Draekora (The Medoran Chronicles #3) by Lynette Noni

Blurb

“I swear by the stars that you and the others slain tonight will be the first of many. Of that you have my word.”

With Aven Dalmarta now hiding in the shadows of Meya, Alex is desperate to save Jordan and keep the Rebel Prince from taking more lives. Training day and night to master the enhanced immortal blood in her veins, Alex undertakes a dangerous Meyarin warrior trial that separates her from those she loves and leaves her stranded in a place where nothing is as it should be. As friends become enemies and enemies become friends, Alex must decide who to trust as powerful new allies—and adversaries—push her towards a future of either light… or darkness. One way or another, the world will change…

My Perspective

I was hanging out for the release of this on April 1! I bought it as soon as it was available and i couldn’t put it down.

Draekora follows Alex as she begins her training in Meya, specifically the Varranguard, to test her abilities and where her strengths and weaknesses lie. However fate has a different course of action for her and Alex soon finds herself caught in something she never could have imagined.

Draekora is the sequel to Raelia and is the third instalment in The Medoran Chronicles. I was slightly disappointed in Raelia however i can say for sure i did not feel the same about Draekora!

The story continues on pretty much from the end of Raelia. It jumps right into the action and i was almost immediately immersed in the story. It is fairly even paced yet still keeps you on your toes.

I liked Alex again in Draekora however i still find her a bit naive. I feel like some things are so obvious and she takes forever to “get them”. I enjoyed meeting the new characters, who were really likeable and also getting to know familiar characters even more. It was also interesting to get to know them in a different way. You certainly feel a bit torn by the end of the story.

I have to say that the main plot of the story was super predictable however all the smaller storylines throughout weren’t and despite knowing where it was all leading, i still really, really enjoyed reading the book. Like I’ve mentioned before, although it’s not a Nobel Prize winning novel, i love reading them. They are interesting, hold my attention and i can’t wait for the next one to be released. Also i definitely noticed a significant improvement in the author’s writing throughout Draekora.

Without spoiling the ending…it really tears you apart. Even though i knew what was going to happen, the way that it happened was heartbreaking. WHY IS IT ANOTHER WHOLE YEAR FOR THE NEXT BOOK TO COME OUT?

Overall i would definitely recommend this series to those who like YA fantasy, however you obviously should start at the beginning with Akarnae.

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Raelia (The Medoran Chronicles #2) by Lynette Noni

Blurb

“Life is full of crossroads, Alex. Full of choices.”

Returning for a second year at Akarnae Academy with her gifted friends, Alexandra Jennings steps back through a doorway into Medora, the fantasy world that is full of impossibilities.

Despite the magical wonder of Medora, Alex’s life remains threatened by Aven Dalmarta, the banished prince from the Lost City of Meya who is out for her blood.

To protect the Medorans from Aven’s quest to reclaim his birthright, Alex and her friends seek out the Meyarin city and what remains of its ancient race.

Not sure who—or perhaps what—she is anymore, all Alex knows is that if she fails to keep Aven from reaching Meya, the lives of countless Medorans will be in danger. Can she protect them, or will all be lost?

My Perspective

Raelia sees Alex back at the Academy for another year and this time she’s got a lot more experience under her belt. However it’s no where near enough to protect herself against Aven Dalmarta, the disinherited Elven Prince of Meya. Too much trouble comes looking for Alex so with a promise to the headmaster, Alex must find The Lost City of Meya, home of the Elves, to seek their help and to warn them of Aven’s plans.

Raelia is the sequel to Akarnae and follows on about two to three months after the end of Akarnae, starting at the beginning of the new school year.

There was a lot of fill in story at the beginning to tie the two books together, which I could see was necessary to some extent however there was quite a lot of information and it was a bit of a case where the author needed to “show and not tell”. I also found it quite hard to believe that Alex’s parents would have reacted the way they did. Certainly mine wouldn’t have!

I enjoyed getting to know the familiar characters a bit more and meeting the new characters. I didn’t find Alex as likeable as before though, and the brotherly affection she seems to have with almost every single male character started to irk me a bit. Also there’s a bit more sexual tension in this book and I’m sure it would appeal to YA female readers however it made me roll my eyes.

