Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, by Eoin Colfer.


It's been a while since I've spent time with Artemis.  I had forgotten just how much fun the series can be.  This is the 7th installment in the series.

In this adventure, Artemis believes he has found a way to reverse global warming and save all life on earth - both human and fairy.  While he plan appears to be a good one, his friend Holly Short begins to worry about his sanity as it becomes apparent that Artemis is suffering from some strange ailment that forces him to constantly fix on the number five as a good number, and the number four as a bad number - a harbinger of death.  Foal and Holly suspect that Artemis is suffering from the Atlantis Complex. 

A very strange thing happened on Artemis' way to save the world.

A LEP Space Probe suddenly appears from nowhere and proceeds to destroy all life - human and fairy that happens to be in the way as it begins a breakneck journey to Atlantis.

Just when the Fairy World needs Artemis the most, Artemis succumbs to the Atlantis Complex.
Holly and Foaly begin a massive chase to Atlantis, attempting to stop what looks like the destruction of the city of Atlantis.

But who is behind this strange takeover of the Probe?  Is it the dreaded Master Criminal, Opal Koboi?  Who else has the talent and power to create such havoc besides Opal?

Can Atlantis be saved?

Can Artemis be cured?

Will the Master Mind behind all of this death and destruction be found in time to stop further chaos?

Find out in The Atlantis Complex.

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/artemis-fowl-the-atlantis-complex/oclc/1003804410&referer=brief_results

Fatal Throne

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

King Henry the VIII is one of the most curious figures in the history of the English court.  The man single handedly shook up the known world, enacting a forced split with the Catholic Church, printing a Bible in English that was readable by those who had the ability, and for his succession of wives.  Six of them who met tragic ends.


Many of us know the rhyme about King Henry VIII's wives:
Divorced, Beheaded, Died
Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.


Do we know that much about the women behind the rhyme?

In Fatal Throne, each of the wives speaks about her life with Henry - how she became his wife, the highlights of her life with Henry, and how her life with Henry ended.

Even Henry is given a voice, speaking about his life with each wife, and the misunderstandings that have led them to their current impasse.

If you are curious about the many wives of Henry VIII, and the many ways in which Henry forever changed the world, this book is a great place to start!

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/fatal-throne-the-wives-of-henry-viii-tell-all/oclc/1088674610&referer=brief_results

The Queen of Attolia

Eugenides is a master thief.  He works for the Queen of Eddis.   His name is legendary far beyond his own kingdom.  When he is caught stealing from the Queen of Attolia, he suffers the most severe consequence a thief could suffer, and is returned to Queen Eddis a broken man.  As Eugenides struggles to recover from his injuries and regain his equilibrium, Eddis turns the world upside down and declares war on Attolia. As Eddis and Attolia battle each other, the surrounding kingdoms send in their own players in an attempt to sway the battle their own way and win favor and additional lands of their own.


Playing a deep game of intrigue and politics, Eddis gives Eugenides the assignment of a lifetime: Steal a Man, Steal a Queen, and Steal Peace.

Can Eugenides, the one handed thief, navigate through the political intrigue of spies, war, danger, and power in order to secure safety for the Kingdom of Eddis and exact revenge for his own devastating injury?


Note- Looking for a book like the Game of Thrones series that is tamer?  You will enjoy this book.  The book is full of political intrigue, with unexpected plot twists and turns that involve multiple kingdoms.  This book is aimed at a younger audience. 

Cover Image Source: https://www.worldcat.org/title/queen-of-attolia/oclc/951507544&referer=brief_results

Children of Blood and Bone

We are all children of blood and bone.

All instruments of vengeance and virtue. 

                                                    Children of Blood and Bone, p. 519

In a tiny village in the middle of Africa lives a village of people oppressed by the rulers for who they are.  These are not just any people, but they are the Maji, wondrous magicians who control the natural world around them.  The King has set out to destroy all Maji.  Not only has he destroyed the source of magic in the world, but he has systematically set out to kill all the Maji over the age of 18, and oppressed the remaining population of Maji.



Zelie and her brother Tzain are descended from a powerful Maji.  Their mother was a Reaper who helped souls depart this world and go onto the next.  Since their mother was brutally murdered during The Raid, the children have lived the lives of fishermen with their father in their tiny village.  Zelie has trained with Mama Agba to become a warrior who is able to defend herself in the face of great hatred.  Tzain is a formidable opponent in the Orishan Games. 

