Book Review: Immortal Guardians really catches you off guard

Hallo. It's time for another book review. Today I finished ready the first book of Fall of the Beasts, the next Spirit Animals series, Immortal Guardians.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Plot:
It's been several months since the events of The Evertree, and Erdas is rebuilding from the war with the Conquerors. However people have been calling the Great Beasts as Spirit Animals, much like Conor, Abeke, Rollan, and Meilin have called Briggan, Uraza, Jhi, and Essix. When you think everything will be fine and dandy, trouble rears its ugly head again. Zerif is back, and he has gained a power that allows him to rip the Great Beasts away from the people they've bonded with. What's more, the new Evertree is sick, and mysterious parasites are appearing that are causing trouble. Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan must return to the role of saving Erdas as they split up to investigate the source of what is poisoning the Evertree and find the remaining Great Beasts and their partners before Zerif can claim them for himself. The stakes are higher than before, for if they fail Erdas as we know it will fall.
I was surprised to find out that Spirit Animals would continue because I thought once the Conquerors were stopped that would be the end of the story. I was delighted to be proven wrong. I was surprised with how quickly things were escalating in this book, and more than once was given my share of surprises and shocks. I truly felt concerned for the safety of the characters, and the tragic turn of events was saddening. Eliot Schrefer knows his craft as he creates a delightful story that takes elements of interior-world novels and Norse mythology, and combines them in an incredible adventure that raises the level of entertainment and excitement from the last novels. If you haven't read these books yet I would highly recommend you do, especially if you love exploring the realms of fantasy.
Caution:
A parasite takes possession of people and turns them into ghouls. A man stealing animals from their partners might be too intense for some readers. Characters are in peril, and there is some action against the ghouls. Animals fight each other and are injured. Blood is mentioned.
Lessons:
A common cause can unite old enemies. We must try to remember the past, and if we don't learn from it we could hurt our future. Be proud of who you are. Selfishness and greed can ruin goodness. There is more to our world than what we know, and we should be willing to seek it out.

Book Review: Spirit Animals: Evertree is awesome

Hi everyone. I've got a lot of stuff I need to do, but I think it's time I gave you another book review. Hopefully this summer I'll be able to branch out a little.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Story:
The Greencloaks are in trouble. The Conquerors have gotten their hands on all but three of the talismans, and only two are in their possession. The last talisman is the Platinum Elk, which belongs to Tellun the elk, the greatest and most powerful of all the Great Beasts. However with Kovo the ape about to break free of his prison there's no time to go and seek the aid of Tellun. Conor, Abeke, Rollan, and the Greencloaks will have to travel to the Conqueror's homeland of Stetriol to try and stop Gerathon and Kovo. However terrible things are happening across Erdas. Continents are changing, the weather's going berserk, and the animals are getting sick. Is there a way to reverse this chaos? Or will Erdas be plunged into an era of darkness?
I liked so much in the book. I liked how the actions of the Conquerors and Kovo and Gerathon are literally tearing Erdas apart. It really shows how serious the situation is. When Tellun made an appearance it's easy to see why he's the greatest of all the Great Beasts. I won't say what, but he does some pretty awesome stuff. Definitely not your average elk. I also liked how more Erdas mythology and history is brought into this book. However due to the fast pace of the book I was left feeling like they could've done more. While the battles were epic in their own right I was just left wanting a bit more. I'm not talking graphic or gory kind of violence. When I think about it I can see the point was to try and get through, not to fight bad guys except when absolutely necessary.
Caution:
A snake keeps taking control of people. Animals fight each other. The chaos the world is being thrown into might be intense for some.
Lessons:
The greatest act of love is to give our life for another. When the lives of our loved ones and our freedoms are threatened it's okay to fight to protect them. This is for people who are of a Christian background: The Atonement of Jesus Christ has the power to free us from the power of the Devil.

Book Review: Rise and Fall is exciting, fun, and unexpected.

