Fighters learn the basics of all combat styles. They must be at home with most weapons and some magic. They must also be adept with using shields and every form of armor. Beyond that some fighters specialize in a specific style of combat. Not all soliders are fighters something draws them to the lifestyle of being a fighter. For this post I’m going to showcase traditional fighters as well as characters who are protective of their friends in tough situations.
Tami from the The Flower of the Witch
Tami has traveled long and far from his home in the south, forbidden to return until he has become a man, in this coming-of-age story.
Defeating monsters and saving princesses has not been enough, and now he must find the fabled flower of the witch, but in his quest Tami inadvertently sparks a feud between the villagers who shelter him and the demon Yabra! And when the conflict comes to a head, Tami will have to choose between proving himself as a man, and protecting the villagers he’s come to love.
Available for the first time in English, Enrico Orlandi’s exciting tale of adventure and compassion is a timely reflection on identity, responsibility, and the true meaning of maturity.
Talin is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as the last defense for the only free nation in the world: Mara.
A refugee, Talin knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts.
But when a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front to Mara’s capital, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? What secrets is he hiding?
Only one thing is clear: Talin is ready to fight to the death alongside her fellow Strikers for the only homeland she has left . . . with or without the boy who might just be the weapon to save—or destroy—them all.
Though Aedhan also plays a role in protecting the village it’s really Erik and Heskiel who fit the trope, going from town to town finding strange things and investiaging mysteries.
This post is covering two weeks because honestly the first week was super busy and tiring. The second week was too but I had a bit more energy for blogging.
I hit a record for reading this month. I read 9 books. I’m going to try for 10 next month, we’ll see what happens but I seem to be back in the swing of reading.
Blogging
I’ve been trying to get ahead on doing reviews for June. I’m now mostly done with June’s posts and happy for it, that way I can focus more on tags and socializing. Because like I’ll note in my May Wrapup, my numbers weren’t great for this month and I think engagement is one of the reasons.
Cooking
The one activity I’ve been enjoying in quarantine is cooking I’m hoping to make either some kind of bread or an apple pie today.
How have the last few weeks been for you? What are you looking forward to in June?
Thea, Coen and Nova thought they were out of all the danger when they escaped the tidally locked planet Achlys. After all they managed to survive a planet overrun with a virus that got the rest of their crew. But now where they should be safe they find themselves imprisoned on the UPC Paramount.
A rebel group called the Radicals who want freedom from the larger political Union plans to use Thea and Coen as weapons to make supersoldiers. They don’t care they are putting the entire galaxy at risk to do it.
Meanwhile, as Nova wakes up from a coma that was caused by the Radicals a new ally Amber begins to shift to their side, but soon tough choices will have to be made.
Thea, Coen, and Nova don’t know it yet, but there are also larger forces at work, forces that will do anything to make sure Thea is safe, but will it be enough to stop the Radicals?
To stop the Radicals they will have to use the only weapons they have left: themselves.
Review
This book didn’t suffer from second book syndrome it kept the action going very well. The political stuff was mentioned in the first book, but I wish it was emphasized more since it plays SUCH a big role in the second book. Then again that could just be me thinking the political stuff wasn’t that interesting in the first book and kind of glossing over it.
Thea and Coen’s bond remains the heart of the book. Normally I don’t like romance, but they aren’t super cutesy about it. There is also another romance in the book but I won’t reveal what it is, I expected it but it was still sweet.
I will say that Bowman had me so emotionally invested in these characters by the end that I wanted them to get their happy ending as to whether or not they did, well you’ll have to read to find out.
I’m going to do this one a little bit differently. I’m going to do books where things seem normal but are really out of the ordinary. They may be magical, they may be a world hidden in plain sight, or they may be a person trying desperately to keep up a disguise. It’s been a fun ride guys so here is the final Pokemon Reads.
Lumberjanes Vol. 1
At Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types isn’t like your normal summer camp. And that’s okay! For best pals Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley, they aren’t exactly normal campers. They are Lumberjane scouts as comfortable fighting a yeti as making a friendship bracelet.
This group isn’t going to let anything get in their way of having a fun summer not three-eyed wolves, giant falcons, any insane quest or arrays of supernatural critters
Lumberjane scouts have some of the best badges in history, so while they may not be normal, they may be better. Instead focusing on friendship before everything and things like talking out conflicts, theses are the scouts for today.
