The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

The Gray Wolf Throne

In the Seven Realms Series, there are two books out, and two more on the way, one of them is coming out on August 30. The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima. The first two books in this series are The Demon King, and The Exiled Queen.

The Demon King and Exiled Queen, the previous two books in this series, are filled with action, adventure, romance. They are also fantasy and fiction.

For those people that haven’t read the Demon King and Exiled Queen, here is an intro to give you an idea what has happened in the past.

The Demon King
First Book:
Han:
This book is about how Han’s secrets of his life are unveiled, from being a former thief to becoming a wizard, and finding out who his ancestors are and what important role they played in the making or breaking of the world. It all begins when Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of Gavin Bayar the High Wizard in court. Now that Han has the wizard gift, he and Dancer (who also has the gift) must go to Mystwerk House - a place where wizards are trained to control their powers - which is in Oden’s Ford. Oden’s Ford consists of two houses: Mystwerk House and Wien House.

Raisa:
On the other hand, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna is getting closer to her name day, which is the day she is eligible to marry. And this news is not hidden, and now Raisa is practically trapped by suitors here and there wanting to marry her. But when Gavin Bayar, the High Wizard is influences Queen Marianna’s thoughts, Raisa must escape to a safe place. She decides to go to Wien’s House - a place where people are trained to become soldiers - which is also in Oden’s Ford. But she cannot go there alone, so she must go with Amon Byrne, her childhood friend and his triple of cadets.

The Exiled Queen
Second Book
Han:
In this book Hanson Alister and Hayden Fire Dancer go to Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford to learn how to control their magical gift. As they encounter danger on their way, they manage to get there in one piece. When Han travels to a different world, Aeiidon, in one of his classes, he meets a stranger: Crow. Not knowing who Crow was (in Aeiidon, you can change your appearance to whatever you want) Han is about to leave, but is stopped when Crow promises to teach him harder magic. Han agrees to the deal, but has to talk like a blueblood, someone who lives near the castle and is not a member of a clan. Han goes through the year, wary of Micah Bayar, and learning some tricks to his wizard powers.

Raisa:
Escaping from the queendom of Fells is a little tricky, with guards stationed at the exits. But once Raisa who is using the fake name of Rebecca Morley gets to Oden’s Ford, she gets a vigorous schedule that practically promises her no spare time. And right now she is having some mixed feelings between Amon Byrne, her childhood friend, and Hanson Alister. As Raisa deals through these feelings she is left confused. And to top it off, Micah Bayar a wizard that goes to Mystwerk House across the river is in Oden’s Ford as well. Another person to avoid. He would instantly recognize Raisa for who she was.

Besides the Seven Realms Series, there is another series Cinda Williams Chima has written. The Heir Series. The books are:

The Warrior Heir
The Wizard Heir
The Dragon Heir

2 more books in this series are coming out. It’s not written in stone, but the there is a chance that the titles may be: The Enchanter Heir and The Sorcerer Heir.

I recommend the Seven Realms Series and the Heir Series to anyone that loves adventure and romance rolled into one.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 435
Rating: 9/10

“They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives!” screamed Aunt Marge, swelling with fury. “You are an insolent, ungrateful little-”
But Aunt Marge suddenly stopped speaking.
… She seemed to be swelling with inexpressible anger- but the swelling didn’t stop.

Aunt Marge is Uncle Vernon’s sister. She is very arrogant, just like aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. In the excerpt above, Aunt Marge is insulting Harry and his parents, while she doesn’t realize she is swelling up like a balloon, because of magic.

This is the third book of the Harry Potter series, and this book has also been converted into a movie. In Harry’s thrilling year of Hogwarts, a prisoner named Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, a wizard jail. Sirius Black has worked for the Dark Lord, and he is after Harry Potter ; the boy who survived Voldemort’s killing curse. Sirius is hunting Harry down. Harry is not safe, even when he is in school with his friends.

