Review: Seafire

Posted on March 31, 2020March 31, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

So I tried to read this book last year, and it didn’t stick, I’m not sure why maybe I just wasn’t ready for its amazing-ness yet. So why did I give the book a low rating, you’ll see below.

Warning Spoilers Ahead

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Seafire

Short Summary:

Female pirates being AWESOME.

Real Summary

Okay for real, it is female pirates being awesome but its so much more. After Caledonia Styx and her best friend, Pisces are the only survivors on a raid on their ship where their families are killed and their brothers are kidnapped by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets. They set their minds for revenge.

Four years later the two have set up a new ship from the ashes of the old one, Caledonia captains the ship while Pisces is second in command. The two have built a crew of women who have also been personally affected by Aric Athair in one way or another. Either losing their families, homes or being former members of his army.

On their ship the Mors Navis, the crew tries to stay alive and take out the Aric’s fleet when they can. But when one attempt to attack some of the vessels in the fleet that make an addictive compound called Silt goes south, Caledonia nearly loses Pises, were it not for the help of a Bullet looking to defect.

Caledonia finds herself at a crossroads, the last time she trusted a Bullet she nearly lost everything but this man may have valuable intelligence that could help the crew of the Mors Navis finally gain an upper hand against Aric.

But Bullets aren’t supposed to be able to come back from being mindless members of Arics army? Are they? If he joins the crew will it break the bonds that Caledonia and the women of the Mors Navis have spent four hard years trying to build?

Review

It’s not that I didn’t love this book. I loved the world-building. The bonds between the different members of the crew. An all-woman pirate crew for crying out loud. The majority of the book was great.

Some of my favorite characters included Caledonia second in command, Pisces. She’s all heart and therefore definitely the heart of the story. Some of my other favorites include, deaf/hard of hearing Hime, who is the ship medic and is in a relationship with one of the commanding officers of the ship, Amina.

Even, the Bullet they rescue/hold hostage? Oran is a complex character. He finds his own little spot in your heart in this book, how mostly by presenting non-toxic masculinity as anthesis to the Bullets we do see in the book. Everything about him is softer and respectful. Which when we find out about his past is even more interesting.

The reason the book got 3.5 stars is Caledonia Styx, I understand why she makes some of the choices she does, she completely sidelines her whole command crew at times, and end up doing the dumbest things possible.

She’s leading with her heart and not her head, which again is understandable except she has like 50 odd people to command and needs to think about someone besides herself and her goals. She ends up listening to people at the wrong times and not listening to them at when she should be.

I know trilogies are all about growth, but I like the character a whole lot better in the second book, one of her final actions in this book is the dumbest choice. It makes sense conflict wise, but my god, if she had only listened to like one person on her crew.

The truth is she’s a good character when she listens to the other people on her crew, which is why it is so annoying to see her being selfish and just doing what she wants.

I should say the book generally gets about a 4.5, great world-building diverse characters, lots of action, but my annoyance at Caledonia brings it down to a 3.5

Amazon: Seafire

Photo by Susanne Jutzeler from Pexels

Pokemon Reads, Recommendations

Pokemon Reads Tag-Dark Type

Posted on March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

Gravemaidens

I just started Gravemaidens and the concept seems pretty creepy, three women having to join the dying ruler in the grave. Protagonist Kammani wants nothing to do with any of it, she’s just trying to eke out a living as a doctor. She believes if she becomes a good enough doctor she can reclaim the life that was stolen from herself and her family. But Kammani is also worried about keeping her family especially her little sister Nanaea safe.

But with the ruler of their city stat Alu, slowly dying three maiden’s have to be chosen soon to join him in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A tradition. And when Nanaea is chosen she believes it’s her chance to live a grand life in the afterlife.

But Kammani knows it’s a death sentence. So she hatches a plan to heal the dying ruler, but there is more danger in the palace that Kammani imagined, and she may end up having to sacrifice everything, including herself.

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Sableye

I chose it because it’s both Dark and Ghost and looks like a jewel that might be in a ruler’s grave.

Amazon: Gravemaidens

Serafina and the Black Cloak

This book is a re-read. It was very popular back in 2016-2017 and was on the #1 New York Times Bestseller, for like 50 weeks. It also won the prestigious 2016 Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize.

