The Lost Hero- Rick Riordan

This is the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series, which is the second series of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
This new series picks up after the events in the first one which was centered around Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson was a huge hit around the world and this new series promises to continue the sensation.

In this book, the main protagonist is Jason. He wakes up and finds that he doesn't remember anything, not even who he is. But to his two best friends Leo Valdez and Piper McLean, he has been around for months. Jason, however, is sure that he has never seen the two before.

While they are on a school trip, they are attacked. During the attack they meet two demigods, one of whom is Annabeth. Soon, they learn that they themselves are demigods, the children of the Gods and mortal parents. They also learn that Annabeth is searching for someone who has been missing for three days- Percy Jackson.

They are escorted to Camp Half-Blood where they hope things will clear up. But things just get worse. Problems are arising, Olympus has sealed itself off and Jason still can't remember a thing. Not to mention Piper has worries of her own, worries that shes afraid to tell anyone of. The three of them must set out on a quest to find out what is wrong and hopefully bring things back to normal.

I have to say that I liked Percy Jackson a lot, and this is perfect continuation to that series. Things are pretty much the same as before. The only thing that has changed is the characters. Even that isn't too different. All the old characters are there, minus Percy. But they don't really play too important roles; after all, this is a new series and the old characters need to move aside for new, fresher ones.

The pace is fast, and the story is entertaining. I like the new twist of the Roman Gods. It lends the new series a different touch from the older one. The Greek ones are still there, but the Roman ones heighten the interest in the new series even more.

Anyone who read and loved Percy Jackson will definitely want to read this book.

The High Lord- Trudi Canavan

This is the final book in the Black Magician Trilogy. It was a good end, but could have been better. See my reviews for the first two books also- The Magician's Guild and The Novice.


The story starts off a year after Sonea beat Regin in a dual. She is finally respected by the novices and even her teachers recognize her exceptional power. Not to mention, she is also the High Lord's favorite. But Sonea is not very happy. She lives in fear of the High Lord, with the memory of the night when Akkarin killed the man branded in her mind. She can't tell anyone what happened in fear of what Akkarin might do to her, Rothen or the Guild.


She moves along in life, learning magic. But soon, Akkarin starts showing her books on Black Magic. At first, Sonea doesn't know why he is showing this to her. Slowly, a more devious plot starts to unravel in front of her and she starts to realize that Akkarin may be the least of her problems. 


Meanwhile, in the slums of Kyralia, a series of murders is taking place which has the Guild and Thieves both confused over who is responsible. However, Loren, the Guild's Administrator, has his suspicions but hopes they aren't true. He may be forced to do things which he has been trying to avoid for a long time. 


The High Lord picked up very nicely from The Novice, but the story soon started loosing substance. It began to pick up again towards the middle and finished with a satisfying ending. If it wasn't for that lapse in the beginning, I would have found it as good as the other two books. The way things happened for Sonea and Akkarin was quite unexpected. 


Thats pretty much it. I think for anyone who likes fantasy, the Black Magician Trilogy is a must.

Mockingjay- Suzanne Collins

This is the third and final book in the Hunger Games Trilogy. If you haven't read the first two books yet, I wouldn't advise you to read this review just yet. Instead, take a look at my reviews of the first two books- The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.


After escaping the Arena of the Quarter Quell, Katniss finds herself one of the newest residents of District 13, which was supposedly wiped out by the Capitol. She made it out of the Quarter Quell but the experience and the fact that Peeta is a prisoner of the Capitol has left her in a mentally unstable state. She slowly starts to recover, but the slightest provocation could push her over the edge. But with support from her mother, her sister Prim, and her long-time friend Gale, Katniss pushes along. 


She finds that the leaders of District 13 have high hopes about her. She was the one who inspired the other Districts to rebel with her act of defiance in the Hunger Games. So, the leaders want her to be the Mockingjay of the revolution, a person to whom all the Districts could look up to. But Katniss has had enough of the revolution and is sick of how everybody is using and manipulating her. She doesn't want to involve herself anymore in it. But she needs to co-operate if she wants to see one person again- Peeta. 
Also, she will have to decide where her heart lays: with Peeta or with Gale.


