Daughter of Smoke and Bone

 Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor 418 pages

Summary: Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Thoughts:  This book was intriguing to me and kept me guessing. I loved the fact that she has "angels and demons" but not in the normal sense, they are monsters all of them and there is no good and bad, everyone is a mixture. I loved how in tune the author was with Karou's emotions and how we felt everything she felt. It was a great start to the series and I look forward to continuing reading this series!

The Icebound Land

 The Icebound Land by John Flanagan Book #3 266 pages

Summary: Kidnapped after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captives aboard a fearsome wolfship. Halt has sworn to rescue Will, and he will do anything to keep his promise–even defy his King. Expelled from the Rangers he has served so loyally, Halt is joined by Will's friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia. On their way, they are challenged constantly by freelance knights–but Horace knows a thing or two about combat. Soon he begins to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around with his uncanny skill. Even so, will they be in time to rescue Will from a horrific life of slavery?

My Thoughts:  Y'all this author does NOT shy away from tough topics. This book was a little heart wrenching as Evanlyn and Will get put into slavery and Will gets put in the work yard and gets addicted to drugs. As always this author kept me on my toes and I really am enjoying these books! I love the friendship that grows between Halt and Horace on their journey to rescue Will and Evanlyn.

The Burning Bridge

 The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan Bk 2  262 pages

Summary: Bracing for a final clash with the evil warlord Morgarath, the Rangers rally the kingdom's allies, and Will is chosen, along with his friend Horace, as special envoys to nearby Celtica. But the simple mission soon takes an unsettling turn - the Celticans have disappeared, their town abandoned. The scheming hand of Morgarath, it seems, has been far from idle. He has found a way to bring his legions over the once impassible eastern mountains and is planning to ambush the king's army in a rout. Now with help many miles away, Will and Horace are the only ones standing in the way of the dark lord's plans. They have shown great skill and courage in their training, but how will they fare in the face of true evil?

My Thoughts: Book 2 is just as engaging as book one was! I love how they are still dealing with Morgarath like they were in Book 1. The continuation of the story was interesting. The battle towards the end of book two, complete twist and pretty hard-core! Again it is a fantasy world, but there's no magic which you don't usually see NOT in a fantasy novel. 

The Ruins of Gorlan

 The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan Bk 1  249 pages

Summary: They have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied....

My Thoughts: This is an excellent book for teenage boys who don't want to read "girl books. It's based on medieval times with Knights, Kings, battles, and Rangers. I loved how this book is technically fantasy, but there's no magic to speak of. 

The Merchant of Death

 The Merchant of Death Pendragon book 1 by D.J. MacHale 375 Pages

Summary: BOBBY PENDRAGON is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby. He is going to save the world.

And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution.

If Bobby wants to see his family again, he's going to have to accept his role as savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is only the beginning....

My Thoughts: This book is a great book for a kid who loves adventure stories and new worlds. The main character is a boy, which you don't find many of those in young adult land. If you like adventure, this series is for you. You've got your bad guy who is going to be around for each book in the series and you've got a different world for each book as well.