Audiobook Review: Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

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Title: Peter and the Shadow Thieves
Authors: Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson
Narrator: Jim Dale
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Series: Peter and the Starcatchers, Book 2
Edition: Unabridged
Duration: 11 hours, 1 minute
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

In this riveting and adventure-packed follow-up to the award-winning New York Times bestseller Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter leaves the relative safety of Mollusk Island - along with his trusted companion, Tinker Bell - for the dark and dangerous streets of London. On a difficult journey across the sea, he and Tink discover the mysterious and deadly Lord Ombra, who is intent on recovering the missing starstuff - celestial dust that contains unimagined powers. In London, Peter attempts to track down the indomitable Molly, hoping that together they can combat Ombra's determined forces. But London is not Mollusk Island; Peter is not the boy he used to be; and Lord Ombra - the Shadow Master - is unlike anything Peter, or the world, has ever seen.

Overall Rating: 4/5

I absolutely love the idea behind this series. Instead of retelling the old version of Peter Pan, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have simply imagined a background for Peter. This series goes through the days before Peter became the legendary "Peter Pan." It's great, because those who aren't familiar with the story can follow, and those who do know the story can be amused by references to what Peter will eventually become.

Aside from the history behind the characters, this is an entertaining and delightful children's novel. Peter and the Shadow Thieves is the sort of book that made me fall in love with reading. It has all the right elements of mystery, suspense, humor, and simple, good fun. There are dangerous parts that made me hold my breath (especially with Jim Dale's narration!) and completely immerse myself in the story with the characters and root for their victory

As with any fantastic children's novel, Peter and the Shadow Thieves has a terrifying bad guy. Named Lord Ombra, he can steal the shadow of anyone, and he wants the magical starstuff to make him all-powerful. I don't know about you, but I think an adventure book is only as good as the antagonist, and Lord Ombra is a definite win. He seems like a character straight out of a particularly horrifying Doctor Who episode. Our shadows are exactly the type of thing we take for granted, and for Barry and Pearson to introduce a character who is capable of stealing people's shadows -- *shudder* I admit, Lord Ombra has entered into my nightmare hall of fame.

In the end, I think I wanted a little more from the side of Captain Hook and the Lost Boys. In this novel, Peter is in England fighting Lord Ombra and the Lost Boys are left to their own devices against Captain Hook. I know that Peter is the main character, but I would have liked more of a balance between the two. Besides that, however, it's a fun, entertaining read that I recommend for all lovers of adventure and fantasy. The end is satisfying in that it answers the most crucial and biting questions, but it still leaves a lot unanswered, so that I'm eager to continue the series.

There just aren't enough words to say how amazing Jim Dale is as a narrator. He puts life and vivacity in every story he reads. The characters all have their own voices, and he matches his pace, rhythm, and tone to what's going on in the story. If you're at all interested in audiobooks, definitely go for the audiobook version of this one. It is a treat.

Book Review: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer

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Title: The Atlantis Complex
Author: Eoin Colfer
Publisher: Hyperion
Series: Artemis Fowl, book 7
Hardcover: 357 pages
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Artemis Fowl has lost his mind...just when the world needs him most.

Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind?

Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies -- not humans -- and most likely triggered by Artemis’s dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.

Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly’s past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind -- and the grips of a giant squid -- in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?

Overall Rating: 4/5


I have to preface this by saying that I am extremely partial to child/teenage genius stories. Add in some fairies and magic, and this is pretty much the coolest series EVER. The last book, The Time Paradox, was by far my favorite in the series, so as always with a series that goes past 4 books, let alone 6, I was worried by adding yet another one. I know it won't be for everyone -- my sister, who is also a Fowl fan, didn't like this book at all, but I really enjoyed it.

With all the guilt of his past crimes and the exposure to fairy magic, Artemis is finally beginning to lose his mind. He has what is called the Atlantis Complex, which gives him OCD, excessive paranoia, and a multiple personality disorder, among other things. So when he and a committee of important fairy members are attacked during a demonstration of an invention that Artemis believes will save the world, Holly and Foaly must step up and figure out what is going on.

The first few chapters are a bit slow, but I ended up really liking it. Lots of action and drama. Butler and Juliet almost get beaten to death by a crowd of wrestling fans, Artemis goes crazy and reveals another personality -- Orion, and Foaly's space explorer bots start attacking a fairy committee. And that's before the halfway point! We get to see old friends (Mulch!), meet a couple of awesome new villains, and are introduced to some awesome new fairy gadgets. And I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that this follows a new villain, and not Opal. The new villain is Julius's Root's evil brother, so it gives us a bit more background on Holly and Julius, which I enjoyed.

The crafting is also genius. This must have been a hard book to write, due to Artemis's failing mental faculties, but Colfer does a great job. Artemis hates the number four, and tries to group everything in fives. If you do a word count on his dialogue, you'll see he he speaks in multiples of five (kudos to Colfer for keeping such an attention to detail!).

Colfer really upped the stakes in this one. Sure, things have been really bad before, but Artemis has always been able to rely on his  mind. Now, they're facing a master criminal and Artemis doesn't even have that to rely on anymore. It makes the other characters have to become a bit tougher, and Artemis become a bit more humanized. I don't want to hint at what the ending is, but I thought it was perfect. Even half-insane, Artemis is a smarty-pants.

*I was provided a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review: Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

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Title: Blue Bloods
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Publisher: Hyperion
Series: Blue Bloods, Book 1
Paperback: 336 pages
Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)

When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society.

The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapated mansion. Schuyler is a loner...and happy that way. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a popular girl from her school is found dead... drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think, but she wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she herself in danger?

Overall Rating: 4/5

I'm always up for a vampire novel, and I think Blue Bloods holds its own in the genre. This was a re-read for me, but it was still great. The idea is extremely creative and original, which is something I always look for. I like the idea of vampire reincarnation, and the connection to Plymouth and the last colony of Roanoke. For American history geeks like me, that's a huge plus. And instead of being filled with romance and angst right away (I know this comes in later books, though), this first book has a well-laid plot with intriguing mysteries.

There are some problems with this book. It does a lot of "telling" instead of showing; I wasn't ever wondering about the characters' thoughts and motivations, because it was all spelled out for me. I was also annoyed by all the designer/brand references. After the first dozen, I understood that they were rich and didn't need anything more. However, these are minor issues, I think. The story is good enough to counteract these problems, and I know the writing definitely improves later in the series.

I love the relationship between Schuyler and Oliver. They're kind of the perfect friends, and I like seeing them in more innocent times before all the big events have changed them. In fact, I enjoyed seeing all of the characters. They are all so different from where we are currently in the series, which just shows how great Melissa de la Cruz is at putting her characters in tough situations and making them grow.

Even though I've read all the books and am just waiting for the last one to be released (*excited squeal*) I still felt that rush of needing to know what happens next. Great characters, beautifully crafted story, and a lot of excitement. You can't go wrong with this book.