A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Books for Young Adults

The Beast Player

By Leave a Comment

The Beast Player is another book I read last summer while on vacation that has just stuck with me, so I’m going to tell you about it.   We have interpersonal connections,

The Beast Player is a story about a young girl, bereaved of her family, who finds herself in the unique position of being able to talk to terrifying beasts while living far away from her people. A coming-of-age story where change is vital for man and beast.

The beast player

Basic Details for The Beast Player

Title: The Beast Player  Book 1
Author: Nahoko Uehashi, translated by Cathy Hirano
Series: The Beast Player
Publisher: Square Fish
Pages: 368
Intended Audience: 12-18 years
Genre: fantasy, epic fantasy, women and girl issues, 
Available formats: hardcover, paperback, audio, kindle

Nahoko Uehashi is a Japanese author who primarily writes fantasy books. She is an associate professor at a Japanese university.  She attained a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology.  The indigenous peoples of Australia are of interest to her.   Writer of several books, The Beast Warrior is the second in this series. 

the beast player

Digging Deeper

One of the things I appreciated in this read was that it didn’t read like a translated work.  The story proceeded as I expected it to without feeling stilted due to translation issues.  You could tell it came from another culture, but it fit so well with the storyline, so it felt like part of the story. Just like you would expect with any book written by someone raised in another culture.  Your culture influences everything about you doesn’t it? 

I also just liked this journey of discovery.  Enjoying seeing Elin develop an understanding of her past, and learning how to be the person she was meant to become was just intriguing.   She was pushed out, pulled in, and learned over time to ask for better.  And in the end, her people learned and did better.  A good thing that eh?  

Artwork and more

Artwork is minimal and varies from chapter to chapter as part of the heading.  Simple drawings that have something to do with what the chapter is about.   

You’ll find the chapters have smaller chapters/sections within them, all numbered.  This breaks the long chapters up into readable sections. 

I loved how each of the main characters stayed true to themselves.  Elin’s mothers devotions to her beasts (to the extent she died for them).  Joeun, who took her in, and then the teachers at the Beast Academy, the leaders of the land, and the living shields who protect her.  Each glimpse of these people just open up their characters a bit more.  My favourite character I think was the Ialu one of the royal shields. A strong, silent man with a love of carpentry and a fierce deadly intense quality to him.  A quiet thinking man with reflexes quicker than a cat.  Such an interesting character, I could read a book just focused on him.   Isn’t it great to have books with fascinating characters in them? 

At times I found the story a little bit slow and I just wanted things to move along.  Helped me develop a bit of patience I suppose that eh?  🙂   You will learn a lot about a variety of animals, mostly the Toda and the Royal Beasts.  Animal care is a big focus of how the story develops.   Be prepared for some politics, there are people in battle just so you know.  

I’m glad there is a second one in the series called Beast Warrior.  The second picks up the story 10 years later.  I hope it will give a solidly satisfying ending, I’ll find out when I get it eh?   But Beast Player is do definitely worth the read!  

Medici Heist

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Medici Heist through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Take a trip into the past with Medici Heist.   Back into Italy in the days of the Medici brothers and political upheaval, where revenge, friendship, and family are all put to the test.  Secrets abound, and difficult situation raise ugly heads, and through it all, a bit of history is revealed. Medici Heist keeps you on your toes wondering who will win out in the end. 

Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

General Info for Medici Heist

Title: Medici Heist
Author: Caitlin Schneiderhan
Publisher: Square Fish
Pages: 432
Intended Audience: grade 9-12, 13-18 years
Genre: Renaissance Historical Fiction, Young Adult, LGBTQ, Historical Romance
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio, Paperback
Received: ARC Paperback
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

Author and the Story

Ms. Schneiderhan loves Terry Pratchet books and grew up on them as a 13 year old.  They remain as part of her adult library (I don’t blame her at all).  She’s also an writer for the TV show Stranger Things. 