Remus Lupin is Harry’s third Defense against the Dark arts teacher, in Hogwarts. I think Remus Lupin is an interesting character for many reasons. My first reason is because he is a werewolf and he is in the Gryffindor house. He also helped Harry produce the Patronus charm and he (Lupin) was a good student in Hogwarts School Witch Craft and Wizardry, he is brave because he is not afraid to duel Death Eaters or go against Dementors and if he sees a problem he is not afraid to say it.

I thought this book was excellent. I liked it because I thought the humor was very good and that it pulled the story together. I thought Ron was the funniest in this book. There were other funny things in this book like when Aunt Marge blew up like a balloon and started floating up in the air. My favorite part in this book is Quiditch. I like the twist J.K. Rowling adds for Quidditch. I think J.K. Rowling added good details. I could really visualize the whole book in my head. It was like my very own movie of the Prisoner of Azkaban. I also like that in the beginning of each chapter there is a picture that tells a little bit of what is going to happen in the book. I think that is a very different technique, since the book has no illustrations except for the front cover and the back of the book. I don’t see this technique in any other book.

I think this book is better than the Sorcerer’s Stone and it is almost as good as the Chamber of Secrets. I think this book is worth reading over and over again, so people should definitely buy it. I can’t wait to read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! I would recommend to people who have read the previous books or to people who like fantasy.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Author: J. K. Rowling
Genre: adventure, action
Pages: 309
Publisher: Scholastic
Rating: 9.5/10

‘ “Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle.”
“What are you?”
“I’m going to be a knight,” said Ron. ‘

This excerpt is when Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger are trying to get the powerful sorcerer’s stone. Harry Potter is an average boy, or that’s what he thinks until he gets letters from some one he doesn’t know. When Harry discovers that he is a wizard, a famous and thumping good one at that, he joins Hogwarts a school for witch craft and wizardry. There he makes friends with Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. On the other hand, Draco Malfoy and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, become instant enemies. As Harry discovers his talents at quidditch, starts arguments with Malfoy, and fights a troll or two and dislikes a professor, he discovers that he is no ordinary boy.

Harry lives with his Uncle Vernon, and Aunt Petunia, not the kindest muggles around. Muggles are non magic folk. Harry’s uncle and aunt are cold hearted, and have a spoilt son named Dudley. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia thought of wizards as dirty, bad, disrespectful, and many more disgusting things.

As Harry starts fitting in Hogwarts, he notices strange things are going on at Hogwarts. Students aren’t allowed to go to a certain corridor, and when he accidentally goes in there, he sees that there is a three headed dog guarding a trapdoor. What is it guarding, and how will Harry find out?

My favorite character in this book is Harry Potter. He is famous because he is the only person in the world to survive a killing curse. Harry is also a very daring and courageous person. Although he knew that he wasn’t supposed to go back to the room where the three-headed dog was, Harry still went so that he could stop Voldemort. He is also a very kind person. Even though his friends may not be the most popular, he would never be mean to them or let them down. Another one of Harry’s qualities is that he is a bit of a rule breaker. Harry tries to do the right things, he frequently breaks the rules so that he can help. Doing that makes rivalries begin.

One reason I like the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is because Ms. J. K. Rowling makes the book so appealing. As in you feel like you have a connection to some parts of this book. When Harry does something, or something happens to him, you feel like that is exactly what you would have done or have felt like.

Will Harry find the sorcerer’s stone in time, or will Voldemort find it before him? And who is helping Voldemort? Read the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to find out. I recommend this book to anybody that has read any of the other books by J. K. Rowling or to anybody that likes adventures.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 341
Rating: 9/10

“…Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts.”
There was a silence broken only by the chink of knives and forks from downstairs and the distant rumble of Uncle Vernon’s voice.
“W-what?” Harry stammered…’
‘“There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry this year,” whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over.


The day of Uncle Vernon’s big dinner party comes and Harry Potter has to spend the night in his bedroom, and he gets an unexpected visit. This is an excerpt from when Dobby, the house elf, comes to tell Harry about the terrible things that will happen at Hogwarts School Witch Craft and Wizardry.

Harry Potter is in a series of seven books: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There is also a movie on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part two, has just come out in theatres.