There was more adventure in this book and it really kept you on edge with the perilous situations they found themselves in. It was lighthearted and comedic however with a dark twist, and like the previous book, isn’t an epic – albeit still very interesting and full of fantasy adventure.

I found that I didn’t enjoy Raelia as much as I did Akarnae. There were quite a few corny moments however I understand it’s aimed at YA so I will let that slide. It was more that I found I had to suspend my disbelief even more than the previous book and without spoiling it, some things were just a bit too easy.

I have to say though that it kept me interested and I couldn’t put it down! Also I totally didn’t see the ending coming (I did before it happened but not like half way through or anything). I was quite surprised. I did feel like a part of the way the ending happened was so obvious and I was cringing the entire time however I didn’t see the twist that went with it.

Again, although it’s not the best written novel, it certainly takes you captive and I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in the series. This time I have to wait a bit longer though!

 

Akarnae (The Medoran Chronicles #1) by Lynette Noni

Blurb

With just one step, sixteen-year-old Alexandra Jennings’s world changes—literally.

Dreading her first day at a new school, Alex is stunned when she walks through a doorway and finds herself stranded in Medora, a fantasy world full of impossibilities.

Desperate to return home, she learns that only a man named Professor Marselle can help her… but he’s missing.

While waiting for him to reappear, Alex attends Akarnae Academy, Medora’s boarding school for teenagers with extraordinary gifts. She soon starts to enjoy her bizarre new world and the friends who embrace her as one of their own, but strange things are happening at Akarnae, and Alex can’t ignore her fear that something unexpected… something sinister… is looming.

An unwilling pawn in a deadly game, Alex’s shoulders bear the crushing weight of an entire race’s survival. Only she can save the Medorans, but what if doing so prevents her from ever returning home?

Will Alex risk her entire world—and maybe even her life—to save Medora?

My Perspective

I follow Lynette Noni’s blog and I’ve been wanting to read her debut novel for some time now. I got my hands on a copy and I’ve finally been able to read it!

Akarnae follows Alexandra (Alex) Jennings as she is transported to another world, Medora and the Akarnae Academy for the gifted. Much to her surprise, her arrival is expected and the only person who can help her get home again is Akarnae’s headmaster – who happens to be absent. In the meantime, she is enrolled into the academy, makes two best friends, and is discovering all that this new world has to offer.

A common description for this book is a mix of Harry Potter, Narnia, and The X-Men. While that may make it unoriginal, to me if you enjoyed the story and can’t wait to read the next book, well the author has done her job.

At first the writing felt unnatural, like the author was trying too hard however it soon started to flow a lot better and settled in to a great YA story.

Alex was easy to like. She was down to earth, a bit of a klutz and really put a solid effort in. Her acceptance of being thrown into another world was a little bit unbelievable however the overall tone of the book feels more lighthearted and fun than major epic so I’m not sure whether the author is going for that so isn’t too concerned about it being too believable (this goes for all the technology too, which wasn’t so much far fetched – just the way it was explained was a bit simplistic). The other characters were fun and likeable – Jordan and Bear are definitely the kind of guys a teenage girl wants as her best friends. The villain wasn’t as strong as he could have been, he was the only character who I was disappointed in. He fell a bit flat. In turn, the whole “complication” of the story fell a bit flat. That was probably my only major qualm with the story.

The story is interesting, holds mystery and adventure, is super fun and really goes all out with the imagination. I really loved that even though Alex obviously is attracted to some of the fellows in the book, it’s completely not a focus at all. That part felt very realistic and gains a huge thumbs up for me (so many YA are bogged down in ridiculous romance).

Overall I really enjoyed the story and I found it hard to put down. I was pulled into Medora along with Alex and although it’s not the most original text, it’s fun and lighthearted and full of adventure. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series – Raelia – it comes out on March 23rd!

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

Blurb

As Seraphina travels the Southlands in search of the other half-breeds to help in the war effort, the dragon General Comonot and his Loyalists fight against the upstart Old Guard – with the fate of Goredd and the other human countries hanging in the balance.

