Fiction Addict

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: December 2010

Reviewed by Frank Redman

Alton Blackwood is killed after murdering John Calvino’s family when John was 14. John fired the fatal shot. Blackwood’s reign of terror is over.

Over the next two decades, Calvino progresses from the shock and horror of witnessing his family murdered, to starting a family of his own. He lives in splendid happiness with his wife and three children and builds a solid career as a homicide detective.

Then someone copies the Blackwood murders in uncanny detail, killing entire families. Again. Calvino investigates, and clues begin to make him fear for the safety of his own family. He can no longer deny facts suggesting the murderer is a supernatural being. Blackwood has returned, as a ghost.

How do you kill a ghost?

When I learned this novel was Koontz’s creepiest in several years, I was thrilled. I’ve enjoyed his recent stories, but infusing his latest with supreme evil of supernatural origin increases the suspense and the fear you feel for the characters.

Blackwood is completely void of any morale substance, and may be Koontz’s scariest antagonist since Phantoms. His physical description conjures a monster in the imagination, but a monster that was human and now ghost. To me, that is a scarier character type than one that is presented as a genuine monster.

Koontz is phenomenal at characterization. The reader easily cultivates empathy for the characters, feeling emotions as they feel. That is key to really immersing yourself into the story.

If you enjoy scary ghost stories, give this one a read. You’ll find yourself thinking about What the Night Knows well after finishing it.

Review copy provided by author.

Recently Jake Chism caught up with NY Times Bestselling Author Joe Schreiber to talk about his latest novel, Star Wars: Red Harvest. Join us as we discuss horror in Star Wars, the popularity of the zombie genre in pop culture, and Joe’s upcoming YA novel.

More about Joe:

Joe Schreiber is the author of Star Wars: Death Troopers, Star Wars: Red Harvest, Chasing the Dead and several other non-Star Wars titles.   He works as an MRI technologist in Hershey, Pennsylvania where he lives with his wife and two young children.  His favorite Star Wars character is and remains Salacious Crumb.

This interview can also be downloaded from our iTunes page.

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Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Dates: September 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Jameson Rook loves to be in the center of controversy. This time, with the murder of a gossip columnist that he’s been following for his own research, he’s smack dab in the middle of the murder investigation along with the columnist’s own mysterious story that she was about to publish.

And then there’s Nikki.  As much as Rook likes to be in the center of the mix, Heat doesn’t. She’d much prefer to be behind the scenes and taking care of business without all the fanfare. So when Rook publishes an article that makes her the talk of New York, it creates some chaos that she doesn’t necessarily appreciate.

Rook and Heat continue to have brilliant chemistry. With New York City as the backdrop for this intriguing crime tale, the city offers up an easily recognizable cast of characters. The prominent NY sports figure dealing with the fallout from marital infidelity, the famous young movie star who dies of an overdose and his equally famous girlfriend’s struggle with his death and of course, the city itself bring to the story a feeling that this is more than just fiction.
Richard Castle captures the imagination with his cleverly penned dialogue and witty comebacks that make you wish you could think that fast on your feet. His relationship with his characters is one of mutual respect and admiration as they act out the story he weaves in the pages of this tale. If you’re a fan of Richard Castle and have not been watching his docudrama program, Castle, on ABC, you’re missing a great deal. Though it doesn’t take anything away from Castle’s books if you aren’t watching, if you do, you certainly get a lot more insight into the stories he tells. His relationship with Kate Beckett on the screen sparks with intensity and makes you wonder if the Rook/Heat stories are more than fiction brought forth from Castle’s mind.

A great read with a solid mystery and lots of fantastic characters along the way, Naked Heat is a fantastic entry in the Nikki Heat series and one that fans of both Castle and his counterpart, Rook, will enjoy.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Listen in as Jake Chism talks with author Homer Hickam about his new book, The Dinosaur Hunter.

More about Homer:

Homer Hickam is known worldwide for his New York Times #1 bestseller ROCKET BOYS, made into the feature film OCTOBER SKY starring JAKE GYLLENHAAL as Homer.  Hickam is a former NASA engineer and astronaut trainer, nationally known speaker and DINOSAUR HUNTER.  Hickam has authored and co-authored a dozen non-fiction AND fiction best sellers. For more information, visit his official website: http://www.homerhickam.com/.

