Book Review: Brittle’s Academy by Lily Mae Walters

Age: Children / MG ages 6+

Genre: Urban fantasy

Publication Date: 10th January 2020

Estimated Page Count – 102

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brittles-Academy-Magically-Unstable-Discovery-ebook/dp/B083S1RQHF/

Standalone but part of a series, each book in the series has a different main character.

It’s Charlie’s first day at high school, his blazer is too big and his shoes are too small, but that’s the least of his worries. He’s been missed off the class lists and is now enrolled in a new school called Brittle’s Academy with a magical and mysterious head teacher. But to stay at Brittle’s Charlie must pass one of the tests…otherwise he’ll be sent to Oblivion!

My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Brittle’s Academy for the Magically Unstable is the first book in a series for middle grade readers. This book does need to be read before the other books in the series because it’s the beginning of Charlie’s life as a magical student. It’s about his first day at secondary school where he finds out he’s in Professor Brittle’s class…in the sky.

This is a quick read and kept my interest throughout. Charlie is already nervous about his first day and then crazy things start happening. By the end of the day, he’s learned a lot but still has many questions. The writing is easy to follow but the descriptions are still good. I could picture the children walking in the clouds to their school.

I definitely recommend Brittle’s Academy for the Magically Unstable for middle grade readers. As an adult, I enjoyed it as well.

Book Review: The Frights of Fiji by Sunayna Prasad

A world of magic and adventure awaits for 12-year-old Alyssa McCarthy. A sorcerer kidnaps her to an enchanted island, filled with magical creatures and technology, but also danger. It is up to Alyssa to defeat the peril and overcome the warlock.

My Review

I chose to review this book after requesting a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Alyssa McCarthy was an orphan living with her uncle and cousin. She was suddenly introduced to the world of magic. Although she didn’t believe in magic to begin with, she seemed to just take it in stride. I found it odd that she told adults about the things she’d seen and expected them to believe her. Most children her age know that adults wouldn’t believe in such “nonsense.”

After Alyssa leaves home, her adventure and the magic involved is all creative but a little over the top. I don’t think middle grade or young adult readers would go for it. The story does have a good ending, however.

About the Author

Sunayna Prasad has been writing stories for over several years, starting at the age of six. Now twenty-four, she is done with college and will pursue a career in art and design as well as continue to write for children. Aside from that, Sunayna also likes to cook, watch movies, and draw. She lives on Long Island, New York, with her family.

Website http://www.sunaynaprasadbooks.com/

Book Review & Giveaway: The Storyteller’s Book by Kevin Fleming

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The Storyteller’s Book
The Chronicles of Midway Book 1
by Kevin Fleming
Genre: SciFi Fantasy
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“ … you must realise and accept, neither me, your mum, nor either of you are
human.”
Nick and Mel are 14 year old twins living normal lives with their parents.
When they discover an ancient book in their attic and read from it,
strange events begin to happen around them. Something has been
awakened which prompts their parents to take them away to a town
called Midway where they reveal to the twins that they are not human.
They had been hidden on Earth, brought up as though they were human,
awaiting the right moment for the truth to be told.
 
When their parents mysteriously disappear on their first night away, they
are forced to discover for themselves what their roles are in the new
lives they’ve been thrown into. They struggle alone as they try to
understand and balance their past human lives with their alien
destiny. When the book they discovered at their home is stolen, it
falls on the twins to recover it. The book has a lot more power than
they realised, and if they fail, it will not be they who suffer, but
the whole human race.
 
Along the way, they meet an array of characters, some will become friends,
some will become enemies, who can they trust? For now, they can trust
only each other.
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I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

The Storyteller’s Book is about Mel and Nick who are twins. They’ve led a normal life until one day when they’re 15 years old, they are taken out of school and their parents rush them out of the house and take them to Midway. They soon find out that they’re not human and that they have a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell them what that destiny is. Of course, that’s frustrating for them and it was frustrating for me as well.

There are quite a few characters in this story and they are either good or bad, bright or dark. The twins aren’t typical 15-year-olds as they take everything in stride. They get a little overwhelmed at times but they never seem to be too upset about not being human. Since they’re not humans, though, I guess they wouldn’t act as typical 15-year-olds.

The Storyteller’s Book starts a little slow but it has more suspense and action as the story develops. I think it’s a story that young adults would enjoy as well as some adults.

