see's her power growing in strange ways. Are these powers good or bad?

While Daine is here she meets Kaddar the prince of Carthak and maybe, just maybe they can do something to stop the war and to defeat Ozorne...

Please read this book. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It has magic, fantasy, action, adventure and a touch of romance.

I absolutely love Johanna Lindsey and all of the Malory stories. I just reread this one and still love it. The writing is so smooth I just sail through these books and find myself in love with all of the characters. I recommend virtually all of Johanna Lindsey's books to any historical lover.

This is my favorite of the Malory Series. Johanna Lindsey creates romance between the handsome Englishman James Malory and the beautiful American Georgina Anderson. Not only is James Malory a "gentleman pirate" but he is also a "connoiseur of women." Georgina has no intention of falling for the reprehensible rake, but she can't resist his bold, sultry advances. The plot takes the reader to England, the Caribbean and the New England shores. It is full of interesting characters, witty banter and steamy scenes.

This was my absolute favorite Malory book (so far, as I have yet to read Derek's and Jason's stories). James and George have amazing chemistry, and they are so cute together - i love the boat the best obviously, but it really is a great story. Gets slightly frustrating in the end, but overall it's fabulous!

I've read a number of books by J. Lindsey and my two favorites are this book and "A Loving Scoundrel." Both of them have a girl dressed as and pretending to be a boy. I loved the characters. Good plot. Good writing. Great fun

CAUTION SPOILERS: Georgina was dressed as a boy and thought the captain (James) believed she was a boy. James knew she was really a girl but pretended he didn't know. It was great fun to watch James try to seduce the "boy". It didn't work the way James had planned because Georgina was so ignorant of sex that she thought she was nauseous rather than turned on. I loved the end where James purposely embarassed her publicly so her brothers would force the marriage.

Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: five. Setting: 1818 London, the high seas and America. Copyright: 1990. Genre: regency romance.

To date, I have read thirteen books by Johanna Lindsey, as follows. All my reviews were posted on Amazon between 6/3/08 and 6/14/08, except as noted.
Malory Family Series:
5 stars. Gentle Rogue Copyright: 1990.
5 stars. A Loving Scoundrel Copyright: 2004.
4.5 stars. The Magic of You Copyright: 1993.
4.5 stars. Say You Love Me Copyright: 1996.
3 stars. Love Only Once Copyright: 1985.
3 stars. Tender Rebel Copyright: 1988.
3 stars. No Choice But Seduction Copyright: 2008. My review posted 6/21/08.
2 stars. The Present copyright: 1998.
2 stars. Captive of My Desires copyright: 2006.

Sherring Cross Series:
4.5 stars. Man of My Dreams Copyright: 1993.
3 stars. Love Me Forever Copyright: 1995.
(not read) The Pursuit

Other novels:
2 stars. The Devil Who Tamed Her Copyright: 2007.
1 star. Prisoner of My Desire Copyright: 1991.

I first read this probably a decade ago (Johanna Lindsey was one of the first authors who got me into historical romance), and decided to give it another whirl recently, wondering if it would hold up as well now. I think I actually like it better this time around -- perhaps I've read a lot more bad romance novels in the interim? -- and found it funny, engaging, and endearing.

James and Georgie are delightful together, and the way they're brought together, split apart, and come together again is well-done. The Big Misunderstanding works really well in the story (the super-melodramatic ones always annoy me for their ridiculousness), and Lindsey keeps the humor flowing throughout. I wouldn't say Gentle Rogue is my favorite romance novel ever, but it's a thoroughly satisfying, comfortable read.

I have read the entire Mitford series in less than one month. The series is an incredible and a refreshing read. With so much negative, brutality, and corruption in today's world, it was a wonderful experience to drop into a town where good is good and wrong is wrong. It's a clean, heartwarming read. I highly recommend these books if you want to be reminded of the good in the world and improve your positive outlook.

Very enjoyable. Easy reading,characters are warm and quirky. Couldn't wait to read the next book. Wonderful reading with a hot choclate on a cold winter night for that warm cozy feeling.

Once you begin reading it's hard to put down. I found myself reading into the night and not realizing it was 2:00 a.m. Once I finished this book I immediately began the second book, A Light in the Window. Excellent reading.

The first book in a series with interesting characters, in a great town. Not a labor to read; great for escape; heartwarming. I've read each book two or three times!