This interview can also be downloaded from our iTunes page.

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Genre: Fantasy, YA

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Dates: September 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Jacob Reckless never planned to enter another world. Even though this one seemed to be crumbling around him with the disappearance of his father and the subsequent decline of his mother’s health, he still didn’t expect to actually leave the life he’d always known. But when the mirror beckoned to him, the pull was too strong for him to resist.

So now Jacob spends his time as a treasure hunter. Renowned in the other world for his abilities, he now knows that all the fairy tales and children’s stories that he’d heard growing up weren’t just stories. He’s experienced the reality of sleeping beauty and seen the home of Hansel and Gretel’s witch.  Through all that danger, he has learned how to take care of himself. What he hasn’t learned is how to keep his brother, Will, safe. And Will is in a miserable situation right now. He’s turning into a Goyl. That’s a person made of stone for those of us who live on ‘this side.’ Each day Jacob can see more and more of the stone taking over his brother’s body.  Legend says that there’s no way to halt the change, but Jacob also knows that legends aren’t always fact. This is why he sets out to reverse the course of his brother’s existence.

Jacob, known as a famous treasure hunter in this world, relies on some of the contacts he’s made over the years to get information that may help his brother. In the meantime, he’s got to fight off people who want to kill his brother for turning into a Goyl, keep his brother’s girlfriend safe, and work with Fox, a beautiful young woman who can change, at will, into a fox. (Actually she prefers this form over her human form.)

Once again, Cornelia Funke has allowed us a glimpse into a new world. As with previous books, it’s a world that is delightful and frightening all at once. As readers, we can sit comfortably in our homes and experience a world that is populated with familiar fairy tales and stories from our childhoods but isn’t quite as bright and cheery as our big picture books might have led us to believe. There are some dark moments that could be scary in these books. For the appropriate age though, they are perfect.

Cornelia Funke has a talent for creating vividly beautiful settings and worlds that are also exceptionally dangerous. Full of intrigue, adventure and a lot of action, this book is certain to kidnap the imagination of the reader and take it on a journey that won’t soon be forgotten.

Funke’s writing seems to live and breathe on its own. With words that wrap around you and tease you deeper and deeper into the story like a butterfly in flight, this is a definite must read for fans of Funke’s work. And if you’re not already a fan, you have no idea what you’re missing.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Drama

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, LLC

Publication Date: September 2010

Marianne Peters‘ Review:

In the 304-page novel entitled City of Tranquil Light, Bo Caldwell tells the story of Will and Katherine Kiehn, based on the stories she heard about her missionary grandparents. Will is the first-person narrator, but Katherine’s journal entries give us private glimpses into her mind and heart during their long tenure. What emerges is not just the story of a marriage, but the story of a faith journey that plays out on the canvas of a changing China full of war, cultural upheaval, and famine, as well as hope, community, and love.

Caldwell tells her tale in grave, spare but beautiful prose. In the first decade of the 20th century, Will, an awkward farm boy from the Midwest, meets and falls in love with strong, determined Katherine just as they are entering the mission field, barely out of their teens. Together they build a Christian community convert by convert, struggling to adjust to both the strange ways of their new country as well as the new country of marriage.

Without a trace of sentimentality, Caldwell explores the Kiehns’ deep faith, which is sorely tested through kidnapping, death, hardships, and loneliness. It’s refreshing to read a story about missionaries that is neither full of Christian jargon nor hyper-critical of the Christian faith. It sheds light on the difficulties of life on the foreign field, but also describes their shy courtship – under the guise of language-learning — and halting first interactions with their new Chinese friends. From their early marriage to their later years, when they return to the States as near-paupers, we see Will and Katherine learning each other’s weaknesses and strengths, even as they experience their own dependency on God and even question their call when tragedy visits them.

It’s also a fascinating glimpse into early 20th Century China – a country of many cultures on the cusp of modernity, though still backward in many ways. It’s a place of bandits, drowning pools, and bound feet (Katherine enjoys showing the ladies her own “large” unbound feet). Together, Will and Katherine build a community of Christian believers in a foreign place, and they discover their true home is China – and each other.

Kaci Hill’s Review:

The City of Tranquil Light—Kuang P’ing Ch’eng, is the story of Mennonite missionaries to China. It’s the story of Will Kiehn and the woman who would become his wife, Katherine Friesen as they transform from a shy Oklahoman and an Ohioan with health issues into a beautiful couple whose faith reshapes the northern regions of China.