Well, this next book I was surprised to find in the bookstore because I wasn't expecting this until next month. It's the next book in the Spirit Animals series, Rise and Fall:

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Story:
The team has been split. Abeke and Meilin have been captured by the Conquerors and Rollan and Conor have to travel across Nilo to find Cabaro, the Great Beast who's not only powerful and dangerous, but is a known human-hater. Finding allies in Nilo is next-to-impossible as the Conquerors have almost conquered all of the continent. Still they must find a way to get the Golden Lion talisman from the lion before the Conquerors do, or else risk Kovo the Ape getting free of his prison. Friendships will be tested, lives will be lost, and no one will be prepared for what is coming.
I have been enjoying the Spirit Animals series because I enjoy how the world feels like Earth but is still different. Plus the ability to bond and work with your own animal is just plain cool. You can tell in this book the situation is growing worse as the Conquerors seem to be pretty much unstoppable. This book will take you on a roller coaster ride that will blow your mind away.
Caution:
Children are in peril. Animals and people are killed. A lion threatens everyone. A girl is killed for failing.
Lessons:
People will try to use our trust against us. Our friends can give us love and support. Deception can come from anywhere.

Book review: Spirit Animals: Tales of the Great Beasts builds the world and history of Erdas

Well Halloween has come and gone and I wasn't able to do any related blog posts. For that I am sorry. I meant to get this up yesterday but got distracted playing Skyrim. Anyway, here's my review of the latest book in the Spirit Animals series:

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Story:
Tales of the Great Beasts gives us stories revolving around the Great Beasts that if you've been reading the series are referred to as the Four Fallen: Jhi the Panda, Briggan the Wolf, Essix the Falcon, and Uraza the Leopard. The book spans the first war against the Devourer/the Reptile King and the forces of the Conquerors, from how it started all the way to the end. We see ordinary kids rise up to the challenge of helping their families, friends, and their homes against the darkness and how the Great Beasts got involved in the war. Everyone has their own problems, human and Great Beast alike, but both work to overcome their challenges to save Erdas at great sacrifice.
I like how the series encourages friendship and teamwork, and the layout of this book was clever. Five authors, including the author who started the series, each contribute a story involving one of the Great Beasts and each have found a way to make the stories unique while fitting together perfectly. The views switch from first person to third person depending on which story you're reading, but that helps to build the story by giving opinions and showing how this war affects everyone.
Caution:
Animals and people fight and do get hurt. A snake possesses people. A woman adjusts her teeth to match those of her Spirit Animal, which may be disturbing to some. A leopard threatens to eat people, and injures some. Wolves attack people, though nothing graphic is described. A snake and a gorilla get really violent. A boy is sick and sometimes coughs up blood.
Lessons:
We can overcome our differences and learn to work together. There is no greater act of love than to give your life for another. We must not let personal ambition lead us down the wrong path. Parents might want to use the Bile as a comparison to the dangers of taking drugs when reading with their children.

Book review: Spirit Animals 5 pulls you like a current

Hi everyone. Today was one of those days where I got a new book and read through it entirely. Today is a review for the fifth book in the Spirit Animals series, Against the Tide:

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Story:
In this adventure we find Conor, Abeke, Rollan, and Meilin with the Greencloaks heading towards Oceanus, which consists of the Hundred Isles. There they plan to find the Great Beast that actually wants to meet them, Mulop the Octopus. However the journey is not going to be easy as the Conquerors have already seized control of the Hundred Isles and the mysterious mole that is giving them secrets. Will they be able to find Mulop and claim his talisman, or will the Conquerors get one step closer in freeing Kovo the Ape? As the stakes continue to rise no one will be able to leave without great sacrifice.
The stories, being geared for a younger audience, might appear fast paced for older audiences. However I still found myself highly entertained by the way so much can be conveyed without overdoing the details. I found myself seeing the Hundred Isles as based off locations like Polynesia and the Philippines. As we get closer to the series end we see that the story is getting a slightly darker tone, both for the characters and the locations. This may seem kind of ironic or counterintuitive as the Hundred Isles are essentially a tropical paradise that you'd would want to vacation at. These changes are definitely going to be useful for having the characters develop and grow as they continue to strive to save Erdas. All I'll say is that the ending left me shocked and scarred as the characters. There is no way I'm missing books six and seven.
Caution:
A boy burns to death after standing on a magic rock for too long. Sharks attack whales and blood is mentioned. There are battles between people and animals, and it might be intense for some. A boy mentions forcing an animal to do his will and we see the animal with a broken leg. A girl has a dream where she sees a ruined garden and her dead father, which might scare younger readers. A snake takes control of people.
Lessons:
The choices we make today can have an effect on future generations, for good or evil. It is wrong to force our wills and desires upon others. People with Christian backgrounds might want to use Gerathon and Kovo as examples of how the Devil can manipulate people. When we use harmful substances we only hurt ourselves and those around us.