Serfina isn’t like most other girls at the Biltmore Estate, she lives in the basement with her Pa, hiding from sight. She lives by one rule set down by her father.“Never go into the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul.” She has no reason to complain there are plenty of places to explore in the Vanderbuilt’s opulent home.

Serfina must never be seen because the rich folk don’t know she exsist and her Pa might lose his job if they found out she did. But that’s okay with her, she’s learned to sneak through the darkned corridors at night, sneaking and hiding, finding spots in the mansion no one else knows.

But when children start disappearing at the mansion Serfina may be the only one that can help. After all she’s the only one who knows about the mysterious man in a black cloak who haunts the corridors at night and goes after children. After she barely makes it away from him, Serafina teams up with young Braeden Vanderbuilt the nephew of the owners of the estate, to solve the mystery before all the children vanish.

But Serfina’s hunt leads her to the forest where she not only has to face The Man in the Black Cloak, but the truth about herself.

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is the: Aloan Persian

The Aloan Persian because mountain lions and cats come up a lot in this book.

Amazon: Serafina and the Black Cloak

In this sequel to Dragons in a Bag there is a bit of thievery going on, hence why it reminds me of Purrloin. In the previous book, Jaxon had just one job, to return three baby dragons to the magical realm, but when he got there, there were only two in the bag.

It’s not Jaxon’s best friend’s little sister’s fault Kavita’s fault she stole one, not really. She only wanted what was best for the baby dragon, now all she’s having are problems. She can’t feed it without getting bit and it’s growing out of control.

What’s worse the theft has closed the gate to the magical world so they can’t return the baby dragon. Jaxon is going to need all the help he can get to find Kavita and get the baby dragon back home.

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Purrloin

I chose Purrloin because it’s the devious Pokemon and thievery came up in the book.

Amazon: The Dragon Thief

Endling #1: The Last

Byx is part of the last group of a mythical dog-like species called darines. Since they are believed to possess remarkable abilities they’ve been hunted to near extinction in war-torn Nedarra.

When something happens to the rest her pack Byx fears she may be the very last of the darines. An Endling, she sets out with to find a safe haven and see if legends of more of her kind are true.

Along the way she finds both animal and human allies and begins to make her own kind of family. Though her family may discover a secret that could change the whole world.

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is:Poochyena

I chose this Pokemon because while Byx is still considered a pup by her packs standards, she’s still fierce.

Come back next week for more Pokemon Reads!

Monthly Reads, Weekly Wrap-ups

Monthly Review

Posted on March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

So March has been quite the month, it seemed like it lasted forever. But I got lots of books read, more than I have since November. A lot has changed from the beginning of the month, when I could go out bowling with my friends, to now. We have a shelter in place order enacted in my state so I’ll be home, reading and working on crafts and the blog.

Books

Finished this month

The Science of Breakable Things

Dealing with depression as a family can be tough, but a little hope can be a powerful thing.

The Science of Breakable Things

Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl

What happens when luck isn’t what you think it is?

Amazon: Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl

Lalani of the Distant Sea

A girl sails beyond her island to find a magical world.

Amazon: Lalani and the Distant Sea

Seafire

Female pirate being AWESOME.

Amazon: Seafire

EndGames

Political intrigue, gender, robots, whoo!

Amazon: Endgames

Steel Tide (Seafire)

More awesome female pirate plus some defectors from an evil army, ready to fight for their freedom.

Amazon: Steel Tide

Annie’s Life in Lists

Told entirely in lists as a girl adjusts to life in a new town.

Amazon: Annie’s Life in Lists

Seven books! I’m way ahead on my goal for the year, plus all of them were fun reads, plus I got three YARC picks in there. One doesn’t count because I started it in 2019 but I’m still glad I finished it.

One of the best things to happen this month was,

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Now I just got this picture off Polygon but they are way further along in the game than I am. I’m still working on building my store. But I also got Nintendo Online for three months so I can visit other islands so I’m looking forward to chilling out with friends.

I’m also still playing Pokemon some to catch Pokemon in the wild areas, I’ve made a few good catches so that makes me happy as well.

Finally, I figured out one of the flight mechanics in Breath of the Wild, so I’m also trying to play that occasionally since I want to start working on the boss fights.