The story begins in the early 1900s and continues through most of the 20^th Century. It’s not an action-packed thriller by any stretch, but the pacing is steady and never stalls out or drags on. Each chapter highlights the key events in the Kiehns’ life, and Caldwell doesn’t let her words fall idly. This is a missionary story, and Caldwell draws on the real-life autobiographies of others to weave Will and Katherine’s tale—and it reads like an old ex-missionary telling his life story and supplementing it with his wife’s private journal.

Thematically, she paints a spiritual journey. The book covers doubts, tragedy, turmoil, joy, and sorrow.  What I love is how real and ordinary these people are. These saints aren’t superheroes: They press on with the faith they have—and sometimes beg God when they can’t find it. There are days they wonder why they went to China, days they can’t bear the thought of leaving, and days they think God is punishing them for their lack of faith. Still, this sweet little couple throws everything before the throne of grace. Caldwell doesn’t offer pat answers. She doesn’t try to answer why God allows things to happen, but she does allow Will and Katherine to struggle through the question. In the end, the rains fall on the righteous and the wicked. She also includes one of my favorite themes: A redemption arc like few I’ve ever seen.

Famine, drought, flood, riots, civil war, and domestic strife—The City of Tranquil Light experiences all of these.  The ending might surprise the reader a little; it certainly does the characters.  The characters are developed well, and by the end I found myself wanting to be Katherine, whose Chinese name means “beautiful strength.” There’s nothing like watching her in action, one scene in particular where she shines brightest.

Caldwell has a way with words. I look forward to her other works.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Political Thriller

Publisher: Grand Central

Release Date: January 2011

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Picture it. One day you’re an archivist who spends his days with dusty scraps of paper, occasionally unearthing some document of historical significance. Then, with one simple mistake, you’re thrust into history in the making. Only the world will never know it because it’ll never be told.

In The Inner Circle, NYT bestselling author throws National Archivist Beecher White into that very same scenario. When giving an impromptu tour of the archives to his first childhood love, Clementine, the two discover a two-hundred-year old dictionary hidden in the special vault where the President reviews classified documents. Less than five minutes later, the security guard who let them in that room is dead, allegedly by a heart attack.

Beecher and Clementine fall headlong into the mystery, trying to avoid whoever might be after them while at the same time trying to figure out what the importance of a hidden journal might be. As the clues begin to piece together, the noose around them tightens as they discover the indiscretions of the former President’s past. But cover-ups at the highest level were meant to stay covered up, and the Culpier Ring – the president’s informal inner circle – will stop at nothing to make sure things stay hidden.

Brad Meltzer’s been hitting the NYT list for some time now, but this is the first time I’ve ever checked out any of his works. In a word, I think The Inner Circle demonstrates that he belongs there. The story begins at a rip-roaring pace and never lets go as Meltzer develops a plot filled with twists, turns, and sudden revelations that keep that reader on their toes.

As far as thrillers go, Meltzer has written this one in shades of gray. One grows to empathize with the man who’s supposed to be the “bad guy” in the scenario, which raises some important moral questions. My only real complaint with the book is that the one page preface before the prologue doesn’t really fit with the rest of the novel. It’s entertaining. It’s gripping. It also sets the reader’s expectations slightly different than what’s delivered. On the plus side, Meltzer’s conclusion leaves things rather opened ended. Could this just be the beginning of the story for Beecher White? I sure hope so.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Children’s/YA

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, Giroux

Publication date: May 2008

Reviewed by Anne Barnhill

In her debut children’s novel, Hummingbird, Kimberly Angel explores unexpected territory in a book meant for young people–death, loss, friendship and grief–subjects most adults find disturbing.  However, in Angel’s capable hands, these dark themes do not overwhelm the reader; rather, the reader finds comfort and hope as the story of March Anne Tanner, a 12-year-old girl living on her grandparents’ watermelon farm, unfolds.

March Anne lost her mother when her little brother, Kevin, was born.  Since then, she and Kevin, along with their daddy, have lived on the family farm.  Her grandmother, Grenna, is the matriarch and caretaker.  From Grenna, March Anne learns how the world works and what is expected of her.  She learns to appreciate the world around her, especially the cardinals and hummingbirds.  Her two best friends, Meg and Laverne, provide further support.  Their secret club, the Pseudonymphs, is rich in ritual and tradition–and allows them to change their names with each changing season.  Of course, they keep their new names to themselves, but take great joy in picking and choosing whatever name grabs them.

