The Grimm Chronicles by Ken Brosky and Isabella Fontaine

About the Book

Young Adult

Date Published: 8/25/2013

The award-winning Young Adult adventure series reaches its penultimate volume! This collection contains the following books:

Book 7: The Giant Slayer

Europe: birthplace of Grimms' Fairy Tales. An unfamiliar land, brimming with its own breed of Corrupted who hide in the shadows, growing more evil with each passing day. For modern-day hero Alice Goodenough, this is more than enough to worry about. But she also has a fencing tournament to think about.

And a promise to keep with Sam Grayle, a Corrupted dwarf who schemes for more and more wealth. When their train breaks down in a small town in eastern Hungary, Alice finds the legacy of the hero is alive and well. Corrupted have visited this town before, and they aren't quite vanquished just yet. There's one left, hiding away, biding his time to enact a terrible price on his enemies. A little creature with big, big plans ...

Werewolves. Vampires. Giants. Europe is a different place with new dangers, new monsters and new surprises.

Book 8: Darkness Rising

200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm brought their stories to life.

But why? The question has haunted the heroes for two centuries, and no one has come close to the truth. Alice Goodenough will learn the terrible truth. And it will come at a terrible cost.

The fencing tournament is in just a few short days. Alice's team is hopelessly outmatched, facing off against fencers who have more experience and an inhuman amount of energy. But the other fencers also have a special drug, one that Alice's team can use to even the playing field. Whether they should take the drug or not threatens to tear the team apart.

Meanwhile, Alice must live up to her agreement with Sam Grayle, who lusts after a hidden treasure that once belonged to the Corrupted. Alice must team up with a group of explorers and delve deep into a forbidden cave that holds more secrets than any of them expected.

Book 9: Malevolence

The Malevolence has been biding its time inside Castle Vontescue, but now Alice must finally confront it. The very same evil force that brought the Grimms' fairy tales to life now threatens the hero and all she holds dear. No one is safe in the darkness.

But what, exactly, is this centuries-old creature? To find that out, Br'er Rabbit will have to use all of his wits and decode a series of clues before time runs out. Meanwhile, Alice must keep her friends close and fight through her numerous injuries if she hopes to stop the evil.

But nothing is certain. Alice's body is breaking down. Her loved ones are in constant danger. There is no escape now ... soon, she must face off against the ancient evil that lurks within Castle Vontescue.

And there will be blood.

This volume also contains the following extras:

- The lost diary of Abigail Bauer

- An exclusive introduction

... And the following Grimms' Fairy Tales:

- Hans in Luck

- The Brave Little Tailor

- Tom Thumb

- Twelve Dancing Princesses

- Rapunzel

Excerpt

“There’s a boat,” I told Harper. “Through these trees. It can’t be far. It’ll take us across a lake. We … well, we’re not going to be any safer on the other side, but at least we won’t be surrounded by man-eating trees.”

“Fair enough. Come on!” Harper led the way, the flashlight’s beam bouncing with each step. We followed him closely, giving every possible branch a wide berth. The groaning was getting louder, echoing all around us. The sound of creaking wood came from every direction.

McCormack, breathing heavily, started to fall behind.

“Come on, you big lug!” I shouted, grabbing him by the shirt.

“I’m … I’m … I’m done, lassy!”

“No!” I pulled him harder, swinging my axe at a twisted branch as it reached out for him. Burning blackness spread across the bark, igniting the massive tree and lighting up the forest. We both drew in a sharp breath. All of the nearby trees were swaying, their branches pulling away from the flames, their trunks reflecting the orange glow. Each trunk had a distinct face, distorted and grotesque.

We hurried to catch up, ducking low beneath the branches of another tree. Something snagged the collar of my shirt, scratching my neck. I screamed, turning and grabbing the branch with my left hand. I swung my axe at the branch, but the axe head flew off the handle, landing somewhere in the darkness.

You don’t know how to draw an axe head, Alice!

“I got ya, lass!” McCormack’s big hands wrapped around my waist and he pulled while I twisted the branch. It tore the collar of my sweater but I was free! We hurried to join the others, weaving our way around another tree.