Posts

I’ve got all of April covered Post wise so I’m going to start on blog posts for May and maybe add a few extra posts to April. I’m glad I’m a month ahead it gives me more time for reading and promoting the blog. I was also super happy to have a very popular for this blog post this month and a spotlight on Twitter by Katie Zhao! Eee!

Mental Health

So if you’ve been reading along with me, back during the first part of the month before the virus really hit, I was worried since I couldn’t take part in my favorite volunteer activity, well it looks like there isn’t even going to be a volunteer activity to go to, so there is the universe for providing you with perspective.

Overall though my mental health is pretty good. I’m getting a little cabin fever, but honestly watching horror movies and reading thrillers is helping, you would think it would be the opposite in a situation like this but what can I say, my brain is weird.

Twitter and IG are still helping a lot with socialization, I feel like I’m more in touch with people through these platforms that I actually have been in person in a while. So there is that.

I know a lot of you are in the same position. But I know I’m lucky I’m healthy and my family is healthy and we don’t have to go out except to get essentials. I hope all of my readers are safe and able to do the same.

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger from Pexels

Pokemon Reads

Pokemon Reads Poison Type

Posted on March 27, 2020February 28, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

The Door to the Lost

Talhaven used to run on magic, but since it lost it’s connection to another magical world, the place where the two worlds used to be connected has been poisoned. Just before the gate between the two worlds closed a skyship full of magical children came through all with no memories of their homes. Exactly what Talhaven wanted, because now everyone hates magic.

Rook and Drift are two of the orphans from the ship. Talhaven doesn’t trust magic anymore, because magic doesn’t just die, it decays, twists, and poisons all it touches and now that poison is going after people.

While Rook and Drift can’t remember anything about their life before Talhaven they may be the only ones who are able to save their adopted new world, if that world doesn’t destroy them first.

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Weezing

The book reminds me of Weezing because Weezing corrupts the air around it with poison gas. In this book, an area of a city is corrupted by bad magic.

Amazon: The Door to the Lost

Want

In Jason Zhou’s world society is divided, the rich use their wealth to buy longer lives and wear special suits that protect them from the pollution and viruses that run rampant throughout the city. Those without suffer illness and early death.

Zhou is frustrated by the inequity and the loss of his mother because of it, so he decides he’s going to change things no matter the cost.

With the help of his friends, he infiltrates the richest of the rich the international Jin Corporation. Jin Corp not only manufactures the special suits the rich rely on, but they may also be manufacturing the pollution that makes them necessary.

But his plans become muddled as he finds himself in the world of excess and against his better judgment he starts to fall for Daiyu, the daughter of Jin Corp’s CEO. Can Zhou fulfill his plan? Or will Zhou’s heart lead him astray?

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Garbodor

The reason this book reminds me of Garbodor is because of the pollution people in this world have to face.

Amazon: Want

The Orphan Queen

When Princess Wilhelmina was a child, the Indigo Kingdom invaded her homeland. In the ten years since she and several other rebel children have been planning to reclaim Wil’s throne. They have a plan to do so that involves Wil and her best friend Melanie infiltrating the Indigo Kingdom palace to get vital information that will help their forces succeed.

But Wil has a secret, it could change everything and save the kingdom, but it also puts her in danger every time she uses it. She has magic, which has been illegal for a century because it creates wraith, a deadly vapor that poisons people and the land and has been moving through the land and destroying it for years.

The Black Knife is a vigilante who tries to stop people from using magic, and if he catches Wil using hers, he may very well end her before she has a chance to help start and rebellion at all.

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Toxicroak

This Pokemon reminds me of this book because there is a poison going over the land in the book. It also reminds me of the shape people take when poisoned by magic.

Amazon: The Orphan Queen

The Castle Behind Thorns

When Sand, a blacksmith’s apprentice wakes up in a ruined castle with no idea how he got there, he finds himself in an odd situation. Poison thorns that surround the castle keep him from leaving.

So he starts fixing stuff survive only things start working better than they should when he fixes them, and he perhaps brings back to life, though he refuses to believe it, the heiress to the castle, Perrotte.

Perrotte isn’t sure if she was dead but has her own ideas about being back from, ‘whatever’ and she and Sand butt heads and first, she is the one who tries to convince him he’s better at healing things than he should be.

She also tries to find the answer to how she got to be dead in her fuzzy memories, but maybe her memories are fuzzy for a reason.