Well, I have to say I really liked the first two books, and I was a bit disappointed with this one. I had high hopes for it, bu it didn't really meet my expectations.


The beginning of the book was a radical shift from how the other two books began. It kind of threw me off. The events here were quite vague and didn't really suit the suspense built up in the ending of Catching Fire. 
Next was that a certain speed was lacking. Probably because the first two books were thick in the suspense of the Hunger Games quite early on. 
I also found the narration by Katniss in her mentally disturbed states disorienting. I couldn't focus too much on the book because I was putting it down so often to give myself a break from it.


Although, I suppose this different style is what attracts many readers. After all, the book has gotten a good reception. So, I suggest you try the book out for yourself and see what you think about it. 

Eldest- Christopher Paolini

The second book in Christopher Paolini's famous young adult series- the Inheritance Series. A much loved book which continues the story of  Eragon in an enthusiastic way.
If you haven't read the first book Eragon, then skip this review and look at my Eragon review here. Then decide whether you want to read Eragon and then come back to this.

The story picks up three days after the Battle of Farthen Dûr, which is a mountain where the capital city of the Dwarf empire, Tronjheim, is located. During the battle, Eragon killed the shade Durza, earning him the name of Shadeslayer. But he also picked up another memento- a huge scar across his back which wracks him with pain at the slightest excursion.

In the first chapter itself, things start to get interesting when the Varden leader, Ajihad, is killed by Urgals. Murtagh and the Twins are also presumed dead after their bodies could not be located. Also, Eragon could not scry Murtagh. Amid this turmoil, Eragon must now adventure to the land of the Elves to complete his Rider training. He must also find the mysterious Mourning Sage who saved his life after the Battle.

In Ellesméra, the capital of the Elves, Eragon finds many new surprises and challenges. As he gears up for war, his cousin Roran fights a different battle back home at Carvahall. The Ra'zac have returned looking for clues to Eragon's whereabouts. They threaten the lives of Roran and every other person there. Roran's battle affects the destiny of Eragon more than anyone can imagine.

Eragon was a very nice read, and Eldest continues the story in a satisfying way. I will not comment on the originality of the series as a whole which has come under a lot of criticism. I just look at whether a book can interest me as a reader. Eldest has done that.

Compared to Eragon, the tone of this book is more laid back, which kind of better in a sense since it lends the story a more uniform pace ( remember I had talked about an irregularity of pace in my Eragon review). The character development was once again good. The new point of views lend a more refreshing look to the story and avoids a feeling of isolation as Eragon was stuck in one place with no word on the outside world. Overall, I think Eldest was a much better job than Eragon.

For those who were impressed by Eragon, don't hesitate to give this a try. If you weren't impressed with Eragon, then you should still give this shot; you may find this better.

The Amulet of Samarkand- Jonathan Stroud

The first book in the famous Bartimaeus trilogy, acclaimed as one of the best young adult fantasy series out there.

The main protagonist is a djinni called Bartimaeus who has been summoned by a child, Nathaniel. Nathaniel is an apprenrice under a mediocre magician Arthur Underwood who is the assistant magician in Internal Affairs of the British Government.
Bartimaeus is a 3,000 year old djinni who has served under a number of other masters before, most notably Ptolemy of Egypt.

Nathanial was abandoned in his early childhood by his parents. He was raised by Arthut Underwood and his wife. Mr. Underwood started to teach Nathaniel magic. Around when he was ten years old, a very strong magician called Simon Lovelace had come to Arthur's house for an event.  Simon taunted Nathaniel and finally, Nathaniel snapped. He attacked Simon but was overpowered. While this was going on, Arthur stood by and watched, too scared to intervene. This caused a deep seated resentment to build up in Nathaniel towards both men. He vowed to take revenge on Simon.