 

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Book Review: The Magician’s Turban by Gita Reddy

22423808Title: The Magician’s Turban

Author: Gita V. Reddy

Genre: Children’s Books (older children)

Publication Date: May 9, 2014

 

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About the Book

(from Goodreads)

The magician was out to prove that magic was real and not sleight of hand. “Tricksters are calling themselves magicians. Soon magicians will be called tricksters! I cannot let that happen so tonight I bring you real magic,” he announced. Discover the rest for The Magician’s Turban is a fascinating place to be in!

Available on Amazon.

 

My Review

I chose to read this e-book after receiving a free copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

The Magician’s Turban is a short story for older children about two boys who don’t believe that a magician is real. They think he is just a trickster, so the magician uses his turban and his magic to teach the boys a lesson.

This story is creative and easy to read. Although young children could read it, there are a couple disturbing things the boys see that cause me to recommend it to older children.

I have read several of Gita Reddy’s children’s books and they are all ones that children will enjoy.

 

About the Author

7023197Gita V.Reddy is a writer of fiction for middle-graders and adults. She enjoys thinking up tales of different genres. She has written mysteries, adventure, fantasy, science fiction, and even an animal tale for children.

She wrote and illustrated her first picture book for kids in August, 2015. She plans to write a few more because the experience was very satisfying.

Ms Reddy was born in India, is a post graduate in Mathematics, worked in a bank for twenty-six years, is married to a physics professor, has a son doing research in neuro-electronics, and loves literature. Yes, her life is as mixed up as the multiple genres she writes.

She enjoys painting and spending time with her family, and LOVES walking in the rain.

She also writes under the name Heera Datta.

Visit her website: www.gitavreddy.com
and facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gita-R..

 

The Amazon purchase link in this post is an affiliate link. Purchasing through it helps sustain Bound 4 Escape.

Book Review: Mrs. Parsley Makes a Delivery & other stories by Julian Padowicz

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TITLE: Mrs. Parsley Makes a Delivery and Other Stories

RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

AUTHOR: Julian Padowicz

GENRE: Children’s Stories/Magic/Fantasy

PAGE COUNT: 138

 

SYNOPSIS

Mrs. Parsley is a good witch who, with the help of her magical cat, Laptop, substitutes for the likes of Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the various Fairy Godmothers, when they have more work than they can handle. However, since she does not have the specialized magic powers that they possess, she is challenged to find creative ways to carry out these duties.

PURCHASE

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     KOBO     Google Play      iBooks     CreateSpace

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MY REVIEW

I received a free ecopy of this book from the publisher.

Mrs. Parsley Makes a Delivery and Other Stories is a series of short stories about Mrs. Parsley who helps other magical beings when needed. For example, when the Tooth Fairy has a toothache, Mrs. Parsley delivers money to parents whose children have lost a tooth and explains that they’ll have to put it under the pillow this time because the Tooth Fairy can’t make it. 

The stories are cute and they often teach a lesson as well.  I don’t usually pay much attention to covers (I know, I’m weird) but this one really caught my eye. Not only is it colorful and draws your attention, but it exactly matches the description of Mrs. Parsley and Laptop, her cat.

I definitely recommend Mrs. Parsley Makes a Delivery and Other Stories for children. It would especially be good for children who have a short attention span because the stories are short.

 

AUTHOR BIO

authorJulian Padowicz was seven years old and Jewish in Warsaw, Poland when WWII broke out. He and his mother made a dramatic escape from occupied Poland and the Holocaust over the Carpathian Mountains. His memoir of this experience, “Mother and Me: Escape from Warsaw, 1939” was named Book of the Year for 2006. He has written three sequels, chronicling his odyssey to safety in America. In addition, he has written a series of humorous novels about a retired college professor, lightly modeled after himself.

Padowicz has served as a navigator in the United States Air Force, a documentary film script writer, and as president of BusinessFilm International, a documentary and educational film production company. He lives currently in Hampton, VA.

 

EMAIL: Julianpadowicz@julianpadowicz.com

 

AUTHOR LINKS: http://www.Julianpadowicz.com

 

AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FP6JOJ6

 

AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01FP6JOJ6

 

AMAZON CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01FP6JOJ6

 

BOOK PAGE: http://ravenswoodpublishing.com/bookpages/mrsparsley.html

 

 

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Short Story Review: The Ties That Bind by R.M. Ridley

3-27-2015 8-17-35 PM

 

Blondes, Books, and Bourbon is a collection of short stories that we will featuring about over the next week. Each day is featuring one of these stories.

Today’s Featured  Story is:

The Ties That Bind: Can Jonathan Alvey control a poltergeist and maintain his promise to not fall victim to the Dragon Black?

