Tag: YA/MG Page 1 of 24

I’m even behind on my catch-ups…this summer really did a number on my organization. Let’s see if I can get some of it back. Again, I want to remind the reader that the point of these quick-takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

The Frame-Up

by Gwenda Bond, read by Shannon McManus (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication Date: February 13, 2024
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 11 hrs., 3 min.
Read Date: May 4-6, 2026

This was a solid heist novel with just a dash of magic thrown in. Honestly, I’m not sure the magic was necessary—Bond has enough going on with the dash of romance, the family drama (increased by a “can’t go home again” story arc), and the art heist.

But throwing in the magic just kicked everything up a half a notch, if not a full notch. So I’m not complaining–I’m just trying to say that the criminal found family of it all was enough.

This is my second novel by Bond—and it’s enough to make sure that I’ll take a second look at other books by her.

The Terminal List

by Jack Carr, read by Ray Porter

DETAILS:
Series: The Terminal List, #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 12 hrs., 24 min.
Read Date: May 7-11, 2026

Ugh. How did this get so popular? I’m not really that willing to spend time on talking about it. I can’t think of a single moment that I enjoyed–even Ray Porter couldn’t save it. I kept listening to see if it climbed up out of the horrible pit to make it to “extraordinarily mediocre.” Also, because I wanted to be able to tell someone that I gave it a full try.

Both are choices I regret. Cookie-cutter action from a Gary Sue super-soldier. Completely uninspired and derivative. And there are how many sequels???

The Arkadians

by Lloyd Alexander, read by Words Take Wing Repertory Co

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication Date: November 9, 2010
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 5 hrs., 49 min. 
Read Date: May 18-19, 2026

I feel disloyal to my grade-school self in giving a Lloyd Alexander book a “meh.” But this one pretty much deserved it. Alexander’s playing around with Greek myths fell pretty flat for me, I didn’t connect with the characters, the story (especially the results for each character) was predictable, and the whole thing felt written by a formula. I did find some scenes amusing and/or effective, but I doubt I’ll return to this one again and again. (I probably will give it one more chance down the road, just to be sure it wasn’t my mood)

Booked

by Alison Gaylin

DETAILS:
Series: Sunny Randall, #13
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Format: Hardcover
Length: 320 pg.
Read Date: May 25, 2026

This was entirely too quick to read–but I find that’s a thing with Gaylin’s Sunny book–she just gets in the groove and you’re rocketing through the thing. I really liked what she did with the recurring characters here, especially Blake. I’ve given up hope of a decent Richie storyline, but I didn’t mind this one. As far as the latest Malanie Joan drama–this might be my favorite use of her. The mysteries involved were pretty well executed, and I bought the way that Sunny finally uncovered the link that tied it all together. I’d seen the link (or something very much like it) coming for several chapters, but wasn’t sure Gaylin would pull off Sunny’s discovery. I think I’ve learned now to trust her. No Sunny Randall book has ever blown me away–but Gaylin makes me happy to see the series continuing and delivers a satisfying read every time.

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism

by Amanda Montel, read by Ann Marie Gideon

DETAILS:
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: June 15, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 21 min.
Read Date: May 21-26, 2026

This was truly disappointing—the subtitle made me think it would be one thing, and while the text would occasionally tip that way, it didn’t stick with it. Honestly, you should go read what Kathy @ 746 Books had to say about it. She captured my ideas better than I could.

Unread:
A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) to Read on TikTok

by Oliver James

DETAILS:
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Publication Date: February 24, 2026
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 10 min. 
Read Date: May 26-27, 2026

James’ achievement—as well as his openness about the life experiences that got him to this point—should be celebrated. Seriously, I’m impressed and would love to sit and chat with him about it.
Everyone should be upset at the education system that failed him—and almost certainly fails many others like him every year.
There’s a lot to commend about this book.
This is not good book. There’s too much redundancy that feels like it was included to make an arbitrary word count. The timeline is a bit muddy, and would’ve been better to follow had it been presented linearly. If it were a series of blog posts, or a book half the length, I wouldn’t have complained.
To reiterate: this is a criticism of the book, not of the author, what he’s doing or how he’s doing it.

Starship Troopers

by Robert A. Heinlein

DETAILS:
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: June 27, 2006
Format: Paperback
Length: 288 May 25-27, 2026

There’s a lot to like in this—there’s a lot to be disappointed in, too. I was pretty much in until the big battle scene. But after that? It all fell short after that. Heinlein clearly had things he wanted to say about the role of a citizen, the role of the military, war, and so on—and he used this book to say them through various mouthpieces. Sadly, most of what we got was talk, theory, just ideas, unlike similar books that put the talk into action (albeit fictional, it’s more than just haverings).

I walked away dissatisfied. I know I open myself up to ridicule, mockery, and disdain for that—but that’s how it is. Others who’ve clearly been influenced by this novel have done a better job with it (e.g., Scalzi, Hurley, Card).