So, when he was twelve, Nathaniel summoned Bartimaeus and charged him to steal a valuble possension from Simon Lovelace- the Amulet of Samarkand. But this theft sets off a chain of events which hurtles Natheniel into an adventure he was not prepared for. Will he and Bartimaeus make it through and save the day?

There are many things I liked about his book:
First is that the story is very unique. The concept of London as we know it being run by magicians who control various spirit-like things is quite original.
Next is Bartimaeus' absolutely brilliant character. He is extremely witty and humorous, and can make light of any situation. I loved his footnotes. They provided an amusing break from the story by diverting just a little bit.
Also, I liked how the story went along. It wasn't boring nor was it a on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of adventure. It was a simple narrative given a twist with Bartimaeus' way of telling it. There is actually a noticeable difference when the point of view changes from Bartimaeus to Nathaniel.

All people should give this a try. It's a light read and provides a good break.

Pendragon: The Merchant of Death- D.J. MacHale

The first book in D.J. MacHale's brilliant fantasy series- The Pendragon Adventures. Definitely a must read for all young adults out there.

The book- and series- is all about the adventure of a young boy, Bobby Pendragon, to save the universe which is made up of many different territories. Each has its own races, cultures and phases of development. They all exist peacefully and independently, blissfully unaware of each other.

But there is an evil guy out there, Saint Dane, who wants to throw each into chaos by influencing the outcomes of each of their 'turning points'. Thankfully, there are a group of people out there called Travelers who jump between Terrertoies and try to keep order and help set things right.

Bobby is one such Traveller. He is whisked away from his perfect life by his Uncle Press who is also a Traveler. Together, they go to Dendrudon where there are two groups of people at odds with each other: the Milago and the Bedoowans. The Milago are miners and the Bedoowan are the warriors and rulers. The Milago are treated very badly and are made to work in very dangerous conditions for the benifit of the Bedoowan. So naturally, the Milago are unhappy. They want to do something, but the Bedoowan make sure the Milago never get the chance to revolt. Bobby and Press are joined by a few more Traveler friends and soon find out that Saint Dane is pulling the strings. They have to do something to stop him otherwise the whole Territory will crumble.

The story may sound corny, but it's pretty good to read. It's different, especially how the story is told, in the form of journals which are a kind of travelogue. The whole concept is completely original; I don't think there is any other plot quite like this one. Also, it's very entertaining. It doesn't have too much suspense, but has a steady flow. So give it a try if you haven't already. 

Catching Fire- Suzanne Collins

An incredible sequel to the Hunger Games (See its review here). The quality of the series hasn't diminished even a bit.

The story starts off after Katniss returns home from the Hunger Games crowned as the champion along with Peeta. They settle down and begin to prepare for their victory tour, where they visit all the Districts. This is tradition for the Game's victors. But before they leave, Katniss learns that their act of defiance during the Hunger Games has led to unrest in the other Districts, because they have started to realize that they can stand up to the Capitol.

Soon enough, President Snow himself visits Katniss and threatens to kill her friends and family if she doesn't try to keep the peace of the Districts. Even though Katniss tries, President Snow still gets his revenge on Katniss.

Another well laid out book. The same amount of suspense as the Hunger Games. The flow of the story wasn't disturbed at all. I liked some of the twists in the plot, but I can't mention them otherwise I would ruin the story. So read it for yourself.

Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex- Eoin Colfer

The newest Artemis Fowl book. When I read the back, I thought here we go again. Another Time Paradox-like book. It went something along the lines of- Evil robots are attacking Atlantis. But Artemis cannot fight them because he has become nice, as a result of some disease called the Atlantis Complex.

However, despite this, I went ahead and read the book. It wasn't the best Artemis Fowl, but it was a definite improvement from the Time Paradox.

The story line is basically what I've already said. Artemis has a disease called the Atlantis Complex. In its first stage, it causes delusions and paranoia. In the second stage, it causes multi-personality disorder. So, Artemis develops another personality, Orion, who is a nice person and a hopeless romantic. Holly and Foaly have to put up with this new character and try to save Atlantis.

