Winter of the Ice Wizard by Mary Pope Osborne

Winter of the Ice Wizard by Mary Pope Osborne (audiobook)-110 pages in print

Teddy and Kathleen visit Jack and Annie in present day to deliver a message from Merlin. Jack and Annie's mission is to recover Merlin's staff from the Ice Wizard of Winter on the Winter Solstice, which actually turns out to be a message sent by the Ice Wizard to lure Jack and Annie to his palace to find his eye. They recover the Ice Wizard's eye from the Frost Giant who had been given the eye by the Fates. Teddy and Kathleen bring the Wizard's sister back to him and she forgives him, so Merlin and Morgan, who had been turned into white wolves by the Wizard, are humans again and the day is saved once again. I really enjoyed listening to these 4 Magic Tree House books on audiobook. I enjoyed reading them as a kid and they still bring some enjoyment, though not as much as back then.

Nameless: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow

Nameless: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow - 328 pages

This is the story of Cami, a young girl who was adopted by the ruling Family when found beaten in the snow one night.  Although she remembers nothing of her past, fear, stuttering, and scars continually remind her that she is not actually a member of the Family.  Then she meets Tor who has the same scars and unusual black-blue hair as her.  He seems to be trying to be her friend and warn her at the same time.  If only she would have heeded his warnings.
This is a loose retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale.  It takes place in a world that was "twisted" after World War I allowing the fey and vampires to opening live and rule the new world.  It was a little difficult to get into the story as the main character stutters making it hard to read what she was trying to say.  I also wasn't expecting the vampire part of the story.  Once about half way in, the really wanted to finish the book.  It feels as if it might be the first in a series as the ending left quite a few questions unanswered.