When Grenna has a heart attack, things change on the Tanner Watermelon Farm.  March Anne must take over Grenna’s chores, including cooking.  The results are often less than mouth-watering.  However, as March Anne keeps trying, we see how hard it is to lose not one, but two mothers and how March Anne must cope with what are often devastating circumstances.  When Grenna passes away, March Anne’s grief is real and not maudlin or sentimental.  Angel does a good job steering the course away from any sort of easy answers.

I cuddled beside her but I didn’t want to look (at Zipp, the hummingbird who was

wintering in their barn).

“I can’t take this, Grenna.  I can’t take this.”

“I know, child.  It’s the hardest thing to say goodbye, but we all must do it.”

“I don’t know how.”

“Oh, fiddlehead ferns, March Anne.  None of us know how.  It’s just something

we’ve got to endure.  We never get to know.  We simply get to choose.”

“Choose?  Choose what?”

“Choose life, of course,” Grenna said, as if it were the clearest thing in the world.

“That’s what the Good Book tells us, and near the beginning, too.  The Lord says

‘Choose life.’  It doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen, it just means that there’s

enough good mixed up with the bad to make life worth living.”

As the book moves to its end, the reader is heartened to believe that even the worst sorrows can be healed, and the choices we make when we are dealt a bad hand are more important than the hand itself.  This lovely book has been nominated for two awards, the Georgia Children’s Book Award (2010-2011) and the Children’s Crown Award (2010-1011).  A well-deserved accolade for an impressive debut.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: TwelveBooks

Publication Date: December 2010

Reviewed by Anne Barnhill

In his debut novel, The Sherlockian, Graham Moore has set the game afoot with one of the best mysteries I have read in many years.  I must confess I am not an avid mystery reader; my tastes run to a few writers only: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers and Barbara Vine.  Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories captured me when I was twelve years old and my appetite for them has not abated.  I am delighted to say Moore’s book satisfies said appetite, and I am now anxious for his next book, though this one will not hit the bookstores until December, 2010.

The Sherlockian gives the reader a double-feature, two mysteries for the price of one.  The technique used is the frame story, and, amazingly, this one works.  The outer layer of the story begins when Harold White is inducted into the prestigious Baker Street Irregulars, one of the youngest members of this secretive organization of Holmes aficionados.  Almost immediately, there is a murder at the convention center.  Alex Cale’s body is discovered in his room where he has been strangled by his own shoe lace.  Cale claimed to have found the missing diaries of Sir Conan Doyle and was slated to give an address to the Holmes experts gathered at the convention.  As Harold begins to use Holmes’ deductive reasoning to analyze the facts, he realizes he is going to be the one to solve this murder.

The interior part of the frame is equally mysterious and is set in the late 1800′s with Conan Doyle helping Scotland Yard solve the murders of several young women, all brides butchered on their wedding day.  As Doyle, along with his pal, Bram Stoker of Dracula fame, uses the powers of logic to solve the murders, Doyle must decide whether or not to take the law into his own hands.  He records the events of his search for the killer in his diary and it is this diary that links the two tales together.

I will not give away how White and Doyle unravel the murders before them, but I will say the writing is quite good, the plot filled with tension and humor and a fine sense of justice.  This is an amazing first novel and I can only hope that Graham Moore will continue to write in the style of the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  In my deepest heart, I hope he will revive Sherlock Holmes so that Holmes fans can once again experience that wonderful logic that makes magic out of simple observation.

In the afterward, Moore gives the reader the historical facts on which his novel is based.  This information adds a great deal to the appreciation of the book, allowing those unfamiliar with the timeline of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s life learn about this man of mystery and mental acuity.  I give this book a thumbs up!  It is, after all, elementary, my dear reader.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult

Publisher: WaterBrook Press

Publication Date: September 2010

Reviewed by Kaci Hill

Dragons of the Valley is the sequel to Donita Paul’s new series. Book one, The Vanishing Sculptor, introduced readers to the continent of Chiril, a place which, unlike Amara (for those familiar with the DragonKeeper books), knows little to nothing of Wulder. In the Vanishing Sculptor, we followed Tipper Schope as she and a team of questers (including a bog wizard, an artist, and a giant parrot) set out to save both her father and all of Chiril by way of fixing a broken gateway.

