Book Nerds Across America

Book Summary
Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?

One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.

But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.

The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?

Flo's Review
Quite simply: if you loved the Percy Jackson books, you'll love this one. I don't want to simplify it so much, but it read to me as an Indian Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan's books are fun -- and all the ones I've read follow the same general formula, with different heroes and gods changed out. This is not a bad thing. I adored both Percy Jackson series. I did notice the formula of Riordan's stories in this first Aru Shah book.

That being said, Roshani Chokshi's own style did come through. I loved The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes because of the richness of the imagery, and we see the same beautiful descriptions in Aru Shah. Minnie and Aru made a great team, though I did miss the romantic tension that comes with having leads who are romantically attracted to each other. However, this is a middle grade book, and I think the intended audience will not miss that element like I did.

I listened to this audiobook and felt that the reader did a good job in making us feel like were in the story, and not just listening to it.

Related Reviews
The Star-Touched Queen: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/2017/05/book-review-star-touched-queen-by.html 

A Crown of Wishes: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/2017/06/audiobook-review-crown-of-wishes-by.html

Rick Riordan Author Event: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/2012/10/rick-riordan-author-event.htm

Book Summary
How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.

But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

Flo's Review
I love me some Rick Riordan! Ever since I picked up the first Percy Jackson book on a whim, I'm excited to read anything this man puts out. Sometimes it doesn't quite work for me (Kane Chronicles), but most of the time I've got nothing but love.

Apollo's voice is quite different from Percy's or any demigods, and I applaud Rick Riordan for being able to write it consistently so. I think at one point my status update was "I can't with Apollo!" because maaan is this god-turned-human arrogant. But if you think about it -- he's a god, so the big head makes sense. But the beauty in this book was Apollo's character growth. Is he still arrogant at the end of the book? Yep. But he has also picked up some of the best traits of humans: dedication, perseverance, love, loyalty. The story dragged for me a little bit in the middle, but I think this was because of the combination of two factors: 1) it's the first in a series, so a lot of explanation needed to happen; and 2) I was listening to the audiobook, and that sometimes makes books seem slower. I loved seeing some of my favorite demigods from Riordan books past. There was also QUITE a plot twist that I did not see coming!! I'm looking forward to seeing how Apollo reacts to things in the next part of his trials.

Book Summary
Thorn, an outlaw's son, wasn't supposed to be a slave. He's been sold to Tyburn, an executioner, and they're headed to Castle Gloom in Gehenna, the land of undead, where Thorn will probably be fed to a vampire.

Lilith Shadow wasn't supposed to be ruler of Gehenna. But following the murder of her family, young Lily became the last surviving member of House Shadow, a long line of dark sorcerers. Her country is surrounded by enemies and the only way she can save it is by embracing her heritage and practicing the magic of the undead. But how can she when, as a girl, magic is forbidden to her?

Just when it looks like Lily will have to leave her home forever, Thorn arrives at Castle Gloom. A sudden death brings them together, inspires them to break the rules, and leads them to soar to new heights in this fantasy with all the sparkle and luster of a starry night sky.

Flo's Review
I love it when I am surprisingly blown away by a book! Not that I wasn't expecting to like this one. I first heard about it on Twitter,  and the author heard my interest and graciously offered to send me one of his personal ARCs for review. 
I had been intrigued when I first heard about it because it's a middle grade fantasy and I immediately thought of Percy Jackson and how much I love those books. The author of those, Rick Riordan, in fact offered a fantastic review of this book:  
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1452493728?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1

I flew through the majority of this book in a few hours. Right from the start, we are immediately put into the action, and it doesn't let up until the very last page. In fact, it just keeps getting more intense. And, oh, the plot twists! There were lots of clues left for the discerning reader, but I am one of those who never sees anything coming. I almost think it's more fun that way because then I'm like, "Oh my gosh!! No way!!" A lot of people aren't who they seem and you don't know whether to believe they did the things they've been accused of or not. But our hero, Thorn, never fails to see the good in people and that gives the story such heart. He's a peasant, yes, but his actions are those of a hero. 

Lily, Lady Shadow, grew tremendously throughout the novel. Towards the beginning it was a lot of whining and petulance, but by the end she is making big decisions well, with wisdom as well as heart. These two characters, Lily and Thorn, seemed a little old for 13 years old, but I suppose both of their life circumstances made them have to grow up fast. It also should be noted that our story takes place in Gehenna and is filled with dark creepy things like zombies and necromancers. They wear all black and it's cold and dreary all the time. But it's Lily's home and she loves it. She had a great line something like [I'm paraphrasing], "Most people just see the dark gargoyle statues, but I see where I played when I was little. Most people just see the dark halls, but I see ..." etc etc. Not to mention, Lily isn't at all a dark and evil human being: she has deep feelings and emotions and takes her responsibility as Lady Shadow seriously. 

Shadow Magic did a great job of explaining and introducing the world without it ever feeling like an information dump. We were never bogged down while reading about the canon and the rules of this fantasy world. Six brother Princes founded six houses of magic. Each specialized in one of the 4 elements, and then light and dark rounded them out. 

I think this is a standalone, but it would be fun to see 5 more books -- each out taking place within each of the other houses. Josh, you in?? I'll definitely read those!

Shadow Magic comes out April 12th and I definitely recommend it for those who love a light and fun action-packed fantasy novel. (Yes, I did just call a book about a place called Gehenna "light" and "fun." Lol. See you're intrigued, right?!)

