GO PHILLIES

With all due respect to the Rays and their fans,

Natural OrderMage by L.E. Modesitt, jr

Hammor which has been “an evil empire” in previous books is explored in this book. Evil often is in the eye of the beholder. The protagonist is again an unlikely soul who is confused about his identify. Modesitt does this well, sets up a character to grow through out the book. The lines between good and evil are explored with the defining done more by action than word. Magic takes a back seat to character development and introspection by the protagonist. There is action and I think a bit more action would have helped the book. I am not sure you would enjoy the book if you aren’t a fan of Modesitt already. I am, so I did enjoy the book and wait not so patiently for the next volume.

Body of work of L.E. Modesitt

Review of the book: http://www.travelinlibrarian.info/recluce/recluce/natural.html

Site: http://www.lemodesittjr.com/

Ariel’s Journey by Doug Kane and Christy Wood

This is the first book in the Ice Horse Adventures series. If this book is an indication of the quality of the series, then the series will be a hit. The book’s target audience is pre-adolescent through teen readers. I think they can easily expand their target market. While not a taxing read, the book provides food for thought on interpersonal relations as well as stereotyping. I am going to recommend it to my daughter’s book club for young mothers.

The main non-human characters are the Icelandic horses. This is a breed I am not familiar with but they are more than adequately documented by the book. The story line starts as an almost typical adolescent interpersonal friction scenario but develops into a delightful trip into fantasy. The young protagonists are thrust into a very adult situation and forced to not only cope but to master a very delicate and dangerous situation.

If you are familiar with any of my fantasy reviews, then you know I am strongly attracted to anthropomorphic stories. The relationships the girls have with their horses undergo some very interesting changes as the story progresses.

As an ex-guidance counselor and parent I can testify that the authors accurately portray the interpersonal relationships and the friction that can develop between groups of teens. The pollyanna solution for a confrontational situation suggested by one of the mothers leads to the development of the fantasy sequence.

I enjoyed the book and in no shape or form do I fit into the target market. I suspect that early teens and especially those into horses will find this book and the series just short of intoxicating.

Body of work of Doug Kane
Body of work of Christy Wood

Web Site: http://www.icehorseadventures.com/home.html

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AARP 08 Video

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Jeaniene Frost Interview (Author of the Night Huntress Series)

First I stand in awe of Ruthie at the Books, Books and More Books Site. Her productivity and creativity are prodigious. Then on to the interview, Ruthie has a great interview with Jeaniene Frost on her blot. Jeaniene is the author of the Night Huntress Series. [(1. Halfway to the Grave (2007); 2. One Foot in the Grave (2008); 3. At Grave's End (2009)] Ruthie is running another contest on winning one of Frost’s books. So click on any of the links to jump over to Ruthie’s site, read the interview and enter the contest. I entered and no offense, but I hope I win, the books look really good!

Jeaniene Frost’s Site: http://www.jeanienefrost.com/