After the Fall

by Edward Ashton, read by John Pirhalla

DETAILS:
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: February 24, 2026
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 56 min.
Read Date: May 28-29, 2026

Maybe because of Ashton’s reputation, I went into this with expectations that were too high. Because I felt like I should enjoy what I was hearing more than I did throughout the whole book–and there’s no reason for me to think like that. It was a solid premise, and Ashton (and Pirhalla) did a good job in executing it. But the whole time I kept thinking, “he’s about to knock my socks off in the next development/chapter/scene,” and that never happened. There’s a lot to praise here, but it never made the jump from “pretty good.” And since I came in expecting more and didn’t get it, the book felt like a letdown. I don’t think I’m being fair to the book, but…

Remington Platypus

by Steve Nash

DETAILS:
Publisher: Northodox Press
Publication Date: July 31, 2025
Format: eBook
Length: 362 pg.
Read Date: May 28-30, 2026

I really thought I’d written a full post about this, and I’m rather annoyed to find out that it doesn’t exist.

This is a fairly-standard, but well-executed, Police novel about a grizzled detective who does what it takes to get the job done—sort of a Harry Bosch figure. Although he’s on better terms with his superior and some of his colleagues. He’s taking on a drug supplier and goes too far, resulting in him being transferred to a small town, his hometown, where he struggles to fit in—except for the few who remember him. There he encounters some crimes that lead him right back into investigating the same supplier. And things get ugly from there.

But here’s the thing—all the creatures are animals. Animals who have formed a parallel society to humans, complete with schools, police services, and drug gangs. There are some animals who haven’t taken this civilization thing to heart—and remain wild and without speech, higher thoughts. We’ve seen a lot like this before, but not like this.

Combining these two tried-and-true story types is just brilliant. You make these people instead of animals and most of the novel works just fine. You take out the crime element and just leave the inter-animal conflicts in and it’d be a pretty cool story. The mashup of the two elevates this to something else. The only comparison that jumps to mind is the comic Fables [VERIFY THE NAME HOB] combining crime fiction and fairy tales.

Raven was raving about this last year, and it’s easy to see why. You need to check out their post.

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs: Courage and Chocolate-Chip Cookies

By HCNewton

On September 14, 2026

In Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

I could’ve titled this “In Which I Castigate My 10-Year-Old Self,” and there will be some of that, but it seemed a bit too self-flagellating.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls

by John Bellairs

DETAILS:
Series: , #1
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication Date: August 03, 2004 (this edition, originally 1973)
Format: Paperback
Length: 179 pg.
Read Date: September 12, 2026

On the first Monday after Labor Day, Lewis started going to school in New Zebedee and, before long, he had forgotten all about the mysterious clock in the walls. He had troubles enough of his own.

They weren’t new troubles. They were the troubles that a fat boy who can’t play baseball carries around with him from place to place. Lewis had always been overweight. He couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t been. All his life—all ten years of it—he had been listening to children who chanted:

Fatty, fatty, two by four
Can’t get through the kitchen door.

What’s The House with a Clock in Its Walls About?

Ten-year-old Lewis, recently orphaned, moves to New Zebedee, MN to live with his Uncle Jonathan, a man he’s never met (although he has heard about him from other family members). Jonathan is a large, hirsute man, with a big presence, a good sense of humor, and a kind heart.

He also lives in a strange mansion. Lewis likes the mansion part immediately—and the more he learns about the strangeness, the more he’s drawn to it, too.

Jonathan’s neighbor, Mrs. Zimmermann, spends a lot of time at his house—which is good; she enjoys cooking for them. And the three regularly play poker and other things like that. It turns out that Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann are witches (she’s more powerful and better educated in it, however). Lewis is intrigued and loves talking about it with them—and enjoys the demonstrations he sees.

Lewis makes one friend at school, but is afraid they’re growing apart (the friend is an athlete who was pleased to hang out with Lewis when he had a broken arm, but as it heals, he’s ready to get back to sports). In an attempt to keep his friend, Lewis studies up on a big spell and shows off for his friend by attempting to raise the dead on Halloween.

The after-effects of that spell are huge—and just might bring about the end of the world.

As Neville Barnes would say, “You know, for kids.”

Wow, Times Have Changed

Okay, this was published longer ago than I’m comfortable with (see below), but it does a good job showing how much the standards have changed. Back when I was a kid (walking to school uphill in the snow both ways—literally, I mean, we also walked down the other side of the hill, but still…) this was shelved in the “Juvenile” section; today, it’s probably in the “Middle Grade” section. Regardless—there are references to drinking and smoking* throughout. There’s even a joke about the bus arriving on time only because they got the bus driver drunk! I just don’t see anyone publishing that today.

The banter that Uncle Johnathan and Mrs. Zimmermann engage in is frequently nasty and belittling—but it is clearly delivered in affection. Consider me a fan, but it feels like something from another time.

I should stress that the smoking and drinking depicted are moderate. But outside of irresponsible, if not “bad guy,” adults, I just don’t see that kind of thing happening in Middle Grade publishing today. I’m not sure we’ve gained a lot by that. (I’m not sure we’ve lost that much, either, to be fair)

* I’m told that the author who took over for Bellairs had Uncle Jonathan quit smoking for health reasons

Edward Gorey’s Illustrations

This is the one thing I remember from flipping through these books on the library shelves when I was a kid: these illustrations. Simply put, Gorey’s illustrations are a little odd. And potentially unnerving for a child in a pre-Internet and CGI animation era.

