Fantasy

Background

Published back in 2002, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire brings in wizards from all over Europe to compete in a wizard’s tournament. Yet, who is really behind it all?

My Thoughts

A much larger book than the one previous, this one I started with my youngest but he couldn’t keep up… So, I went ahead and finished the book.

This is my favorite of the Harry Potter series, it isn’t as dark as the later books yet it has some more serious parts to it. Harry is growing up but is still a kid in many ways.

Recommendation

Great read!

Background

Published in 2004, this book is the largest of the series by a good 130 pages. (Yet, was the 2nd shortest movie…) In this book, Harry and friends know “You-Know-Who” is back but the Ministry of Magic is suppressing that information. Things start going awry when they start interfering at Hogwarts.

My Thoughts

Again, a great read. We are becoming a little bit older along with Harry as he starts having love interests and grappling with the subtleties of what is right and wrong.

My recommendation

Great book. Great read.

Background

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published back in 2001. The 3rd book in the Harry Potter series, it introduces the infamous Sirius Black, a man convicted of murder who broke out of the wizard prison Askaban. How will Harry and his friends make it this time?

My Thoughts

As with all Harry Potter books, I have read this book several times. This time around, I was reading it with my youngest son who is new to the series. Highly enjoyable.

Recommendation

A great read and worthy of the time.

Background

Written back in the 60’s, Dune is a dystopian look at a possible future where humans have made it to other planets and continue their wars and contentions.

My Thoughts

I had seen the 1984 movie and was still young enough to get that it was a big deal while only catching the broadest points the plot. I hadn’t seen it since then. Not to sound cliche but, the book was better.

There were some plot holes and the like but I thought Herbert did a great job. (Particularly since it is 60 years old.)

Recommendation

This was one of those books that I put off doing other things to continue. I would highly recommend it if you enjoy fantasy.

Background

Released in 2006, Tempest is the third book in the Legacy of the Force Series. Jacen Solo continues down the path of the dark side while under the influence of the Dark Lord Lumyia. She tempts him to kill so he can balance the force.

My Thoughts

This was a fun bit of mind candy watching everything fall apart. At this point in the series, no one trusts anyone and Luke lives up to his whining nature. There was plenty of action but at times I lost thread as to what was going on.

Recommendation

Not the best but it is a relatively quick read.

Background

Published in 2006, Bloodlines is the 2nd book in the Legacy of the Force – Legends series. It is not be confused with Bloodline which was published in 2016.

In this book, we learn about Boba Fett and his family while witness Jacen Solo slowly be seduced by the dark side of the force.

My Thoughts

Much like the last book, Bloodlines stayed true to the feeling of Star Wars. I enjoyed it.

Recommendation

If you liked the first one, you will like this one even more…

Background

Published in 2006, “Betrayal” is the first book in a series set in the Star Wars universe by Marc Thompson. This is set approximately 20 years after Return of the Jedi when Luke, Leia, Han, and so on are dealing with the next generation. Jacen Solo and Ben Skywalker are featured in this “non canonical” fan fiction.

My Thoughts

Not a bad read. The feel was pretty on point of a Star Wars experience. It’s too bad the movies went the other direction in that Ben Skywalker and Jacen Solo merged and became Ben Solo. I may follow this series forward…

Recommendation

I’m on the fence at the moment. It wasn’t a bad read but I don’t like it wen the characters differ from the “official” line.

Background

Published in 2007 and at a mere 753 pages, A Feast for Crows is the fourth book in the Game of Thrones series. It was the first of the series to reach number one on the The New York Times Best Seller list and was orignically tied together with the next book in the series A Dance of Dragons. The original manuscript was so long that the publisher asked the author to split it into two books. Rather that split them chronologically, they were split by the character story lines. These two books make up the basis of a few seasons of the HBO series and even touch into season 6.

My Thoughts

I didn’t know the narrative was split but it makes sense in retrospect. I’m currently reading the next book at the time of this review and it is filling in a lot of the gaps about the characters who were missing from the last book. I also just learned that the author has been working on book six for the last 8 years and is planning to have book seven come out at some point. Yikes! I’m glad I just found out about it. I don’t know I would have started reading it. Like the Wheel of Time series, I gave up because it didn’t seem like it was ever going to end.

Recommendation

I’m not certain I would read it again. However, I did enjoy it.

Background

Published in 2010, Keys to the Demon Prison is the final book in the Fablehaven series. The Society of the Evening Star has all the artifacts and holds all the cards. Will they open the demon prison and release them all into this world?

My Thoughts

This book is almost 600 pages and yet it flew by. I was excited to get to the end and to see what happened.

Recommendation

Great read!