Late review: Spirit Animals: Fire and Ice is extreme fun

I know I've been bad about varying blog topics. As many of you know college life is very demanding and schoolwork takes a great deal of anyone's time. However I just got through a midterm and I'm taking the time to do this blog post reviewing this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Story:
The world of Erdas is in trouble. The Conquerors have freed the serpent Gerathon from her prison, and she is causing mischief in many parts of the world. Meanwhile Rollan, Conor, Meilin, Abeke, the Greencloaks, and their Spirit Animals are traveling to the cold lands of Artica to find the great polar bear Suka and retrieve her talisman. Unfortunately it's been ages since anyone has seen the great beast, and the legends that exist suggest she could be trapped. Not only has Suka's absence been noticed by so many, but the people seem interested in keeping the bear missing. Everyone will have to work with their spirit animals like never before, but will Rollan be able to face a surprise from his past and help his friends?
The series always gives you a wild ride with unexpected twists and turns. I like how the different lands of Erdas capture different parts of the world, and the ability to bond with animals helps too. You can tell the connection between the characters is strongly developing, and each of them grows closer to their animals as well. The story is fast paced, but is well worth the read.
Caution:
A snake eats someone and possesses people. People are in peril. Fighting between the Conquerors and Greencloaks gets serious, and the action might get intense for some. A giant polar bear goes on a rampage.
Lessons:
Our adoptive relationships can be just as real and true as our biological relationships. We can overcome the past to move to a better future.

Spirit Animals event and Review of Hunted

Hi everyone. I would've done this post yesterday. However I had homework I needed to do. Anyway, this Tuesday I went with my brothers Jonathan and Michael to see the book party for the Spirit Animals series from Scholastic. I was walking up to go in and I realized the person standing right next to me was none other than Brandon Mull himself. That was a surprise. That was the first time I ever entered the room the same time as an author. The other authors of the Spirit Animals series were also there: Maggie Stiefvater, Garth Nix, and Sean Williams. They talked about their lives and their works, and we saw some funny pictures and videos (Maggie's video of her goats was especially funny). I learned that Garth Nix plays the tie-in computer game. They even did a little presentation for some kids chosen from the audience by allowing them to use their imagination to bond with Spirit Animals. Perhaps I need to explain the series a little bit before continuing.
Spirit Animals is a fantasy series that takes place in the world of Erdas, which is like another version of Earth. There are four main continents as well as a mysterious fifth continent. In Erdas there aren't any magical creatures that we would think of. Translation: No dragons, no unicorns, no elves, no dwarves, etc. However there is still plenty of mystical stuff. When a child reaches a certain age in Erdas they are allowed to drink a special nectar that will allow them to summon a Spirit Animal. Not everyone can do it though. As to what a Spirit Animal is, they're animals that bond with humans and allow their human partners to gain special abilities like healing, incredible eyesight, agility, etc. According to legend a long time ago an evil known as the Devourer sought to conquer the entire world, but was stopped by the Great Beasts. The Great Beasts are the most powerful of all the Spirit Animals and guard special talismans. However the victory against the Devourer was costly, for four of the Great Beasts, known as the Four Fallen, paid with their lives to stop him. However in the series the four main characters, separated by great distances, have summoned all four of the Fallen. Now they must learn to work together and travel the world to find the other Great Beasts and collect their talismans before the enemy can.
I've been enjoying the series and I enjoyed meeting all four authors. Brandon Mull has said that he thinks his Spirit Animal would probably be a dolphin. Now on to the review:

In Hunted we get a little more of a story to show the bond between the humans and their Spirit Animals. Conor and his friends are still working on developing their bond with their Spirit Animals when they learn of the location of the next Great Beast. However when returning home to Eura Conor finds things have changed greatly. The Conquerors, who work for the Devourer, have developed a means of forcing a bond to be made and many in Conor's village have turned as a result. Not only must they get to the Talisman first, but they have to prove that they're the heroes and not the Conquerers. This book was one that made me want to keep reading instead of doing things I needed to do. I kept thinking to myself that what the Conquerers did wasn't creating a bond, it was enslaving animals. Essentially their method of bonding requires no teamwork and no trust. The human has all control while the animal does simply what it's told. It's little more than an organic robot in my opinion. A great story about trust and friendship.
Caution:
Kids are in peril and threatened. Some mild blood.
Lessons:
When we act out of pride, we often do terrible things that hurt others and ourselves. True friendship and teamwork comes from trust. We can be so much more than what we think. Losing a loved one is extremely painful. When we stop and think about our options we can see other choices around us.
Rating: Five out of Five Stars