I thank God the day my friend introduced me to the Jan karon series about Mitford. The whole set is an experience in faith, humility, strength. I was prepared not to like it, and so thankful I became a part of Father Tim and his world in Mitford, and beyond. It takes you back to the basics of life, and what is truly important. God, our faith and trust in Him, and the value of the prayer that never fails "thy will be done"

I loved this book, the entire series is amazing. I cannot wait until I read the next one.

Tamora Pierce is an excellent writer. All of her books really put you into the stories and make you feel as though you know the characters personally. This book is no different.

PAGE is the second installment in Tamora Pierce's PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL quartet and it improves on the already fantastic opening novel FIRST TEST. This particular series is again set in the enchanted kingdom of Tortall and features Keladry of Mindelan, now eleven years old and still as determined as ever to become a knight. In FIRST TEST, Kel successfully undergoes a probationary year which had been unfairly imposed upon her by the conservative training master Lord Wyldon, who doesn't believe that women are cut out to be knights. However, Kel truimphs over every test put in her path and Lord Wyldon has no choice but to add her officially to the ranks of pagehood.

PAGE chronicles Kel's three eventful years as a page. Here, she faces a diverse and ever escalating gamut of challenges, from battle lessons to physical tests of endurance and strength, from suffering growing pains (she develops a crush on a friend) to enduring the persisting scorn of several of the male fraternity, and, on one peril-fraught occasion, fighting for her very life as she and her fellow pages must face off against desperate bandits. And then, finally, there's the all-important and extremely difficult fourth-year exam, which will determine whether she'll advance to squirehood, the next rung up to knighthood. But an unexpected, catastrophic event will transpire which will endanger her chances of even attending the test and will pit her against her greatest weakness. Once again, Kel is well served by her fruitful time spent on the Yamani Islands as she habitually makes good use of the adopted martial training and the poise she had learned from her Yamani instructors. Also, now in her second year, Kel has garnered enough friendships amongst her peers that she doesn't feel quite so isolated. Her horse Peachblossom and her helpful flock of sparrows again prove to be invaluable. Meanwhile, her mysterious, unidentified benefactor pleasantly continues to present her with inestimably practical gifts.

As ever, Kel continues to champion the underdog and the helpless. Here, she takes into her care the homeless and homely but ingratiating mutt Jump (never mind that she's not allowed to have pets) and hires into her service the timid maid Lalasa, who had suffered ill-treatment in her past. Kel aims to foster a confidence in Lalasa by instilling in her a belief in her own worth and by teaching her various martial arts moves for self-protection. Kel also continues her informal evening hall patrol as she keeps a watchful eye out for her nemesis, Joren, and his disagreeable clique of hangers-on, who revel in the abuse of the hazing ritual, too often unlawfully beating up on smaller, newer, and younger pages.

Kel persists in being one of the better young heroines out there. I really liked her in FIRST TEST and, here, she's even more appealing. Unlike Alanna, Tamora Pierce's first heroine, Kel isn't imbued with a magical power and doesn't attempt to hide her gender. Kel is a GIRL and very proud to be one, and she doesn't take short cuts. Pierce nicely depicts sequences of Kel stubbornly working hard to better herself as she stoically suffers every bead of sweat, bruise, and ache brought on by her training. Thus, the reader actually ends up cheering all the more for the approbations she does receive.

By the way, I don't mean to knock Alanna. I also enjoyed the quartet of books about her. Her achievements are what made Kel's endeavor here possible. But, yeah, when you get right down to it, Alanna has a supernatural ability while Kel remains a regular human girl. To get even more nerdy, it's kind of like comparing Superman to Batman. Anyway, if you've already read FIRST TEST, I won't have to talk hard and fast to convince you to read PAGE, or the subsequent novels. I'm in the middle of reading SQUIRE right now, myself. And that one, so far, is even marginally better than FIRST TEST and PAGE.

I gave the first of this series 5 stars, and reluctantly subtract one for the execution of her second. The premise is sound - she planned to deal with Kel as a child, a Page, a Squire, and finally as Lady Knight, but the pace and high drama of this book left many things feeling a bit rushed.