The story wasn't boring, but neither was it totally gripping. Sure, it had some excitement, but not as much as the first five books. But it was better than the sixth book. There isn't that much to say, so try out the book and see if you like it.

The Novice- Trudi Canavan

I've already done a review on this book's prequel, The Magician's Guild. I liked that book a lot, and this one has kept the same standard.

NOTE: If you haven't read The Magician's Guild, don't read this review. It may spoil some parts of the the book.

The story picks up a few months after the previous book. Sonea is finally accepted into the Guild and officially becomes a Novice, with Rothen as her Guardian. But not all Magicians and Novices are happy with here presence at the Guild. Many Novices consider a girl from the slums beneath them. They start to harass her. Led by another Novice, Regin, a group starts to make her life absolute hell. They pick on her, frame her for various thefts, and start attacking her. Added to this is the danger now presented by the High Lord Akkarin. After all, she knows his little secret; that he is a Black Magician.

Meanwhile, Administrator Loren wants to know more about Akkarin, from where he learnt Black Magic. He sees his opportunity when Dannyl becomes an Ambassador to Elyne. Loren gives Dannyl the additional task of finding out about Akkarin's past, but doesn't let him know the reason, because no one can know the truth about Akkarin.

Though the story is told from four point-of-views, there are essentially two main parts.
One is Sonea's life in the Guild, constantly dodging other Novices, avoiding attacks from them and trying to hide certain knowledge from the High Lord.
Second is Dannyl's quest to find out about the High Lord.
The other POVs, Rothen's and Loren's, provide a different perspective on both part and connect the two.

After reading both the first and second book, you start to get and idea of how the plot is playing out. Pretty much the same standard and quality as the previous book, which is good. I don't think I have to call this a must read because anyone who has read the previous book will want to read this anyway.

Eragon- Christopher Paolini

One of my favorites and certainly one of the best young adult book out there.

Once upon a time in the land of Alagaesia, there were the dragon riders. They united the elves humans and dwarves and protected these races from the Urgals and any other problems which came along. They were as powerful as kings and were the strongest warriors out there.

But then came Galbatorix. He was a Rider, but his dragon died as he fought some Urgals. He begged the other Riders for another one, but they refused. Demented and enraged, Galbatorix and his partner Morzan killed another Rider, stole his dragon, and fled. They hid for some time, before they emerged again. But now, they were more powerful than any Rider. They fought and killed them all, throwing the world into chaos. The elves and dwarves retreat into hiding. Galbatorix established himself as the king of Alagaesia.

Roughly a hundred years after this, a farm boy, Eragon, discovers a blue stone while hunting in the forest. This turns out to be a dragon egg, which hatches for him. He realizes this makes him one of the Riders of legend. He also realizes that he is now in great danger, if Galbatorix and his minions discover him. But despite his efforts, they do discover him. The Raz'ac, Galbatorix's Rider-hunters, kill his uncle and destroy his home. He sets out after them to avenge his uncle and is accompanied by the village storyteller, Brom, who offers his knowledge and experience to him. They travel across Alegaesia in their search for the Ra'zac. But even if Eragon finds and kills the Ra'zac, he knows he has only one option left- to fight against and try to bring down Galbatorix.

I have to say, Eragon and the whole Inheritance series in general is truly fantastic. Paolini had started Ergon when he was in high school, and it shows in his language. Not very sophisticated and very simple terms and expressions. But where he lacks in language, he makes up in his storyline.

First of all, the world he has created is comparable to Tolkien's Middle Earth in terms of detail. He has created a unique history for it. It provides a perfect setting for the story he is trying to tell. The different races have their own characteristics.
Second, all the characters are developed quite nicely. You can get a feel for most of them. You can relate to them and understand them.
Third, the story is constructed in such a way that you can never guess what will happen next. Because of this, any suspense is held up until Paolini decides to break it. He has total control over his readers.

