The Maelstrom by Henry H. Neff (Books of Tapestry, Book 4)

468 pgs.
Target audience: Middle Reader
Rating: Wizard

Astaroth is weakened and the demon Prusias seizes this golden opportunity to build his empire by attacking everyone else with his workshop powered war machines of course. Max returns to a hero’s welcome at Rowan. The celebration is cut short due to the threat of Prusias and the discovery that Max’s name is at the top of an assassin guild’s list. Max and his sorcerer friend, David, must once again work together to fight the famed workshop and stop Prusias’ invasion, while simultaneously dodging assassination attempts. Cooper, an old comrad, now possessed by a demon is sent as an assassin. Scathach returns to Rowan as Max’s bodyguard. This series is a marvelous blend of fantasy, mythology, science fiction, and mystery. The characters are endearing and well developed. Fantastic battles, cool spy-like inventions, fierce friendships and great illustrations await the eager reader. It is necessary however to read them in order to fully enjoy the experience because the overall plot of the series is intricate and complex. There is also a glossary at the end of this volume.

 

Starling by Lesley Livingston

341 pgs.
Target audience: Young adult
Rating: Wizard

Dedication to the fine art of fencing takes on a whole new meaning for Mason Starling during a team practice in the gym of the elite Gosford Academy. A severe thunderstorm erupts in the quad causing an ancient tree to crash through the ceiling ushering in a horde of unearthly zombie-like creatures. Mason and her teammates owe their survival to a mysterious, extremely handsome and naked guy who materializes out of the rubble to battle the demons. Their rescuer who remembers nothing but his own name, Fennrys, heals the injured, magics them all to sleep and then vanishes. Mason finds herself inexplicably drawn to Fennrys and he to her. Soon they are spending as much time together as possible in order to make sense of the strange events occurring around them and to retrieve Fenn’s lost memories. The Starling clan headed by Gunnar Starling has ties to the ancient Norse Gods. The family’s greed and ambition release a dark and deadly dangerous prophecy that puts Mason’s life in jeopardy. Mason and Fenn are a great paranormal team – equal parts romance and action. There is a fair amount of foundation building  with a cliffhanger ending.  The youngest of Mason’s three brothers, Rory, is an easy to hate villain paired nicely with the charming and protective oldest brother, Roth. There’s no shortage of sword fighting with new and ancient weaponry and a truly hair-raising train ride. This fantasy debut is perfect for fans of Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini.

(This book provided for review by children's lit - www.childrenslit.com)