The faces are squished. Lewis looks like a thirty-year-old shrunk in the dryer (somehow, at the same time like a rough draft of Bobby Hill). But I love them. My only complaint is that there weren’t more of them. I don’t need every other page to have been an illustration, but two per chapter would’ve been nice.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I picked this up for two reasons: 1. I needed a book released the year I was born for a Reading Challenge. 2. A (younger) friend has been reading everything John Bellairs wrote this year and raving about this trip down memory lane. You put the two together and…well, I just had to try it, right?

(also, I just wasn’t up for Breakfast of Champions)

Why did I stick with it? It’s so brief that I really didn’t have much of a chance to decide to DNF. Also—why would I? Within a chapter, I was questioning many of the literary choices I made in the early ’80s. I looked at this (and other books by Bellairs) several times at the library, considering whether or not to check them out—I can picture the shelf they were found on clearly—but I never did. I think I was put off by the “scariness” of them. Sure, Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint was absolutely worth the 13th re-read, but…I could’ve easily squeezed this in. I was having a ball reading this at my not-that-advanced age and in seeing how it would—and likely still does—get younger readers hooked.

So, what did I think about The House with a Clock in Its Walls?

Lewis was silent. He had always thought that courage had something to do with riding your bicycle through bonfires and hanging by your knees from the limbs of trees.

Lewis, it must be said, is a strange little boy. He reads himself to sleep working through John L. Stoddard’s lectures from the 1880s (early travelogues). I don’t know how many of them he reads over the course of the book, but there were 10 volumes, and there’s reason to believe he read at least a couple of them. He cannot hit a baseball, field, or run—in short, he cannot play baseball, and is constantly the last to be picked (even by the kind children)—eventually doesn’t get picked at all (even by the kind children). He doesn’t even bother to try football (probably for the best)—we don’t hear about other sports, but I’m willing to bet if the book lasted through more seasons, we’d hear more about his lack of ability. And as the new kid in school, living in a strange house with an odd uncle, who cannot play sports, and who has odd interests…well, let’s just say he doesn’t really have much of a social life outside of his uncle and his neighbor.

The one friend he does make is a little too weirded out by the whole resurrecting-the-dead thing (understandably, it should be stressed) to stick with him.

In other words, Lewis is the kind of character that lonely, bookish children would gravitate to. You put him in a creepy yet wonderful house with magical interior design, and a couple of adults who treat him almost as an equal? Sounds great—who wouldn’t want a life like that? Throw in his studious nature helping him to figure out how to do magic like raising the dead? Every young nerd in the world wants something like that.

The one false note when it comes to our friend Lewis is that he doesn’t seem too broken up by his parents’ death. I get Bellairs not wanting to weigh down the entire book with grief or anything. But…a thought or two here and there for them, wouldn’t have been too morose. Also, how does a child like Lewis not think of trying to go back home to Minnesota and trying out his whole raising-the-dead thing on his mom? This risk would be worth it, right?

For me, however, the highlight of the book is the light touch that permeates everything. There’s a sense of play competing with the spookiness to dominate the book (and it wins). The dangers—and loneliness—of existence and the strange, magical mysteries of Jonathan’s mansion are best combated with some milk and a chocolate-chip cookie in hand. The graver dangers of the end of the book are taken on with an activity that could’ve been the inspiration for New Girl‘s True American game. A sense of play, absurdity, and chocolate-chip cookies is not only a recipe for a fun book, but it’s also a great foundation to build a personality on.

I had a blast with this. I encourage parents/other relatives of children of the target age to seek it out on their behalf—and adults who like to pretend they are when they read to seek it out for themselves.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

The Last Rift Dragon by Shami Stovall: Dragons and All the Other Good Parts

By HCNewton

On August 26, 2026

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

The Last Rift Dragon

by Shami Stovall

DETAILS: 
Publication Date: July 17, 2026
Format: e-Book
Length: 340 pg.
Read Date: August 18-19, 2026

What’s The Last Rift Dragon About?

We meet Richter Whitlock on the final day of his training to be a Knight of the White Fog—the force that are bonded to dragons to defend the city of Bridgehaven in the ongoing war against the city of Whettin. Richter’s parents had been killed in this war while serving as Knights and he’s eager to join the ranks and take up their battle.

The first step is passing the final tests and then getting to select a dragon egg, so that he can care for it during the final weeks before the dragon hatches and he can bond with it. bond with it when the dragon hatches. He and most of his cohort pass their exams and get their eggs. After their bonding, these Knights will have their own magic enhanced by their dragons.

Tragedy—along with human depravity and duplicity—strikes, and before he really understands what’s happening, the stakes get higher for Richter and the others. (I knew something was coming, but I was about as prepared for it as Richter is).