My Perspective

Shadow Scale is the sequel to Seraphina and follows Seraphina as she makes her way to Ninys, Samsam, and Porphyry to find her fellow ityasaari and convince them to come back to Goredd to help in the war effort. However she soon attracts the attention of someone else wanting to use the ityasaari and things begin spiraling out of Seraphina’s control.

The story pretty much seamlessly flows on from the previous one and there are little tidbits of information throughout that help you remember any of the important details you may have forgotten.

Seraphina seemed to have lost some of her nerve in this book and I found her attitude a bit galling. She wasn’t as brave and she harboured so much guilt over Jannoula and what had been done to her (even though she had nothing to do with it) that I felt she was a bit submissive in regards to Jannoula’s actions. I really liked Abdo and I enjoyed getting to know him a bit more. I absolutely abhorred Jannoula and was like, please, someone kill her already! What she went through was horrific however instead of turning her life around, the way she dealt with it was so cruel and manipulative. It was fun to meet all the other ityasaari.

The story was interesting and kept you on your toes and I enjoyed reading about the different places that they traveled to.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed in the ending though. I found it a tad lame.

Overall the book was enjoyable and a must read if you’ve read Seraphina to complete the story however it definitely wasn’t as good as the first book.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Blurb

The kingdom of Goredd is populated by humans and by dragons who fold themselves into a human form. Though they live alongside each other, the peace between them is uneasy.

But when a member of the royal family is murdered, and the crime appears to have been committed by a dragon the peace and treaty between both worlds is seriously threatened . . .

Into this comes Seraphina, a gifted musician who joins the royal court as the assistant to the court composer. She is soon drawn into the murder investigation and, as she uncovers hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace in Goredd for good, finds herself caught desperately in the middle of the tension.

For Seraphina hides a secret – the secret behind her musical gift – and if she is found out, her life is in serious danger . . .

My Perspective

This is the fifteenth book I read from my post Credit Where Credit’s Due. I read about Seraphina by Rachel Hartman from Sarah at The Last Book I Read. You can read her thoughts on the book here.

Seraphina is about Seraphina Dombegh, assistant to Viridius, court composer for Castle Goredd. Seraphina is busy preparing for the fortieth anniversary of the peace treaty between Goreddi and dragons. Relations between humans and dragons have become somewhat tensioned though due to the murder of Prince Rufus. Through Orma, Seraphina’s tutor who is also a dragon, Seraphina becomes involved in matters and sets in motion things that cannot be undone.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found the concept really fresh and interesting. It was well written and kept me on my toes. It was medium paced with a good balance of both action and character building. One thing I think would have made it even better was if the author had spent a little more time on “world building”. I found it a bit simplistic and unoriginal.

Seraphina was easy to like although not super easy to relate to. This didn’t stop me from caring for her and rooting for her. She was smart, brave and extremely talented. I really liked Kiggs and Selda, which made a certain circumstance really hard and I was so torn. Orma was thoroughly likeable despite his quirks.

I found it so refreshing that the romance in the book was quite muted and didn’t take away from the overall story.

I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy.

Splintered by A. G. Howard

Blurb

Alyssa Gardner hears the thoughts of plants and animals. She hides her delusions for now, but she knows her fate: she will end up like her mother, in an institution. Madness has run in her family ever since her great-great-great-grandmother Alice Liddell told Lewis Carroll her strange dreams, inspiring his classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

But perhaps she’s not mad.  And perhaps Carroll’s stories aren’t as whimsical as they first seem.

To break the curse of insanity, Alyssa must go down the rabbit hole and right the wrongs of Wonderland, a place full of strange beings with dark agendas. Alyssa brings her real-world crush – the protective Jeb – with her, but once her journey begins, she’s torn between his solidity and the enchanting, dangerous magic of Morpheus, her guide to Wonderland.

But no one in Wonderland is who they seem to be – not even Alyssa herself…

My Perspective

This is the thirteenth book I read from my post Credit Where Credit’s Due. I read about Splintered by A. G. Howard from Bradley at The Recommenders. You can read his thoughts on the book here.

