Scarlet

Scarlet

by A. C. Gaughen

     No one really knows 'bout me. I'm Rob's secret, I'm his informant, I'm his shadow in dark places. No one ever takes me for more than a knockabout lad, a whip of a boy.

     They never really see. . .

     Will Scarlet is good for two things: stealing from the rich and keeping secrets--skills the are in high demand in Robin Hood's band of thieves, who protect the people of Nottingham from the evil sheriff. Scarlet's biggest secret of all is one only Robin and his men know. . . that she is posing as a thief; that the slip of a boy who is fast with sharp knives is really a girl.

    The terrible events in her past that led Scarlet to hid her real identity are in danger of being expose when the thief taker Lord Gisbourne arrives in town to rid Nottingham of the Hood and his men once and for all. As Gisbourne closes in and puts innocent lives at risk, Scarlet must decide who much the people of Nottingham mean to her, especially John Little, a flirtatious fellow outlaw, and Robin, whose quick smiles have the rare power to unsettle her. There is real honor among these thieves and so much more.* 

    I really liked Scarlet, it was really interesting. I have always enjoyed the story of Robin Hood, so to find a story about it was really exciting for me. This story was fast-paced and filled with excitement.

    

* From the dust jacket

Doomed Queen Anne

Doomed Queen Anne

by Carolyn Meyer

     Anne Boleyn was born without great beauty, wealth, or title, but she's blossomed into a captivating young women--and she knows it.  Determined to rise to the top, she uses her wiles to win the heart of England's most powerful man, King Henry V111.  Not satisfied with the king's heart, however, she persuades Henry to defy everyone--including his own wife--to make her his new queen.*

     Doomed Queen Anne is a about the life of Anne Boleyn, from her point of view.  I have always thought of Anne Boleyn as a bad guy, but this book shows that she had her reasons for doing everything.

     I really like books by this author because it gives the people who are considered bad in history, a story.  It shows how everyone can have there reasons and that people aren't single minded.

* From the dust jacket

Entwined

Entwined

by Heather Dixon

     Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
     The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
     Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
     But there is a cost.
     The Keeper like to keep things.
     Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.*

     I love fairy tales! A couple of years ago I when on a fairy tale rage and discovered this treasure. Re-reading a couple of years later, I find I like it even more then when I originally read it. Aprilynne Pike says, "Entwined is a riveting read—a deletable fairy tale with everything a good story should have: breathtaking romance; powerful and even frightening magic; a rich, beautiful setting; and, of course, dancing!"
 
     This story had one of those endings that had everything you wanted and I was very satisfied when I finished this novel.

* From the dust jacket

The Forbidden Sea

The Forbidden Sea

by Sheila A. Nielson

     When, one stormy night, a mermaid comes to take Adrianne Keynnman's sister, Cecily down into the depths of the sea, Adrianne knows she must fight with every ounce of her strength to protect her little sister. On land, Adrianne toils away, trying to eke out a living for her mother, sister, and aunt, after a tragic accident stole her father. Now, life takes a storage and frightening turn as Adrianne's dreams are filled with the mermaid's singing.

     When it becomes clear that it isn't Cecily the mermaid wants, Adrianne wonders how she can protect her family from their superstitious island community as the mermaid attempts to lure her into the sea, night and day.

     In this powerful tale of heartache and redemption, a girl born on land must choose between the promise of an underwater paradise and her loyalty to those she loves.*

     The Forbidden Sea is a very emotional book.  I don't mean the character is emotional and always crying, just that you feel her emotions.  Her sadness, her confusion, her fear. I really liked this book because, I love mermaids and sirens and underwater magical creatures.  They really interest me, and so when I read books about them I can relate to other books and see how they are portrayed differently. 

*From the dust jacket

Hitler's Secret

Hitler's Secret

by William Osborn

     Otto and Leni thought they were safe. They escaped—barely—from war-torn Europe and are living as refugees in England. But now the Crown has recruited them; Great Britain wants them to go back to Germany. As spies!
     Dropped behind enemy lines, Otto and Leni embark on a top-secret operation. Code name: Wolfsangel. Their mission? Capture the one person who can defeat the ultimate evil of Nazism. Will hitler's final legacy lie in their hands?*

     The book Hitler's Secret will be interesting, if you know what was going on in WWII.  This book was interesting and exciting. It was engaging and entertaining. I like books about historical fiction because they seem so much real. I often times find myself pondering these books more and I do learn about history when I read books like these.

Post Script - This book also goes by Hitler's Angel

*From the dust jacket

The Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy

The Singer of All Songs
by Kate Constable

     Calwyn knows nothing about the world beyond the Wall. She's never seen the golden stone of the city of Kaylsons or the wide waters of the Bay of Sardi. She hasn't heard the wind-workers' melodies in the Isles of Firthana or the occasional explosions from the collies of Mithates. She knows only the rounds of her life as a novice ice priestess in Antaris, tending her bees, singing her chantments, and dreaming.

     Enter Darrow, who speaks to Calywn of discord in Tremaris, where chanters are hated for their gifts. And Darrow himself is being hunted by a man who was once his best friend and is now the most powerful chanter of all.

     To help Darrow, to escape Antaris, to see the world and perhaps save it, Calwyn will leave the safety of the Wall for a journey with a man she barely knows—and an adventure as beautiful and dangerous as the music of chantment itself.*

     The Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy is a very interesting trilogy.  For the first book it's a little hard to get into, but after the first few chapters you really get into it.  You are always guessing what will happen next and you are shocked in every chapter.  The end of all the books leave you on a cliff-hanger.  I was shocked at many parts in the books and I really enjoyed them.  Inis Magazine said, " Fantasy fans from the age of 10 upwards will devour this novel.

*From the dustcover

The False Prince

The False Prince
by Jennifer A. Nielsen

    In a faraway land, civil war is brewing. To unify his kingdom's divided people, a nobleman named Conner devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him on the throne. Four orphans are forced to compete for the role, including a defiant and clever boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. His rivals will be devising their own plots as well, so Sage must trust no one and keep his thoughts hidden.

    As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of deceit unfolds, until finally, a truth is revealed that may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.*

    This book has sword play, complex characters, and a great sense of danger, lurking on the next page.  There is mystery and adventure at every chapter and at the end everything smoothly ties together.  "A terrific story that carries readers along to the very (surprising) end and will leave them clamoring for the next book in her trilogy" said Bookpage.

    This book had one of the biggest plot twists I've ever read. It was a very shocking, but a very welcome surprise! "Jennifer A. Nielsen has woven a heart-racing tale full of danger and bold adventure, lies and deadly truths that will keep reader on the edge of their seats."*

* From the dustcover