A raise in the Diviner's Tax that threatens to send Zelie to the stocks if the family can't come up with the money sends Zelie and Tzain into Lagos to sell an elegant sailfish.  This one simple act sets off an unlikely chain of events that gives Zelie one chance - ONE - to restore magic to the world.  This one chance will lead Zelie and Tzain through a brutal journey across the land just for the single opportunity to restore the balance of power.



Bettina's Note:
You will find yourself swept away by this story of mystery, intrigue, and danger.  Harry Potter and Tolkien fans will enjoy this world that could easily be a part of our own.  The author has effortlessly created a world where magic is normal, and the extraordinary seems ordinary.  Her descriptions answer your questions before you have a chance to ask them.  Wonderful story!  (And when I got to the end, my response was NOOOOO!!!!!  Don't end it here, I want more!!!)

Legacy of Kings

 

Imagine a world where Game of Thrones meets Percy Jackson and the Olympians.  Are you there yet?  No?  Imagine just a little bit more, and here comes the fantastic made for Teens Tale - Legacy of Kings. A world where magic still lurks in the shadows, Gods walk the earth, and people seek to destroy the sorcerers who rule the world from behind the scenes. This work of historical fiction will sweep you off your feet!

Set in Macedonia, this story embraces the life of Alexander the Great as a  young man, just finding his way as a military leader.  His family are the rulers of Macedonia. 


This is also the tale of a young orphaned girl named Katerina, who has a mission to complete before she can settle down and pursue her dreams.  Haunted by the murder of her mother, Katerina is determined to make the guilty party pay.


Jacob will go to any lengths to win the woman of his dreams - Katerina.  He has loved her with a burning passion since they were children.


As the story begins, Jacob is entering the Blood Tournament.  The winner of the tournament will be selected to be a member of the King's Guard, and wealth which will enable him to win the woman of his dreams.

With the start of the blood tournament, the characters lives entwine in unexpected ways that will influence the outcome of history.


Find this book in a library near you: https://www.worldcat.org/title/legacy-of-kings/oclc/1076593298&referer=brief_results

I Am Number Four

There were Seven.  Seven children who escaped the doomed planet of Lorien with their Cepan.  Upon leaving, each child was given a charm that would protect them - as long as they stayed apart.

When they arrived on Earth, each pair - 1 child and 1 Cepan, disappeared.  They remain safe only as long as they remain separate.  They live their lives on the run, hiding from the terror that haunts them.  For they are hunted.  Hunted by the same Mogadorians that destroyed Lorien, the seven that remain must be killed in the order in which they are numbered - only the charm given them upon Lorien protects them on this strange planet.  As each is killed, a brand burns itself around the ankle of each of the survivors.  Each of the children has at least one Legacy - a powerful gift that will allow them to defend themselves.  But the legacies don't develop until the children become teenagers.

We join Number Seven in Florida.  He is enjoying an evening on a boat with others from school when the third brand appears on his ankle.  He and his Cepan, Henri, pack up and take off for yet another random destination.




They settle in Paradise, Ohio.  Number Four decides to go by the name of John when he enrolls in high school.  For the first time, John decides to fight back against the bullies and not just melt into the background.  John also makes friends.  And finds a girlfriend.




 As they search for more information on the Mogadorians, John is shocked to find just how close they are to taking over the Earth - the same way they took over Lorien.  The race to find out more about the Mogadorians, develop John's Legacies, and run before their location is discovered makes this a compelling read that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat!


Find this book in a library near you: https://www.worldcat.org/title/i-am-number-four-the-lost-files-the-legacies/oclc/880767678&referer=brief_results

Company Town

Ashby, Madeline.  Company Town.  2016.  Tor Publishing, New York, NY.

Go-Jung Hwa is a unique person.  She is truly organic.  She has no bio-engineered genetic implants.   As one of the few existing humans without any type of engineering, she is truly unique.  Nobody can use her implants to control her or to steer her to their will.  She is uniquely and completely her own person.

Hwa lives in a town that consists of several inter-connected oil rigs off the coast of Canada.  She is a body guard for the United Sex Workers Union.  Quick, fast, strong, and discreet, she is the body guard of choice for the union.

When Hwa gets in the middle of an attempted disturbance on one of the oil rigs, she becomes involved with the Lynch Company.  The company that owns the town.  After the Lynch family meets Hwa, they hire her to be the bodyguard for Joel, the youngest Lynch and future leader of the company.

As Hwa takes on the job of guarding Joel, her friends begin dying left and right.  As she explores their deaths, she finds a deeper, more sinister plot that goes far deeper then you would think possible.

You will be left on the edge of your seat as the revelations and plot twists play themselves out in the final chapter.



Find this book in a Library near you: https://www.worldcat.org/title/company-town/oclc/957635506&referer=brief_results