Entries Categorized as 'Review'

Byzantium

Posted by Jordan
Category Categories: Advanced Readers, Adventure, Fiction, Mysteries, Review
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Our rating: ****

Aidan is a monk in Ireland during the last years of Ancient Rome. Chosen to go on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Byzantium, Aidan is overjoyed to be chosen, until a dream foretells his death in the city. Captured on the way by Sea Wolves, Aidan becomes the slave of Gunnar. The Sea Wolves set off, taking Aidan with them, to a rich city of gold, where even the slaves lounge about in idleness. The city turns out to be Byzantium, and there Aidan decides that God has forsaken him, because he does not die. Through a series of evil events surrounding a plot of extent that no one imagines, Aidan is led deeper into the belief that he has been abandoned by God. Convinced that he must shape his own future, Aidan sets out to solve the mystery before it’s too late.

I thoroughly enjoyed Byzantium, but must say that it is not to be read by the faint of heart. There are some very depressing portions, and evil is displayed as evil and acts very…well…evil. (Did you expect any different?) Certain battles are a bit graphic at points, but very well described. The evildoers use some language, and there are some references to worldly pleasures. That being said, I would highly recommend Byzantium to anybody who could handle it. Lawhead writes in a way that you will feel that you are actually following Aidan on his journey. 870 very rewarding pages of mystery, excitement, daring deeds, evil plots and a story about finding true peace.

Lincoln: A Photobiography

Posted by Becca
Category Categories: All Ages, Incredibook!, Non Fiction, Review
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Our rating: *****

Abraham Lincoln lived in a log cabin during the 1700’s. He was poor and in debt for a long period of time. But Lincoln was determined to fulfill his dreams. Overcoming ridicule and poverty, Lincoln made his way to being the president of the United States.

This is a great book for history lovers. Russell Freedman does a great job of telling Lincoln’s story without adding anything of his own. On almost every page, there are actual pictures of Lincoln’s life. If you like history, read this book! (By the way, I marked this book as All Ages. It’s not really. But it isn’t Older Readers or Younger Readers either. I would say this book is suitable and enjoyable for ages eleven and up.)

The Minstrel in the Tower

Posted by Sarah
Category Categories: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Review, Younger Readers
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Our rating: ****

Alice and Roger’s mother is sick with a burning fever and Zara, an elderly neighbor, is caring for her. Then, their mother sings a strange song about her brother being a noble knight, and tells Alice and Roger to find her brother. The two children set out on a quest to find her brother, only to be captured by two men and held for ransom! Does their mother have a brother? Will they be able to escape? What will happen to them?

Good book! It’s a fairly quick read and is set in Medieval times.

The Drackenberg Adventure

Posted by Rebekah
Category Categories: Adventure, Fiction, Mysteries, Older Readers, Review
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Our rating: **

Vesper Holly’s back in full force, Brinnie and all. When Vesper accepts an invitation to the Grand Duchess Maria-Sophia’s Diamond Julbilee celebration, Brinnie and Aunt Mary are swept into a whirl of adventure. Strange things are going on and Vesper is certain that Dr. Helvitius is at the bottom of it. Exploding sausages, a genuine Leonardo da Vinci portrait and a band of gypsies. This book is a credit to the Vesper Holly series.

Another great book. (I would tell you if it wasn’t.) It’s not my favorite in the Vesper Holly series, but that doesn’t make it bad. Have fun. (Look! I wrote a short comment!)…(Believe it or not)…(Believe it.)

The Mysterious Island

Posted by Rebekah
Category Categories: Adventure, Older Readers, Review, Science Fiction
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Our rating: ****

The adventures of five men who escape from Richmond in a balloon during the war of the Secession. Northern Captain Cyrus Harding, an engineer, Gideon Spilett, a reporter, Neb, the freed slave of Cyrus Harding, Pencroft, a sailor, and a young man named Herbert. After traveling through a hurricane, they are stranded on an island with only two watches and a notebook between them. No matter the difficulty, they find some way to succeed, even to the point of making nitro-glycerin and a telegraph system for the island! But a mystery seems to follow them, as strange and unexplained help comes to them when they’re in any dire need. Anything from attacks by pirates to an insane castaway, this book is worth reading.

This is a really neat book with a very dramatic ending. Well, almost ending. (They explain what happened afterward) I recommend reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea first, for several reasons, one of which being it helps warm you up for the long scientific processes that are explained. I have to admit, I did a lot of quick skimming through the scientific parts. It’s hard to enjoy it if you don’t understand it. A quick reminder: Several of the facts and ideas in Jules Verne’s book are slightly outdated and replaced, but this is a fun book. Please read it, even for the sake of impressing yourself, because it’s 768 pages of adventure, science and Jules Verne.

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