Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword

Our rating: ****

One night Ryann Watters is visited by the angel Gabriel and assigned the task of finding the king’s sword. He is given three objects to help him in his quest: a ring, a horn, and a staff. However, that same night Drake Dunfellow, a boy living in the same town, is visited by a dark angel who charges him to stop Ryann. Join Ryann and his friends Liddy and Terell as they travel to and from the world of Aeliana; meet new friends; discover the powers of the ring, horn, and staff; and eventually are swept into a clash of good and evil where only one side can be victorious.

I enjoyed this book. At the climax I didn’t want to put it down! Figuring out how to handle the parent characters in stories like these can be a challenge for an author (I know from experience) and I think Eric Reinhold pulled it off nicely. Overall a good read, and I am looking forward to when the sequel, Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith, comes out! (As a note, I went ahead and categorized this book for all ages, but I would recommend it for readers somewhere around 10 and up.)

Eulalia!

Our rating: ****½

The Searat captain Vizka Longtooth captures a young badger, which he decides to tame. But Gorath (the badger) is angry at the rats for killing his grandparents, and he plans to escape as soon as he can. Meanwhile, badger lord Asheye has a dream, telling him that Salamandastron’s new badger ruler will be found defending Redwall Abbey. He sends out perilous hare Mad Maudie to find the badger and bring him back. If that wasn’t complicated enough, Redwall Abbey has also banished a young hedgehog thief, telling him not to come back for a whole season. The resulting tale does indeed end up making sense in true Redwall fashion.

Doing a review of a Redwall book is always a challenge. I have read all eighteen books before this one, and I already have a favorite picked out. That being said, Eulalia! certainly meets expectations. The characters are just as memorable as always, the story just as complicated, and the ending just as satisfying.

Reasons and Raisins

Our rating: ***½

“Don’t eat the raisins,” says Little Fox’s mother. She wants to make pudding for dinner. But Little Fox disobeys and takes the raisins on his bike. And so begins a series of events with several people who have reasons for what they do.

Here’s a great story to read aloud. Not only does it teach that people have reasons for what they do, it also shows that some people have a reason entirely different than the reason they tell. Young children will love the fun story line in Reasons and Raisins.

Time and Mr. Bass

Our rating: ***

Only a week before the meeting of Mycetian League (Mushroom Planet people who live on earth), Mr. Bass receives a strange phone call from one of the League leaders. Mr. Bass, David, and Chuck hurry to Wales, where the meeting is to take place, and discover that the two most prized treasures of the League have been stolen. One, the Necklace of Ta (leader of the Mushroom people on Basidium), causes trouble whenever somebody takes any of its stones. The other, The Thirteenth Scroll, is the only key to the Mycetians’ past. Mr. Bass and the others go on a search throughout England to find the missing treasures and encounter mysteries from the past about Mr. Bass’ long lost Elder Grandfather.

This is the conclusion of the Mushroom Planet series. It’s also one of the more weird ones. Digging deep into Mr. Bass’ past, and even into the ancestry of the Mycetians makes for an interesting read. I highly recommend that you read the other books that come before this one, though. I hadn’t read two that came before this one, and it was kind of a shock to hear about people that were in previous books that I hadn’t read.

Cinnabar, the One O’Clock Fox

Our rating: ***

Cinnabar is a fox who dearly enjoys to participate in fox hunts. So much so, that he is known as the One O’Clock Fox who always shows up at One O’Clock and will run until night-fall. The historic chase that takes place in this book is between Cinnabar (affectionately called “Cinny”) and a party of men including George Washington.

This book is great! It’s so amusing to read about Cinny and his wife, Vicky, and their four children, Rascal, Pascal, Merry, and Mischief. The copy I read had great illustrations in it, but I don’t know what you’ll be able to find, as this book is out of print. It’s perfect for a chuckle or two.