Books for August

Erak's Ransom by John Flanagan

Review

Will, apprentice to the Ranger Halt, is about to graduate from his apprenticeship and become a full ranger. He is both excited and worried about having to to take on his full duties and live up to his master's reputation. However, before this event can occur, an urgent messenger arrives from Skandia, the northern nation where Will traveled in one of the previous books in the series. The messenger is the second-in-command to Erak, the ruler of Skandia. It turns out that Erak has managed to get himself captured in a raid on a small town in the nation of Arrida. King Duncan, ruler of Will's home nation, agrees to send the money necessary to pay the ransom, and sends his daughter with the royal seal to authenticate the deal. Will, Halt, the ranger Gilan and the knight Horace are among the group which elect to accompany her. However, it turns out that Erak was captured on his journey to prison, and is now a hostage of a brutal group of desert raiders who's only driving goals are creating chaos and making money. Can the heroes rescue Erak from his captors?

Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz

Review

Alex Rider thought he was clear of the British Secret Service when he left them after his last assignment. But when an obnoxious reporter threatens to reveal his secrets, he once again needs their might behind him. They don't do a job for nothing, however, and Alex soon finds himself on another assignment, to investigate a chemical plant which may be the site of something called Poison Dawn. What he finds there links the mysterious Poison Dawn to the leader of First Aid, Reverend Desmond McCain? . The question is, is McCain? guilty? Or is he being framed? And if he is guilty, how far will he go to silence those who know?

The Boneshaker by Kate Milford

Review

When a strange caravan pulls into Arcane, Missouri, Natalie Minks knows that something is wrong. There something odd and not quite right about the leader, who never takes off his gloves, and the others, who seem too inhuman. The leader, a traveling doctor with flaming red hair, introduces himself as Dr. Jake Limberleg, and says that he is the leader of a traveling technology and medicine show. He tells them that he can cure all their ailments with his concoctions. Even though everyone seems to know something is wrong, they won't act on it. When Dr. Limberleg's cures turn out to be nothing short of miraculous, Natalie begins to get suspicious. Then she has a look at some of the machines at the fair. They don't seem to have holes for keys to wind them up, but they move all the same. The doctor tells her they are perpetual motion machines, which she knows can't exist. What is Dr. Limberleg doing in Arcane? How did he gain his healing powers? And what plans does he have for the town?

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

Review

In this, the third book in the Wheel of Time series, Rand has been declared the Dragon Reborn, the final coming of the hero destined to destroy the Dark One and go mad, breaking the world apart. At the moment, he is only recognized by a small group of fanatically loyal soldiers who saw him fight the Dark One at the end of The Great Hunt (the second book in the series), but there will be more who will be loyal to him. Or so says Moiraine, an Aes Sedai sorceress trying to put him on the road to greatness. But Rand doesn't want greatness, or the madness that will come with it. And so he runs, from both Moiraine and the Dark One, both trying to catch him as he struggles with his power. Meanwhile, Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve, Novices at the Aes Sedai tower, return after escaping from Seanchan, who wish to leash and control all who can use magic, to find the Black Ajah, a group of Aes Sedai who secretly serve the Dark One, are real and working to tear the Aes Sedai apart. Can they root out the Black Ajah? Will Rand come to terms with his destiny?

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

Review

In this, the fourth book in the Wheel of Time series, Rand is examining the Prophecies, studying them for a way to manipulate events in his favor. There is no longer any doubt in him that he is the Dragon Reborn, the man fated to save the world and then destroy it. Now he is only concerned about fulfilling his destiny in a way that will lead to him destroying the Shadow. To that aim, he travels into the wastes to confront the Aiel, a savage nomadic people whose true name is The People of the Dragon, and take his place as the leader of. But the Aiel aren't just going to accept a stranger claiming to be the Dragon Reborn. He must prove himself by passing magical tests that have left other men dead or insane. And there are those who would oppose him among the Aiel, those who would claim his place the Dragon Reborn. Meanwhile, Perrin returns to the Two Rivers to find his family dead and the people being menaced by Darkspawn and Whitecloaks, religious warriors meant to protect them. He swears to drive off the Darkspawn and show the Whitecloaks that the two rivers can defend itself.

-- JackW - 06 Aug 2010