In Medici Heist she brings us into the world of Florence in 1517.  The Medici brothers rule Florence getting richer while the poor get poorer (with the church taking part in the wealth distribution). Into this world of opulence and intrigue drops in Rosa Cellini, a con woman with a mission.  She wants to steal the money back!   She assembles a rather motley crew of skilled misfits including a tinkerer, a fighter, and a master of disguise.  Artist Michelangelo even plays a role.  But the Medici’s have their own crew, and this crew has it’s own problems.  What will happen?   You’ll have to read to find out!  🙂 

Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

Taking a Closer Look

Mystery presented to us within the historic world of the Medici brothers in Florence, Italy.  We know the Medici brothers are wealthy, and wanting to become more wealthy and getting more money through the church would be helpful to them.  Helping the church sell indulgences may be part of their biggest pay out yet!

But we have a small problem.  There’s a lot of political unrest, more guards are needed to keep the people under control, and unbeknownst to the Medici brothers there’s a lady out for a payout of her own with… just a touch of revenge mixed in.  She’s assembled a crew and as the story progresses we get to hear them all. 

Clear up warning… some of the stories are hard to listen to.  Brutality and hardship abound in the lives of the crew.   Pain is managed and not always talked about, until it is. 

Character Development Pivotal

Relationships within the crew are flexible and not always as clear cut as one might wish.  Same gender relationships are part of the mix.  I was admittedly surprised by one of them.  

Good character development and lots of history is included.  One can well imagine being in the heart of Florence in 1517.   

I do have to admit I didn’t quite get all of the Michelangelo stuff.  He was an important figure but I had too many unanswered questions about him.  Part of that is of Michelangelo’s historic relevance right?  You expect bigger things and more details about him and his work.  It’s kinda hard to explain, but of all the characters, I found his development the weakness.

Ms. Schneiderhan’s writing style is easy to read, with a compelling desire to find out how the story ends.  Will Sarra’s prediction that her tinkering skills will be needed with the wagon?   Khalid’s past… will it catch up to him in a solidly bad way for him?  Does the life Giacomo lived through prevent his future from becoming a reality?  Will Rosa get her revenge or will that desire jeopardize everything?   These questions will fuel the desire to finish the story.   You need to know the answers eh? 🙂

I received an ARC copy to review, so I don’t know if the greyscale artwork will remain as such in the final review copy.  There are three distinct parts of this tale with the artwork remaining consistent for each part.

Should you read it?

Other than the one surprising to me same gender relationship that kinda spoiled the ending for me, I enjoyed this read.  I loved the history, the mystery, and the interplay between not only the main characters, but the little add-on ones as well.   

As a former homeschooler I would want my highschooler to see just how accurate the author was in depicting Italy and the Medici brothers in 1517.   I don’t know my history well enough to tell you how accurate it all is.  🙂  But the sights and sounds feel historically accurate. 

I enjoyed the story of Medici Heist, the stories of the crew drew me in, then the events they were going through swirled around me.  Their life stories brought the struggles and dangers they were to life in a tangible way.  Well-written and interesting. 

Children of Anguish and Anarchy

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Children of Anguish and Anarchy through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Sometimes you read a book that is part of a series and you enjoyed the book but keep thinking, man, should have read this series in order.   THAT is how I feel about Children of Anguish and Anarchy.  Good story, but reading this series out of order didn’t work for me.  I keep thinking, I’m missing something here, there is stuff I don’t quite understand. DO NOT misunderstand me… It’s worth the read.  Sacrifice, determination, a fair amount of grit, mistakes and misunderstandings, and so much concern for each other.  It’s a good team. With a real enemy you can dislike intensely.  All these things make a story work.  This story works, I just wanted to know more.  🙂 

Children of anguish and anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

General Info for Children of Anguish and Anarchy

Title: Children of Anguish and Anarchy
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Series: Legacy of Orisha, book 3
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Pages: 368
Intended Audience: grade 10-12, 14-18 years
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Prejudice & Racism, Sword & Sorcery Fantasy
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio, Paperback
Received: ARC Paperback
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Book and Author

Tomi Adeyemi an American whose parents came over from Nigeria. She is a Hugo and Nebula Award winning author.  At the Writer’s Roadmap she teaches writing skills. Children of Anguish and Anarchy is the third book in her series, Legacy of Orisha.  Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance are the first two books in the series. 

This last book in the series outlines the final battle against Baldyr and his forces. Zelie, Amari, and Tzain need to find their way through turmoil, pain, and uncertainty to fight to save civilization.  