He and the others have to bond with their dragons—and take some major risks along the way—to try to stop the latest incursion to save their city. But will it be enough?

Lex

Second only to a couple of the dragons (including his), my favorite character in this book has to be Valex Thorn—better known as Lex, Richter’s brother in all but name and genetics. This guy is Samwise Gamgee, but more positive. Samwise Gamgee as played by Leslie Knope, maybe.

I liked him from the get-go, and it didn’t take long for me to care more about what happened to him and his dragon than Richter and his (although, given the first person narrator of it all, I’m not that worried about him).

I can’t say too much about him now, because I’m saving it for a post this Friday—but come back for it, will you? Let me just say for now that Lex is fun, he is the beating heart of the story, and my budding Stovall fandom will come to an abrupt termination if anything bad happens to him.

The Magical Creatures

So the primary magical creature this book focuses on are dragons. I don’t need to explain why this is a good thing to have as a focus. Actually, I don’t know if I can—but since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I’ve just known that dragons are cool in the same way that I know that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches should not be underestimated by anyone. And here we have several types of dragon—and once the rift dragon shows up, what Richter, the Knights, and the Church know about dragons expands.

On the other side we have vessrik.

…giant magical centipedes with ebony exoskeletons as dark as a starless night. They had massive pincers and hundreds of skittering legs that came straight from a feverish nightmare.

We get some more description elsewhere, but that’s enough to put the idea in your mind (and, yes, there’s an illustration a little bit after that—just in case the description didn’t make you feel like something was crawling up your back).

Richter also tells us,

Vessrik didn’t have red blood— their insides were a mix of dark blue and green. Their bleeding always looked nightmarish to me, but then again, everything about vessrik made me queasy.

You and me both, buddy.

These vessrik are ridden by the opponents of Bridgehaven, and not only are they creepy in concept—they’re deadly when deployed. If the Knights of the White Fog and the church in Bridgehaven are correct, dragons are sent by the Heavens, and I’m sure that vessrik are from the Bad Place.

But wait, there’s more! Not only do we have these cool critters—we get some great fight scenes between them. Dragon v. dragon (feral dragon vs. sentient dragon) and dragon vs. vessirk. Those scenes are some truly “nature, red in tooth and claw” kind of thing. These are powerful creatures doing great violence toward each other and Stovall depicts it so well—you just never know how those scenes are going to play out. Except that they’ll be worth your time.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I picked this up because The Write Reads asked for tour volunteers—and I’ve been wanting to read more Stovall, so it seemed like a good opportunity.

I kept reading because it’s one of the fastest reads I’ve had this year. Not fast as in “time spent reading”—that’s not really a compliment, and because I’ve read plenty of novellas, so it wouldn’t be accurate. Fast as in smooth, Stovall just sweeps you along with her storytelling and the pages melt away. I was consistently about 20% further along than my mental tracker had me. If not for work and sleep, I’d have done this in one sitting comfortably. You just get into the story, and everything else is gone. This came up in a conversation, and another blogger said much the same thing—so I feel safe in advertising this as a feature.

But also—fighting dragons. Come on, who isn’t going to keep reading?

The Driving Force

In comparison to some of the other characters we meet, the Knights of the White Fog show the appeal and power of a sense of duty. A sense of responsibility. They believe in their duty enough that they’re eager to live by it—sure, they sometimes get distracted from that. But a good reminder gets them back on track—because they don’t see their duty as an obligation, but an opportunity to serve their city and its citizens. And by doing so, they serve the Heavens.

They don’t hold everyone to their standards—not everyone can be a Knight. Some are called to bake, to serve the church, to buttle, and so on. The duty of the Knights is to make sure they can do so in safety.

Some novels would take the opportunity to show some Knights chafing at their duties, finding ways around them or to fulfill the spirit rather than the letter of the law. And I can and do enjoy those. Here, however, we see what it’s like for diverse group of people commit to a common set of principles and respect each other (while not really appreciating their background or personality).

Call me a sap if you will, but I love it.

So, what did I think about The Last Rift Dragon?

This book left out all the bits of fantasy novels that slow things down—yes, I wouldn’t have minded a bit more detail here and there—but Stovall has no time for that kind of thing. We get the essentials, the headline-making moments, and we just glaze over the day-to-day life kind of bits. Not that the text is neglecting anything; it’s just prioritizing things. I recently finished Howey’s Wool (as an example), and I kept thinking, “Stovall wouldn’t have given us this chapter.” Neither is a better approach; they’re just very different. Stovall is assuming a lot for her readers—we understand the idea of dragons bonding with a human (she does add her particular tweaks), that we have a mental image of a typical Fantasy world (again, she has her own spin), and so on, whereas Howey had to invent an entire world from the ground up.

It’s an efficient approach to story-telling that works well here. While reading, I was reminded of the conceit of The Princess Bride novel, that it was “the good parts” from the original S. Morgenstern text. Well, Stovall just gave us “the good parts.”

Would I have liked to see a bit more about the motivation for a couple of characters? Yes. Would I have liked a bit more about the religious/political war between the two cities? Oh, yeah. Do I need them to enjoy this novel and for it all to work? Nope. Not at all.

