Sign of the Crescent by Debbie Federici

Terror. Evil. Clutching me. Draggin me... to a black hole. Then this guy with the silvery gray eyes. Protecting me.

Everything that happened that night comes back in a rush, like cold rain sweeping over my body.

Erick- a Haro knight, sworn to save the people of the Oldworld (in other words, humans) from the evil sorcerer, Synomea, without interfeering in the human's lifes. He does his job well. Until Taryn.

Taryn- a Human girl who has almost no hearing in her ear, and has a terrible secret which, even she, doesn't know, but Synomea does.

These days in Tucson, and all over earth, teens are dissapearing. now one knows where they are taken, or even who takes them.

The Haro knights know though. They are called Zumarians, and are minions of the evil sorcerer. They take the teens to mt. Zumar, where they slave away for the sorcerer. When Taryn is almost kidnapped by the Zumarians, and Erick rescues her, they know they have to be together. There is one problem... what about Erick's vow?????? Somehow they must work this out. Before they can, Taryn is kidnapped, for real, and held in Synomea's castle, where she will finally find out her terrible secret.

This is a good book, but I wouldn't recomend this to anyone younger than eleven, because of

(a) the romance and (b) swearing. I liked it though. I would give it 3 1/2 stars. I would say that boys could also read it, but I think that girls will enjoy it better, or at least some of them will... ROLF.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi

"Miss Doyle," he said to me, "have you anything to say on your behalf now?"

"I did not do it!"

" Miss Doyle, the facts have spoken otherwise.. I wish to inform you that the penalty for such a crime is to be hanged my the nexk from the yardarm. Within twenty-four hours you shall be hanged until you are dead."

So saying he brought down his pistol hard upon the rail.

The trial was over.

Thirteen-year-old Lady Charlotte Doyle has no clue how much trouble she will encounter on her supposedly simple trip accross the sea from England to America. From the very second she boards the Seahawk things start to go wrong. First, the two other familys which Charlotte was to be traveling with couldn't make it, or wouldn't. Second, She is the only woman on board. For her eyes, that could be nothing good. When the seemingly gentlemanly captain tells Charlotte to be his eyes and ears among the crew, Charlotte thinks nothing of it. It is his crew, after all. However, when she discovers a pistol in one of the crew's chests, and reports it to the captain, disaster strikes. She soon learns that if something isn't done right, people pay. And, if people try to revolt, your life is on the line.

I liked this book, I might even read it again. Its nice to see how Charlotte evolves from a prim un-likeable miss Doyle, to a strong, browned, trouser wearing, Charlotte. I would recomend this to any girls who think that dresses are horrid, who dream of the sea, or who just like adventure and mystery. =D

I would give this four and one half stars.

Ghost Ship by Dietlof Reiche

Suddenly the captain roared, "Where are they, those doubloons? You had not right to take them, you and your cronies. where have you hidden them?!"

" I won't tell you!" The quartermaster shouted back. "That gold was ill-gotten. It'll be the ruin of us!"

Vicki had nothing in the summer to look forwards to except waiting on tables in her father's restaurant. However, when the bay mysteriously dries up, and the Storm Goddess, a ship from two hundred thirty years ago, washes up on deck, her summer suddenly gets a lot more exciting. With the help of Peter, a tourist, a nosy newspaper reporter, a snack bar owner, and a mysterious log book kept by the quartermaster of this ancient ship, Vicki must discover what sort of mysteries this ship contains. What are the mysterious fights on board? Are the ghosts of the crew really fated to fight their lost battle for enternity?

Cautiously, he put his head out - and quickly shrank back. "I, ah..." he said, turning pale. He leaned against the bulkhead for support.

"What is it?" Vicki whispered. He gestured mutely at the doorway. She looked through it, too - and recoiled just as he had.

The deck was littered with bodies. Dead bodies .

This was an excellent book. I like how it has some supernatural things, but isn't totally scary. Also, Vicki and Peter react like normal people. This is an interesting book. I would recommend it to people eleven and up, since it is a little gory. I would give this book three and one half stars. (out of five.)

The Legend Of Lady Ilena by Patricia Malone

At some point as I let out the horses, clean the stalls, milk the cow, check the fish trap, and feed the flock of chickens, I realize what I must do. it is a frightening thought, but Moren's words were clear. I must travel to the East myself.
Ilena never knew her lineage, or where she came from. All she knows is the story of how she, her mother Grenna, and father, Moren, came to live in the Valer of Enfert. Although she lives this way happily for many years, when her father dies she knows she must find out for herself who she is, and where she came from, although this will prove easier said than done. Her parents never told her anything about her family, except one, small clue which her father gave her before he died. "Go to Dun Alyn. Find Ryamen." The bad thing is, she knows little, if anything about the place, not to mention Ryamen. Never the less, eventually she gets there, only to face the biggest challenge of her journey. Will she be able to accept who she is, while fulfilling her destiny?? (I won't tell you, I don't spoil books.)


