Welcome back, people of the outernet!
If you read on a regular basis, you probably have a reading list, either mental or physical. My reading list mainly consists of books next in a series that I’m currently reading, so this post will probably be more of a book review than an exposition of my reading list.
Oh well.
On we go!
Keeper of the Lost Cities
By Shannon Messenger
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain. But everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere.
Why it’s on my reading list: I’ve seen the title around the Christian homeschool communities I’m in and eventually borrowed the first book from a friend. Long story short: I got hooked, hunted down the rest of the books, and am currently reading book six: Nightfall.
How the last books kept me hooked:
- I love fantasy, action adventure, and science fiction and KOTLC is a combination of these three
- Amazing characters! Shannon Messenger does an amazing job at focusing on the characters instead of some authors who can get carried away with the setting which would be easy for KOTLC because the setting is so beautiful!
- Keefe
- Keefe
- Keefe
- The complexity of the plot and how questions are answered at just the right times and new questions are brought up appropriately
- Realistic characters
- Did I say Keefe?
- Oh, and also Tam
Other thoughts: I’m just so excited to see how it ends!
Should you read it? I’d definitely recommend it for almost anyone 10+. Even people who aren’t big fantasy fans should give it a try. My friend (who likes historical fiction of all things!!) fell in love with it and she rarely reads fantasy. So give it a chance.
The Reckoners
By Brandon Sanderson
Synopsis: There are no heroes.
Every single person who manifested powers — we call them Epics — turned out to be evil.
Here, in the city once known as Chicago, an extraordinarily powerful Epic declared himself Emperor. Steelheart has the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, no explosion can burn him. He is invincible.
It has been ten years. We live our lives as best we can. Nobody fights back . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans who spend their lives studying powerful Epics, finding their weaknesses, then assassinating them.
My name is David Charleston. I’m not one of the Reckoners, but I intend to join them. I have something they need. Something precious, something incredible. Not an object, but an experience. I know his secret.
I’ve seen Steelheart bleed.
Why it’s on my reading list: My cousin reads. A lot. He introduced me to Skyward, my favorite futuristic book. So I went seeking out more books by the author and discovered the Reckoners.
How the last books kept me hooked:
- As cliché as the synopsis might sound, it’s really not. In fact, it’s very riveting. It’s told in a very clever way.
- The suspense. A large part of the book revolves around a complicated plan to destroy the bad guy which was still gripping even when there’s not a lot of action.
- The characters are very likable.
Other thoughts: I have not finished the series, so I look forward to diving into the final book!
Should you read it? If you like high-paced action and superheros, yes! I’d recommend it for 12+.
Cytonic
By Brandon Sanderson
Crazed squeaking. I. Need. To. Read. This. Book. Right. Now. BUT IT ISN’T RELEASED UNTIL NOVEMBER 23rd!! NOOOOOOOOOOO.
Synopsis: Spensa’s life as a Defiant Defense Force pilot has been far from ordinary. She proved herself one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and she saved her people from extermination at the hands of the Krell—the enigmatic alien species that has been holding them captive for decades. What’s more, she traveled light-years from home as an undercover spy to infiltrate the Superiority, where she learned of the galaxy beyond her small, desolate planet home.
Now, the Superiority—the governing galactic alliance bent on dominating all human life—has started a galaxy-wide war. And Spensa’s seen the weapons they plan to use to end it: the Delvers. Ancient, mysterious alien forces that can wipe out entire planetary systems in an instant. Spensa knows that no matter how many pilots the DDF has, there is no defeating this predator.
Except that Spensa is Cytonic. She faced down a Delver and saw something eerily familiar about it. And maybe, if she’s able to figure out what she is, she could be more than just another pilot in this unfolding war. She could save the galaxy.
The only way she can discover what she really is, though, is to leave behind all she knows and enter the Nowhere. A place from which few ever return.
To have courage means facing fear. And this mission is terrifying.
Why it’s on my reading list: Because Skyward and Starsight were two of the best fictional futuristic/sci-fi works I’ve ever read. And so of course I want to read the (supposedly) final installment to the trilogy! To say the least, I’m a fan.
How the last books kept me hooked:
- It’s futuristic.
- It’s about a girl who flies starfighters (very cool, come now).
- She has a mysterious ability.
- The writing is FABULOUS.
- The plot is AMAZING.
- The characters are BRILLIANT.
Other Thoughts: Guess what, it’s a really good book series. This is a book I’ve looked forward to reading for a long time. I’m sure it will be worth the wait.
Should you read it? If you like futuristic/sci-fi, action, basically Star-Wars-type stories, then yes, I would recommend it to ages 13+. While it’s not necessarily violent, the plot is complex and younger audiences could have trouble following it.
I hope you enjoyed this post! Leave a comment if you’ve read any of these books or are planning to in the future! (Because that’s always interesting to know.)
I know I haven’t posted in a while, but I have some posts coming up that you’ll definitely want to read, so smash that subscribe button and be ready!
Ta ta!
The Ink-Stained Desk 