 

R.M. Ridley lives with his wife on a small homestead in Canada, raising chickens and sheep. He has been writing stories, both long and short, for three decades, the themes of which range from the gruesome to the fantastical.
As an individual who suffers from severe bipolar disorder, Ridley is a strong believer in being open about mental health issues and uses his writing to escape when his thoughts become too wild.

BOOKSWHITE DRAGON BLACKTomorrow
Wendell
(Book 1, 2014)
Blondes, Books, and Bourbon (anthology,
2015)
Bindings and Spines (Book 2, 2015)
Ridley’s work has appeared in two Xchyler
anthologies: “The Case for Custody” in
Shades and
Shadows: a Paranormal Anthology
, and
“Charon’s Obol” in
Legends and
Lore: An Anthology of Mythic Proportions
.
FIND THE AUTHOR ONLINE: 
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | About Me

 

WHITE DRAGON BLACK: Google + | Twitter—–

 

I received a free ecopy of of Blondes, Books and Bourbon for an honest review of “Ties That Bind.”
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“Ties That Bind” is one of the short stories in this collection about Jonathan Alvey. His friend, Mary, reluctantly asks him to help a client who seems to be having problems with a poltergeist.
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Even though this is a short story, and the first one I’ve read about Jonathan Alvey, I learned a lot about him. He’s a unique character: addicted to using magic but he feels that he has to help people who are having paranormal problems. You could say he’s a messed up hero.
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I liked this story. I also read the first chapter of the book, Binding and Spines, at the end of this book. It’s supposed to come out this year. Jonathan Alvey is the main character in this book and I can’t wait to read it!
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http://www.amazon.com/Blondes-Books-Bourbon-Dragon-Anthology/dp/1940810345

 

March 22: The Play’s the Thing
www.julkbearreads.wordpress.com – Promo, Excerpt
March 23: Cost of Custody
http://silenceisread.blogspot.com.tr – Author Interview AND Author’s Top 10s Favorites List
March 24: Sins of the Father
http://thewritersrevolution13.blogspot.com – Review AND Excerpt AND Character Casting
March 25: Legerdelivre
http://lizjosette.blogspot.com – Excerpt AND Character Casting
March 26: Do as I Say Not as I Do
http://thenaughtlibrarianplayground.blogspot.com/ – Review AND Author’s Top 10s Favorites list AND Character Casting
March 27: What a Nightmare
http://authorsandralove.blogspot.com/ – Author’s Top 10s Favorites List AND Character Casting
March 28: The Ties that Bind
March 28: Bindings and Spines
http://lynnromanceenthusiast.blogspot.com – Excerpt AND Character Casting
 

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Review: Abra-Cadaver by Matt Drabble

   

9-8-2013 9-13-02 PMTitle: Abra-Cadaver

Author: Matt Drabble

Genre:  Horror

Publisher: Eden Publications

Publication Date:  August 3, 2013

Synopsis: 

Tommy, Dixon, McEwen, PJ, and Alison were always a close knit group until Tommy’s 12th birthday party. Tragedy strikes when a magic trick goes horribly wrong and a woman lays dead.

A local magician Albert Trotter is railroaded during a rigged trial and locked away. Forever protesting his innocence and after a vicious assault in prison, he is eventually sent to a mental institution in a catatonic state.

Now Tommy is 36 and heading home for the first time in over two decades, but he’s not alone. Someone is slaughtering the residents of Denver Mills with magic trick themed murders and holding those involved with the Trotter trial in a steely grip of fear.

Tommy will have to find the strength to bring his old friends together as secrets and lies are exposed throughout the small town of Denver Mills.

Something evil is coming home, and they’re bringing a whole new bag of tricks.

Review:

 Abra-Cadaver is a good book that keeps your interest throughout. Once I started reading it, I had trouble putting it down. The characters were described well and the way that each one turned out was understandable. Matt Drabble gave a good explanation of how one event can affect each individual differently. He’s good at describing the thought process of each person.

Abra-Cadaver has a good plot even though it’s pretty gruesome. The ending had a good twist but I had it figured out because so many people had died. I couldn’t think of any other good way for the book to end.

The typos and grammatical errors were a little distracting but I could get past those. The one thing that did bother me is that according to my calculations, Tommy’s birthday party was 24 years ago but several times the characters said that it had been almost 20 years.

It’s been a long time since I read a horror story that made me jittery. A couple times I had the feeling that I was being watched which I find is an indication of a good horror story.

If you don’t mind gore and violence, I recommend Abra-Cadaver.  Available on Amazon.
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