Firstly, expect the content to be notably more mature than in First Test. Kel deals with hitting puberty, hitting boys, being hit by boys, and a brutal regimen of forcing down her phobias. This, in addition to intense training, having (and dealing) with crushes on her fellow Pages, and proving over and over and over that she can and will "run with the big boys."

Despite cramming several years worth of experience (literally) into this book, Pierce does an admirable job of containing and streamlining it. The years are well defined, and the individual 'quests' are tightly written and clear. This book also handles the development of Kel's unique abilities in command. Her growing sympathy for commoners and the weak is showcased in a series of growing climaxes. The ending sequence is especially well-done, and younger readers will be very impressed with Kel's maturity and self-sacrifice.

Again, I find that Pierce writes extremely appropraitely for the age-level (estimating by Kel's own age, the pre-teen market) and I find that her focus on morality and strength of conviction in difficult circumstances is fitting for younger readers. I wholeheartedly suggest these books for parents wishing to instil those ideals in their children, in addition to reading them because they are simply VERY nicely crafted books.

**Lastly, as I warned for First Test = Parents who are very careful of the sexual, homosexual, or magical encounters their children have - PLEASE read these books before handing them over to your kids. I personally see nothing wrong with her handling of delicate issues, but you might. And to set your child on a series of entertaining books, and then later ban them for dealing with unfortunate subjects - this makes rebellious and NEEDLESSLY unhappy children. Please, if you are sensitive to sexual references (including a brief mention of homosexuality and extremely frank dealings with rape) and/or the use and presence of magic, please make sure YOU read this first.

Keladry of Mindalen has passed her test and is now a full page, dreaming of becoming a knight. Kel is keeping up with life but it's getting hard. She still has to handle to fact that many, many people are still mad about her becoming a page. While she deals with this she is trying to maintain her training. And ALSO trying to deal with her feelings for her best friend, Nealan of Queenscove. In other words life is hectic for Keladry of Mindalen.
In this book there is a part where Keladry shows her skills and leads her friends out of a sticky situation where they're trapped by a group of bandits while the pages are on a little 'field trip'.

"Ladies have no place bearing arms..." I've said it once and I'll say it again...that's WRONG!

I hope you'll read this book, 'Page'. I'm sure you'll love it.

My daughter hasn't made it to this book yet but she is looking forward to it!

Song of the Wanderer by Bruce Coville is a great fantasy book. I definitely recommend it to people who LOVE using there IMAGINATION. The story begins when a girl named Cara is in the wonderful yet dangerous land of the unicorns, Luster. Cara was summoned by the queen of the unicorns to find the wanderer(Cara's grandmother) so that the queen(Arabella Skydancer) can rest in peace. Soon after that meeting Cara sets off on her mission to find her grandmother. The night she set off she had a dream of her many times great grandmother (that hates unicorns) Beloved, contacts Cara in her dream. The next day Cara, Moonheart, Belle, the squijem, and Finder set off to M'Gama's mountain. Cara and the rest of the group follow M'Gama's servant deep down into the mountain, to the point that they are almost under the surface of the earth to do a spell that will help tell the way to the gate that leads from Luster to Earth. Also M'Gama will do something that will surprise you. Trust me.
This paragraph is just about a character that comes later in the book. That character is Lightfoot. Lightfoot is a smart alec, cocky little(well he is not really small he actually is a rather large unicorn) that is also very sweet and protective of Cara. He risk's his life for Cara at one point in the book. And you will find out in what way. Oh and you will find that a unsuspecting person will finally meet Cara. And all you need to do is read the book to find what adventure lies in it. I'm not going to you what is going to happen in the rest of the book.

After picking up Into the Land of the Unicorns: The Unicorn Chronicles when it was first published, I very impatiently waited for this title to be released. My best friend and I read it over and over -- my copy was so worn I went through several rolls of tape repairing it. Finally, on a trip with my high school honors society, I picked up a replacement AND the sequel! That night, I burned through the book in about half an hour. Yes, at the age of 16, I was reading a book aimed at children. I am that hooked. If a third is ever released, I'm going to buy it as well.

The new cover art is impressive, but it kind of ruins the imagination to actually SEE Cara. The imagery in this book, however, puts the art to shame. This is by far the most cleverly-written tale I have laid hands on.