I’m a little disappointed we didn’t get more from the adult knights, but it’s a YA novel; it makes sense that we focus on the young adult characters. I enjoyed them all, and am more annoyed with Stovall for a couple of deaths than I should be for the time I spent with the characters because they had so much promise. Sure, that was intentional—she needs you to be riled up by the deaths, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

There’s a lot that can be done with this series in terms of character, world-building, and action. Even if the war between the cities is resolved in a book or two—the series could really keep going with what has been set up. That’s vague, but I don’t want to give too much away. I don’t know that there’s a Shannara-length saga here, but we could easily be in Dragonlance territory. *

The action scenes are top-notch. They’re fast-moving and furious—whether we’re talking about characters racing away from feral dragons, dragon v. dragon conflict, human v. human conflict, or human and magical creature(s) versus human and magical creature(s) conflict, Stovall nails each of the scenes both in terms of the actual action and the emotional impact on reader/character.

Lastly—and this is the big selling point for many—the dragons themselves. Whether we’re talking about their particular abilities, their appearance, or their personalities, they’re just great. Not a one of these is a cookie-cutter, they’re all distinct from each other, and I want novellas starring them individually. I’m going to call out Lex’s dragon, Diamond, here specifically. I want to adopt her. I think she’d like my dogs, and they’d probably like her. Not only is she great, but the relationship she and Lex have is adorable, and not what I’m used to seeing in dragon-human bonds.

In a nutshell, The Last Rift Dragon is a fast-moving, rich Fantasy novel featuring compelling characters, fantastic action, and some of the best Dragon characters I’ve read in a while. Stop reading me (just for a while, mind you—I need the views) and go read the novel.

* I should fact-check myself there, but I’m not going to. It feels right. Especially if you only focus on the Weiss/Hickman Dragonlance books.
note

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided, including the novel.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Last Rift Dragon by Shami Stovall

By HCNewton

On August 26, 2026

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

This morning, I’m very pleased to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Tour for Shami Stovall’s Time-Marked Warlock. In addition to this Spotlight, my post about the book will be coming along a little later. Be sure check out https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours over the next week and change to see other people saying (probably) great things about the book.

Pilcrow

Book Details:

Title: The Last Rift Dragon by Shami Stovall
Genre: Fantasy
Age Category: Young Adult
Release date: July 20, 2026
Length: 340 pages

About the Book:

The City of Bridgehaven is under attack.
The nation to the west intends to murder Bridgehaven’s last three remaining dragons, rendering them extinct. They’ll stop at nothing to crush the eggs, flay the dragons, and burn Bridgehaven to the ground.

But Richter Whitlock is determined to make sure that doesn’t happen. He joins the Knights of the Silver Fog—individuals dedicated to protecting Bridgehaven, and the dragons, at all costs—in the hopes of caring for a fragile dragon egg, so that one day he may bond and fight back.

But there are traitors in Bridgehaven, and enemies are circling close.

If Richter hopes to save his home, and his egg, he’ll have to master his magic, learn to craft magitech, and become one of the greatest Knights anyone has ever seen…

Book Links:

Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph

About the Author:

Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction, best known for her Frith Chronicles and Chronos Chronicles series. Before she was author, Stovall taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second.
When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators, or hanging with John 3 and John 4.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

Eternal Blades by Vlad V. Imakaev: A Tale of Wielders and Watchers

By HCNewton

On July 22, 2026

In Fantasy, Fiction, Literary Locals, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, YA/MG/Children's Books

Eternal Blades

by Vlad V. Imakaev

DETAILS:
Series: Maks Kolba, #1
Publication Date: October 5, 2025
Format: Paperback
Length: 252 pg.
Read Date: June 20-22, 2026

What’s Eternal Blades About?

In the middle of a nasty snowstorm, Maks Kolba tries to drive home from work and comes across dragon and a winged warrior of some sorts in the middle of an epic combat. He can’t believe his eyes, but he also has to get out and see what’s happening. He perhaps got a little too close—but no matter.

He wakes up the next day in his room—completely unscathed, but with a voice in his head. He’s apparently replaced the winged warrior in their multi-dimensional war against that dragon and its ilk.

Poor Maks now has to get used to this seemingly-permament voice in his head (think Roen and Tao) as he tries to understand his new abilities and powers, learns to combat his foes, successfully get the police to stop asking questions about that night in the storm, and to try to figure out what he’s going to do after he graduates from high school.

Senior years are just never easy…

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I met Imakaev at the Nampa Library’s Book Fair and not only was it a fun chat, his book seemed like it’d be plenty of fun.

I kept with it because it was a fast and engaging read—it didn’t take itself too seriously and had some fun with things—but it still treated the stakes as important. It was just an entertaining read.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

One of the things I appreciated most was the way a bunch of people got together to address a looming calamity. These people had little in common (some were open antagonistic toward each other), not all of them believed in the supernatural forces before their eyes—or that there was anything good that possibly could come from them. But a threat was there, and obvious, and they were able to set all of that aside to work for a common goal, and form some sort of bond over it. Bonds that might be tested—probably will be—and some may not stand up to the pressure. But still—a common goal was faced.