Splintered is about Alyssa, a descendant of Alice Liddell, the famed Alice of Alice in Wonderland. All the women in Alyssa’s family have suffered from mental illness – mental illness that always manifests as something to do with Alice in Wonderland. However are all the women actually mad? Alyssa starts to wonder when she starts hearing and seeing things for herself. Then she falls down the rabbit hole and enters Wonderland for herself, validating that it is in fact, real. However the Lewis Carroll version is much nicer than the real one…

I quite enjoyed this book. It was a great twist on a classic story. The author really made sure that it flowed seamlessly with the original Alice in Wonderland story. It also made you think twice about the original story and what was real.

Alyssa was easy to like although I did find her a bit childish at some points throughout the book. Jeb was also easy to like however a bit too over protective. Despite Morpheous’ nature, I actually really liked him.

As a said, the story was well written and interesting. I also enjoyed the underlying steam punk theme to the whole thing. It was also really descriptive – the language was extremely visual.

The only thing that I wasn’t so fond of was the romantic content and love triangle. It was a bit too unrealistic and over the top and I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit throughout those parts.

Overall though I really enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it if you like twists on classic stories.

Ranger’s Apprentice 12: The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan

Blurb

Will took an oath when he joined the Ranger Corps. Does it mean nothing to him now?

After a senseless tragedy destroys his life, Will is obsessed with punishing those responsible – even if it means leaving the Ranger Corps. His worried friends must find a way to stop him taking such a dark path.

It is Halt who suggests the solution: Will must take an apprentice. The candidate Halt has in mind surprises everyone – and it’s a request Will cannot refuse.

Training a rebellious, unwilling apprentice is hard enough. But when a routine mission uncovers a shocking web of crime, Will must decide where his priorities lie – finishing his quest for revenge, or saving innocent lives?

The final book of the Ranger’s Apprentice series raises the stakes higher than ever. Is Will on his last mission for the Ranger Corps?

My Perspective

The Royal Ranger is the very last book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

Grief stricken from a terrible tragedy, Will is bent on revenge, even if it means breaking his oath to the Ranger Corps. His concerned friends decide that something must be done and Halt comes up with the idea that he is to take on an apprentice…but not just any apprentice.

I think the last book in a series is a hard one to review because it’s essentially ending the fantasy and that can be a disappointment in itself. Especially after twelve books.

Over fifteen years have passed and a lot has happened in that time. Will has practically turned into Halt, which I found amusing however a little disappointing because there wasn’t much “Will” in him. I know he wasn’t himself due to his grief but even then he just read like Halt. The other characters were practically the same however Princess Cassandra or Evanlyn seemed a bit more bossy and bratty than usual. At first I really liked Maddy and I thought she was severely misunderstood however how wrong was I!!! What a brat!!! It was good to see how she grew and matured though.

The story is steady paced with a fair bit happening throughout. There is a lot of attention to detail, except for the ending. I found the story ended quite abruptly and it didn’t match the rest of the book. I think that was my only disappointment with it.

Overall it was a really enjoyable read and I’m sad to see the series end. I would definitely recommend this book, and this series, for children, young adults and even adults if you like fantasy and adventure. However you need to start at the beginning with the first book, The Ruins of Gorlan.

Ranger’s Apprentice 11: The Lost Stories by John Flanagan

Blurb

Everyone knows the legends of the Rangers of Araluen. But no one has heard the whole story – until now. Has Halt told Will the truth about how Will became an orphan? Did Gilan track down Morgarath’s lieutenant after the battle of Three Step Pass? Is there to be a royal wedding – or will tragedy strike first? Inspired by questions and letters sent by his loyal readers, John Flanagan answers all your burning questions about the world of the Rangers.

If you want to know what’s gone before and what comes next for Will, Halt, Horace, Alyss, Evanlyn and Gilan – not to mention a certain stubborn little pony – The Lost Stories is an unmissable read.

My Perspective

The customer who originally lent me the Ranger’s Apprentice series bought the last two books and is also lending them to me. I am very excited to complete the series although a little sad that it is coming to an end.

This book is simply a compilation of various stories that are set throughout the entire timeline of the whole series that help answer some questions about certain events.

All the stories apart from one, are in chronological order, which was helpful and the right way to do it rather than higgledy piggledy. The one story that isn’t in order, doesn’t really need to be.

Each story is well written and interesting and keeps in theme with the rest of the series. They are mainly written from Will’s point of view however a few are not and it was nice to revisit some of the other characters.

