Book Summary: House of Dark Shadows- GG

House of Dark Shadows

By Robert Liparulo

Taking place in an ancient Victorian in Pinedale, California, House of Dark Shadows is an awesomely descriptive book. Basically, the King family moves from Pasadena for the sole purpose (known only to Edward King, the protagonists’ dad) of rescuing his mother from time itself. Seriously, the house is home to a hall of portals, doors into past times in history. Xander and David quickly discover this, and “go over” to another time. Xander is sent to the Roman Colosseum, where he is almost murdered by a bloodthirsty gladiator, and David ends up deep in the jungle, stalked by three tigers and hunted by natives. Agreeing that the portals are dangerous, they seal the false wall into the hall, but strange things start happening. Like the weird noises late at night. And the enormous man that kidnaps Xander’s mom and disappears into the portals. This book was really detailed and descripted, with several awesome fight scenes, but seemed somewhat lacking as far as the plot moving along. It basically seemed like 286 pages of two boys going back in time for five minutes. I finished it less than a day. However, the second one is better at keeping the story going, and also has the great detailed imagery that first attracted me to this series.



Book Summary: The Two Princesses of Bamarre- GG

The Two Princesses of Bamarre

By Gail Carson Levine

 

Princess Addie is timid where her sister Meryl is strong, and shy when she is brave. As children, they’d act out scenes from the epic poem Drualt, with Meryl starring as the heroic knight. There was also the Gray Death Adventure, where Addie would catch the kingdom’s worst plague and Meryl would quest to save her. No one expected Meryl to be the one to get sick. Addie realizes that the only way to rescue her sister is to search for a cure-on her own. But she does have help. The sorcerer Rhys, her caretaker Bella, and the elf healer Milton all give her gifts to help her on her quest. After nearly being killed by a specter (Rhys saved her), slaughtered (they feasted on her magic tablecloth until they couldn’t move), captured by the dragon Vollys (who told her the secret of the Gray Death, and then Addie escaped. I’ll say this: her escape plan involved a sword called Blood-biter and a pair of seven-league boots), Princess Addie returns to find Meryl just hours from death. Rhys accompanies them to a village near a special valley where the fairies’ secret palace is hidden on a mountain. Years earlier, the villagers there would not help Drualt’s sweetheart, Freya, when she was mauled by a dozen gryphons, causing Drualt to leave Bamarre. He would not return “...until the timid go forth with the strong.” Not all the villagers were cowards, however. Some join Rhys, Addie, and Meryl to the valley where the waterfall is the cure, but Vollys returns! Along with her are several gryphons and specters who slow them down. Meryl doesn’t make it in time. But that would be a really terrible place to end the story, so the fairies apparently rescue everyone, curing everyone in Bamarre of the Gray Death except for the ones closest to death-like Meryl. Meryl lives, but only as a fairy. They meet Drualt, who is also a fairy, and Rhys and Addie get married. This was a pretty good book, but I liked it because of the epic poems. Check out Drualt.

 

And the winner is...

I am proud to announce the winner of the 2013 book series poll.
The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling take the gold, with the Hunger Games close behind.
Also, I must confess that I'm quite proud of you, my few faithful readers, because nobody (that's right, NOBODY) picked Twilight! Better believe it, you guys know good reading material when you see it! Congrats, JKR!