Everything in the castle is more connected than Sand and Perrotte realize and they must work together to repair all the broken pieces if they ever want to leave.

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Seviper

This Pokemon reminds me of this book because of the role the poison thorns play around the castle and the role of a character in the story.

The Castle Behind Thorns

Monthly Reads, Reviews

Review: Newsprints

Posted on March 25, 2020March 1, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

NewsPrints

Spoilers for NewsPrints
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Blue is a newsboy with a secret, she’s a girl. There is a war going on, and Blue loves living and working at the Bugle, the only paper in town that tells the truth. She doesn’t want to be stuck like the other girls, selling cookies to help the struggling economy.

While trying to get away from some rival newsboys, Blue stumbles into the lair of a scientist. Jack is weird and forgetful, so he offers Blue and internship to help with daily tasks and get his lab cleaned out.

But even while Blue is helping Jack she struggles with her secret, worried she’ll be shunned by her adoptive family at the Bugle if they find out she’s a girl. While on an errand with Jack to the town’s military base Blue meets Crow, another boy who isn’t what he seems, the two become fast friends.

Blue also makes another friend at the military base, Julia, of the daughter of the admiral and a female soldier who has been doing military work during the war. She talks to Blue about some of the jobs available to women and what will happen when the men come back from war.

Crow doesn’t trust adults though and quickly disappears through any come calling. However, when Blue passes out from trying to burn the candle at both ends working for Jack and the paper, Crow takes her back to the Bugle and meets her big brother figure Hector, who has been working as a war journalist in the capitol and has some strange theories about Jack.

He threatens to tell Blue’s secret if she doesn’t help him and storms off, eventually leading to him getting captured by police who start to take his theories about Jack seriously. During an ill-advised rescue attempt by Blue and Crow, Crow reveals one of his secrets so he can allow Blue to getaway.

It turns out Crow is someone or something very vital to the war effort, and Blue may be in over her head about what she understands, but she also knows Crow is her friend, and that he hasn’t had much of a choice, together, the two try to find the courage to stand up and be their true selves.

Review

It’s a very sweet book, it’s almost like a period piece but I think I got spoiled by The Deep and Dark Blue. It’s not that I dislike it but I don’t love it, I think I’ll like the second one more.

Five Favorite Things

Blue’s adoptive mom
Crow and Blue’s Friendship
Julia
Blue’s focus on the truth.
Blue’s focus on giving people a choice.

Amazon: NewsPrints

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels

Recommendations, Year of the Asian Reading Challenge

Best Asian Middle-Grade Reads

Posted on March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

In light of the recent racism prompted by the ‘leader’ of the US, I wanted to put together a list of books that highlighted some awesome Asian middle-grade reads. Either about Asian characters or written by Asian authors, or hopefully both. Because Anti-Asian rhetoric is never okay, and those of us who highlight children’s and young adult books need to support #ownvoices authors.

The Dragon Warrior

The Dragon Warrior by Katie Zhao is a lovely middle-grade book with magic, and humor that discusses identity and belonging. The main character Faryn Liu has trained in secret to honor her family and the gods with the hopes of becoming a warrior. But Faryn is shunned by the main organization that does that kind of work called The Jade Society. She and her brother have been shunned by the Jade Society ever since their father disappeared years ago. But something draws Faryn into the world of being a warrior and leads her on a journey that could change her life and the world.

It’s important to note the Faryn is multi-racial she is Chinese as well as Egyptian, Turkish, and Greek.

Author Katie Zhao is a Chinese #ownvoices author as well as a young adult author.

Front Desk

Another one of my favorite books about Chinese characters is Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Based on Yang’s experience coming to America and running a motel with her parents. Front Desk is about Mia Tang.

She’s just trying to be a typical American girl, but she’s keeping a lot of secrets, like the fact that she doesn’t live in a big house and instead lives in a motel where her parents clean the rooms and manage the motel for the cruel Mr. Yao. Her parents are also hiding immigrants in their empty motel rooms, something they’d be doomed for if Mr. Yao finds out.

Finally, Mia wants to be a writer but faces criticism from her mother who wants her to stick to math since English isn’t her first language.

Yang artfully mixes her real-life experiences with fiction to create a beautiful book. It was one of my favorites in 2018.

