Book Review: The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Star Ratings: Characters: ***** (5 stars) Character Development: ***** (5 stars) Plot: ***** (5 stars) Writing: **** (4 stars) Overall: ***** (5 stars) Age range recommendation: 13 and up.  (Swearing, violence, mild sexuality.) Be it known that I read an advanced copy of this book and some details may change before publication in late September.

Book Review: Among Others by Jo Walton

Star Ratings: Characters: **** (4 stars) Character Development: ***** (5 stars) Plot: *** (3 stars) Writing: **** (4 stars) Overall: **** (4 stars) Age range recommendation: This isn’t really YA, but could (and should) be read by teenagers, too. This book tripped me sideways and tossed me back into the world of vintage SciFi and

Book Review: Talker 25 by Joshua McCune

Star Ratings (out of 5): Characters: *** (3 stars) Character development: *** (3 stars) Plot: ***1/2 (3 1/2 stars) Writing: **1/2 (2 1/2 stars) Overall: *** (3 stars) Age range recommendation: 12 and up In the not-too-distant future, America has a dragon problem.  No one knows how or why they arrived, but the enormous creatures

Book Review: The Mark Of The Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson (Coming out in March, 2014)

Star Ratings: Characters: *****(4 stars) Character Development: **** (4 stars) Plot: ***** (5 stars) Writing: *** **(5 stars) Overall: ***** (5 stars) (It is hereby stated that I read the advanced reader’s copy of The Mark of The Dragonfly and a few details might change before publication.) How pleased am I to be giving this

Book Review: Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

Star Ratings Characters: ***** (5 stars) Character Development: ***** (5 stars) Plot: **** (4 stars) Writing: **** (4 stars) Overall: ****1/2 (4 1/2 stars) Age recommendation: 10+ In all his years as an apprentice historian, Tom Natsworthy has never doubted the moral supremacy of Municipal Darwinism; that is, mobilized cities and towns hunting each other

Archived Review: Book Review: Rescue, or, Royer Goldhawk’s Remarkable Journal by Amy Leigh Strickland

Originally posted to Dark Lady Reviews on May 31, 2013.   Star Ratings Characters: ****(4 Stars) Character Development: **** (4 Stars)
 Plot: **** (4 Stars)
 Writing: ***** (5 Stars)
 Overall: ****1/2 (4 1/2 Stars)
 Age recommendation: 13 + This is the first novel I’ve ever read entirely on an e-reader, and while I was a little

Archived Review: The Curiosities by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff

Originally posted to Dark Lady Reviews on March 26, 2013.   Since this is an anthology of short stories, the star ratings will be slightly different. Star Ratings: Writing: *** (3 stars. The authors chose to present their stories in their raw and largely unedited forms: notes in the margins point out what they would