Ever since Harry Potter had come back to the Dursleys, he wanted to go straight back to Hogwarts. When Harry starts to pack for Hogwarts, he gets a strange visit from a house elf. The house elf says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts terrible things will happen. In Harry’s second thrilling year of Hogwarts, things are changing. Teachers say that time is repeating itself and that something is turning Hogwarts students to Stone. The Chamber of Secrets has opened. The Chamber of Secrets was made thousands of years ago by Salazar Slytherin, who was one of the four founders of Hogwarts. Inside the chamber there is a lot of dark magic and monsters. The Chamber lies in Hogwarts and nobody has found it yet, for years. Who could have opened the Chamber? When somebody is taken inside the Chamber, Harry goes inside and tries to find the person. Will Harry be able to stop the thing that is turning people to stone ?

I thought this book was awesome. First of all this book contained a very good story. I don’t think anybody could think of a story containing a wizard, who goes to a wizard school, and goes in the chamber of secrets, to find his darkest fear. Secondly, I like the fact that at the beginning of each chapter there is a picture that helps the reader understand the chapter more. Thirdly, I like the description that J. K. Rowling puts in the book. The description is so good that every word I read in this book makes a movie in my head. Fourthly, in the book there is a part where Harry is in the Chamber with the Phoenix, Fox. On the front cover you see the illustration that matches the description. I hope J.K. Rowling writes a new book!

I would recommend this book to people who have read the first Harry Potter book and people who love magic.

Percy Jackson's Birthday

August 18th is a special day for anyone that loves Rick Riordan’s books. Particularly the Percy Jackson series. August 18th is …….. Percy Jackson’s birthday! To any Percy Jackson fans who don’t remember where this is stated, it is in the last book (The Last Olympian) in the last couple of pages. Or you can just go on Google and type in Percy Jackson’s birthday. And up it will pop. Besides the last book I think it states that Percy’s birthday is celebrated close to the beginning of the school year, once Sally Jackson’s (Percy’s mom) meets Paul Blowfis. It is probably in the fourth book (The Battle of the Labyrinth).
Rick Riordan has written many books and many series. Here are a list of some of the books he has written:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians:
The Lightning Thief - Came out: June 28, 2005
The Sea of Monsters - Came out: May 3, 2006
The Titan’s Curse - Came out: May 1, 2007
The Battle of the Labyrinth - Came out: May 6, 2008
The Last Olympian - Came out: May 5, 2009

The Heroes of Olympus:
The Lost Hero - Came out: April 14, 2010
The Son of Neptune - Coming out October 4th, 2011
Expecting a 3rd book - Unsure of when it is coming out
Expecting a 4th book - Unsure of when it is coming out
Expecting a 5th book - Unsure of when it is coming out

The Kane Chronicles:
The Red Pyramid - Came out: May 31, 2010
The Throne of Fire - Came out: May 3, 2011
The House of Life - Coming out Spring 2012

If you want to know more, go to www.rickriordan.com. It shows the three series that Rick Riordan has written, and more details about the books.

Book Review: Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy

Title: Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
Author: Jenny Nimmo
Publishers: Orchard Books (Scholastic)
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 408
Rating: 6/10


Charlie Bone’s life takes a turn for the worse. Why? That is because Charlie’s uncle leaves on a secret mission and disappears. Before Charlie’s uncle leaves, he leaves a note why he left. When Charlie goes to Bloor’s Academy, he discovers an invisible boy in the attics. The invisible boy is named Ollie Spark’s and only has a toe that is visible. After Charlie finds out that Ollie has a relative, Charlie has to get Ollie out of the attic and to Ollie’s relative. Will Ollie Sparks be reunited with his only relative? Will Charlie find out where his uncle went?