Children of anguish and anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

Looking More Closely

You will discover highly developed characters with their own quirks and foibles.  These people for the most part felt very real to me, though, I didn’t always find them like-able.  BUT one doesn’t need to like every character right?

Whose point of view we were witnessing changed among the main characters.  Chapter headings clearly let us know who was speaking.  They switched between Amari, Inan, Tzain, and Zelie, and not always in the same order. Through each of them we saw different aspects of the situation facing them. 

The writing style was very clear showcasing the danger they faced.  The images given were not always pretty or easy to read.  They faced some solid danger. 

I did find the end result to be disturbing.  Just left me feeling like “meh, shouldn’t have read that”, but at the same time I’m glad that good prevailed over evil. 

For those curious, there is some same-gender relationships happening, but it wasn’t pivotal to the story or made to be a central theme. 

Overall, I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I had read the previous two books in the series.  I felt like there was too much that I missed, that wasn’t satisfactorily explained in this one.  Some books do an excellent job of rehashing the previous story, this one left me hanging a bit.   

If you have read Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance, be sure to snap up this compelling final installation in the Legacy of Orisha.

Four Eids and a Funeral

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Four Eids and a Funeral through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

So take the Islamic community, add a fire, a death, opposition from important folk, and conflict between friends.  Before you know you’ll have an interesting book called Four Eids and a Funeral.   Can the conflict between the friends be resolved?  Can the Islamic community be helped?  What will happen with the opposition presented to them?  And what’s with the funeral?  All these things will be answered as you read through Faridah Abike-lymide and Adiba Jairgirdar’s novel. 

Four Eids and a Funeral

The Basic Details for Fours Eids and a Funeral

Title: Four Eids and a Funeral
Author: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 336
Intended Audience: grade 10-12, 14-18 years
Genre: romance, Islamic, religious fiction, contemporary fiction,
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio, Paperback
Received: ARC Paperback
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Book and Author

The Story:
These days, Said Hossain spends most of his time away at boarding school. But when his favorite hometown librarian, Ms. Barnes, dies, he must return to New Crosshaven for her funeral and for the summer. Being home makes it harder to avoid facing his ex-best friend, Tiwa Olatunji, or facing the daunting task of telling his Bangladeshi parents that he would rather be an artist than a doctor.

Tiwa doesn’t understand what made Said start ignoring her. Though he’s unexpectedly staying at home through the summer, she’s determined to pretend he doesn’t exist. Besides, she has enough going on anyway, grieving her broken family and helping her mother throw the upcoming Eid celebration.

But when the Islamic Center accidentally catches fire, it turns out the mayor plans to demolish the center entirely.  Tiwa needs Said’s help if there’s any hope of changing the mayor’s mind, and on top of everything, Said needs a project to submit to art school.

Will all their efforts be enough to save the Islamic Center, save Eid, and maybe even save their relationship?

Authors Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé hails from Britain where she writes novels.  A Muslin, she has written for various publications and received a number of awards.  

Adiba Jaigirdard is also a British author, and has won a variaty of awards.  She enjoys playing video games and collecting lipstick. 

Four Eids and a Funeral

Let’s Take a Closer Look

I enjoyed learning more about Said and Tiwa’s lives. 

I found the story kept me interested, though, it did take me a while to get into the story.  The characters were varied in scope, age, and interests which adds depth to lives you are reading about. 

I am not a Muslim, nor an I familiar with their culture and celebrations, ergo, I don’t know if they presented the culture well in regards to celebrations, mannerisms, etc.   I do have to wonder about the lesbian in a Muslim family being accepted.  This is not what I’ve seen as accepted within the culture.  So that is something I wonder about for accuracy.  I wonder if it’s part of the “Americanization” of the Muslim culture influencing this. 

Chapters vary the voice of the speaker, alternating between Said and Tiwa.  The chapters are simply decorated, no variations beyond whose voice you are hearing.   The two main characters are unique in their sound and their viewpoints on life.  Both have had their struggles, and the reason for the distance between them is explained as the book progresses.  