Now, the existence of the statues and their nature is, unfortunately, known, and now Chiril’s enemies are invading. Our heroes are forced to once again separate the statues, but they must reunite them quickly in a hidden place to prevent the world—and Tipper’s father—from coming apart again. The invading king, Oddidodex, is a cruel tyrant from Baardack, but the foe we see the most of is a strange, amoral creature with a gray past simply known as The Grawl.

I suggest reading The Vanishing Sculptor first, or you might not understand why it’s so imperative three statues that make up the foundation of Chiril and serve as a gateway are so important, among other things. Dragons of the Valley follows a wider cast but is largely about the young tumanhofer artist Bealomondore turned swordsman. While all Chiril has fallen into gloom and despair, war and oppression and a land ruled by fools who shun wise counsel, Bealomondore works to remind himself that, ultimately, a sword can preserve life as well as a paintbrush.

As I couldn’t help comparing Tipper and Kale (from the Dragonkeeper series) a little, so I couldn’t help comparing Bardon (especially from DragonKnight) to Bealomondore to some extent. But, again, they aren’t the same people, and each is a strong character in his own right. She’s added a few characters, too: I think I saw more kimens in this book than all of the previous books. At least, I’ve gotten to know them better.

Paul retains her prowess with the pen and her subtle blend of wisdom and fantasy. For me, reading her books is always a bit daunting because I could probably read them twenty times and still pick up a thread of symbolism or theology and wisdom I missed the first nineteen. Her characters can be funny and witty, aware of the seriousness of the situation but using humor the way they would a sword.  And, in all, Paul doesn’t disappoint me. Just to reiterate: While her primary audience is young adult, this really is an author I say writes for all ages.

And again, while you won’t be too lost, I don’t think, if you read out of order, I very much recommend reading The Vanishing Sculptor first.

I look very much forward to reading her next book.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Publication Dates: October 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Sir Quinlan has one very good friend in the world. Tav. In fact, when his parents died, he went to live with Tav and his family. Known as Twitch (for the twitch in his cheek when his nerves took over) Quinlan was much loved, but never really respected. He simply did whatever Tav did and he was content with that.

One day, when Tav’s uncle, Sir Baylor, comes to visit with important information about a mission for the prince, Twitch feels something in his soul. He knows that he does not want to spend his life in the same place doing the same things all the time. He chooses to follow Sir Baylor. This is an unreasonable decision according to Tav and his family, so it’s with much difficulty that he leaves them behind. When he does, he leaves behind the name Twitch and takes on his given name, Quinlan.

On the road with Sir Baylor, Quinlan becomes a member of Baylor’s elite group of soldiers though he’s untried in battle and not nearly trained well enough for everyone’s tastes. When Baylor dies while on a mission, Quinlan accepts the man’s dying words, a trinket from him, and full responsibility for the death of his leader. This guilt weighs him down and drags at him from every angle until he’s unable to run away from it anymore.

A seemingly chance encounter with a brilliant soldier named Taras leads Quinlan in a direction he never expected. He trains with Taras until he takes over the leadership of the very team of soldiers from which he’d been running.

This book dealt heavily with guilt, the sin of your past and moving on into what God has planned for your life.  Everyone, at some point, has experienced the burden of guilt for something that hurt someone else. Everyone has to learn to give it to the King and then let Him guide your life. The book resonates on a much deeper level than just good storytelling. It’s a brilliant parable for life, sin, wisdom and the consequences of poor choices.

At this point in the series I had a hard time reading. Not because the books were getting more difficult to read. In fact, the books continued to improve with each successive sequel. Nope, the books were harder for me to read because I couldn’t find them! At this point in the series, I had an 11 year old daughter, an 8 year old daughter and my 40 year old husband all in possession of at least one or more of the books. When it came time to read this one, I had to track it down. Which of my family members had it and more importantly, would they be willing to give it up to mom for her to read and review? It’s safe to say that the readers in my house are huge fans of Chuck Black’s. I couldn’t wait to start the final book in the series, Sir Rowan & the Camerian Quest.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Publication Dates: October 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Rowan knew from the time that he was a young man that he was destined to wield a sword. Though raised in the mean harsh streets and barely able to make enough money to feed himself, it remained his dream to become an amazing swordsman.  One day, he received a bit of money that he could pocket. Upon asking the soldier from whom he’d received the money if he could pay for the chance to merely hold the sword, he received more than he’d imagined. The chance not only to hold the sword became his, but to be trained under the sword’s owner, a Knight of the Prince.