It is the second title launching in BOOM comics’ new BOOM! Box imprint. It’s a touch of punk rock, a touch of girl scouts, and a whole lot of awesome.
I read most of these in 2018 and I plan to do some backlog reviews on each of the Volumes soon.
The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Skitty
The link between the Pokemon and the book is there because of something that happens a little bit later in the series.
Alex Stowe thinks that normal is a world where his creativity is shunned. So shunned, in fact, it’s deadly. He’s about to turn thirteen and. Every year in Quill thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.
There isn’t a question which category Alex will be in, meanwhile, his brother Aaron is a Wanted, bound for the University, but instead of being sent to his death, the so-called “death farm” turns out to be a mirage hiding a magical world called Artime.
It is a place where the artistic Unwanteds can explore their creative abilities and use them magically. Alex is a visual artist and thrives there, learning a new kind of normal he never thought possible.
But twins aren’t often separated, and Alex and Aaron’s bond will be put to the test as Quill and Artime face off in a magical battle over what normal should be.
I also read this series in 2018 and hope to get the backlog reviews up at some point.
The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Eevee
This Pokemon reminds me of this book because while it looks normal on the surface it can transform into all sorts of magical things.
Sometimes trying to find your own normal can be an adventure all it’s own. Molly Nathan’s is a middle schooler with OCD. She doesn’t want anyone to know about it though. Even though her world is spiraling out of control and she’s lost all sense of normal.
Her mother has left the country for a job. Molly finds peace in her rituals, they keep everything safe and normal. There are things to her that are perfect:
―The number four
―The tip of a newly sharpened No. 2 pencil
―A crisp white pad of paper
―Her neatly aligned glass animal figurines
But soon Molly’s rituals start to take over, things that used to be enough to calm her anxiety about something bad happening to her brother simply don’t work anymore. She finds her rituals encroaching on friends and school, and soon her slam poetry.
Molly knows there is something wrong with her, but doesn’t know what. But she’s starting to worry her friends and family will notice her rituals and figure out her secret, she’s crazy.
With the help of her friends and family, Molly may be able to find her own sense of normal with OCD.
You’d think it’d be easy to find books about electric powers and if I was focusing on YA I’m sure it would be. But here I’m focusing on books that I thought had a spark of something special, if there is an electricity pun, well, I’m all the more pleased. 😛
Each Tiny Spark
Synopsis
Emila Torres has trouble focusing, sometimes she doesn’t follow along in school or forgets what her mother or abuela asks her to do. However, what she can focus on is a time before her father’s deployment when her family was whole and made sense. She expects that life will go back to normal when her father comes home, but he comes home different, instead of spending time with his family he isolates himself and spends time working on cars instead.
Emila though keeps an eye on him and slowly they reconnect as he teaches her how to weld, soon she can see her old dad start to shine through, but as she is making progress with her dad, something happens that shakes her community, leaving her friends at the center of the conflict.
This book had just the right mix of dealing with serious things like mental health and PTSD, and reconnecting with family.
The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Rotom
This playful Pokemon likes to get in different types of machines and I can just imagine it in Emila’s welding machine.
Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl
Synopsis
Lizzy and The Good Luck Girl was a lot of things, but first of all, it was cute, it had cats and friendship and luck and it was just a sweet read.
Twelve-year-old Lizzy Sherman lives in the small town of East Thumb, Maine, upstairs from her family’s diner. She tries to keep her eye out for signs, things that will warn her of good or bad luck so she can have a problem-free existence.
She pays attention to everything from clouds in the sky to juice on the floor spilled in the shape of a heart. If she can figure out what theses signs mean, she’ll know what to do next and know how to keep herself and her family safe.
When Lizzy and her best friend Joss go search for a stray cat, they find a runaway girl instead. When Lizzy notices a tiny four-leaf clover tattooed on the girl’s hand, she knows it’s a sign.
She dreams up a plan to hide the girl in her bedroom closet convinced that the girl will be able to protect her family from tragedy. But signs aren’t always what they seem and the girl may have something more valuable to offer than luck.
This book had just the right mix of luck, love and found family.