It’s easy to focus on division right now. It’s nice to see an example of the alternative—and a nice reminder that humans frequently act that way.

So, what did I think about Eternal Blades?

This was fun! A solid action-adventure for younger YA readers* with some cool supernatural aspects.

It’s easy to like these characters—even those who are a bit prickly. The supernatural system is pretty cool. The action scenes are well excuted and will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can. It took me very little time to decide that I could’ve read this in one sitting if I just had the time.

It feels like I should have a lot more to say, but…I really don’t. It’s a great intro to this universe, we get just enough of the supernatural world to entice and satisfy for the purposes of this book and to still have questions, and, welllll…basically, I want more of these, and I want them soon.

* Or readers who don’t get hung up on that kind of thing.

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy

By HCNewton

On January 21, 2026

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for the first volume of Valinora Troy’s Lianna and the Hombit! The Tour’s in full swing, and it’s looking pretty good–take a gander at feed for https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours or The Write Reads on Twitter or The Write Reads on BlueSky, you’ll see bloggers who have interesting things to say about it.

Book Details:

Title: Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy
Genre: Fantasy
Age Category: Middle Grade
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 255 Pages
Publication Date: January 29, 2026

About the Book:

A grieving girl in need of a friend. A magical creature with a secret task. Can they end the ancient curse threatening their new home?

When 13-year old Lianna, devastated by the loss of her father, is sent to the distant land of Nivram, she finds her new home and guardian every bit as horrible as she expected. When she meets a magical birdlike creature called a hombit, they strike an alliance: Lianna will help it complete its secret mission if it helps her get home.

But her plan goes awry and she accidentally awakens a creature that threatens both her and her new home. Lianna must uncover family secrets to avoid a terrible fate…

A heart-warming story of the healing power of friendship when all seems lost.

Book Links:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Valinora Troy is a children’s fantasy and horror writer from Ireland. She has a MA in Creative Writing, specialising in writing for children and young adults. She has acted as a panellist for the CYBILS awards in the middle grade speculative fiction category and served as a Reading Ambassador for Louth Libraries. Her short stories for adults have appeared in numerous publications. She is the author of The Lucky Diamond trilogy, a middle grade children’s fantasy adventure series. In 2023 she was short-listed for the Staróg Prize. When not writing, she loves visiting schools and libraries to talk to children about books and writing.

You can find out more about Valinora’s books, as well as resources for schools, and sign up to her newsletter on her website: Valinora Troy – Children’s Fantasy Writer

Website ~ Twitter

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided (including the book).

A Few Scattered Thoughts on My Latest Reading of The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

By HCNewton

On January 7, 2026

In C.S. Lewis, Fantasy, Fiction, Further Up and Further In

Further Up and Further In A Year with C.S.Lewis

The Last Battle

by C. S. Lewis , illustrated by Pauline Baynes

DETAILS:
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, #7
Publication Date: June 25, 1994
Format: Paperback
Length: 211 pg.
Read Date: December 24, 2025

If you need to know what this book is about, or anything about this series…seriously, just stop what you’re doing and pick up this book. I don’t mean to be a snob, or maybe I do, but something was missing from your childhood, and now is your time to fix it. I realize that there are many legitimate reasons for people not to have read this (more than some of the earlier), and I’m not questioning the choices you or your parents made (actually, I guess I am). But I’m not going to try to talk about this book like I do most others.

If only because everything worth saying has been said by other, better, writers. Probably several times.

I’ve also read this too many times to count as a child—even through my college years, and at least once a decade since. I’ll probably pick up the pace of re-reading them so I can talk to the grandcritters about them, too.

But I feel the need to say something now, so here are a few things that jumped out at me during this read:

bullet Shift is the first Narnian primate we’ve seen, right? There’s probably a lot of meaning to be mined from that. hmmm….
bullet A couple of pages of watching Shift in action is enough to make a guy want to go hang out with pre-Dragon Island Eustace just for the company.
bullet I just want to yell at Tirian to pay attention to the Centaur and his reading of the stars. I mean sure the astrology is nonsense (or is it in Narnia?), but the rest of it…
bullet Then just a few pages later, we get word that “Aslan” is ordering tress to be cut down and sold. Sorry, just how clueless are Tirian, Jewel, and anyone else who thinks, “yeah, this could maybe be the guy.”
bullet

The King was so dizzy from being knocked down that he hardly knew what was happening until the Calormenes untied his wrists and put his arms straight down by his sides and set him with his back against an ash tree. Then they bound ropes round his ankles and his knees and his waist and his chest and left him there. What worried him worst at the moment—for it is often little things that are hardest to stand—was that his lip was bleeding where they had hit him and he couldn’t wipe the little trickle of blood away although it tickled him.