There is some jumping back and forth between the past and the present, but not enough to cause difficulty in keeping track of where you are. 

four eids and a funeral

My recommendation

Four Eids and a Funeral is well-worth reading.  Watch as two friends go from a hurt relationship to building a stronger friendship with each other.  Some romance is involved, but it’s a boy-girl relationship with teens, somewhat to be expected eh?  🙂   

It’s not a perfect story, as there are things to tighten up, but it’s a story that takes you away for a bit, and that’s what a good story does.  Said and Tiwa’s tale kept me interested and I wanted to to know how it would all turn out in the end.  I was not disappointed. 

With a Little Luck

By Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product With A Little Luck through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Music, friendship, Dungeons and Dragons, the joys of school, and magic dice.  Smack dab in the middle of it is Jude.  Twin to Pru, friend of Ari, dungeon master, and artiste. A coming-of-age story that is heart-warming, funny, and interesting.  With a Little Luck is a magically musical story filled with a good mix of competence and uncertainty…. teens in a nutshell!  

With a little luck

The Basics for With a Little Luck

Title: With a Little Luck
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Square Fish
Pages: 368
Intended Audience: 12-18 Years
Genre:  children’s books, teen contemporary, young adult contemporary, teen literature & fiction
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio, Paperback
Received: ARC paperback
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Author

Marissa Meyer has wanted to be an author since she knew such a job existed.  She’s written under various pen-names, and engaged in various types of writing.  Hitting the New York Times best seller lists she lives with her hubby and adopted daughters near Tacoma, Washington. 

About the book

Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw comics, host D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.  

Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. …… But how long can Jude’s good fortune last?

with a little luck

Learning More

I have to admit, I laughed a lot reading With a Little Luck.  Jude is such a likable character who just something got in over his head.  His sisters were excellent, his folks were real, and Ari is a sweet girl with a good talent.  The characters fit the story so well and the interplay with them all showed family in action with good friends mixed in. Laughter and fun are a part of this coming-of-age story. 

Jude is an artist!  His illustrations help tell the story!   In the ARC version that I received the illustrations were all done in black and white.  It fits Jude’s style to have them as simple pencil drawings. 

Chapter headings show off the lucky dice.  Lucky number 20 is an important part in playing dungeons and dragons. Knowing Jude is to be part of the stories he creates for his friends. How will Jude handle the luck that has dropped into his life.  Or if the luck leaves, what will that mean for him?   Can Jude truly discover who he loves and what he really wants to do?

READ THE STORY and find out.  Laugh a bit.  You’ll be glad you did.  We all need a bit of young romance in our lives and the love of family to see you through. 

Crown of Feathers Series

By Leave a Comment

So for the past month I’ve been listening my way through the Crown of Feathers Series by Nicki Pau Preto.   This series includes Crown of Feathers, Heart of Flames, and Wings of Shadow.  Young adult fantasy literature that grabs your attention and focus you to listen for details. I’ve replayed whole sections where I know I missed something because I got distracted by my work!  It’s got to be a good read if I hit the replay button eh?  🙂   If you aren’t part of Audible, get your own account! First month is free…

Anyways, I’ve so enjoyed this series with the Ashfire women, Sev, Tristan, and Sparrow.  Honestly though, sometimes I just wanted to shake Sev so he would develop some confidence in who he was.  And times when I just want Val to have a convenient accidental death.  These characters inspired a whole variety of emotion and an eagerness to see how they resolved their problems.   

crown of feathers series

The Details

Title: Crown of Feathers, Heart of Flames, Wings of Shadow
Author: Nicki Pau Preto
Series: Crown of Feathers
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 
Intended Audience: young adult
Genre:  fantasy, phoenix birds, action & adventure, siblings, 
Available formats: Audio, Hardcover
Read: Audio

About the author

Did you know that Nicki Pau Preto is a Canadian?  I was so surprised to learn this.  Though she isn’t fond of hockey, geese, or snow….so can she really call herself Canadian?  A graphic designer turned full-time writer she’s working on a middle school read called The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents.

Instead of going through the storyline of each of these books, I’ll invite you to go to Nicki’s website to learn about each one. Just click on the image! 

wings of shadow

So What Did I Think?

Each book has it’s own storyline and conclusion which I think is fantastic.  I hate when books just kinda stop and then you have to decide if you like it enough to read the rest of the story.  And yet, when each book ends… you want to know what happens in the next one!  That’s a good thing eh?