Just as he knew that he would, Rowan grew in his sword abilities until he became one of the greatest swordsmen in the land. He took his talents to the tournaments and soon he was one of the most famous men in the world. He had crowds following him everywhere and he soon became lost in the praise and trappings of men. This is when things got really bad for Sir Rowan.
Taken hostage, beaten, and left to die, he came face to face with the reality that he’d let his Prince down. He’d taken the praises of men over the code of his King and Prince. He rededicated his life to the mission of His Prince and prayed for his deliverance. Soon, it came.

Rowan’s tale takes an interesting turn at this point when he is nursed back to health by a beautiful young woman, goes home to discover that not only his home, but also his town has been taken over by an egomaniac set out to destroy followers of the Prince.

As Rowan struggles with what to do next, he falls in love with the beautiful young woman and vows to become the man she deserves. He marries her and soon, they find themselves in search of the other Knights of the Prince. When they find the knights, everyone is thrilled to have the famous Sir Rowan set to fight for them. But who is that mysterious man who refuses to fight? Why does he watch everyone and what is it that he has to say to Rowan?

As the final book in Black’s Arrethtrae series, I couldn’t see how this story could possibly be better than the others that I’d already read. Yet with each book in the series, it seems that Black’s writing has taken off into a level of its own. The magnitude of Rowan’s tale seems so much bigger and more fulfilling than the 192 pages of the book. Though partway through, I figured out what Black was doing, I was still absolutely stunned at the ending. I finished this book with tears in my eyes, nearly unable to tell my family how good it was. I was overcome with emotion and I think that Black could have honestly written an entire series just based on the story of Rowan.

The Knights of Arrethtrae is a stunning series. It’s beautiful, entertaining and enjoyable for the whole family. My children are fighting over who gets to read the next book next and my husband has several of them stuck in hidey spots around the house so they don’t get lost in the kids’ rooms before he has a chance to read them.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Lady Carliss has passion for her King and his Son. She has always stood strong for her faith and done whatever she needed to do for them. So when she develops feelings of more than friendship for Sir Dalton and she thinks those feelings aren’t returned, she takes a sojourn to a nearby haven to help with the training of their young students. When she’s supposed to be going back home to visit her brother and Sir Dalton, she takes a detour with a friend from school and suddenly finds herself in her own dangerous and life-threatening adventure.

Soon, when Dalton finds her, his life is in danger as well and only she can bring him the antidote that will keep him alive. Threatened with the death of the man she loves, Lady Carliss vows to do whatever she needs to do to save his life.

Along the way, she gets drawn into a dream world that is eerily reminiscent of escape through illicit drugs in our own. Trapped in a situation that becomes far more than just the life or death of Sir Dalton, Lady Carliss must struggle to defeat the evil growing in the region and threatening to take over control of the land.

This book deals in a big way with vices and the disaster that can occur when they take over the mind. Parallels to drugs, alcohol and even gambling and sex can be found in this book. The dangers are not glossed over. Clearly visible in the books is the corruption that comes when these things begin to take over people’s lives and visions.

Chuck Black’s use of Lady Carliss, a female heroine, to visualize the consequences of these vices is fantastic. Lady Carliss is a brilliant young woman who has many of the same thoughts that young girls today have. Am I good enough? Pretty enough? Will I be found lacking? Once again, Chuck Black boggled my mind with the depth and spiritual brilliance to this story. I was delighted with this venture into Arrethtrae and literally nearly devoured this book. Once finished, I couldn’t wait for my eleven year old daughter to dig in to this one. For young people today, I cannot highly enough recommend these books. Brilliantly handled Mr. Black!

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Publication Dates: May 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Sir Dalton is a young knight in training. He’s got the world going for him. He has a beautiful maiden that he’s planning to marry and he’s the best in his class. Everyone at the haven where he learns would like to be like him. So why does he feel like he’s missing something important? And what exactly is going on with the new trainer at the haven? He seems to have some very specific ideas about life and they run counter to some of the things he’s previously been taught and believed.

