Mystic, by Jason Denzel

Have you ever had too many books to read? I have, even though I usually go through one every couple days. Sometimes you get behind just because you don't feel like reading, or you want to read something else, or you even forgot that you had the book. This has happened to me many times. In fact, I currently have 12 books that I have yet to read (not counting the library and the internet)!

Mystic was one of those books. I got it on my birthday, in February, yet I never quite found the time to read it. There were so many books to read, and so little time! Finally, I decided to read it this week. I opened it, and once I recognized the words, I felt like the pages were made of gold.

Mystic is a wonderful novel about a supernatural force called the Myst, which resides in all things, and fay, which take the form of silver animals only a few select people, called Mystics, can see. The Mystics work with the fay and the Myst to maintain harmony.

The main character of the novel is named Pomella, a commoner who, against tradition, is summoned to compete in the Trials to become the High Mystic's apprentice. Usually, only nobles are allowed to become Mystics, and so great scorn is placed on her by her fellow candidates and many others. However, Pomella is special and greatly gifted with the Myst.

I recommend Mystic for the fantasy lovers out there, whom I know number in the thousands. Based in another world (although you may see some Celtic/Irish culture), I can compare it to The Wheel of Time series. However, I wouldn't read it if you weren't a fan of sudden romances that only last two chapters, sudden friendships that last a few pages, and not-quite romances that cover the entire book.

The Sun is Also a Star, Nicola Yoon

Has anyone in your family ever given you a book? Unlike some things, it takes a lot of concentration. They have to know if you have read the book or not, and if you will be interested in it. They might spend hours going over the book before they give it to you, or mere minutes. Still, when you get it, you know that they were thinking of you and feel loved.

My grandfather sends me books from time to time, and I always try to read them. Historical fiction, drama, novels that I wouldn't normally read, but once I do, I love them. He knows the books that I'll love, and he sends them to me. A while ago, he sent me a book called Out of the Easy, and last week he sent be The Sun is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon.

At first, I was doubtful. I put off reading it, leaving it in the living room carelessly. I didn't think about it for a few days, because I was reading a different book. But then, when I finished that book, I asked my mom where the book was. Sadly, my dog had gotten a hold of it. The book sleeve was destroyed, and the bottom inch and a half of the spine was chewed up. However, I could still read it.

The Sun is Also a Star is about a girl and a boy, going over the course of one day. The girl, Natasha, is an illegal immigrant from Jamaica, who is being deported. The boy, Daniel, is a first-generation Korean American, the son of two Korean immigrants. Through a series of coincidences, they end up meeting and falling in love over the day.

I loved The Sun is Also a Star, and I felt loved. It was the greatest novel I've read in weeks, because not only was the story deep and meaningful, but it was given to me by someone who loved me. It was the perfect novel to give as a gift, or just to read. I'll definitely treasure it forever, and even go back to it from time to time, reading the parts that I loved.

The Valiant, by Lesley Livingston

Many interesting things happened to me while I was reading The Valiant. I was on a B.E.A.R. trip (http://www.bearmt.org/) with eight others and two mentors. My friend and I were the only high schoolers, with the remainder of them in middle school. Needless to say, they were all incredibly rude and every boy was determined to spend the entire weekend in just their underwear, even though there was two feet of (hard and icy) snow outside.

Anyway, back to the book. There was absolutely nothing to do in the cabin, and so I brought The Valiant. It was pretty much the lifejacket that was keeping me from drowning in boredom from the trip. It was my crutch for dealing with persnickety preteens.

The Valiant was a very interesting novel about female gladiators. The main character is called multiple names throughout the book: Fallon, Victrix, Fury Killer, etc. She's also the daughter of the king of the Cantii tribe, in Britain. Like her sister before her, Fallon is eventually captured by Romans, and sold to Julius Caesar, the man who conquered her homelands, as a gladiatrix. During her ruthless training and bloody fights, Fallon falls in love with a Roman soldier, named Cai, and finds herself fighting for the very man she has sworn to hate.

However, my synopsis can't ever cover the true beauty of the book. It's about struggling with pride and honor versus survival, and falling in love even though it is forbidden to do so. I hope that you will find the courage to do so, as it will truly entertain you.

The Novice, by Taran Matharu

I believe that every book has a story behind it. I don't mean the plot (that would be obvious), but the story of how its pages ended up between your fingers, how your finger got to tracing its spine. For The Novice, there was such as story.

The first time I noticed it, it had recently been added to the closest Barnes & Noble store. I didn't have enough money to get it and the other books I wanted, so it was sent back to the shelf. When I came again, I couldn't find it. The next time, I still didn't have enough money.

When I could finally get it, it was a mainly normal day. That is, it was mainly normal for everyone but me. I was driving, with two other high schoolers in the backseat and an instructor in the passenger seat. Yep, driver's ed. We were doing a highway drive, and I had never felt more relieved to park. Then, I noticed that we were in the parking lot of the building complex that had Barnes & Noble. I pointed it out, and the instructor gave me permission to go in while they were getting food and going to the bathroom. I ran as fast as I could, and found The Novice in my hands, as well as a box of chocolate eggs, thanking the lady at the cash register and running back to Wendy's, where the instructor was.

While the others were driving, I began to devour the book. I read more than half of it before I got home, and read another chapter besides. I was completely absorbed, and only realized we had arrived back in my hometown when the student sitting beside me pointed it out.

Now, about the book. The Novice is the first book in the Summoner series, by Taran Matharu. It's about a boy named Fletcher, who's an orphan and a blacksmith's apprentice. He lives in a small town called Pelt, and is severely mistreated by his peers. Then, he summons a demon, and finds himself enrolled in a school for training battlemages to fight the orcs in the South. He soon befriends an elf, a dwarf, and another human, but soon realizes that the only person he can really trust is his demon, Ignatius.

I loved The Novice, and highly recommend reading it if you are an avid fantasy reader. I know that, now that I've finished it, I'm going to get the next book as soon as I can.

-Firinne

Dragon Trials, by Ava Richardson

When I first read Dragon Trials, I thought that it was average. It was good, but it wasn't great. The novel was interesting, but not enough so that it would catch my attention. I couldn't help but compare it to other books I'd read, and disliked that it lacked magic along with the dragons, as well as an awe-inspiring journey. So, I quickly finished it and started another book.

However, I soon found myself coming back to it. My eyes would skim over the pages, searching for something. Again and again, I'd look back at it and I'd think, "I know there's something with this book. But what is it? What makes me read it again?" I thought about it, and soon I realized something. In a way, it's about accepting yourself and others, and doing what you feel is right.

Dragon Trials has two main characters: A girl, Agathea Flamma, and a boy, Sebastian Smith.Thea is the daughter of a prominent family, many of whom are dragon riders. As a girl, she can only pray that she is chosen by a dragon, or her fate will be to marry into another noble family. However, she has faith in her lineage and skill, and she is chosen. Seb is the son of a drunk, and grew up with no love and much embarrassment. When he is chosen by the same dragon, he only thinks that it made a mistake. All the other cadets are from noble families, and have been training all their lives. The only thing he can do is try not to disappoint his partner, Thea.

Over the course of the book, they both realize that they, or, at least, Seb, was not wrongly chosen, and that they both have the skills that the other lacks. They learn to accept each other, and work together to fight the darkness that no one else knows is coming, even though the consequences for doing so are great.

-Firinne