That is just a great little detail there at the end. Hard to resist the impulse to wipe your mouth/chin there.
bullet Even in the midst of the end of the world, Lewis can find time to bring a smile with something like this:

…in Narnia your good clothes were never your uncomfortable ones. They knew how to make things that felt beautiful as well as looking beautiful in Narnia: and there was no such thing as starch or flannel or elastic to be found from one end of the country to the other.

bullet I thought about talking about Susan’s absence at the end, but it seems even less controversial to me on this read than on others. Also, I just got my hands on Gaiman’s “The Problem with Susan,” and should keep my powder dry until I can read/interact with it.
bullet I didn’t take that many notes while reading this one–I think I just caught up in the reading. Oops. I really liked Jill here (nothing against Eustace, but Jill really got to shine).
bullet This isn’t a wholly satisfying ending to the series, but it’s such a good one. I wonder a bit if Lewis could’ve done more–but I really can’t complain. It’d have been really easy for him to bungle this–I’ll take a pretty good conclusion over a mess.

And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can: most truly say that they all lived happily ever after, But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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A Few Scattered Thoughts on My Latest Reading of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

By HCNewton

On January 1, 2026

In C.S. Lewis, Fantasy, Fiction, Further Up and Further In

Further Up and Further In A Year with C.S.Lewis

The Magician’s Nephew

by C. S. Lewis , illustrated by Pauline Baynes

DETAILS:
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, #6
Publication Date: June 25, 1994
Format: Paperback
Length: 202 pg.
Read Date: December 19-20, 2025

If only because everything worth saying has been said by other, better, writers. Probably several times.

But I feel the need to say something now, so here are a few things that jumped out at me during this read:

bullet

“The Wood between the Worlds,” said Polly dreamily. “It sounds rather nice.”

I wholeheartedly agree, Polly. And I do wish you two had taken the opportunity to dip in and out of a few more before you stumbled into the worst pool possible.
bullet Ugh. I hate reading things like this:

And you could see at once, not only from her crown and robes, but fro mthe flash of her eyes and the curve of her lips, that she was a great queen.

Yes, please, Mr. Lewis–let’s focus on the surface appearance. Greatness of appearance=greatness of person. No matter how the adjective “great” is meant here–since when does this work out? He very easily could’ve thrown in some remark that this is how Pool and Diggory thought, but that it obviously was a wrong way to think–he makes that sort of comment all over the place.
bullet Oooh, a growing lamp-post. Now that is interesting and strange. And if you read this in Chronological order, you really won’t care much (or will want to see a lot more of it). But if you read them in the publication order, you get to that point and say, “ahhhhh. That’s cool,” feel a warm glow of recognition/satisfaction, and move on. This is the only time I’m going to say anything about the reading order in this series. But I could go on.
bullet Watching the animals crawl out of the land as they’re created–very cool. Some clever writing, and the best part of this book. Sadly, it’s pretty short.
bullet The bit where the Talking Beasts are trying to figure out just what Uncle Andrew is (animal–but not talking one like them, a tree maybe?) is pretty funny and good engagement.
bullet Where Jadis tempts Diggory with the apple (a bit heavy-handed on the symbolism) is just fantastic. A better bit of temptation than we got with Edward succumbing.
bullet The whole thing with the garden and the apples, the Tree of Protection, etc., feels…I dunno. Sort of crammed in other than the temptation bit. It just left me feeling “meh”–particularly the little quest that Aslan sent Diggory on to get there. I even checked Paul F. Ford’s Companion to Narnia (yes, I am the sort of nerd that has books like that sitting on my shelves), and it was less than helpful on this point.
bullet The book as a whole feels like Lewis is trying to augment the mythology he’s already created for Narnia, fill it out some (how is this the first we’re hearing of former Sons of Adam/Daughters of Eve as rulers??), so he can bring it all home in an epic conclusion. Even if the augment doesn’t make much sense, largely falls flat (in my eyes), and doesn’t do much other than establish a framing device of sorts to get us to The Last Battle. But other than giving us Diggory and Pool, I’m unconvinced that this does anything for the series and is almost entirely skippable.

A Few Scattered Thoughts on My Latest Reading of The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

By HCNewton

On December 24, 2025

In C.S. Lewis, Fantasy, Fiction, Further Up and Further In

Further Up and Further In A Year with C.S.Lewis

The Horse and His Boy

by C. S. Lewis , illustrated by Pauline Baynes

DETAILS:
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, #5
Publication Date: June 25, 1994
Format: Paperback
Length: 243 pg.
Read Date: December 16-17, 2025

If you need to know what this book is about, or anything about this series…seriously, just stop what you’re doing and pick up this book. I don’t mean to be a snob, or maybe I do, but something was missing from your childhood, and now is your time to fix it. I realize that there are many legitimate reasons for people not to have read this, and I’m not questioning the choices you or your parents made (actually, I guess I am). But I’m not going to try to talk about this book like I do most others.

If only because everything worth saying has been said by other, better, writers. Probably several times.

But I feel the need to say something now, so here are a few things that jumped out at me during this read:

bullet

And when all the serious eating and drinking was over, a blind poet came forward and struck up the grand old tale of Prince Cor and Aravis and the horse Bree, which is called The Horse and His Boy and tells of an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between, in the Golden Age when Peter was High King in Cair Paravel. (I haven’t time to tell it now, though it is well worth hearing.)

