Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden

Amazon review:

'If you liked GLADIATOR, you'll love EMPEROR.' THE TIMES 'Great fun !

The great events and breathtaking brutality of the times are brought lavishly to life. Russell Crowe and Sean Bean's agents are surely already jockeying for the wide-screen roles.' GUARDIAN 'A brilliant story -- I wish I'd written it.

A novel of vivid characters, stunning action and unrelenting pace. It really is a terrific read.' BERNARD CORNWELL 'Stunning. It begins with hints of a mystery and continues as a galvanizing historical thriller. Words like "brilliant", "sumptuous" and "enchanting" jostle to be used but scarcely convey the way Iggulden brings the tale to life, or the compelling depictions of battle, treachery and everyday detail in a precarious world vividly re-created ! exhilarating.' Los Angeles Times

'The descriptions of combat in the circus, slaves in revolt, skirmishes in Greece, amputations and street fighting are all convincing.' TLS 'A rich and compelling novel that draws the reader into an extraordinary time and the life of an extraordinary man.' DAVID GEMMELL

You might be wondering why I haven't written many blog reviews lately. You may think I stopped reading. Actually, no. It's just I haven't been reading much YA lit lately.

I just went through an Ancient Rome phase. I started reading this really cool series of books by Conn Iggulden about the life of Julius Caesar and I just couldn't stop until I finished all four of them. They were really, really good.

There are a number of reasons why I loved this series. First of all, I'm fascinated by the man. I mean, it is so interesting to be able to learn about how Caesar came to be so famous. I liked reading a book that put me back in time. I could almost imagine what it would have been like to have lived in Caesar's time. As well, Iggulden managed to build a fascinating story without giving in to all the details.

I tried reading McCullough's books about Caesar, but she just made things way too complicated for me with all the characters. McCullough's books read like an encyclopedia entries. Iggulden's were written like an adventure story.

As well, Iggulden really brought the action to life. I've never written a book about ancient war before, but the way Iggulden described the fight scenes was so incredibly descriptive - it made brutal hand to hand combat sound beautiful.

Anyway, I thought it was worth writing a review just in case there were other readers who enjoy these types of books.

4.5/5 Stars

For readers who enjoy reading about Ancient Rome, I also highly recommend Philip Matyszak's Legionary: The Roman Soldier's Manual. I really enjoyed it. After reading Iggulden's book I was so curious about what life was like for the typical soldier and I found Matyszak's book to be of great interest - easy to read and full of fun facts!

Gone by Michael Grant

Book Blurb:

In the blink of an eye.

Everyone disappears.

Gone.

Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen and war is imminent.

The first in a breathtaking saga about teens battling each other and their darkest selves, gone is a page-turning thriller that will make you look at the world in a whole new way.

I blogged about this book a while ago. Incredible book. Seriously. From the first chapter I was hooked on Grant's premise. Imagine: A bunch of teenagers are sitting in a classroom when, suddenly, their teacher disappears. Soon they figure out that all the people above the age of 15 are completely gone.

For some kids this would be a kind of heaven, well, until reality sets in.

That's so cool. What would happen if something like that happened? What would the kids do? Will they be good little boys and girls? Will they organize themselves somehow? Will somebody step up to be the leader? How will they survive? Grant explores this and much more, taking the reader on a wild ride. There is more to this story than I can tell you. You'll just have to read it; I'd hate to spoil the fun for you!

Although I felt a bit ripped off by the ending of this one, I really enjoyed it a lot. I've donated my copy to the SRR already so you should grab it if you get a chance. I highly recommend it. If you liked Hunger Games, you'll enjoy this one.

One of the best books I've read in a long time!

4.5/5 stars

Hunger by Michael Grant

Book Blurb:
It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ.

Three months since all the adults disappeared.

Gone.

Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers.

Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

The sequel to Gone was really great. I plowed through all 560 pages this weekend and loved it. I'm totally fascinated by the whole situation and I'm enjoying Grant's characters.

I liked that we had a chance to see how this world develops. I've always been fascinated by this sort of Lord of the Flies idea. I mean, if there were no adults around, what would happen? Are children basically good? Would they help each other? Things really heat up in this second book of the trilogy.

In particular, I like the way certain ideas start to gain momentum in this book. For example, the kid who ran the McDonald's is now dreaming of starting up some sort of currency. However, rightly so, the other kids are suspicious of his intentions. What will Albert do once he becomes a business tycoon. As well, friction is developing and two separate groups are going to battle it out, and I don't mean the rich kids from the private school (although they are back and badder than ever in the second book as well).

BTW, our copy is an uncorrected proof of the book which was sent to us by our generous book angel Mary from the United States. Thanks Mary! This is a special book and many of our girls will enjoy it.

Great book. Highly recommended.

4.5/5 stars

Cut-throat Celts by Terry Deary

Amazon.com:

The ghastly truth about the wild warrior race who weren't afraid to fight the Romans. The book includes stories about suffering saints, gruesome games for Celtic kids, and the dreadful Druids with their strange sacrifices and terrible trials.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: YOU ARE SO LUCKY. When I was a teenager we didn't have many great books to read and Horrible Histories is just another example of the type of book I would have eaten up if I'd had them around.