“Up ahead!” I told them, pointing with the axe handle. The trees were thinning out, and ahead I could see the lake. On the other side of the lake were the trees with the glowing blue plums, their light reflecting on the surface of the black water.

“Careful!” Cixi said, jumping in front of Wodehouse and slicing a branch in half before its claw-like fingers could grab him. A dozen trees were still in front of us, each one swaying, each one’s branches writhing and twisting toward us. Cixi cut another branch, then another. Harper dodged and ducked, trying his best to keep the beam of the flashlight directly ahead of us.

“Gaaah!” McCormack shouted.

I turned around, cursing. The big man’s arms were pinned to his body, one thick branch squeezing him tightly around the waist.

“They’re—urk!—they’re squeezing my bladder!” he shouted.

“Hold on!” I bent down, drawing a gladius. It wasn’t an axe, but it would have to do. I pulled it from the ground and looked up. Another branch! I ducked, avoiding the shadowy limb and swinging the short sword in a wide arc. I chopped away bark, but the tree refused to burn. I chopped again and again; slowly, the burning blackness appeared. I hurried to McCormack, hacking away at the limbs holding him. Bark chipped away. The burning blackness spread, turning the branches to ash. The trunk burst into flame, sending a hickory-sweet smoke into the air. The tree burned quickly, leaving ashes scattered at our feet.

McCormack clutched his stomach, gasping. “I don’t know who ya are, lass, but I owe ya one.”

About the Author

Ken Brosky received his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and his BA in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. To date, he's had more than a dozen short stories published in literary journals, including Gargoyle, Barcelona Review and Midwestern Gothic.

This is Isabella Fontaine's first Young Adult series. In addition to managing the family farm, she also enjoys providing design-related services for those who meet the qualification of "fashion nightmare."

Our Goal

We devised 3 "rules" for this Young Adult series. All three are important to us.

1. There are no love triangles. We've set this as an explicit rule. Our main character might find love, but she won't be hounded by topless boys and she certainly will never spend her time deciding who to spend the rest of her life with.

2. Our hero, Alice, must use her brain to overcome her obstacles. That doesn't mean she can't kick some butt (she definitely can!), but she does have to rely on her knowledge to win the day.

3. Alice will never commit an act of violence against another human being without there being consequences. Sure, she can do battle with evil monsters ... but violence against human beings has real consequences. Too often our heroes of today cause physical pain to people around them in order to achieve victory. Alice is different. Alice respects nonviolence to solve real-world problems, and only uses violence to rid the world of the evil Corrupted.

Website: http://www.thegrimmchronicles.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thegrimmchronicles

Twitter: @kenbrosky

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Book Review - On a Wing and a Dare by Lina Ulleseit

Description

Flying horses...it's what comes after the wizards, after the vampires, after the Games. In Tremeirchson, a barn leader’s children are expected to follow their parents into the sky, becoming riders of the magnificent winged horses that are the medieval Welsh village’s legacy. Neither Emma nor Davyd, however, want to follow that tradition.

Sixteen-year-old Emma risks losing her family by following her heart. Eager to take her place in the air, she longs to ride a forbidden winged colt born in barn of her father’s biggest rival. She also dreams of the rival’s sons, not sure which she truly loves. Bold and exciting, Evan will someday lead his father’s barn. Davyd is quieter, more dependable, with an ability to get things done. Her father disapproves of both boys and pushes her toward an ambitious newcomer. He also insists she ride the colt he’s picked for her.

Davyd, also sixteen, is plagued with a secret—he is afraid of heights. Refusing to become a rider means public humiliation, his parents’ disappointment, and lifelong ridicule from his brother, Evan. He reluctantly prepares to join his family aloft in the Aerial Games that provide the entire village with its livelihood and tries desperately to think of an alternative.

As Tremeirchson’s barns prepare for the Rider Ceremony, winged horses suddenly start dying. Shocked, the adults hesitate, mired in tradition and politics. Is it a disease or poison? Accidental or purposeful? Someone must discover the answer and act before all the winged horses in the world are gone forever.

