Half Bad by Sally Green

Half Bad by Sally Green - 397 pages

Nathan is persecuted daily by the White Witches who look down upon his half White, half Black status as the illegimate son of the evil Black Witch Marcus.  Eventually he is caged, beaten, and trained to kill Marcus as part of a prophecy.  But Nathan doesn't want to kill Marcus.  He wants to find him and get his Gift from him.

This is the first in a trilogy by Sally Green.  I can't say if liked this book or not.  There is really no "good" character in the story that I could find.  Still, I am intrigued enough that I plan to read the next book.

Twin Star Exorcists, v. 2 by Yoshiaki Sukeno

Twin Star Exorcists, v. 2 by Yoshiaki Sukeno - 208 pages

This continues the story of Benio and Rokuro, the Twin Star Exorcists.  In this volume, they've been given a house of their own to live in which causes problems for them with Rokuro's friends.
I'm continuing to enjoy the series and look forward to the next volume.

Twin Star Exorcists, v.1 by Yoshiaki Sukeno

Twin Star Exorcists, v. 1 by Yoshiaki Sukeno - 208 pages

Rokuro wants nothing to do with being an exorcist.  Benio's whole life is devoted to exorcism.  Then it is decreed that they are the Twin Star Exorcists who will marry and have a child who will be the most powerful exorcist of all time.  Too bad they hate each other.

This is the first volume in the series.  It was fairly interesting to read.  They did a good job of keeping you reading by not revealing too much of either Rokuro or Benio's past while dropping hints.  I'm intrigued enough that I started reading the second volume.

Freakling by Lana Krumwiede

Freakling by Lana Krumwiede - 309 pages

Taemon's family is slowly imploding.  His mother is overprotective and refuses to let her sons leave.  His father is speaking out against the religious leaders.  His brother is falsely being groomed as the True Son, the prophesied leader of the new age.  And Taemon must hide the fact that he has lost his psi so he doesn't get exiled to live with the Powerless.

This is the first book in the Psi Chronicles.  I've been interested in reading it for a while, so I picked it up to listen to on CD.  I listened to the first half of the book, but something about the audio was off-putting.  I don't know if it was the narration or if it's one of those books that just doesn't translate well being read out loud.  Once I switched to reading the print version, I couldn't put the book down.  I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the other two books in the series.

The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill - 372 pages

Ned was the wrong boy . . . the wrong boy that was saved when both he and his twin brother went into the river.  He's been ostracized by the villagers ever since he was saved.  But when bandits come to his town to steal the magic his mother safeguards, it is Ned who saves the magic.  Together with Aine, the Bandit King's daughter, they travel through the Woods trying to keep the magic and his kingdom safe.

I really enjoyed this book.  I liked the fact that even though it was a children's book, I didn't exactly know where it was going.  It kept you guessing throughout the story.  The characters were interesting.  And I loved the bits of humor that were injected into the final part of the book.

The Vengekeep Prophecies by Brian Farrey

The Vengekeep Prophecies by Brian Farrey - 416 pages

Jaxter is the worst thief - in fact  he get's his whole family arrested when he sets a house on fire during his first assignment.  But then a prophecy is unveiled where the family of thieves will be the ones to save their town from a year of deadly calamities.  Now it is up to Jaxter and his only friend Callie to save the town, his family, and himself.
This was a great fantasy novel for kids.  It was fast moving but detailed.  And there are at least two more novels planned in the series.  I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.

The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones

The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones - 356 pages

Aileen is sent on a quest with her Aunt Beck, Prince Ivor, and Ogo to strike down the barrier surrounding Logra.  There is a prophecy that it can be done with the help of one man from each island.  So they set off to try to take down the barrier.  Along the way they face those who try to kill them, those who try to stop them, and the guardian spirits who try to help them succeed.

This is Diana Wynne Jones final book.  In fact it was finished by her sister Ursula Jones.  She did a fairly good job of writing so that you can not tell for sure where the writing switched.  Although you can definitely tell the ending was more rushed than a usual Diana Wynne Jones book.  Also, as the book went on there it became less detailed than usual.  Overall though it is a great ending legacy for the premier children's fantasy writer from Britain.