This book was a nice touch for the second last book of the series and definitely answered some of my questions. I must admit that i do have a few more questions now however really John Flanagan could go on writing forever about the world he has created and i was excited to learn that he has written a spin off series – Brotherband, which i am definitely looking forward to reading.

Overall this book was a pleasant and exciting read that had you captivated as well as at the same time being able to put it down because it was a book of short stories. I would definitely recommend this book for children, young adults and even adults if you like fantasy and adventure. However you need to start at the beginning with the first book, The Ruins of Gorlan.

Ranger’s Apprentice 10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan

Blurb

Horace isn’t meant to take sides, but he can’t stand back and let an oath-breaker claim the throne.

Horace is missing. Months have passed since he was sent on a military mission to the court of the Emperor of Nihon-Ja but he has failed to return. Evanlyn is worried, and in company with Will and Alyss, she sets out to discover what has become of their old friend. They find that Horace has become embroiled in Nihon-Jan politics. The arrogant Senshi sect has rebelled against the rightful Emperor and Horace has chosen to stay and lend support to the deposed ruler. Now he and Will must find men willing to face the highly trained Senshi warriors, while Alyss and Evanlyn must overcome their longstanding rivalry to seek aid from a mysterious group of mountain dwellers.

My Perspective

Will, Halt and Alyss are in Toscano overseeing the new treaty between Arrida and Toscano when Evanlyn turns up summoning them on a mission to find Horace, who has disappeared somewhere in Nihon-Ja while on a diplomatic mission.

I really loved this book. I think it’s the best one written yet. It was really good.

Will isn’t the star character in this story, Horace takes that role and it was really enjoyable to read about his journey. Also the two girls and their relationship was quite a large part of the book. This lead to some quite frustrating parts and there were some points where I wanted to hit Alyss in the head with an oar. It was also nice to revisit some old characters and also meet some new ones. You couldn’t help but love the Nihon-Jan emperor.

The pacing was great as the story switched between each group so you were pretty much constantly waiting to see what was going to happen next for at least one of the story-lines.

The book was definitely the most mature of them all and I probably wouldn’t feel as comfortable with my child reading it however definitely a young teenager.

Overall the story flowed so well, was extremely interesting and really captured your attention. This is one of my favourites I think in terms of how well it was written and also how interesting the content was.

I would definitely recommend this book for children, young adults and even adults if you like fantasy and adventure. However you really need to start at the beginning with the first book, The Ruins of Gorlan.

Ranger’s Apprentice 9: Halt’s Peril by John Flanagan

Blurb

Halt, Horace and Will are on the trail of Tennyson and his followers. The false prophet of the Outsider cult escaped justice for his crimes in Clonmel, and Halt is determined to stop him before he crosses the border into Araluen. Will has defeated one of Tennyson’s Genovesan assassins in Clonmel – but there are two left alive. Are the extraordinary archery skills of Will and Halt enough to save them during a duel with the Genovesans . . . or is Will’s mentor facing his last battle?

My Perspective

Halt’s Peril is the second part to The Kings of Clonmel. Having defamed the Outsiders, Tennyson, their leader, has fled and Will, Halt and Horace must find him to prevent him from wreaking any more havoc and to bring him to trial in Araluen. However with the conniving Genovesans under the employ of Tennyson, what they have planned does more damage to the group then they could ever realise – causing Will and Horace to face the possible death of their beloved Ranger, Halt.

Obviously this book follows straight on from the last one and you would have thought I would have read it straight after. However the customer who was lending me the series doesn’t have the last four books. This one and the next one are available at my local library however the last two are not – I think I want to buy the box set though, not just the last two!

I enjoyed this book a lot more than the previous one. It was better written and I felt that the author had found his groove again.

Will, Halt and Horace are again all so likeable and it was also nice to meet some old friends again.

The story had me guessing quite a bit throughout and you’re unsure whether the ending will be happy or sad. I won’t spoil it by saying which one it ends up being.

Overall i really enjoyed it even though it did make me slightly emotional and again I’m looking forward to reading the next book!

I would definitely recommend this book for children, young adults and even adults if you like fantasy and adventure. However you really need to start at the beginning with the first book, The Ruins of Gorlan.