Excerpt

As she fastened the leather strap of the helmet, Emma felt a moment of doubt. Her father would disapprove. And her mother might need help with Rhys. But Davyd had been a friend forever, and he needed her. She shooed him out of the stall so she could slip on the divided skirt with its unfamiliar green and gold pattern.

Turning to Wynne, she stroked the mare’s nose and talked to her, watching the ears twist to catch the words. “This is going to go well, Wynne. I know it is.” She knew the mare but had never been alone with her. She knew how to ride, but had never done so alone. “My father won’t ever know. It’s not your fault, Wynne, del. My father just doesn’t understand how I long for the sky, or how much I want to be a real part of the barn. He wants a serf, not a daughter.”Continuing to pet the horse, Emma moved around her, admiring the snowy mane and silver-tipped wings in a soothing tone. Wynne ignored her. “We can do this, girl, together.”

Shouts from the courtyard told Emma time was running out. Morgan’s barn was preparing to take flight. She took a deep breath, muttered a hasty invocation to Rhiannon, and led Wynne from the stall. Ten horses in various stages of being mounted milled about the yard. It was easy to find her place and swing up into the saddle like she’d done it a thousand times. Trying not to draw Morgan’s gaze, she kept her head down and fiddled with her reins.

“Cutting it pretty close, Elen. Everything all right?” a rider asked.

Emma grinned. He’d mistaken her for Wynne’s regular rider! She nodded and waved to him, pretending to adjust something on the saddle so that she could turn her back instead of answering.

A trumpet sounded, and the horse beneath her tensed. Emma gathered the reins and gripped Wynne with her legs. For an instant her heart fluttered, then they were galloping to liftoff, then gliding above the ground. As Wynne stroked powerful wings to gain altitude, Emma’s heart sang.

Author Bio

Linda Ulleseit was born and raised in Saratoga, California. She currently lives in San Jose with her husband. They have two adult sons and two yellow Labradors. Linda enjoys cooking, cross-stitching, reading, and spending time with her family.

Linda is a sixth grade teacher at James Franklin Smith Elementary School, where her students were some of the early reviewers of her books. Her favorite subject is writing, and her students get a lot of practice scribbling stories and essays. Someday Linda hopes to see books written by former students alongside hers in bookstores.

As a child, Linda always loved to write. She took her first creative writing course in seventh grade, accumulating a closet full of stories that she never showed anyone until 2007. At that time, she gave the first draft of a flying horse book to a teacher colleague to read. ON A WING AND A DARE began as a NaNoWriMo novel in 2009. It was revised with the help of reviewers on thenextbigwriter.com over the next two years. For NaNo 2011, Linda drafted the sequel, IN THE WINDS OF DANGER

My Review

I love horses. I've always loved horses so when I came across this book about horses with wings, I was ecstatic! On a Wing and a Dare is an easy read about these magnificent creatures. Although they are in the story a lot, there is also a large focus on relationships. While the biggest relationship struggle is a love triangle between Emma and two brothers, Ms. Ulleseit also tugs at the heart strings while she delves into parent/child, parent/parent, and friendships. Of course, none are easy.

This book is an easy read with great descriptions of the winged horses and flying, but I would not say it is a light read. A plague among horses and people is the main antagonist and there is quite a bit of death and sorrow. But you know the author did her job when you can feel the fatigue of the people working tirelessly to save the village.

The only thing that bothered me, and this is just personal taste, is the point of view switching. The book begins with the POV hopping from Emma to David almost paragraph by paragraph. While I completely understand why Ulleseit chose to go this route (she's trying to get all angles of a super action packed beginning), it was a bit distracting. The good news is for POV sticklers, it doesn't continue that way, and the POV switches happen less frequently throughout the rest of the book.

Because of the themes of loss and kissy romance, I would definitely suggest this for older YA. You would have to determine if your child  is ready. I know my 14 year-old could read it just fine, but I will let my 11 year-old wait another year because of the romance scenes. Their not explicit by any means, but my child is just not ready for some of the detail. Or rather I'm not ready for her to read that level of detail.

Overall, this is a great book and easy read. I'll definitely be reading the squeal, In the Winds of Danger.

