Review of Glass and Death by Holly Hook


Synopsis (from Amazon):
Can the son of the darkest wizard in Fable save it?

Shorty’s world is in trouble. The land of Fable is falling victim to a growing darkness, one being spread by an evil dark wizard named Alric who is bent on making every fairy tale fall. Worse, Shorty’s grandmother hates him and even the knights around his castle fear his presence.

The fact that he’s the son of Alric might have something to do with that.

No matter how far Shorty runs, he cannot escape from his origin and the dark magic pulsing through him. When a group of refugees arrives on his doorstep, one of them with a magic ball of yarn that can show you anywhere you want to go, Shorty realizes his time of hiding is over. And they’re being pursued by Annie, Alric’s evil sister.

Shorty must act. Finding and facing the dark wizard himself is the only thing that will free him—and Fable—from the darkness.

Review:
Shorty has grown exponentially from his original journey with Candice to this point. In many ways, Shorty’s journey is one that most go through in life– are they like their parents, will they do the same things, or will they take another path and do something completely different? Realizing that he must lead, it’s up to Shorty to forge his own path. Facing up to one’s parents is the hardest thing a child can do, but sometimes, it is necessary, and while Shorty’s case is extreme, one can only hope that his journey shows that you can be whatever you truly want to be, and that you will have have far more friends and followers if you do what is right.

Star Rating: 

Review of The Mirror’s Tale by P. W. Catanese

The Mirror’s Tale
A Further Tales Adventure
By P. W. Catanese

Star Rating: 
Genre: Young People/Young Adult
Number of Pages: 288

Date Started: December 10, 2016
Date Finished: December 14, 2016

Synopsis: (From Amazon)mirrors_tale_front_cover
Everyone has heard the story — the dwarves, the talking mirror, the evil witch. But this tale doesn’t belong to Snow White anymore….

Bert and Will, the twin sons of the baron of Ambercrest, are best friends. They do everything together and can’t help it if trouble just seems to…find them. But the baron is fed up and has decided that separation will keep them out of mischief. One twin, he proclaims, will stay in Ambercrest for the summer, while the other will be sent to The Crags — a foreboding, rocky outpost on the edge of the kingdom.

It is there, hidden in a forbidden black chamber, that one of the boys discovers a bejeweled and mysterious mirror. What is the precious object? And why does it make him feel so…powerful? Soon the twins’ kinship is replaced by dark magic and deceit, and a kingdom hangs dangerously in the balance. What becomes of one who is ruled by the forces of evil? And can brotherly love conquer a consuming quest for power?

Review:
I love that there are elements of the classic fairy tale of Snow White in this book. I think that the story was perfectly entwined so that it didn’t deal so much with the fairy tale as it referenced it as most stories are– an event that most people don’t know the entire truth about. The depth of characterization was surprising and refreshing for the grade level, giving the villains realistic and understandable qualities and traits that readers might also face.

There are so many morals that one could take out of this book, including but not limited to: sometimes the life path you dream isn’t one that suits you, you can always improve your own behaviour if others find you act inappropriately (which is a far better plan than to act out and potentially hurt someone you care about), that not everything is as it seems.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
If you would like to read P. W. Catenese’s biography, check his Amazon page here.