I like this book a lot, although not as much as other books I've read. I think that it is a little confusing at times, although that might just be me. Also, you'll want to keep in mind that this book takes place in the middle ages. Although you could probably tell that from the cover. I would give this three stars out of five.

Snow - Walker by Catherine Fisher

He did not move or say anything, but the witch slowly bent before him like a candle too close to heat. Her eyes widened; she staggered to the table and clutched it, one hand gripping the edge, her knuckles white.
"This is pain," he said quietly, coming up behind her. "This is how it feels. And these are nightmares- see them? This is silence. This is fear."

Everyone knows who should be the Jarl, according to the line of succession, but before he can become Jarl, the Snow-Walker came. She came with a man who wished to be Jarl, and who had come and asked her to help. Before long, the evil magic of the Snow-Walker, named Gudrun, begins to work. The old Jarl dies, nothing to show what killed him except a white handprint on his throat. Soon the people are terrified. Whoever stands up to Gudrun pays. With his life. Needless to say the people bow to her, and her husband. It seems as if she is all powerful, and that she will rule forever, but she has one weakness. Her son, Kari.

She had sent him away, banished him, to a place called Thrasirshall, an abandoned fortess far north from the Jarlshold, where she thought he would either die, or leave her in peace. No one knows why she banished him, the only clue is that the Midwife screamed when she delivered the baby. No one has layed eyes on him for many years, but that is about to change.

Her name is Jessa, and her and her cousin Thorkil are banished to Thrasirshall, because their fathers stood up the Gudrun. They are the first two to learn the secret. What will they find? A monster? A way to stop Gudrun? Or both?
Jessa was chewing the ends of her hair. She thought how sudden everything was. "But there's nowhere we can go where she can't see us."
"Or where I can't see her." Kari sat on the chair by the window, his knees huddled up.
"She'll hunt us, yes, like a wolf, sly and sudden, but I'll know. She and I are the same." He glanced up at Brochael, a bleak, swift look. "And we have to choice, do we?"
"None at all," Brochael murmured.


This book, at least the copy I read, was actually a collection of the three books about the Snow-Walker, and her son. If you are unable to find it all together, here are the names of the individual books. The Snow-Walker's Son, The Empty Hand, and The Soul Thieves.

I really liked this book. My mom actually found it in the adult section, but there is no adult content. I think it is simply a little hard to read. Thats the only reason I put it under eleven and up. I was a little jealous of Kari at first, the author made him the main character, and in the first book it all seems to revolve around him. In the other books though, the only way he can actually do anything without dying, was with the help of his friends. I would give this book 3 1/2 stars.


oh, and one hint, don't get too attached with Thorkil, it's not that he dies, but the author just drops him, like in the first book he is really important, but in later books he is only mentioned once. ;) he is a weak character though, don't feel to bad. =D

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

I was no hero. The dearest wishes of my heart were for safety and tranquility. The world was a perilous place, wrong for the likes of me.

In the land called Bamarre, there lived two princesses. One, named Meryl, small and fair, who wasn't afraid of anything, and one, called Addie, tall, and dark, who wrote the quote I have above this paragraph.

Addie and Meryl always supposed that Meryl would go on adventures, and bring back glory and fame, and Addie would happily get married to a prince, have children, and altogether stay out of the way of any sort of danger.

But all that changes when Meryl gets the Grey death. There is a prophesy that when the timid find courage, and rain falls over all of Bamarre, everyone who is afflicted with the Grey Death will be healed. When her father comes back from trying to find the cure, Addie, alone, sets out to try to find the cure. Will she find it in time to save Meryl? or will the two princesses of Bamarre soon be the one princess of Bamarre? With the help of her friends, Addie, whether she saves Meryl or not, learns what it is to be brave.

OMIGOSH. I loved this book. People have been telling me to read it for a long time, but I only picked it up last night. It was about nine, and I stayed up reading it until eleven thirty. THATS HOW GOOD IT IS. I give it four and three quarters stars. I didn't really like the ending, at least parts of it, but the rest was excellent! The beginning also was a little sticky for me, it took me a while to actually latch on.

Step follows step.

Hope follows courage.

Set your face toward danger.

Set your heart on victory.