Giveaway: Win an ARC of Shadow Magic
Not long after Josh sent me a copy of Shadow Magic, I received another one from Disney. So this one I'll give away! U.S. only (I'm sorry), and it will end on the day the book comes out, April 12. Enter via the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rick Riordan and the big, beautiful book. I grabbed this image from his blog: rickriordan.blogspot.com/.

Book Summary
A publisher in New York asked me to write down what I know about the Greek gods, and I was like, Can we do this anonymously? Because I don't need the Olympians mad at me again. But if it helps you to know your Greek gods, and survive an encounter with them if they ever show up in your face, then I guess writing all this down will be my good deed for the week. 
So begins Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, in which the son of Poseidon adds his own magic--and sarcastic asides--to the classics. He explains how the world was created, then gives readers his personal take on a who's who of ancients, from Apollo to Zeus. Percy does not hold back. "If you like horror shows, blood baths, lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on, because it definitely was a Golden Age for all that." 

Flo's Review
I wish Percy Jackson was around when I was studying Greek mythology in high school! Percy's voice makes these classic tales come alive in a new way that kids today will relate to and find interesting. I listened to this audiobook and I literally laughed out loud and several points in the stories. I have read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, along with all the Heroes of Olympus books to date, and I am really glad that Rick Riordan wrote this book to give some more back story and explanation to the gods. The stories of the most of the gods have been talked about briefly or referred to in both of the Percy Jackson series, but that was all I knew of them. It was great to learn more about how Athena sprung from the head of Zeus, for example. I also enjoyed learning about how the Olympian gods overthrew the Titans. I definitely did not know any of the Titan back story, and I really enjoyed learning about that. I have to give props to the audiobook narrator, who was fantastic. Percy writes with a lot of personality, and the narrator did a great job of really bringing forth Percy's thoughts and reactions with his voice.

Now I really want Rick Riordan to write Carter and Sadie Kane's Egyptian Gods. Can do, Rick?!

How can you not love an author who will do a dedication like this?!

Look! It's me and Rick!!

"In a fantastical ship called the Argo II, seven demigods journey by air across the United States and by sea to Rome on their quest to defeat the earth mother, Gaea. Meanwhile, war is breaking out between the Roman and Greek demigods they left behind, and only Annabeth holds the key to restoring peace." (from HeroesofOlympus.com)

So a few months ago, Mary suggested that we should all post about our favorite authors. She went first, and then was followed by Jacque a few months later. I actually created my list on some Post Its (the best invention ever -- thank you Romy and Michele!), but have not had the chance to post until now. A few things about this list...first, there is no way I could rank these -- are you kidding me?!?! Second, I decided not to include authors that Mary and Jacque already posted about, though without a doubt I share some from both their lists.

"In The Lost Hero, three demigods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a blood-chilling quest:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death



I love Percy Jackson. Can I marry him? I know he is only 16 years old and also a fictional son of an Olympian god, but that kind of stuff has never stopped me from having crushes before.

I loved The Lost Hero, the first book in Rick Riordan's new series about demigods -- children with one mortal parent and one Olympian godly parent. I anxiously awaited the second book in The Heros of Olympus series, and it did not disappoint! While one of the great things about The Lost Hero was seeing Camp Half Blood through other eyes besides Percy's, one of the strengths of The Son of Neptune was seeing a whole different camp.

We are introduced to two more demigods who are part of the Prophecy of Seven -- Hazel and Frank. Just like Piper, Leo and Jason in the first book, I learned to love these new two characters for their strengths as well as their vulnerabilities. With them, we have the seven half-bloods of the prophecy: Hazel, Frank, Jason, Leo, Piper, Annabeth, and Percy Jackson.

Riordan does an amazing job of crafting his story. The action left me rushing through the pages and I continue to be in awe of how well all the littlest details end up connecting. I breezed through this book in a few short days and now have to wait in agony for the third book, The Mark of Athena, which will be released in Fall 2012.

If you haven't read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series yet, do so -- because they are incredible. If you have, and you miss Percy and his adventures, then pick up this series because Rick Riordan continues to bring the goodness.

~Flo~

I loved the Percy Jackson and the Olympians saga. After I finished reading all five of those books, I picked up the first book in author Rick Riordan's lateast series, The Kane Chronicles. And I didn't like it.

So I had no idea what to expect when coming in to The Lost Hero. In fact, it's been sitting on my TBR (to be read) pile for many months now, and I just now got around to it. Boy am I glad I did! It only took a few pages for me to be immediately immersed and invested back into the world I loved so much in Percy Jackson.

In The Lost Hero, we are introduced to Jason, Piper and Leo at the Wilderness School, which is a school for difficult children. Jason, however, has no memory. He does not know who he is or how he got to the school. Soon enough, the three are taken to Camp Half Blood where they are claimed and sent on a quest.

There were several things I loved about this book. As always, Riordan is a master of writing action scenes that leave you holding your breath and characters that make you laugh and want to give them a hug. Jason, Piper and Leo's adventures were fresh and entertaining, and I loved discovering them as they discovered themselves and what they could do.

I also enjoyed seeing Camp Half Blood from a new perspective. In the Percy Jackson series, we were only able to experience it as Percy did. In The Lost Hero, we learn more about the camp and see it through multiple eyes. I love, love the way characters from Percy Jackson are so well integrated into this new saga! Annabeth, Clarisse, Chrion -- and even those demigods who died got mentions.

Running parallel to the the story of the three new demigods' quest is the story that Percy Jackson is missing. Only at the end do we discover how he disappeared and where he is. This revelation sets up the next book in the Heros of Olympus saga, which you can guarantee I will be picking up as soon as it comes out in October.