Seriously, who reads this bit from The Silver Chair for the first time, and says, “I want to know that story”?
bullet It is so hard to read all the “true Northern stock,” “dark faces,” and “accursed but beautiful barbarians” of the North stuff. You remember going in that kind of thing is going to be there, along with the pseudo-Arabian caricatures. But remembering it and reading it are two different things.

…Bree said, “And now, Tarkheena, tell us your story. And don’t hurry it—I’m feeling comfortable now.”

Aravis immediately began, sitting quite still and using a rather different tone and style from her nusual one. or in Calormen, story-telling (whether the stories are true or made up) is a thing you’re taught ,just as English boys and girls are taught essay writing. The difference is that people want oto hear the stories, whereas I enver heard of anyone who wanted to read the essays.

Granted, his students were much more advanced than these boys and girls, but this is not really something you want to read after a sleepless night or two finishing up an assignment. (still, who’s going to disagree with him?)
bullet Edmund, Susan, and the rest of their party are indulging in that court-speak that bugged me at the end of LWW. I’m so glad Caspian didn’t get too into that. Surely there’s another way to signal that they’re all royal and grown-up?
bullet During the climactic battle, rather than seeing it from the perspective of a combatant or two, we just get a play-by-play from the Hermit observing it for those with him. This is a fantastic way to get this information—especially for Lewis’ audience. All the highlights, none of the blood and gore.
bullet I thoroughly enjoyed Bree going on about the nature of Aslan (just before meeting him and showing how little he knew)—he reminded me so much of the pompous Liberal from The Great Divorce.
bullet Shasta/Cor’s line, “And by the way, Father’s an absolute brick [how odd that a Calorman uses slang from the UK]. I’d be just as pleased—or very nearly—at finding he’s my father even if he wasn’t a king. Even though Education and all sorts of horrible things are going to happen to me.” Just delights me. Huck Finn lives!
bullet It’s interesting that Lucy is able to tell the tale of the Wardrobe here at the end of the book. How long are the Pevensies around after this before they get to the point that they’ve forgotten it? How are Lucy and Susan (who is likely pursued by more than just this twerp) unmarried in all that time? Pfui—how are Peter and Edmund? The more I think about this point, the more bothered I am.
bullet Speaking of marriage, this is likely my favorite bit of writing from this book (and really, this is book has more genuinely funny moments/depictions than the rest of the series):

Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I’m afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarreling and making up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently.

bullet At the end of the day, this is a perfectly fine MG adventure story. Could it be better? Yeah. Does it almost feel like someone was trying to establish the Narnia Cinematic Universe? Yeah. Is it as unsatisfying as The Magician’s Nephew? Nope.

A Few Scattered Thoughts on My Latest Reading of The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

By HCNewton

On December 22, 2025

In C.S. Lewis, Fantasy, Fiction, Further Up and Further In

Further Up and Further In A Year with C.S.Lewis

The Silver Chair

by C. S. Lewis , illustrated by Pauline Baynes

DETAILS:
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, #4
Publication Date: July 01, 1994
Format: Paperback
Length: 243 pg.
Read Date: December 10-11, 2025

If you need to know what this book is about, or anything about this series…seriously, just stop what you’re doing and pick up this book. I don’t mean to be a snob, or maybe I do, but something was missing from your childhood, and now is your time to fix it. I realize that there are many legitimate reasons for people not to have read this (more for some of the later books), and I’m not questioning the choices you or your parents made (actually, I guess I am). But I’m not going to try to talk about this book like I do most others.

If only because everything worth saying has been said by other, better, writers. Probably several times.

But I feel the need to say something now, so here are a few things that jumped out at me during this read:

bullet Awww, even Eustace gets rejuvinated by the Narnian air. He really changed from the whiney twerp.
bullet Outside of Reepicheep, is there a more fully-drawn charcter in the Chronicles than Puddleglum? It’s also just a great name, summing him up in a nutshell. The other Marsh-wiggles finding him adventurous and devil-may-care is hilarious. As are his encouragements to the children to be more like him–upbeat and happy.
bullet Describing Rilian as “altogether looked a little bit like Hamlet,” is one of the oddest lines in the series.
bullet Everything that the Queen is up to is wrong, that’s a given. But the whole Prince/Queen mother-pseudo son thing is strange–when you add in the wedding plans? Ew, ew, ew, ew, and ew.
bullet That’s an unexpected–and odd–lesson in Centaur anatomy and diets. (one stomach human, one stomach equine and needs to feed both appropriate food). Is this common to other Fantasy uses of Centaurs?
bullet I just didn’t like Aslan this time out–disciplining Jill and wreaking havoc on the entire mission for something simple and understandable?
bullet Even stranger–sending Caspian and an unusually-still-Narnian-garbed Eustace to rough up some human bullies at the end back on Earth. That just doesn’t match with the Aslan we’ve been getting to know.
bullet Take our Lion out of things, and this was a pretty enjoyable adventure.