Just like Lizzy thinks the mysterious girl is going to bring luck to her. Tapu Koko is supposed to be lucky when seen.
The Science of Breakable Things
Synopsis
Natalie’s mother is suffering from depression, and Natalie is suffering too because she doesn’t know how to fix her mom. She has ideas as to why all of this has happened. Her mom is (was) a botanist and got fired, sending her into her depressive state.
Natalie is angry at her dad for trying to pretend everything is okay, and even though she doesn’t want to admit it, she’s angry at her mom, because she feels like she wasn’t good enough, and that if her mom loved her she wouldn’t be depressed.
All this is set against the backdrop of Natalie’s seventh-grade science class. Natalie’s science teacher wants them to find a research question. When Natalie struggles he suggests that she enter an egg drop competition. Natalie is reluctant at first but realizes there is prize money attached and that this might be the solution to fix her mom.
Her mom’s botany work focused on miraculous Cobalt Blue Orchids-–flowers that survive against impossible odds. The one they had at their house has died and Natalie is sure seeing the flowers will inspire her mom to want to be an active part of life again.
Natalie’s friend Twig is the first to sign onto the team, soon called Operation Egg, along with a new boy from India named Dari. With their help Natalie might just have a chance of winning the contest and helping her mom, but what happens when things fall apart like broken eggs?
Having friends around to pick up the piece help Natalie learns that talking about things can start her on a journey of healing and that with help. Her family might never put the pieces back the same way, but that they might slowly but surely begin to heal with or without the Cobalt Blue Orchid.
The book had that special spark of hope and Natalie’s found family is unforgettable.
So these types are challenging me more and more, but I’m trying to keep up as best I can. It’s a nice distraction from what is going on right now. For this type, I’m using strong characters.
A Single Stone
Trapped in a mountain village girls have to squeeze through tunnels to go to far off fields to get the harvest. Jena is one of those girls, she’s strong and reliable. She leads the line of girls heading through the tunnels. It isn’t an easy life Jena’s years spent denying herself food and wrapping her limbs have paid off. She’s small enough to do the job, the most important job.
It isn’t always easy but this is just the way things are until cracks begin to form in Jena’s beliefs and she begins to question the life she’s always known. As the cracks in her world become impossible to ignore she’ll have to trust her own heart to decide what to believe, but can she, and her world survive this shakeup?
Is Jena resilient enough to face down the crack in her world and face a new world with sharp pieces?
This book reminds me of the Pokemon:Rockruff
This book reminds me of Rockruff because small Pokemon that evolves into a powerful form.
All the characters in this book are strong for different reasons, the crew of the Mors Navis are strong because they are fighting against societal norms and the risk of death at the hands of the ruling order. The former Bullets are strong because they are fighting against a past that keeps trying to draw them back in.
Even the morally grey characters are strong because of all they’ve been through, and the reasons they have to be morally grey, it’s kind of annoying. My favorite strong characters from this book though are Pisces and Sledge.
The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Kabutops
It’s both fighting and water type and like the character in the book looks like it’s ready to fight.
The Winter Duke
Ekata’s family tends to try to kill each other off to try and reach the throne. Ekata is the middle child of thirteen and has no interest in the ruling but would like to stay far away from being murdered too, so she plans to go far away to a university where she can be away from her family’s whims.
All she has to do is get through this silly bride show. Her brother has finally been named Heir to the dukedom of Kylma Above and after all the royal pomp and circumstance are done and he picks a woman. Nothing will be able to keep her from her books or her experiments.
But there is one little problem, just when escape seems within reach her whole family except for her falls under a sleeping spell, and even her mentor in medicine can’t find a cure.
This makes not escape not only impossible it also makes her the duke. She inherits her brother’s bride, as well as challengers for a crown she never even wanted both from within and outside her ministry.
Ekata is woefully unprepared for war, diplomacy, and especially prepared Ekata for love. But if Kylma Above is to survive, Ekata must seize her family’s magic and power. And if Ekata is to survive, she must quickly decide how she will wield them both.
The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is Aurorus.
It reminds me of Ekata, in particular because she’s come from an old kingdom and been forced to evolve and find her strength when she didn’t expect she would have and she’s strong because she’s learning how to wild that power.
Come back later in the week for more Pokemon Reads!
