I'm way behind in my reading. Did not reach my goal at Good Reads. Hope to do better in 2019. I do have a few reviews to share and a couple more when I write them. Reading books by other writers helps me to see how my work might improve. Does that happen to you? I'll hush now. Enjoy.
SHADOWS OF AIZAI
By Mary-Jean
Harris
Time travel has always fascinated me. What
would it be like to travel to the past? To the future? Or how about visiting different worlds. It
would be even more exciting, I think, to know that you were to be one of the
founders of a new world. If you can’t do this in real life, how about reading a
book that takes you to places you can only imagine.
SHADOWS OF AIZAI, By Mary-Jean Harris will
do just that. In addition to countries and worlds you’ve only imagined, you’ll
find yourself caught up in the magic of unusual lands and people. You’ll meet
characters that are good and that are bad. Two ingredients that make for an
exciting novel.
Our heroes are eighteen-year-old lads,
Wolfdon and Toulouse, who live in 17th century Spain. They will become
founders of a future paradise called Aizai. It’s not going to be easy. Magicians
known as the Magi threaten them, along with other troubles they run into.
Different chapters are told from the different characters’ points of view.
Mary-Jean Harris has created a lot of
characters in her novel to keep track of, and I sometimes got lost. But each
character has a role to play in the events of the story. If you love adventure,
magic, and men and women that make a world, whether it is present, past, or
future a good place to live, SHADOWS OF AIZAI has it all. I was cheering for
Wolfdon and Toulouse to succeed in founding a new city. Did they, or was it all
a dream?
What do you think?
THE CITY HEROES
And other stories
from the Heart Of Africa
By Omoruyi
Uwuigiaren
CHAPTER ONE
The Outside World
THE CITY HEROES by Omoruyi Uwuigiaren is a
series of short stories introducing the reader to the lives of different
characters in Africa, from animals to humans. Lovely artwork throughout the book
adds a nice touch, giving the reader a glimpse of what is to follow in that particular
story. We meet cats as they discuss their problems in life. One story introduces
the reader to a priest and his wife. Then there are the jungle ants and their
struggles to survive. And so much more.
Each story has a message, such as “fighting
doesn’t solve anything” and “learn from one another and work hard,” to name a couple.
The stories also gave me a glimpse into the lives of a different culture, that
of Africa. This is a delightful group of short stories to make a person thankful
for his or her blessings. The author gives the reader a good look at another
world, that in some ways is much the same as my world yet also different.
Middle grade readers and even young teens should
enjoy reading about the adventures of the cats, rats, and ants, while also
learning about the people of another country, Africa. This would make a nice addition
to school libraries, public libraries, and your own private library.
THE DEEPEST ROOTS
By Miranda Asebedo
Three girls, best friends. They’ll do most
anything for each other. It turns out they may have to do more than they
imagined. Like every girl born in Cottonwood Hollow in the last century, Rome,
Lux, and Mercy each have a special talent. Then mysterious events begin to
happen that challenge the girls and their friendship. And this is only the
beginning of a fascinating story, with magical happenings, about these girls
and the Kansas town where they live.
In the novel THE DEEPEST ROOTS, author
Miranda Asebedo has created characters that could be your friends in school. They
worry about their schoolwork. They’re interested in boys. They have family
problems. They also have a mystery to
solve, a mystery that threatens their friendship and might even cause the death
of the girls.
THE DEEPEST ROOTS is a story of family, life, and
friendship, with a touch of fantasy. The problems the girls face touched my
heart. I wanted to help them as I followed their journey through the good times
and the bad, hoping their story had a happy ending. This novel would make a
nice addition to high school libraries as well as your own library.
Now, these novels should keep you busy for awhile. Happy Reading!
