Book Reviews

I’m sorry about being quiet  from review as of  this year. I had a lot to deal with last year. I had health issues, housing situation (which still dealing with), change of jobs, and other things. As soon as find a place and have my books unpack. I’ll try to finish the ones I’ve started. thank you for your patients. Melda.

Update 3/23/2021:

The Shamer’s Daughter On Hold!

The Shamer’s Signet

The Serpent Gift

Yes I’m taking the daunting task of read the full Drizzt books that including the newest books & other books that aren’t part the “official” Legend of Drizzt Series Books.

Book 1 - Homeland

The beginning of the long life that is Drizzt Do’Urden. The scene opens hours before his birth with his family preparing for battle. You already get the sense who truly wicked the Drows of Menzoberranzan are as well as the Society that worships the Spider Queen Lolth. Drizzt is the 3rd Son of Matron Mother Malice at the time of his birth, which meaning a good sacrifice to the evil deity, But being spared to events in the battle that made him the Secondboy of the house. You follow Drizzt as he is raised by his sister Vierna to his  weapon training with Zaknafein, The weapon Master of the family. Leading up to his  “Schooling” at the Academy where they brainwash the young drows  in thier so called lore of how they became to be in the Underdark and the teaching of Lolth. Even here you tell Drizzt not like the others of his kind. It shows more as the book goes on until he finally leaves his family.  Along the main story you glimpses of what others are doing while Drizzt is growing up in a Society that he doesn’t fit in. Murder plots, Battles, Inner struggles, really getting to understand the world that Drizzt grow up in.

Overall the story is thrilling and its hard to put down at times, once you hit the end of the book you want to keep going to see what happens to Drizzt next. This story well written and can see why it is a best selling Classic to this day. I give this a 5 out of 5.

Book 2  - Exile

the book takes place ten years after Drizzt left the drow city of Menzoberran. Drizzt not fair well in the underdark by himself  for those years.  He finds himself longing to have conversations yet again, playing with the idea of going back to the drow city again but he comes upon the Svirfneblin/ deep gnomes. He follows them back to thier city and almost follows them inside but part him doesn’t allow him too. Not till he encounters his siblings in wilds of the underdark.  then goes back to the gnome city of  Blingdenstone, he allows them to capture him and imprison him. His family done with the war and now Matron Malice is hell bent on killing or bring back to sacrifice her reneged son, anyway possible, even forcing her son out of his sanctuary with a companion other then Guen.

The book is  exciting as the first and but there only a small part about the last 10 years that Drizzt  after leaving the city, up till this point.  Drizzt has gotten better being on his own in the wilds but at a cost of his sanity. You see how vicious his mother is on trying to end Drizzt’s life all for the sake of pleasing her evil deity.  I give this book a 4 out of 5 cause of the brief tale of what Drizzt had been doing for the last 10 years  by himself mostly. You get more of detail what his family been doing then him. It sad cause Drizzt adventure in the wild underdark far more interesting then the war his family been in.

Book 3 - Sojourn

A wonderful tale about a girl who life wasn’t as she expected to be. She  taken from her family with her older sister. She was sold into a Geisha house called an Okiya. I had for gotten how good the book is. the movie is one of my favorites. While watching the movie one night, I had the urge to read the book once more. Though in the book has more depth of what goes on in Chiyo/Sayuri’s life. the ending is my favorite cause it tells you what happens at the end where the movie had stopped. If I could I would make a movie very close the book. the movie that out is a good adaptation but after watching the movie then reading the book it left me wanting more out of the movie. The book makes you understand what she gone through to get to the man she loves. So I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Year 1 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

One of my Favorite books from My childhood and a classic story. Harry Potter an Orphan boy who though there nothing special about himself turns out to be a Wizard and goes to a school where he learn to use magic properly. He finds out the truth about how his parents died and that in this secret world called the Wizarding World that he famous. He becomes friends with a pure blood wizard named Ron Weasley and a muggle born witch named Hermione Granger. His first year at Hogwarts isn’t as he expected and goes on a great and dangerous adventure. At the end of the story He shows how brave he really is. He heads back to his maternal aunt and her family’s house for the summer. I give this Book a 5 out of 5 stars cause the story well put together and is a real page turner for thoughs read it for first time or the 100th time.