The months seem to be going by at a weird pace. I haven’t found myself reading much and just finally got out of a reading slump. However, some of these books make me want to order them from my local bookseller.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea
Dealing with issues of colonialism threaded with magic a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find connection on the high seas.
Abord the pirate ship Dove Flora, the girl, takes on the identity of Florian to earn respect and protection from the crew. Flora is a former starving urchin and the brutal life of a pirate is all about fitting in. But on this voyage she finds herself drawn to Lady Evelyn Hasegawa. Evelyn is headed to an arranged marriage she dreads. Flora doesn’t expect to be taken under Evelyn’s wing and Evelyn doesn’t expect to bond with Florian.
But the unlikely pair has an adventure ahead of them as they set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid who is hunted for her blood. They will also involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, double agents, and the all-encompassing Sea herself.
In her debut novel, Maggie Tokuda-Hall discusses the all-important themes of love, identity, and wanting to control your destiny. Tokuda-Hall is of Japanese ancestry and writes about the importance of colonialism in the book.
Nishat must make a choice between family and identity when an old crush comes back into her life. Flávia is beautiful and charismatic, and Nishat falls for her instantly.
When a school competition invites students to create a business both Flávia and Nishat create henna business future entangling their lives. But Nishat isn’t sure what to do especially since Flávia seems to like her back.
As the competition heats up, Nishat has a decision to make: stay in the closet for her family, or put aside her differences with Flávia and give their relationship a chance.
Adiba Jaigirdar is a Bangladeshi/Irish writer and teacher.
Someone described this as The Breakfast Club but with a mix of Three Dark Crowns and with some dragons thrown in, so it had to end up on the list. When the Emperor dies five people from the five royal houses will hear the call to compete in the Trial for the dragon throne.
A liar, a soldier, a servant, a thief, and a murderer will answer it. Who will win?
For some reason, psychic type reminds me of superheroes and supervillains While they might not always have psychic powers they have powers that set them apart. This power often makes them mentally more powerful than the average person in their world.
Keeper of the Lost Cities
You shouldn’t be surprised to see this here knowing I’m a huge fan of Shannon Messenger’s writing. Sophie Foster thinks she’s just an average human girl but she’s in for a surprise when she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who tells her she’s an elf.
She wants to laugh in his face but she’s also got secrets, she may be about to start a new life as an elf, but it may be even tougher than being a human, with strange abilities, unusual projects, new guardians, and memories that may not even be her own.
Sophie just wants to settle into a quiet life but is she part of something bigger?
The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Azelf
One reason it reminds me of this book is because it has elf in the name, two is because its abilities something Sophie figures out she can do, and three, because it’s the Willpower Pokemon and Sophie, has a lot of willpower to get through her new life and adventures.
A story of good and evil, though telling which is tougher than it seems. The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies―humans with extraordinary abilities―who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society. They established peace and gave hope to everyone.
Except for the villains they overthrew who are also superpowered and have a reason to have a beef with The Renegades. Take Nova, for example, she’s part of a villain group that opposes the Renegades. Nova and the Renegades have a personal history, they hurt her family, now she’s out for vengeance.
But as Nova meets and interacts with Renegade boy, Adrian, who believes in justice and in Nova herself. But should Nova listen to her heart or her past? And will her history with the supervillains even give her the chance to be on the good side?
The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Gallade
This Pokemon has extraordinary psychic abilities and is able to fight just like the superheroes and supervillains.
This book is kind of timely considering we are going through an epidemic at the moment. When a deadly virus swept across the planet, the vaccine created to stop the epidemic worked. Except it came with unexpected side effects for a small percentage of people. They developed superhero-like powers Americans suffering from these so-called adverse effects were given an ultimatum: Serve the country or be declared a traitor.
But there was always a third option: a life of crime.
That’s how Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba is living, her ability to change her appearance at will makes it easy. After dealing with some mobsters Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals. They have to do the impossible and find the formula that gave them their abilities. It was supposed to have been destroyed years ago.
Or so they were told.
Throw in government agents and the lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment start to blur. As the race for the answers about the virus continues the answers could cost them all their lives.
The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Abra
It reminds me of this book because of its ability to disappear at will reminds me of Ciere’s ability to change her appearance.