After being cast into the mysterious land of Luster not too long ago, twelve-year-old Cara Diana Hunter is finally just moments away from meeting the Unicorn Queen - Arabella Skydancer. During her time in Luster, while Cara has missed Grandmother Morris dearly, she has made friends with mythical creatures of all shapes and sizes - from Thomas the Tinker to Lightfoot the Unicorn, and a squirrel-like creature called Squijum to the half bear/half human Dimblethum, and many, many more. But the time has come to buckle down and complete the mission at hand to save Luster forever as we know it. The Unicorn Queen has reached old age. She is fading slowly but surely; however, she refuses to say farewell to her friends and family until she has had the opportunity to see Grandmother Morris - aka The Wanderer - one last time. This is where Cara enters the story. It is the Unicorn Queen's request that Cara, along with a glory of unicorns - Moonheart, Finder, and Belle. Together, Cara and the glory of unicorns - along with Thomas the Tinker and Squijum - will make their way back to Earth, in order to save Grandmother Morris from Beloved and the rest of the Hunter's, and return her to her rightful home right here in Luster. Cara is convinced that, with the assistance of her strong, and powerful friends, the task will be simple. However, she soon realizes that heading back to Earth and locating Grandmother Morris is a much more difficult task than she ever could have imagined. For one, their days are numbered before the dynamics of Luster shift for Autumn, and make it impossible to re-enter Luster in the same location where they departed. Two, the companions will have to find a way to make it to the back of the dragon, Ebillan's cave, in an attempt to reach the secret door that bridges the gap between Earth and Luster. And three, with various moments of contact with the wicked Beloved, Cara has no idea what to expect when she takes her first steps back onto Earth's soil. She's also reluctant to find out. As much as she wants to see Grandmother Morris again, she can't help but feel nervous about leaving the quiet, shimmery world of Luster. But, alas, Cara accepts the task, and begins her journey. This time, however, the journey is much more tiring than her first travels through Luster. With a request to pay a visit to the Geomancer, M'Gama, Cara visits the magician of sorts, where she is given provisions and protection to help her during her quest. But her time with M'Gama is not nearly as important as her time with Grimwold, the individual who records all of the Unicorn Chronicles, and has a very special story waiting for Cara and her companions when they arrive at his front door during their journey. With Grimwold and M'Gama's instructions and information close at hand, Cara sets her mind on accomplishing her task, and finding Grandmother Morris. But through battles with vicious delvers, and encounters with enough mythical creatures to make your head spin; Cara becomes to wonder whether she'll be able to accomplish her task in the set amount of days, or if she'll be the ruination of Luster altogether.

I absolutely adored Bruce Coville's INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, which I read a little over a year ago. However, upon beginning SONG OF THE WANDERER, I quickly realized that, as fabulous as its predecessor was, it couldn't hold a candle to the magic and adventure found within the pages of SONG OF THE WANDERER. Coville has returned with the rest of Cara's story, painting Cara, once more, as an understanding, brave, kind individual; whose loyalty to her Grandmother, her friends, and the secret world of Luster is admirable; while her determination to complete any task that may find its way to her is thrilling. The fact that, like with INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, Coville has kept many secondary characters around, and introduced many more only adds to the excitement of the tale, and makes it impossible to stop reading. The Squijum is still one of my favorite characters. His constant ramblings are humorous; while his ability to brighten the mood in any situation makes him a much-needed character. Thomas the Tinker is also a fun individual. The fact that he owns a caravan that can be folded into the size of a piece of paper adds a little magic to the story; while his protectiveness over Cara makes him appear quite similar to a father-like character, whom you can't help but love. I was absolutely ecstatic to see that the faces of Lightfoot the Unicorn and the Dimblethum made appearances throughout SONG OF THE WANDERER, as they are two very important characters whom I certainly wouldn't want to see cut from the story. Coville's descriptions of the vicious delvers, and their surprise attacks send shivers up your spine; while the stories that Grimwold recants regarding Unicorn history are absorbing, and hard to resist. Coville's lyrical writing takes you on a whimsical adventure that won't soon be forgotten!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I thought this book was really great. Bruce Coville did a great job with this book as he did with the last one. Cara is one of my favorite book characters and I just loved all the twists this book had. Thses books are not your average unicorn books! Some good news for anyone who has already read these books and want to know if there's more there is. Book 3 is supposed to come out around April 2008 and called Dark Whispers. There will also be a book 4.