Kelly Yang is a Chinese immigrant, she is a winner of the 2018 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature and founder of The Kelly Yang Project (kellyyang.edu.hk), a leading writing and debating program for kids in Asia.

Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword

Peasprout Chen and her little brother Cricket are the first students from the rural country of Shin to attend Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword, and Peasprout Chen wants nothing more than to be a champion.

They are there to learn the art of wu liu, a beautiful combo of martial arts and figure skating.

But soon they will find themselves not only battling for top ranking at the academy but facing prejudice when the lovely Pearl buildings of the academy are vandalized.

Now Peasprout must solve a mystery to ensure peace between her home country and Pearl, all while still becoming a champion.

Author Henry Lien was born in Taiwan and currently lives in Hollywood.

We may all be worried about COVID-19, but that’s no reason to fall into prejudice, we should all be supporting each other not tearing each other down. Because Anti-Asian racism is never okay! We are the book community and we are here to lift people up!

Pokemon Reads, Recommendations, Uncategorized

Pokemon Reads Tag Ice Type

Posted on March 23, 2020February 26, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

Prisoner of Ice and Snow

When Valor is sent to jail she can’t wait to get there. Demidova’s prison for criminal children is exactly where she wants to be. It’s where her twin sister, Sasha ended up after stealing from the royal family. Sasha is now severing a life sentence, but Valor is going to help her escape from the inside.

No matter that no one has escaped in centuries, they don’t have Valor’s master plan and resources. But she didn’t count on having to outsmart both the guards and her fellow prisoners. Valor will have to be more clever than she ever imagined if she wants to succeed and make some unlikely allies.

But she better succeed because if she fails, she and Sasha could end up with a fate worse than prison.

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Alolan Ninetales

The reason I chose this Pokemon is that while it seems fancy it’s ready to fight for what it wants just like the book’s protagonist.

Amazon: Prisoner of Ice and Snow

Dead Voices

Having survived a paranormal adventure in the fall, Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready for a relaxing winter vacation with their families at Mount Hemlock Resort. There is supposed to be skiing and bonding and just an overall good time. But it seems the paranormal isn’t through with them yet.

When they get snowed in at the resort mysterious things start to happen, Coco is convinced she’s seen a ghost. Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten children pleading for help, and in the midst of it all, a ghost hunter arrives to investigate the hauntings on Mount Hemlock. The trio wants to trust him, but Ollie’s watch that has helped her in the past tells them to BEWARE.

Will they be able to help set Mount Hemlock’s ghosts to rest, or should not all ghosts be trusted?

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Froslass

It reminds me of the book because it is both an ice and ghost Pokemon and it is reminiscent of some of the antagonists the characters face in the book.

Amazon: Dead Voices

The Lost Frost Girl

Owl is unique, because of her name she’s never fit in. She doesn’t expect her life to be normal anywhere at home or at school. But when she finds out she is Jack Frost’s daughter, things get even stranger.

Owl become determined to meet him and finds herself in a wonderful winter world of magic and mystery. She soon notices frost patterns appearing on her skin, and her tears turning to ice.

Is it possible that being Jack Frost’s daughter means she has ice powers of her own?

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Glaceon

Because one of the characters has ice powers due to their parentage and Eevee has ice powers due to this specific evolution.

Amazon: The Lost Frost Girl

Frostfire

On Choosing Day the children of Adranna who reach the age of fourteen finally eligible to undergo the tests to determine if they are worthy of bonding a Frostsliver. Basically bonding with a living glacier and giving them magical powers.

But only one in a hundred will succeed because they must face the elements and climb to the top of the glacier and cut off a piece. Sabira is chosen to be one of the ones who attempts this climb but she’ll not only face a dangerous pilgrimage.

She’ll face the forces of nature itself when an avalanche cuts her off from the rest of her people. She must face the mountain alone and learn its secrets, that is if she can survive.

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Avalugg

This Pokemon reminds me of the living glacier that is an important part of the story.

Amazon:Frostfire

Photo by Egor Kamelev from Pexels

Weekly Wrap-ups

March Third Week Summary

Posted on March 22, 2020March 28, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

So this post should have been up yesterday, but I had an awful headache, the pollen here is intense. So I decided to rest a do my new favorite thing, which I will get into later in the post, play Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The first thing is first though,

Books

Finished

Seafire

I finished this long fantasy like it was nothing this week, so expect a review soonish. I’m really on a summer books kick, maybe because it’s getting warmer because I was also reading.

