The Ashes of Worlds by Kevin J Anderson
This is space opera at it’s best. This is the concluding chapter in Kevin J Anderson’s Saga of the Seven Suns. It is a doozy and it doesn’t disappoint. I read this in two day long sessions. I was that hooked.
The Saga of the Seven Suns is a 7 book cycle that deal with the ramifications of Earth’s arrogance when they try to test an ancient weapon by a long dead insect-like race. This weapon takes any gas planet and turns it into a star, allowing the planet’s moons to become available for terraforming and colonization. Unfortunately for Earth there are aliens living inside gas giants called Hydrouges. Aghast at the holocaust that the Earthlings have unwittingly perpetrated, the Hydrouges go to war.
Unfortunately the humans on Earth aren’t the only humans in the galaxy. Earth sent out generation ships long ago, and now the descendants of those ships are also being attacked by Hydrogues. One group is the planet of Green Priests, who have green skin full of chlorophyll, and who are telepathically linked to colossal sentient trees called the Verdani. Another group of humans are the Roamers. These humans no longer live on planets but live mostly in space, whether it is in ships, asteroids, or barren moons. Roamers are wanderers and handymen, anything they put their minds on they can achieve. There is another race in the universe and they are the Ildirans who share a hive mind. They are as ancient as the Hydrogues themselves, but have grown weak over time because of the lack any sort of ingenuity.
Eventually the war draws out other ancient races, such as the Wentals and the Fareos. Along with the Hydorgues, and the Verdani, the Wental and Faeros are elemental races, and they represent Air, Earth, Water, and Fire respectively. These forces have warred with each other off and on for all of time. And this latest war may mean the end for all of humanity.
I would recommend these books for anyone in 9th grade and up. People who really enjoy Star Wars, Star Trek, the Dune series, and space operas will love these books. They are quick and easy reads. They also have short chapters that give the books a movie-like quality because the story keeps jumping from character to character. This continues the suspense, but also make sit easy to take breaks, so these may work for reluctant readers, or readers who are moving up in their reading level.
The complete series in order is:
- Hidden Empire
- A Forest of Stars
- Horizon Storms
- Scattered Suns
- Of Fire and Night
- Metal Swarm
- Ashes of Worlds
July 23rd, 2008
Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire by Derek Landy
If one more person’s head gets squashed like a grape this book would be even that much better. I really cannot explain how much I enjoyed this Playing With Fire. I like this one a lot better than the first one. It has more of everything, more action, more villains, more magic, more gore, and more humor. In this case more is definitely the merrier.
Skulduggery and Valkyrie find themselves facing off against Baron Vengeous, an acolyte of the Faceless Ones, and is all set to let loose the Grotesquery on the world. The Grotesquery is a Frankenstein’s monster-like creation, except it is made up of many different magical creatures, all of which are extremely lethal. And if the Grotesquery is resurrected then it will call out to the Faceless Ones who will then return and destroy the world.
Like I mentioned before the adrenaline is jacked up a few notches for this sequel. Fans of magic and horror will love this book. It is a pretty intense book, with a high body count and a good amount of gore. I really can’t wait for the third book. This is now my favorite series by far. This book is appropriate for anyone in sixth grade and up, if they don’t mind the blood and guts.
July 18th, 2008
Congratulations Cassie & Caitlin!
Cassie and Caitlin are our winners of BPL’s first ever Cosplay Fashion event. Cassie went as Narcissa Malfoy, and Caitlin went as Hermione Granger. Check out the photos for all the work and detail they put into their costumes.
July 12th, 2008
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
Wow. I really enjoyed this book. Like, it’s-my-new-favorite-thing enjoyed this book. If you liked the action in Harry Potter but wanted more of it with more wit, then this is the book for you.
The novel follows a young woman named Stephanie. Her uncle, a famous horror writer, just died and the family gathers to listen to his will. There she meets Skulduggery Pleasant for the first time. He is a mysterious man, most likely because he is hidden from head to toe behind a long coat, gloves, scarf, sunglasses, wig, and a hat. Stephanie is immediately drawn to him because she is not like the rest of her family. They are only interested in what they will get from her Uncle’s will. No one really cares about his death, or how he died. They just really want his stuff. To Stephanie’s surprise she is the one who receives the majority of his estate. She even gets her Uncle’s house, which Stephanie and her mother soon set out to explore. Once they get there their car breaks down. After some pleading with her mom, Stephanie is left alone at the house while her mother rides with the tow truck to the mechanic. Stephanie putters around the house, reading her Uncle’s unfinished novel, until she starts getting harassing phone calls. The voice on the line wants a key. Stephanie hangs up. And that is about when the man on the phone bursts through the window and attacks her. And then the door explodes, revealing Skulduggery Pleasant. In the melee Skulduggery’s attire comes loose and Stephanie realizes that Skulduggery is actually a living, walking skeleton. Afraid for her life, stuck between a skeleton and an attacker, Stephanie sets out on an adventure to find out why her uncle died… That is if she survives.
Did I mention I loved this book? It has tons of action and is actually really funny. Skulduggery has that dry James Bond understated humor down pat. The novel also combines fantasy and horror extremely well. It also references the monsters and the tone of H.P. Lovecraft. Between the magic, the humor, and the creeps, it is a perfect combination. Highly recommended. It’s appropriate for 6th grade on up, although it is a bit more intense then Harry Potter.
I’d like to note that I read the book by listening to the audiobook. It is a wonderful adaptation that rivals the quality of the Harry Potter audiobooks. It is an excellent read and an excellent listen. Enjoy!
And it’s sequel is already out! Hooray for me! 
July 9th, 2008
It’s time! Our Cosplay Fashion Runway is right around the corner. When is it? Well here you go:
Cosplay Fashion Runway
CANCELED
Cosplay is a hobby where people create handmade costumes that celebrate their favorite characters from anime, manga, television, film and comic books. Here are a few photos with examples of cosplay in action:
June 25th, 2008
Empire of Ivory (Temeraire book 4) by Naomi Novik
In the first Temeraire novel, His Majesty’s Dragon, England is at war with Napoleon and the French. William Laurence is an ordinary ship’s captain in His Majesty’s Navy. That is until his crew captures a French ship harboring a dragon egg. When it hatches the young dragon imprints upon Laurence, which forces him to become the dragon’s caregiver and pilot. He must leave the Navy and join His Majesty’s Aerial Corp, an air force made entirely of dragons and their crews. The first book in the series follows Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, as they get used to being part of the Aerial Corp and help to defend England from an invasion. The second book’s adventure finds the duo traveling to China, Temeraire’s country of origin. The third book picks up where the second book ends and covers their return trip to England by land. They finally make it back to England at the start of the fourth book only to find a mysterious dragon plague has decimated the Aerial Corp. They must sail to Africa in order to find a cure. There they encounter a hidden nation where humans and dragons are equals. Although they try to make a good first impression the first contact turns sour because of England’s continuing involvement in the slave trade. Laurence is taken prisoner and the hidden empire begins to muster an army to raid the coastal ports England has established. Temeraire must save Laurence and find the cure for his dragon brethren.
I really enjoy this series. It reads a lot like an old swashbuckling, high seas adventure, except with dragons. The series’s prose captures the historical time period extremely well. It has the right mixture of detail and action that creates for a semi-quick read. I really enjoy how each book in the series provides greater insight on dragons and their culture. Dragons are just as complex and intelligent as humans, although humans in the western world tend to treat them as they would a horse or a ship. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes dragons, or historical high seas adventure. It is appropriate for advanced readers, 14 and up.
June 25th, 2008
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