                                                                  

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Book Review - Heart of the Witch by Judy Goodwin

Description

Zerrick Dhur holds a dangerous secret. As the Pastor's son, it is his duty to uphold the ways of the church. But he practices magic, feels it singing to him through the jungle outside the colonial town walls. Witch burning fever strikes his town, forcing him to flee or be killed. Worse, his abilities spin out of control, threatening darkness and madness. He meets several other lost souls in his search to tame the wild magic. A young woman with visions. An old native scout. A hidden city of magic users. As he draws nearer to the truth, he fears he will also have to face his greatest nightmare, the Ravenger, a demon of unspeakable power.

In the end, Zerrick must decide whether witchcraft will lead him to goodness . . . or to evil.

Excerpt

A great black shape descended from the sky, seeming to come right out the air itself. At first all Mira could see were wings: four black-feathered wings, each about ten or twelve feet long, all flapping in a blur of movement. Then the head of a horse, also black, reared up out of the tangle of wings, and four cloven black hooves appeared, each hoof chiseled into a razor-sharp point, churning at the air as the creature landed in a cloud of dust.

It reared up, shrieking again, and struck at something--Tibit, Mira’s mind sluggishly registered, trying to fight the terror of the creature’s ghastly voice. She saw the familiar sent flying by a powerful kick to lie unmoving, a little bloody heap.

Beside her, Zerrick whimpered, but he too seemed frozen, all his color suddenly fled from his face. Very soon Mira understood why. The pressure of the magic was all around, making it difficult to breathe, difficult to think. It seemed to whisper fell things, of woe, of destruction. She could feel it seep into her skin, trying to change her. She gripped Zerrick and the sensation lessened somewhat, at least enough to be able to see clearly again.

The four-winged horse strode up to them, and horror struck Mira anew. The eyes that gazed out of the equine features were human, opened wide in a semblance of hate, but clouded with pain and fear, as if within the beast cringed a poor human, trapped. The voice which came from the creature’s mouth, however, was steady, calm, and extremely arrogant. “You have been allowed to live long enough, and since you continue to foolishly use your magic in my Master’s domain, you will now face the Master’s wrath.”

About the Author

Judy Goodwin developed a passion for writing at a young age, creating picture books from the time she could read and write. She continued this passion throughout her schooling, earning her BA degree in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. Along with the passion for English came a love of all languages, and Ms. Goodwin went on to study other languages as well, including German, French, and Japanese. She spent time as an exchange student in Germany, which helped to develop her love of other cultures.

She has published short stories in small press and online magazines including Space and Time, Dreams and Nightmares, and Beyond Centauri. With the advent of eBooks and indie publishing, she decided to move into the brave new world of publishing with the debut of her first novel, Heart of the Witch.

Her second novel is anticipated in early 2014, entitled Journey to Landaran.

My Review

Heart of the Witch is a coming of age adventure. It is action packed from page one and rarely stops to let you take a breath. When there are some lulls, it's because you're taking a little time to savor the sweet romance between Zerrick and Mira. It's the perfect combination for Young Adult fantasy. 

I was skeptical about this book. I don't normally like witches and spells stuff. It's a bit overdone since Harry Potter, but this is not that kind of book. First of all, I guess you could call this a pseudo-historical fiction. While most of the culture is based on 1600's colonists, Ms. Goodwin adds a fantastic element of fantasy. She has created her own religion, her own countries, and in essence a new world. She's even recreated magic. It's isn't your typical wand wielding. As a matter of fact there are no wands. But I won't ruin the adventure of discovering how magic is used in this world.

I really liked this story. It was well written, fast paced, and I could really get behind the characters.

Links

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Movie/Book Review - The Host by Stephanie Meyer

I'm always skeptical going into watch a movie after I've read the book. I don't think I've ever been to a movie that lived up to the novel. The Host is no different. Actually...it's boring...the movie not the book.

The book was a fantastic science fiction romance. *Spoiler Alert* But my favorite parts were the forays into the other worlds settled by the aliens. It really added the intrigue that the story needed to hold together. The movie didn't even touch on this. It didn't even go in to much about how the rebels were surviving. In short, it was just a lack luster weird romance. I'm glad I saw it at the Warren (Movie/Restaurant). A warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream served right at your seat makes everything better.