When Sir Dalton is sent out on a mission, he begins to encounter a series of attacks. As he begins to doubt more and more and step further away from the Prince’s plans for his life, the attacks become more vicious until he ends up near death and in prison.

Unlike the previous books, Dalton doesn’t face an outside temptation or foe. He must battle and struggle with something far more dangerous. It’s within himself. What happens when you don’t really feel your vow to the King? Are you just going through the motions instead of doing that which you are called to do? These are the things Black tackles in this book and this is when I truly became a fan of this series. When I finished this book, I handed it directly to my husband and told him to read it. It was simply too good. The spiritual lessons, the impact, the powerful moments of this book were overwhelming as I was reading. I finished this book with a renewed passion for my own vow to the King and his Son and wondering what adventure God would lead me on next. In fact, after finishing this book, I placed it on the Christmas list for several friends of mine and their sons.  Chuck Black is a master of portraying the spiritual battles we all face and bringing them to a new level of understanding for us.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: September 2010

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

Back in the early nineties, R.L. Stine began his groundbreaking horror series for kids, Goosebumps. The creepy plots definitely intrigued many kids, and got a whole score of them reading again. In the later nineties, mostly after the entire first series of Goosebumps books had been published, Fred E. Katz began to release through Thomas Nelson a similar series, but this time for Christian kids to read, thus satisfying the want for scary stories, but giving them something uplifting in the end. And now, after about ten years, Thomas Nelson is re-releasing Spine Chillers Mysteries in volumes, with each volume containing three books in one.

The three stories included in this first volume, Dr. Shiver’s Carnival, Attack of the Killer House, and Birthday Cake and I Scream, are all similar in length, and take on many of the typical Goosebumps conventions, such as, a main boy and girl character battling against something they don’t quite understand. The individual books are fairly short and quick, and could easily be read in a couple hours.

In Dr. Shiver’s Carnival, Kyle and his three best friends wake up while on vacation in California, and see a mysterious carnival has suddenly appeared in the lot next door. They decide to check it out, and soon become caught in a terrifying adventure through the various rides and amusements, which don’t seem all that amusing after all. Each ride tries to scare, hurt, or kill the kids, and with mysterious clues appearing everywhere, it’s up to the four of them to figure out what really is going on at Dr. Shiver’s Carnival.

Attack of the Killer House opens with Anna and her younger brother Johnny, stuck inside their home while a storm rages outside. Their parents are gone for the day, leaving them to stay inside and work on chores and homework. But then strange things start to happen: Anna’s blow dryer goes berserk, Johnny’s science fair project attacks them, and that’s only the beginning. Can they figure out what is happening to the house before it ends up killing one or both of them?

The final book of the volume, Birthday Cake and I Scream tells the story of Mac, whose twelfth birthday is coming up. But when every fun place in town is booked, Mac’s mom books the party at Creepy the Clown’s Pizza Palace. Legends of ghosts and mysterious sightings leave Mac with only one birthday wish: to make it home alive.

Birthday Cake and I Scream is definitely the best of the three here, and tells the most well-rounded story, following in more of the Goosebumps tradition. It has a fairly decent amount of scariness, and a good twist in the end of the story. In the original releases, this book came much later than the first two in this volume, and it’s very easy to see that the author’s writing ability improved greatly over that time. The story is much tighter, and there is less reliance on the original Goosebumps series to come up with ideas and scares.

The first story, Dr. Shiver’s Carnival is probably the worst here, and the most confusing. The story seems almost to be trying to reference as many Goosebumps characters and situations as possible, from living dummies to vampires. The twist ending is also pretty easy to spot from the first few pages, and the rather improbable way that the kids in the story search for clues and find them in such a specific order makes it almost a groan to even get through. Attack of the Killer House is all right, and has more of plausibility to it that makes for a good mystery and a fair amount of danger for the main characters, unlike in Dr. Shiver’s Carnival, where the reader is hardly ever worried for them.

Overall, this is a promising series for kids who want something slightly more light-hearted than the R.L. Stine fare. And with each story focusing in on a decent Biblical lesson that doesn’t feel very forced, parents will feel pretty safe about letting their kids read these. I know I’m a fan.

Book purchased by reviewer.