Entries Categorized as 'Incredibook!'

Pirate Shishkabob

Our rating: *****

Recounts the tale of Pirate Shishkabob, a most unconventional buccaneer who pillages ingredients for his kabobs instead of treasure. One day, he gets a letter from King Egleburt asking him to help out with a very serious problem…

Here’s a simple, delightful story for the young and young at heart. Clever text is combined with grin-inducing illustrations. Unlike many children’s books, Pirate Shishkabob is silly without resorting to stupidity. Really, if you can’t read this book without smiling, something is seriously wrong with you.

Third Starlighter

Our rating: *****

Starting where Masters and Slayers left off, Third Starlighter continues the story of Adrian and Marcelle as they try to free the slaves from the dragon planet. Marcelle’s back on Major Four, the human planet, trying to raise an army to help Adrian. Meanwhile, Adrian has his hands full on the dragon planet with new discoveries and mysteries. It all adds up to one wild ride, so fasten your seatbelt!

You can’t get away from the fact that this book is great. I had a fantastic time reading it, getting to know the characters better, and having little aha moments everywhere as the story unfolded. Once I finished Third Starlighter, I roamed the house, muttering about plot points yet to be resolved and wondering out loud how Bryan Davis thinks he can wrap it all up in one more book. That is my only reservation here, and it’s probably unfounded. Do not miss this series.

Song of the Ovulum

Our rating: *****

This is the story of what happened to the characters from Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire fifteen years after those series ended. Bonnie and Ashley, both anthrozils (humans with dragon traits) have been imprisoned for fear of dragon sympathies. Bonnie and Billy’s twin children have been placed in foster care with no knowledge of their dragon heritage. Walter (Ashley’s husband) is free and trying to break his friends out. But he’s going to need the help of both anthrozil children to pull it off. Add to that a parallel backstory beginning back at Noah’s flood, and you’ve got one wild ride of a sequel. Buckle up.

When I first heard about Bryan Davis’ plans to continue the Dragons in Our Midst books, I was skeptical. The eight-book saga spanned the dimensions, carrying a deep and gripping plot to a satisfying conclusion. Why continue? Well, I shouldn’t have doubted. This may not be the best of the Dragons saga (though it is one of the better ones), but it lays the groundwork for much more to come. I cannot wait to see where this story goes in the future books. Consider my hat held onto.

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

Our rating: *****

Cora Crowder bumps into coworker Simon Derrick in a very odd bookstore. That night, she discovers a ticket to the Wizards’ Christmas Ball in a book she bought. Simon finds one too. What follows can only be called a lighthearted romance full of fun, twists, quirky characters, and a little magical matchmaking.

Having previously read Donita K. Paul’s fantasy books, I was very excited to see how this contemporary tale turned out. The result is nothing short of delightful. There are just enough hints of fantasy interwoven with the normality to keep things interesting, while the mystery of it all remains and keeps the book standing tippy-toed on solid ground. What we have here is a satisfying story with twists and important lessons aplenty, without either feeling contrived in the least. You can’t get much better than this.

Masters and Slayers

Our rating: *****

Adrian Masters is chosen by a secret society known as the Underground Gateway to find a portal to a dragon planet. According to legend, dragons from this planet captured and enslaved humans many years ago. Adrian believes the legend is true and will stop at nothing to free the slaves. Meanwhile, his friend Marcelle discovers a plot by the government to kill Adrian before he can complete his mission. Together, Adrian and Marcelle must thwart both dragons and humans if they plan to survive on the dragon planet.

Masters and Slayers is supposed to be a companion book to Bryan Davis’ earlier teen novel Starlighter. It succeeds smashingly in that respect, but goes deeper and stands on its own. Readers of both books will find connections everywhere. Those who have yet to experience Starlighter will enjoy a rich fantasy world peopled by many mysteriously deep characters. Regardless of category, both sets of readers will be sent frantically scrambling to Amazon.com to check the release date of the sequel.