Reading

Amazon: Seafire

Silver Meadows Summer

About a Puerto Rican girl who moves to the US and finds herself at a summer camp, she finds a friend but her fancy cousin doesn’t like her and she’s stuck between trying fit in and following her heart and doing things her way.

Amazon: Silver Meadows Summer

Steel Tide (Seafire)

The sequel to Seafire, I actually bought this one, and I almost never buy books but I couldn’t wait for my library to get it on an e-book. The story is great. I’m also thinking of reading These Rebel Waves because apparently, I’m on a pirate kick.

Amazon: Steel Tide

EndGames

The sequel to Newsprints, I’m really liking it actually a lot better than Newsprints, I should finish it this week, so expect a review in April or May.

Amazon: Endgames

Quarantine

I’m doing pretty well being stuck at home, actually, it’s not that different from what I was doing waiting for disability, only with a little less going out. I’m baking some, I’m hoping to bake from scratch some this week but I also have some press on sheet cookies in case I’m feeling lazy.

Twitter has honestly been super helpful, it’s been great for connecting with friends and good for the blog too.

I’m also enjoying planning too. I like using things like the Happy Planner and the associated stickers, I know there isn’t a lot to plan for right now but it makes me feel more in control.

Blogging

Honestly, I was a bit lazy this week, I wasn’t feeling well, due to having a Botox procedure for my headaches canceled so I didn’t get ahead or do any extra posts but I’ll try to remedy that this coming week. I have a special post coming up, to highlight Asian authors, especially Chinese authors, I want to do my small part to combat the racism that is prevalent in the US at the moment.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Let’s be honest about what I was doing yesterday. I had a headache, yes, but this game got me. I’m really enjoying it, it’s the perfect quarantine game. It’s so cute and relaxing and just aww. It was exactly what I needed at this moment in time.

backlog reviews, Reviews

Backlog Review: The Two Princesses of Bamarre

Posted on March 20, 2020February 28, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

The Two Princesses of Bamarre

Minor Spoilers for The Two Princesses of Bamarre
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The two princesses of Bamarre who couldn’t be more different. Princess Addie is shy where Princess Meryl is bold. Addie wants to stay in the castle in the kingdom while Meryl goes off adventuring. Meryl wants to be Bamarre’s hero. She wants to leave and explore the kingdom, Addie makes her promise to stay until she (Addie) is married. Being that she has no prospects Addie feels that she can keep her sister safe for awhile.

But there is a sickness going around the kingdom, it’s called The Grey Death, there is no cure for it except in myths, and Meryl plans to go find the cure after people in their kingdom including their nurse start falling ill with it, and their nobleman father won’t do anything about it other than sending out troops to look in places for fairies where they obviously won’t be.

But Meryl gets sick, Addie must set out on a quest that was meant for Meryl, with a little help from her wizard friend, a wizard who was staying at the castle helping Addie and Meryl’s father and who helps her with different problems throughout her quest. Addie must think quick on her feet. She also has the help of a few magical items, a magical spyglass that lets her see how Meryl is doing, pair of magical boots that belonged to her mother, that let her travel long distances in a single bound, and a magic tablecloth that produces food.

She also must match wits with a dragon. But Meryl is running out of time, and Addie must put together the pieces of a legend to find the fairies, the only ones who can save Meryl and the rest of those who are dying from The Grey Death?

Will Addie be able to solve the riddle in time to save her kingdom and her sister, or is she just not cut out for adventure after all?

Like everything Levine touches, this is another great piece of literature.

Review

Not sure I can give an unbiased review, it’s one of my favorites as Addie is an unlikely heroine. I like most of the characters in the story even the so-called villains, it’s just a great book but then again I love almost everything Gail Carson Levine does.

Five Favorite Things

Addie’s Smarts
The Dragon
The Faries
The Poetry
The Wizards

Amazon: The Two Princesses of Bamarre

Pokemon Reads, Recommendations, Uncategorized

Pokemon Reads Tag-Ghost Type

Posted on March 18, 2020March 14, 2020 by Plaid_Reader

City of Ghosts

Cassidy is just looking forward to a vacation at the beach. She needs a break from the ghosts that demand her attention both around her city and at school. Her break with her family is blissfully free of ghosts, except for her best friend, Jacob, who happens to be corporally challenged.

