Entries Categorized as 'Advanced Readers'
Posted by Ruth
Categories: Advanced Readers, Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Binding of the Blade, Dragons, L. B. Graham, Long Read, Scary
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Our rating: 
Please note: I’ve tried to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but if you haven’t yet read the series up through Father of Dragons, I’d advise you to skip this review.
The time has come for all of Kirthanin to take their final stand against Malek. With the added forces of the dragons and the Kalin Seir, things begin to look up for Aljeron and the army, but the losses of war are still great, and Malek is getting desperate. Encouraged by Valzaan, the people fight for the hope of Allfather’s restoration. Benjiah knows, however, that before the binding of the blade can be broken, a sacrifice must be made.
Because this picks up right where Father of Dragons left off—a suspenseful cliffhanger—you are almost immediately plunged into a climactic battle that lasts for nearly a hundred pages. At first I found the prospect dismaying, as I enjoy well-turned dialogue or scenes that deal with individuals more than enormous conflicts of good and evil. However, I was pleasantly surprised, and my attention didn’t waver much at all throughout, despite my initial pessimism. And then, of course, there’s the rest of book! Captivating. Everything that has been building from the four previous books is masterfully dealt with, and the story’s climax to top all its former climaxes does not disappoint. Sure, there are some flaws. But it’s not every book I read that can stir me around inside and then leave me with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction, and that’s what All My Holy Mountain did. Do not miss this conclusion to the Binding of the Blade series.
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: Advanced Readers, Fantasy, Fiction, Incredibook!, Review
Tags:Animals, George Macdonald, Horses, Long Read, Poetry
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Our rating:
On his 21st birthday, Andos, our hero, received, along with certain legal rights, the keys to an old desk of his father’s, which he has longed to examine for quite some time. Upon opening the desk he meets a fairy lady who tells him that he will find his way into fairy land on the following morning. Her prediction proves correct, and Andos finds himself in the world of fairies, where he meets living trees, queer people, dangerous beings, and all sorts of adventures—at times beautiful, at times horrible—and learns not to get so caught up in pursuing the ideal that he forgets the good.
This book is a dream, in more ways than one. It is one of my favorites. A classic fairytale, but full of beautiful word pictures and great thoughts. And some nice poetry, too. It is very like a dream because it flows from one encounter to another, sometimes with reason, other times with seeming randomness, but always as a coherent whole. The only two drawbacks with the book are, first: there is quite a bit of romance. Andos seems to have trouble with controlling his eyes, and falls in “love” with several fay, and this “love” is presented as a high idea. Second: the after-life is presented as a happy, loving, “one-with-the-world-around-you” existence. Read this with discernment, separating the pretty from the true or false.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Advanced Readers, Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Bears, Funny, Garth Nix, Long Read, Scary, The Keys to the Kingdom
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Our rating: 
Picking up right where Mister Monday left off, Grim Tuesday calls Arthur Penhaligon back to the House. This time, Grim Tuesday is demanding that Arthur repay the debts of Mister Monday, to the point of sending his minions into Arthur’s world to take away his family’s money, house, jobs, and generally crash the stock market. The only thing Dame Primus can think to do is have Arthur return to the House, try to find part two of the Will, and depose the evil Grim Tuesday. But can Arthur survive another day in the house that almost killed him the day before?
I have hardly done the plot justice in that short summary, but I don’t want to ruin it for you! Grim Tuesday manages to be both scarily exciting and quite funny (in places) at the same time. Although a few places are a bit gross, the rest of the book manages to shine through brilliantly. As with the first book, this one ends right at the beginning of the next day, so have Drowned Wednesday handy.
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: Advanced Readers, Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Bears, Binding of the Blade, Dragons, L. B. Graham, Long Read, Monsters, Tigers
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Our rating:
Once again, spoiler alert. With the by now familiar cliffhanger endings, this next-to-last book in the series is full of revelations and battles, all moving toward the final book, All My Holy Mountain, coming in April.
After his capture in Shadow in the Deep, Benjiah is still in the custody of his father’s murderer. The remaining Kirthanin army is fleeing before the unending pressure of Malek’s hosts. Aljeron and a few of his band have reached the base of Harak Andunin, despite terrible odds. A surprise awaits them in the form of Valzaan, the prophet. Yes, I said Valzaan. Alive. He joins them in their trek up the mountain and into the gyre of the Father of Dragons, Sulmandir. Thankfully, Sulmandir is alive and, after some debate, agrees to help them by awakening his children. Benjiah’s prophecy of the “four races” is on its way to fulfillment with the union of the Great Bear, Men, and Dragons. Aljeron prepares to lead his remaining followers across the Zaros mountains, where they will join the retreating army of Kirthanin in a final, desperate stand.
This book kept me on the edge of my chair. I kept wondering how the goodguys could possibly get into a worse predicament, and then a new disaster would take place. Wylla gets captured, Benjiah’s under a death sentence, a couple of goodguys get killed, (goodguys who have been with us since the first book), Malek has been revealed, and, trust me, who he’s been masquerading as is a bit of a shock, and on top of it all the goodguy armies are forced to surrender! Everything seems hopeless, then Aljeron finds the mysterious “fourth race,” Sulmandir arrives and . . . the end. Sorry, you’ll have to wait until April to find out.
Posted by Ruth
Categories: Advanced Readers, Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Review
Tags:George Bryan Polivka, Scary, Seafaring
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Our rating:
Packer Throme, burdened with an uncertainty and a guilt about his life, resolves to sneak aboard the Trophy Chase, a fine ship manned by the pirate Scatter Wilkens. Or rather, the recent pirate. Wilkens has turned fisherman in the quest to find and hunt the legendary Firefish, fearsome creatures that bring a high price on the market. Packer has information about them and hopes to join in with the intent of learning enough of the trade to help out his hometown. But things are not as easy as they seem, and soon even Panna, his love back home, is swept into adventure.
A very interesting read with much food for thought. From what I gathered, it employs the “turn the other cheek” policy to the point where, boiled down, it’s almost saying that it is wrong to fight or resist when you are confronted or even accosted by an evil person. And I believe there is something to be said about fighting for justice. However, the main theme throughout is really trusting God with everything, including your life. That, I agree with wholeheartedly. I’m still mulling over the rest; it’s a well-crafted novel. The Hand That Bears the Sword, part two of the trilogy is available as well, and The Battle for Vast Dominion, the concluding book, has just been published the beginning of this year.
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