Terry Deary is amazing. He is funny and interesting. He really knows how to make history interesting for young readers. He goes after all the shocking stuff and all the disgusting stuff and he tells us his story in a most amusing way.

Martin Brown's illustrations are hilarious. My favourite was the comparison of the Celtic and Roman solidier ready for battle. The Roman is standing there in full armour, covered from head to toe. Next to him is the Celtic warrior, standing naked except for a little fig leaf over his private parts. My son and I laughed so hard when we saw that.

Deary's books get a lot of the facts on the table and he gives us maps and drawings to make things clear. He tells funny little stories about real people. He makes little question lists (followed by answers) and the result is usually shock and awe.

The Celts are an interesting group and well worth reading about. I think I know a little bit more about European history now. At the very least I know that reading about history is good fun!

Scholastic recently had the whole series in a box set. I'm still kicking myself because I didn't buy it. You see, I only recently discoverd Horrible Histories and their amazing creator Terry Deary. Even if you don't like history, I dare you to pick one up. I'm sure you'll find something in there that you'll love.

Terry Deary is a hero for making history exciting and fun for kids (well, and even for us older types). BTW, we now have a signed copy of the Second World War book for our collection! Yay! Stay tuned, I'll try to get more for the SRR as soon as I can.

4.5/5 Stars

Perils and Dangers of this Night by Stephen Gregory

amazon.com:

A bleak mid-winter. An icy wind blows through the corridors of Foxwood Manor, a boys' prep-school deep in the woodlands of Dorset. The boys have gone home at the end of the Christmas term and the old house is left to the headmaster, Dr Kemp, his wife, and Alan Scott, a boy abandoned by his mother. As the snow falls heavily on the house and the surrounding woods, a story of revenge and retribution unfolds: a web of half-truths and innuendo's woven into a bizarre game of hide-and-seek through the corridors and dormitories of the school. "The Perils and Dangers of this Night" is a compelling story of unfolding horror as a small boy undergoes a rite of passage, seeking redemption from his haunted past.

If you like horror stories, you're going to love this. Even if you don't like horror stories, you're going to love this.

Mr Stephen Gregory's novel is the first horror story I've ever read cover to cover. I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I started reading it early one morning and I couldn't put it down. I read it page after page until I finished it with only the odd break here and there to attend to family matters.

I hadn't realized that something so terrible and disturbing could be written so beautifully. You can see that Gregory loves language. He plays with it. I enjoyed the way he developed the characters and described the setting. It created a vivid dream-like world that set me on edge.

This story is very interesting and it slowly sneeks up on you. It lulls you into a dream and carries you along though all the while you know that in the end it is going to get nasty. My favourite character was an old dog. Gregory manages to describe the mutt in a way that reminded me of so many old hounds I've known over the years. I became quite attached to him. You know how that goes, right?

The ending is good horror story nastiness. You'll hate it, but you'll find you just can't stop reading... kind of like when you can't help turning your head to see a traffic accident on the side of the road.

Anyway, I can't recommend it to young readers because of the adult content in it. However, for the mature young adult readers it should be fine. Stick with it. I think you might just enjoy this one.

BTW, I love the design of the book. For a paperback, it is incredible. I love the colours and the cool photo on the cover. I love the print design with the dominant title and the author's name sweeping across the bottom of the book. Great stuff! I'm sure Gregory was pleased with the publisher's treatment.

4.5/5 Stars

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

stepheniemeyer.com:

"BELLA?"
Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, just like he had in the parking lot, and kissed me again.
This kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine—like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us.

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob—knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?


This is another interesting book by Stephenie Meyer and well worth reading if you have read the first two books. It is quite good, especially because of the tension that develops between the three main characters. I'll give it four stars out of five. I enjoyed most of this book and I'm happy to recommend it.

Again, it doesn't have a very complex plot, but Bella's inner life is explored and it makes for an interesting read. In my opinion, it was better than "New Moon" and I enjoyed getting more of the back story. Here, we learn more about the werewolf legends as well as how many of the characters came to be monsters. There is also an exciting climax and a bit of an unusual epilogue that will catch your attention.

*Spolier Alert* - Do not read this paragraph if you have not read "Eclipse". Okay, I've almost given up hope that Bella will become a vampire. If Meyer had made her a Vampire in "Eclipse", she could have spent the fourth book playing around with Bella's new life and I think that would have been really interesting. However, now I suspect she won't become a vampire until the end of the fourth book. That's a shame. We got a taste of what it would be like in the epilogue where we were able to see things from Jacob's perspective as a werewolf. Wouldn't it be amazing to experience Bella's first year as a vampire? Anyway, Meyer is in her comfort zone. Maybe she would have difficulty with a plot-driven book. Maybe she doesn't feel comfortable dealing with action. I mean, we didn't even get to enjoy the battle scene in Eclipse. We had to hear it through Edward and even then we didn't get many details. Sometimes I feel like reading Harry Potter again. Rowling is so much better at keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next. Meyer usually misses the chance to develop a lot of excitement and suspense. She prefers to spend 3/4 of her time dealing with Bella's feelings towards Edward and Jacob. I guess that's okay, though. She's writing for a female, young adult audience and not for a middle-aged guy like me! If you girls can tell me that you loved books two and three and you really enjoyed all the relationship stuff, then I'll know why she wrote the books the way she did.

4.5/5 Stars