Steel is a strong and resistant type that can’t be poisoned by other Pokemon types. All these books have strong heroes and heroines that don’t let things get them down.
Mechanica
Nicolette is the Cinderella in this Cinderella story, only her awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica”. The name fits though, her mother was an inventor and she is too, even though her mom is gone now. She’s got a life of servitude with her stepsisters.
However, life may have a few surprises left when Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar on her sixteenth birthday—and befriends Jules, a tiny magical metal horse. Nicolette starts to imagine a life beyond serving her stepsisters.
The timing is perfect there is technological exposition and a royal ball coming up, and Nicolette is going to invent her own happily ever after and wow the prince as well as the entrepreneurs as well.
Can Mechanica build a new life for herself or will she be stuck with the steps forever?
The Pokemon this book makes me think of is Magearna
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The reason Magearna reminded me of Mechanica is that it seems like something she would invent and it also kind of looks like it’s wearing a ball gown.
It’s barely been a day since Edwy was returned to Cursed City where he was born from Fredtown where he was raised. Now he’s being shipped off again, smuggled to a boarding school in Refuge City. He’s there with his sister and brother, but they don’t even like him very much.
But his sister and brother start to warm up to him and teach him about some of the technology he missed out on during his upbringing and some of the histories he missed as well.
But when he learns the other children from Fredtown are stillin Cursed City, he makes a plan to try and get back to them, will his brother and sister help or are they too caught up in their own lives?
The Pokemon this book reminds me of is:Melmetal
It reminds me of Melmetal because Refuge City is the most advanced city that the people on Edwy’s side have, but it’s still sort of thrown together compared to their enemies just like Melmetal is made of just nuts and bolts.
Caledonia Styx lost her family to the corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, now she’s out for revenge. But her course takes her over dangerous seas with her ship Mors Navis, and her crew of girls and women. Her crew is all like her, people who have lost their families because of the evil warlord.
Their armored ship keeps them alive but isn’t any match face to face with Aric Athair’s full armored fleet. After Caledonia’s best friend and second-in-command barely survive an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect.
Caledonia must question everything she knows and feels about the Bullets, for a chance to bring Athair down once and for all. But will this boy be the key to victory or threaten everything the Mors Navis has worked so hard to create?
The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Aegislash
Aegislash reminds me of this book because it reminds me of their ship the Mors Navis because the ship is based on metal and can be both defensive and offensive.
After her parents allegedly committed treason, twelve-year-old Petrel is an outcast. She doesn’t fit anywhere among the three warring tribes. They all live on an ancient icebreaker that has been following the same ocean course for three hundred years.
But things change for Petrel when a boy has discovered on a frozen iceberg and the crew is on alert. Petrel hides him hoping for a friend, but what Petrel doesn’t know is the ship holds a secret and her new friend has been sent to destroy it.
The Pokemon this book reminds me of is the: Registeel
Because the book deals with technological opinions on whether technology should play a role in society the book reminded me of the Pokemon who is kind of like a robot.
I also chose Registeel because it’s a legendary Pokemon and there is a very important piece of technology that comes up in the book.
Eevee is special Pokemon in the Pokemon universe in that it can evolve into eight different types. A lot of these evolutions are based on on the friendship your trainer has with the Pokemon. So I thought I’d do a special series on Eevee focusing on the different evolutions and friendship.
Instead of doing a list like I did for the other Pokemon types I’m just going to do one book each I think embodies each Pokemon. Join me as we explore Eevee’s types and go on another Pokemon and book adventure!
![The Flower of the Witch by [Enrico Orlandi, Jamie Richards]](https://i1.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41oN4hYqnKL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Greystone Secrets #2: The Deceivers by [Margaret Peterson Haddix]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51HdsQB8RgL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Darkdeep by [Ally Condie, Brendan Reichs]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51U1wUllGGL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Midwinter Witch by [Molly Knox Ostertag]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51xxPgVPHgL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Beast (The Darkdeep) by [Brendan Reichs, Ally Condie]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51meKEIsMbL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl by [Lubner, Susan]](https://i1.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511YXH5yK4L.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Winter Duke by [Claire Eliza Bartlett]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51hDRiXu-1L.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by [Maggie Tokuda-Hall]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/516Msd9n3YL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
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