Matthew's Bookshelf

Whew! It's been quite some time since I've posted a book review. So let's get started on a historical fantasy: Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman . What's The Story? Legacy of Kings tells several interconnected stories, all of them relating to the kingdom of Macedonia. Alexander, son of Phillip II and heir to the throne, is regent due to his father's absence. Having only a small army, he must learn how to navigate the kingdom from several threats of invasion. Katerina needs to learn her actual past, as well as avenge her mother's death. This leads her and her friend Jacob from their village all the way to King Phillip's castle. But just as Kat and Jacob's feelings for each other evolve, more details begin to unfold. Queen Olympias has many dark secrets and is using very dark magic. The fate of the empire then rests in these three characters to stop Olympias from pursuing her own agendas. Likes Okay, this boo...

Okay, everybody, what is the first image that comes to mind when you think of a mummy? Probably some ugly-looking person from the dead, completely wrapped in bandages, right? If that's what you're thinking of, prepare to have a totally different image in mind as we dive into this awesome and adventurous book. So kick back, relax, and get ready to go on a trip as I tell you about Reawakened by Colleen Houck. What's The Story? Seventeen-year-old Lily Young is exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art during her spring break, stumbling upon something she never expected she would find. She discovers Amon, an Egyptian prince who has been reawakened after being mummified for thousands of years. After discovering his true purpose, Lily is chosen to aid him in a quest to find his long-lost brothers and save mankind as they know it. The two of them travel back to Egypt in order to revive Amon's brothers and stop a shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over th...

Wow! The book that I just got done reading totally surprised me. And that book is Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly , the first book in the Waterfire Saga! Now I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but I went into it with an open mind. Mermaids aren't normally something that I read about, so it was pretty interesting to see a story like this. What a pleasant surprise! So let's get started on why I really enjoyed this one. What's The Story? Serafina is daughter of the Queen of Miromara, being raised with the expectation that she will one day rule over merfolk in her town. But on the night before her Dokimi ceremony, she has a nightmare predicting that an ancient evil has returned. Most of all, however, Serafina is concerned that she is going to be able to live up to the standards of her mother. Her Dokimi goes according to plan, but an unexpected event takes place. An assassin's arrow hits Serafina's mother, and the entire kingdom begi...

Hey, everybody! Today I'm coming at you with another sci-fi review to kick off the month of April. To start things off, I'm going to be talking about Zodiac by Romina Russell . Here we go! What's The Story? In a distant galaxy, the planet you call home is determined by your sign on the zodiac. Rhoma Grace is a student at House Cancer and has a peculiar way at interpreting what the stars say. However, an unexpected blast strikes one of the moons of Cancer, sending the entire planet off course and killing thousands, including the Guardian of the planet. Rhoma is shocked to learn that she is selected to serve as the new leader of the House, but she gladly accepts her new position. However, more Houses in the galaxy are beginning to experience catastrophes, and Rhoma begins to witness a strange pattern within the stars. She begins to suspect that Ophiuchus, the 13th Zodiac that was supposedly exiled, has returned to get revenge on the galaxy. This leave...

Okay, so I've been on a science fiction kick lately. It's definitely one of my favorite genres to read from, because sometimes the sci-fi crowd offers some pretty interesting stories. So that's why I'm going to be telling you all about another futuristic tale that I am glad to have on my bookshelf. Today I'm going to be telling you about The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness ! Now this is the first book that I read from this author. I heard of all the wonderful stories he wrote, so I had to try out one of his books. This one struck me because it had a very interesting plot and I just knew that I would be in love with it. I know we shouldn't assume, but in this case my assumptions were correct. I really enjoyed it! First impressions are sometimes hard to make when I come across authors that I never read from, but Patrick Ness just blew me away. So let's get to it! What's The Story? In New World, Todd has grown up in a village ...

Oh my gosh, this was definitely something that I am glad I read! Today I'm going to be telling you about an epic fantasy called  Legacy by Hugo Jackson .  So when I was looking for a new and interesting fantasy to read, I stumbled across this one. I really liked the cover and the synopsis seemed like a really cool story, so I jumped right in. I'm happy to report that I absolutely loved every moment of it! So let's get started, shall we? What's The Story? In the land of Eeres, Faria Phiraco and her Emperor father are resonators, people with the ability to manipulate the energy of crystals. The power of doing this is considered a secret, so this means that the two of them must guard it with their lives. Meanwhile, a race of dragons knows as Dhraka discovers an ancient artifact that points to the long-lost city of Nazreal. They begin to put their plans into motion by beginning to besiege the Empire, hunting down Faria to find out what s...

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be telling you about a book that will have you at the edge of your seat. And that book I'll be talking about is Nerve by Jeanne Ryan. What's The Story? Vee has been selected to participate in Nerve, an anonymous online game of dares. She soon discovers that the game already knows a lot about her, and begins to entice her by offering interesting prizes and teaming her up with Ian, the perfect dare partner. At first the game seems fun, performing her designated dares as online audiences watch them. But the game becomes twisted when Vee and Ian meet up with other teens for Nerve's Grand Prize round. Suddenly, they all find themselves in a fight for the prize, even if their lives are at stake. Likes Nerve was a crazy and intense read from the moment I picked it up. It was just a really cool story, and I liked the fact that this thriller was based around an online game. Stories with a digital twist to ...