The Brown’s bathroom over looked Filbert Street, and while Benjamin was brushing his teeth he saw a tall man in a long black coat walk down the steps of number nine. Benjamin stopped brushing and stared. What on earth was going on in Charlie’s house?
The tall man was Paton Yewbeam, Charlie’s great uncle. He was wearing dark glasses and he carried a white stick. Benjamin assumed the dark glasses had something to do with Paton’s unfortunate talent for exploding lights. Paton never appeared in daylight, if he could help it, but this was an extraordinary time to go out, even for him. He walked up to a midnight blue car, opened the trunk, and carefully placed the wand (for that’s what it is) right at the back. Before Benjamin had even rinsed his toothbrush, Charlie’s uncle had driven off. He went in the opposite direction from his sisters, Benjamin noted. This wasn’t surprising, since Paton and his sisters were sworn enemies.

Paton Yewbeam is a man who is unique, he has a strange talent of exploding lights when he looks at a light bulb. He is often going places without telling any one. In the excerpt above Paton is probably going to some mysterious place that nobody knows about.

This book is in a series of eight. The author has written other books in the series: Midnight for Charlie Bone, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister, Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors, Charlie Bone and the Hidden King, Charlie Bone and the Beast, Charlie Bone and the Shadow, and Charlie Bone and the Red knight. Jenny Nimmo is thinking about a series called the Red King Trilogy.

I thought this book was superb compared to the books before. The rating I would give is 8/10, because I liked the characters and how they had different things about them that stood out from characters in other books - like Ollie Sparks, he is completely invisible except for his toe. I also liked the story, a boy named Charlie sees an invisible boy, and tries to make him escape! Who could think of that!? Jenny Nimmo did not add a lot of humor. In my opinion the humor pulls the story together, and this book could’ve used some more . I also thought that Jenny Nimmo should have added more details. On some parts I got very confused. But, all in all this book was good.

I would recommend this book to people who love to explore new places, because in this book Charlie and his friends go searching for a lot of things.

Book Review: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Title: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Author: Jacqueline Kelly
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Pages: 338
Genre: Historical and realistic fiction
Rating: 9/10

“My name is Calpurnia Virginia Tate, but back then everybody called me Callie Vee. That summer, I was eleven years old and the only girl out of seven children. Can you imagine a worse situation?”

Calpurnia Virginia Tate, is a young girl who lived in Texas in the year 1899. Back then, life was difficult. Even a cent was worth a lot. But a girl’s life was the hardest. They had to stay at home, to sew, cook, and knit. They weren’t allowed to be scientists. It just wasn’t fair. Instead of being able to learn about life and organisms, she was stuck at home learning how to be a wife.

In this book there is no main problem; instead there are small stories which consist of small problems. The cotton season goes by. Usually the women and girls had to sew, cook, and watch over the babies in the cotton season, but Callie didn’t find sewing and cooking interesting. So in the end, Callie took care of the small babies. Later the Fentress Fair passes, in which Callie’s (terrible) tattering (sewing) skills are shown off. Callie is not very good at tattering, another thing wives should be able to do. Travis, Callie’s little brother becomes quite attached to the turkeys that they are going to eat for Thanksgiving. The century passes and a miracle happens where Callie lives, Texas.

My favorite character in this book is Callie. Callie is a curious girl. She wants to study the world. And study the world she does. She studies alone, but that was before she had the nerve to ask Granddaddy. Now the two as a pair are “mad scientists”. But when Callie’s mother takes a look at how her daughter is progressing in the studies of housewifery, Callie’s time with Granddaddy is limited. And she must learn the secrets to being a good wife, which Callie definitely does not excel at.

Another one of my favorite characters is Granddaddy. He is a kind old man, misunderstood to be a strict and mean person by his grandchildren. As Callie opens up to him, her siblings start to get the feeling that Granddaddy isn’t the mean, cross person they thought he was.

I found this book very funny and interesting. Funny, because it is hilarious how the smallest events in Callie’s life, can cause quite a bit of confusion. Also, to me, Ms. Kelly’s writing seems like it is from the heart. It seems like she actually had 6 brothers, and this really did happen to her.

Join Callie, her 6 brothers, (Harry, Sam Houston, Lamar, Travis, Sul Ross, and Jim Bowie) in the book ‘The Evolution Of Calpurnia Tate’. I recommend this book to anyone that likes a bit of history, science and fiction mixed into one.