Crown of Feathers introduced us to the word of phoenix fire birds, their riders, and Val, Veronyka, and the rest of the main characters.  Veronyka finds a place to belong. A home that she can build from.  Hard things happen and we start to see the strong divide between Val and Veronyka. 

This book is a great start to the series, giving a good grounding into the heart of each of the characters. 

 Heart of Flames builds up some budding romances between Veronyka and Tristan, Sev and Kade, and more.  These relationships help them grow into better adults, while in many ways they are still very young in learning to adult.  I really wasn’t keen on the same gender relationship budding with Sev, but honestly, it kinda fit his personality/character.   We get to see the deepening of Val’s darkness, and struggle of Veronyka to be the person she needs to be.

Now I haven’t actually finished Wings of Shadow yet, but Val’s abilities in Shadow Magic have grown in well…kinda scary ways, and Sev starts to kinda figure out his worth a bit. And Veronyka is becoming a bit of a force of her own…. I’m so looking forward to seeing where the story goes. 

So if you like fantasy…. and big flying birds with riders out to do good in the world… then the Crown of Feathers Series will be up your alley.   Get invested in a world aiming for turmoil…. and see if peace results.  That’s what I am looking forward to finding out!  Join me!  🙂 

The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan

By Leave a Comment

Reviewing The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan just because I like reviewing books and this was my latest read.  🙂   Well, okay, perhaps I didn’t sit down and read it, Maddie and her family kept me company as I took care of the rabbits over this past week.   

We spent long hours in the car when my lad was young on car trips listening to the Ranger’s Apprentice.  Flanagan does an excellent job of bringing the Ranger core of Araluen to life.  A word of horses, kings and kingdoms, and men guarding the kingdom.  Sworn to protect the king and their people. Anyways, those stories centred around Will and Holt, the royal rangers series focuses on Maddie.  Maddie is the first female ranger with a tough job ahead of her.  

The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan

The Basic Details for The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan

Title: The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan
Author: John Flanagan
Series: The Royal Ranger (book two of six)
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Intended Audience: 10-13 years, Elementary Students, Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Arthurian Folk Tales & Myths, Children’s Fantasy, Children’s action and adventures
Available formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio, Paperback
Received: Audio

The Author:

Australian John Flanagan began writing stories in an effort to encourage his son with his reading.  Those stories eventually become The Ruins of Gorlan, Book 1 of the Ranger’s Apprentice epic.  His family now includes grandchildren! 

The Story

The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan continues the story of the ranger core’s first female ranger in training.  Maddie, the princess, is learning what it takes to be a ranger.  While on summer holidays disaster strikes!   The Red Fox Clan seeks to overthrow the king.  Maddie and her family are in trouble.  Can she, together with her mom Cassandra, save the kingdom?  Can they prove that yes indeed, women can rule effectively in times of trouble? 

The Royal Rangers: The Red Fox Clan

My Thoughts

As much as this is a children’s story it’s a fun interesting story to read/listen to.  Full of action and intrigue, with people doing good. 

Lessons in honesty, doing your best, humility, asking for help when needed, being patient, and working hard to achieve your goals.  

I love the development of characters and how they say true to themselves.  Maddie’s insatiable curiousity and determination are evident in all her actions.  Her inexperience shows through at various moments which I think is excellent for Flanagan to portray. 

This book is part one of a two part book.  I was admittedly VERY disappointed when the book just stopped.  No good conclusion. Just stopped.  ALMOST but not quite made me stop wanting to read the series. I did pick up the next in series The Royal Ranger: Duel at Araluen. I’m listening to it as I write this review!  

Just so you know, Duel at Araluen picks up exactly where The Red Fox Clan picks up.   I really wish it had been written as one book, but perhaps that would make the book too long for the intended audience?

Should you read it?   YES!   If you like a good adventure story with good morals, no bad language, just overall a good story, this will fit the bill.  As interesting for adults to listen to as well as children.   Go out, introduce yourself to Series from Flanagan of The Brotherband, The Ranger’s Apprentice, and The Royal Ranger.  Immerse yourself in the days of knights, rangers, kings and kingdoms.  🙂