Possibly the only flaw I find with the book is the pace. It picks up and then slows down at random and quite suddenly. The beginning and parts of the middle are quite slow, while the rest are extremely fast. There is no moderate speed. But that doesn't really matter if you're enthralled in the story.

So, if you haven't read Eragon yet, you should. If you've finished Eragon, read the other two books- Eldest and Brisingr. If you've read those two too, wait till the final book releases.

The Magician's Guild- Trudi Canavan

 I had come across this book in a bookstore about a year ago. I liked the cover design. So I read it. A year later, I've finished all three books in the series ( The Black Magician Trilogy ), plus the prequel, and I have my eyes on the new book from another series which is sequel to this one.

The book is about a girl, Sonea, who accidentally discovers she has magical potential. Now the problem is, she lives in the slums where the richer and more powerful magicians are hated. So, she has to be hidden to prevent the magicians from catching her. The magicians however don't want a rogue magician roaming on the streets because a magician without training is likely to loose control and kill ( in this case) herself and a lot of people around her. So they go on an all-out hunt to find her.

So thats what the the first part of the book is about, a cat and mouse game.   Eventually, they find her just in time, before she blows herself up, and take her to the Magicians' Guild, which is their home/school/everything. One magician, Rothen, who is sympathetic to the poor people of the slums takes up her training. But her inclusion in the guild causes a rift to form between the magicians. This is because a slum person has never been trained in the guild before.

Thats all I'll say so that I won't ruin the story for potential readers. My synopsis may sound dull, but the truth is, the actual way things play out makes this book a gripper. The story, I feel, is quite original and is very interesting. You always want to know what happens next. Thats what led me to complete the series with real enthusiasm. I wanted to know what happens.

It was also written in such a way that the type of audience was never forgotten. It suits the young adult fantasy genre perfectly. The only problem I felt was that the actual literature wasn't that good. It lacks that finesse which makes a good book great. But I guess where writing style is lacking, the storyline makes up for it. Thats  pretty much it about this book. I think people should definitely give this book a try.

The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games has rapidly risen to become a must read for young adults around the world. I came across it for the first time at a Scholastic Book Fair a year ago and gave it a try. 

The Hunger Games is set in a country Panem, which is sometime after the destruction of North America. Panem is a country where there is one ultra-rich and extremely technologically advanced Capitol, with twelve other districts. These districts are exploited by the Capitol. They are poor, backward and brutally suppressed. At one point, these districts (there were thirteen at the time) had revolted but were put down by the Capitol. As a punishment, the Capitol introduced the Hunger Games. In these, one boy and one girl of ages 12-18 from each district were selected every year to participate in a fight to the death. 


Katniss Everdeen  is a sixteen year old girl from District 12 who volunteered to participate in the Games in place of her younger sister, Prim, who was originally selected. She goes along with a boy called Peeta Mellark, who has secretly had a crush on her for some time now. Their only coach is a drunk , paunchy, middle-aged man called Haymitch Abernathy. He is the only one from District 12 to ever have won the Hunger Games. Together they must try and survive the Game knowing all to well that at some point they will have to face each other.

The Hunger Games is a perfect example of what a young adult book should look like. It has the right amount of suspense, romance, action and laughs. Its is a wonderful change from other books in the genre which almost always feature werewolves, vampires, dragons, magicians, or anything else of the sort. It opens up this video game-like feeling. You know- run, dodge, jump, collect the power-ups, survive. At the same time, it has a very intricate story woven into it, which builds up till the end, keeping you guessing over what will happen next. Just what any book needs.

Quite surprisingly, I found that this book wasn't too predictable. When it started out with Katniss saying how much she loved her sister and how improbable it was for here to get selected for the Games among the hundreds of other children out there, I thought the whole book would reveal events so obviously. But that wasn't the case. Collins has also set up the story quite nicely for the next book, Catching Fire, which is equally good, if not better. I can't wait for the final book, Mockingjay, to release on August 24.


As I said before, this is a must read for all young adults (maybe adults wouldn't find this too fascinating).