Year 2 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Second Book of the series was a little darker then the first one. This times around Harry didn’t have the greatest summer back at the Dursley’s then it got bit better then  starting a new school year did go well either.  With a new  teacher, almost getting expelled, hearing things no one else can, a friend getting attacked, and many other things that happened during the year but in the end it turned out for the best. You find out bit more about Hagrid’s back story. This time around along side reading the book I was following along on Pottermore, which is very fun and interesting. So potter fans if like to go over to www.pottermore.com sign up and have a ball. Oh and we meet a new characters one that a bit annoying but lovable, the other is…how should I put this…overemotional and got bit of emo thing going on, and Someone that just down right evil snob.  I give this book a  4 of 5 cause it was a nice story but there a bit of some repetitiveness in it, but over all good plot to the story and good read.

Year 3 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Out of the first three books, I like this year the best. This year doesn’t start out very well as year goes on it seems to get bad to worse while friends fighting, convicted murder on the run, dementors outside the school that effect Harry in the worst way, finding out why Snape has grudge against him and gets worse by end of the year. But some good things happen as well Harry gets amazing new broom, finds out he has godfather, one his teachers this year is a friend of his father, Hagid becomes a teacher, gets a map of the castle, Harry get to personal meet the Minister of Magic. Ron gets a new pet on the way home from school cause something happens to his original one that I bit of a shock when you read it the first time. Hermione also gets a pet this year as well. The gang get to have new classes as well this year. Hermione being who she is bite off more then she could chew this year and has a special item get to her classes which by the end of the book proves that it helps save not just one but 2 lives. Over all I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars cause this has lot more interesting things happening i that keep you on the edge of your seat and keep yo turning page after page till the very end.

Year 4 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

This year Harry thought it was going to be an easy year for him other then an odd dream he had during the summer break. He gets to see his first professional quidditch match at the Quidditch World Cup, but that night all hell breaks loose. Harry hoping its just an isolated incident and goes about he his school year till it is revealed that Hogwarts be hosting the Triwizard Tournament that been reinstated after years of it being ban because how dangerous it is. Harry hoping that it takes the limelight from him for once and it be easy school year. That was all a lie once the ceremony for choosing in school champions happens, now Harry is thrown into chaos yet again. All because of a plot that Voldemort has put in place before Harry started school.  Everyone around Harry is worried about his safety all year, Sirius even makes a daring more to be close to Hogwarts to keep close to Harry.  Harry finds an interesting artifact in Dumbledore’s office this year called a pensieve and a new type of magical transport called a portkey.  Harry escapes Voldemort again, but just barely. At the end of the year harry sadness, fear, guilt and a bit of hope. I give this a 4 out 5 stars, the story is well told and interesting. The pace can be a bit slow at times and the interesting parts keeps you invested in the story.

Year 5 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Review on Hold

Year 6 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Book 1 - Eragon

This book was one that I didn't seem want to pick up at first but a friend started reading parts of it to me and got me intruged by it. The beginning is a little slow and makes it a bit hard to get into. As the story goes on it picks up then slows down again for  chapter or two then goes back up again. The ending is amazing and desire to jump into the next book. The story is beautiful written and the characters are greatly developed and very complex. I like that it has its own language just like The Forgotten Realms and Middle Earth have theirs. The world that Paolini created is amazing a very well thought out and like the fact there a map in the front and back inside cover of the book so follow the journey as you read along. The parts of the book that makes your laugh, want to cry, and wishing you traveling long with the characters and on the battlefield with them. Over all I give this story a five out of five Stars.

Book 2 - Eldest

Review on Hold.

Book 3 - Brisingr

Spellcaster

Spell caster is a spell binding story about a girl name Nadia who falls for a cursed boy named Mateo. The beginning of the story a bit slow and little confusing, but once the story start get going it really sucks u in. A fair Warning for those reading the book for first time that Pov/point of view changes quickly and hard to understand at first but as story goes on you get used to it but still a little off set. Their a lot confusing things in book that’s not all answered. Hopefully will be answered if Ms. Gray does another book or two out of this. The ending a little sappy and doesn't leave much hang onto then the end of chapter 23 which made u wonder what going on for sure. I think the epilogue left me a little turned off if Ms. Gray does continue the story. Over all I give this book a three stars out of five.