But Cassidy’s parents have other ideas when they start off their new TV show The Inspecters and tell Cassidy they are heading to Edinburgh, which just happens to be one of the most haunted places in the world.

Her parents can’t see ghosts but Cassidy knows she’s in for an adventure, especially when she hears about a mysterious ghost called The Raven in Red. But Edinburgh’s ghosts are strong, and Cassidy may be in for more than she bargained for, especially from The Raven in Red.

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Mimikyu

I think this Pokemon and this book are similar because the Pokemon pretends to be one thing and is really another and it’s the same thing with the villain of the book.

You can also find my review for City of Ghosts here: City of Ghosts Review

Amazon: City of Ghosts

Anna Dressed in Blood

Cas Lockwood is a ghost hunter, he kills the dead. He’s got the job down pat. Then again so did his father before him, who was killed by a ghost he sought to kill. But Cas is careful, and he has father’s athame and the help of his witch mother. Oh, and their spirit sniffing cat. Together they travel around the nation hunting ghosts.

Cas uses legends and local lore to find his targets. He’s not focused on having a normal teenage life, sure he goes to school but it’s a new one every time he finishes off a ghost.

At the newest town, he arrives in he expects the same thing from the local legend, Anna Dressed in Blood. To hunt and kill. What he finds instead is an extremely powerful ghost with curses and rage like he’s never faced before, and she’s killed everyone who has come to her house.

Except for Cas. Let’s just say Cas is in for more than he bargained for with Anna but is Anna really a cruel spirit or someone who was dealt a bad hand in life trying to find peace in the afterlife?

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Marshadow

Marshadow reminds me of this book because it reminds me of the main ghost in the book, who is a super powerful. But in the end, is really just kind of trying to protect herself, she just has anger to get through.

Amazon: Anna Dressed in Blood

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse

A princess and a peasant girl should have nothing in common, but after Aon’s father disappears taken by mysterious royal guards to help with Dreadwillow Carse, a desolate bog that everyone especially the monarchy does their best to ignore. Aon has some words for the royals

Princess Jeniah is the only one in the kingdom besides Aon with any interest in the carse. But Jeniah is bound by a warning. “If any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall.” Despite this, she still needs to know what dangers lurk in the Carse that might topple her family’s thousand-year reign.

After Jeniah comes to Aon’s village trying to find out more about the Carse, Aon makes sure Jeniah knows about her missing father, and Jeniah knows nothing about it. Determined to solve the mystery the two strike up a deal.

Aon will explore the Carse on the princess’s behalf, and Jeniah will locate Aon’s missing father. But when Aon goes missing in the Carse a guilt-stricken Jeniah must make a choice try to rescue her friend, even if it means risking the entire monarchy, or stay safe. But is Jeniah ready to face the secrets that the Carse holds?

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is:Trevenant

Because it is a ghostly tree Pokemon and haunted trees play a role in the book.

Amazon: The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse

Trace

Trace Carter is haunted by the past and he now may be haunted literally. After an accident that killed his family brought him to New York to live with his Auntie Lea in her brownstone. He can’t seem to escape the flashbacks of the accident that killed his parents, all he can do is try to move on and ignore the past.

But the past has a way of finding him, when he takes a wrong turn at the New York Public Library he finds a boy, a ghost, lost in the stacks with him wearing old tattered clothes.

Soon Trace discovers that the boy he saw has ties to his own history and he may be the key in setting the dead to rest.

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Drifloon

Because the ghost is the ghost of a young person and it follows the protagonist around.

Amazon: Trace

Small Spaces

Ollie has suffered a tragic loss, but when she finds someone about to throw away a book in a pond she rescues the book and learns the story of a girl named Beth, two brothers, and a mysterious ‘smiling man’-a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Ollie believe to think that this book might be real when she finds the graves of the very people in her book while on a class field trip to a nearby farm. On the way back to town the school bus breaks down, and the driver warns them, after Ollie tricks it out of him, that someone or something is coming for them.

Ollie’s previously broken digital wristwatch starts with a countdown to nightfall, and one word: RUN. With two of her classmates Brian and Coco, Ollie heeds these warnings.

Oh and the driver has one last piece of advice for Ollie: “Avoid large places, Keep to the small”

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Banette