by Jane | May 1, 2019 | Books
Strange Grace by Tessa Grafton is the story of a village blessed with seven years of prosperity and health. But in the seventh year, a young man (known as a “saint”) must spend the night in the Devil’s Forest being pursued by demons, dead animals, and the devil himself. Most never return. Of the few who have, all but one have left the village, consumed with nightmares.
Mairwen Grace is the daughter of the next-to-last saint
and the village witch, and is studying to one day replace her mother.
Unfortunately for her, Rhun Sayer, the boy she likes, is deemed by all of the
villagers as the most likely to be the next saint. All but one, that is. Their
friend Arthur Couch believes the honor should go to him.
But Mairwen is not looking forward to the ritual this year and not simply because Rhun may lose his life. Only three years have passed but things are going wrong in the village, something which has never happened before. Also, Maitwen believes something is wrong with the legend of how the ritual began and that the village has been lied to for years. Though it goes against tradition, she is determined to do what is necessary to discover the truth about the ritual and stop young men from dying.
Strange Grace is an excellent YA fantasy. The interactions
of the three main characters are complex and there are surprises galore. If you
like YA fantasy at all, this is the book to read.
by Jane | Apr 24, 2019 | Time Changes Everything
My book TIME CHANGES EVERYTHING was recently professionally reviewed on OnlineBookClub.org. I’d like to share it with you here.
“We’ve all been there—that moment as a teenager when you get so fed up with your parents for not understanding you. It’s a universal experience that author Jane Craig Sebok captures brilliantly in Time Changes Everything.
“Caitlin has always been on the outside. Add that her best friend moved away in middle school and her father left two years ago, and Caitlin feels like the most lonely, uncool kid around. It doesn’t help that she’s always at odds with her mom. When she reaches her breaking point, Caitlin decides to go to North Carolina and live with her dad. At the bus stop in the middle of the night, she meets a Mr. G, who tells Caitlin he can help if she trusts him. Not knowing quite why, Caitlin does.
“The next thing Caitlin knows, she’s a college student in the 1970s with her nineteen-year-old mother as a roommate. Caitlin can barely believe this smoking, swearing girl is her mother, but doubts aren’t her biggest problem. Mr. G sent her back in time to learn something, and Caitlin’s only got a week to figure out what it is.
“I absolutely loved this story. Caitlin’s emotions and struggles are ones I can vividly remember dealing with in my teen years. Having survived high school, there were many times I found myself talking to my Kindle while reading this, telling Caitlin to realize she’s making a poor choice or that she shouldn’t do something. Like my mother’s lectures during my teen years, my advice fell on deaf ears.
“This book’s concept is one that will stick with me for a long time. I can’t be the only person who’s ever wondered what her parents were like as teenagers. It’s easy to picture one’s parents as entities who popped into existence as adults. While my parents have told me stories about reckless choices or nights where they just shouldn’t have had one more drink, this book put the parent-adult child relationship into perspective for me. I loved watching Caitlin realize that her mother was once a teenager who made poor choices. Even better was Caitlin yelling at her mom for the same bad choices Caitlin got yelled at for in the future. It was role reversal at its finest.
“This book is full of important lessons for teenagers, especially those feeling lonely and scared. Caitlin’s character arc is beautifully illustrated. Without spoiling, I loved that, even toward the end, she was still waffling about what to do. It was a perfect example of how decisions aren’t always so simple. It’s not always clear what the right thing is, and even if it is, there are lots of factors that can cloud making the right choice.
“At first glance, this looks like a book aimed at teenagers, which, in a way, I suppose it is. In my opinion, it’s much more than that. While Caitlin’s experiences are ones teens could benefit from reading, I think those same experiences might turn teens away from this book. I know there are exceptions, but what geek in high school wants to be told “don’t be cool?” I feel like the teenagers most likely to connect with Caitlin’s story are the ones that don’t need the lessons. That said, I would absolutely recommend this to readers as young as thirteen or fourteen, girls especially. More so, though, I think adult readers who want to look back at their teen years and have the fictional experience of meeting their parents as young adults would really enjoy this.
“The book was edited well. It’s written in third-person past tense, but a large chunk of the narration is put into Caitlin’s direct first-person thoughts. While there was more of this than I would have liked, it didn’t detract from my overall reading experience. It is with great pleasure that I award Time Changes Everything 4 out of 4 stars. My specific reader recommendations are outlined above, but I encourage everyone to give this book a try. Not on board yet? In Caitlin’s English class, the teacher asks what the main themes of Romeo and Juliet are, to which one kid replies “Uh, if you love something too much, you die?” There’s an example of the humor accompanying all the deep emotions. If that doesn’t convince you this book is the real deal, I don’t know what will.”
desantismt17 – OnlineBookClub.org
by Jane | Apr 17, 2019 | Books
Starman by Sara Douglass is Book 3 of The Wayfarer Redemption. The story continues as Azhure and Faraday both continue to understand their new powers and their roles. The Starman Axis has made gains but must still defeat his remaining half-brother, regain the lad of Tencendor, and return the lost lands to the beings once known as the Forbidden.
Douglass has not missed a step in the continuation of
this saga. Indeed, the characters continue to grow, and although one enemy
might be defeated, another will crop up, increasing the tension. It is a fun
run to follow the protagonists in fulfilling their prophesized destinies while
coming to grips with personal issues that may not work out as they would wish.
This conclusion of the Starman story will not leave you
wanting. Make sure you read it.
by Jane | Mar 27, 2019 | Books, Uncategorized
I know Anne McCaffrey mostly from The Dragonriders of Pern series, so when I spotted a book of hers at a yard sale, I snatched it up. What I found was a book called To Ride Pegasus, and while it sounds like it might be another fantasy novel, it’s something much different – a science fiction book about people with psionic abilities, people known as Talents.
To Ride Pegasus is written in four sections, and although it is a continuing story, each could really stand alone. The only exception is the first section, entitled “To Ride Pegasus,” like the entire book. It is the origin story, which is necessary to understand the rest.
A machine developed for a different purpose is found to be able to track psionic abilities, and one man, Henry Darrow, makes it his mission to gather these people together, use their powers for good, and protect their civil rights.
The rest of the book details incidents with one or two
people who have these powers, how the powers get out of hand, and what the
institution founded by Darrow does to help.
I enjoyed this book. It reminds me of much of the classic science fiction written in the 1960s and 1970’s and holds its own. However, having said that, I much prefer McCaffrey’s fantasy. For people who enjoy this book, there are two more to follow: Pegasus in Flight and Pegasus in Space. As for me, I’m going back to Pern.
by Jane | Mar 14, 2019 | Books
The Eye of Night by Pauline J. Alama is a fantasy novel about ex-priest Jereth who meets two unusual women and joins them on their quest. Both women are more than they appear, as Jereth discovers during their travels. One appears to be simple and the other soon reveals latent magical powers. Their quest is to deliver an object of magic, the Eye of Night, up north. Neither Jareth nor the reader know the true reason behind this object or why it must go north. What is known is how dangerous the quest is. The North is a place most people are fleeing, not heading towards. Environmental disasters, disease, and ghosts make it a horrible place to be. But the three travelers are determined.
Alama weaves an epic tale of these three travelers who move
through the countryside meeting people, some friends, some enemies, trying to
achieve their goal. She has a writing style which kept me engaged throughout. I
did not want to put it down and often read into the night. Pick it up today.
