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Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Category Archives: Young Adult (YA)


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‘More Than Conquerors’ Shows Promise

More Than Conquerors: On the Run

By D’Janee (Dreams and Vision Publishing, 2025)

Genre: Fiction – YA, Dystopian, Christan Speculative Fiction

Pages (print): 253

Via: Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for honest review.

Three young adults have magical-ish gifts. There’s a mysterious Prophecy. Some really, really bad fiery dudes in serious need of chill pills. And some other equally nasty types with red skin, black clothes and murderous intent.

Blurb:

Sophie and her friends have been captured and held prisoner for the purpose of obtaining intelligence they do not have. They have been burned, tortured, and abused for days right after having everything that they have ever known destroyed and taken away from them. They discover from a prophecy that mysteriously appeared to them in the night that they are destined to escape. Motivated with determination and purpose, they must develop a plan for freedom. What they don’t know is that past all the dangerous guards and the unsurpassable escape route is a surprise that will change their lives forever.

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New YA Adventure Rocks – or – Scraps to the Rescue!

Within the Crystal Mountain

By. J.L. Putney (Indie author)

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages (print): 295

Via: Author request

When you feel most alone, not alone, are you…

Kimber here. Being all Magnificent and everything. Telling you about this really cool Young Adult fantasy-ish book Mom and I just finished. It’s called Within the Crystal Mountain. By J.L. Putney. And it is absolutely de-barkful! (Mom: That’s Kimber speak for “delightful.” Go figure.)

Naw….

Now. Most hoomans will probably think this book is about magic and some kind of epic quest thingy. Naw. It’s really about my new best friend, Scraps the dog. Yeah. Scraps. More on that in a min. So kindly keep your shirt on, Toots.

Squirrel!

Wait. Where was I?

Oh yeah. Basic plot and stuff. Well:

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Why ‘The Ivies’ Needs a Mommy Very Badly

The Ivies

Alexa Donne (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2021)

Via: Library

Genre: YA/Fiction/Dark Academia

Pages: 309 (Print)

Ever want to just smack an entire cast of characters? That’s what we felt like after 309 pages of The Ivies.

Eau de Skunk

Now, The Ivies is the kinda book that’s gonna nab rave reviews all over the place. Not here, Toots. We don’t do that gob-smacked slobber stuff over a book that smells like Eau de Skunk. Walks and talks like it, too.

We’re just funny that way. Like:

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‘Vasilisa’ Mesmerizing, Melodic

Vasilisa

By M.L Farb

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy; YA Historical Romance; Clean Romance

Pages: 252 + Food For Thought and End Notes

Via: Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mom: Kimmi, what are you doing?!

Kimber: No interruptions, Mom! I’m practicing the Ruskan hopak and scouting up my balalaika.

Mom (eyes rolling): Hate to break it to you, Kimster. But you’re a dog. Dogs don’t dance the hopak. Or play the balalaika.

Kimber: Wanna bet?

And that’s where we were after turning the final page of M.L. Farb’s mesmerizingly masterful fairy tale/fantasy novel, Vasilisa. One of the main themes that shimmers throughout this witty and uber engaging story is a question: Is the heroine Vasilisa the strong or Vasilisa the good? Can she be both? How?

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Dark Fantasy Shows Promise

Shadows of the Dark Realm

By Tyler Edwards (December 2023)

Genre: Fiction – Fantasy

Pages: 503

Via: Author request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tbe Basics:

The idyllic kingdom of Parisia sat nuzzled securely in the Great Emerald Mountains. For generations Parisia had known nothing but peace and prosperity. When the elder dragon Darka Mors, steals the Darkstone, the entire realm is threatened. Without the Darkstone, the magic sealing away the Shadow King would fail. His return would bring death and destruction to the world of men.

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MG Fantasy Flies High

Crown of Three

By J. D. Rinehart (Aladdin, 2015)

Genre: Middle grade fiction/ fantasy

Via: Library

Pages: 407

“Change is coming – coming like the winter wind. We cannot change the weather, Agulphus. But we can stand before the storm.”

No one is who they seem to be or where they should be in this humdinger of a high adventure. This high octane fantasy moves like Secretariat around the final turn at the Belmont Stakes. So you might want to buckle up, Buttercup. Here’s the scoop:

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‘Blanco and the Starry Night’ Shows Promise

Blanco and the Starry Night

By Calvin Clay

Indie author, 2023

Genre: Fiction – YA/Fantasy

Pages:  243

Via: Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blanco is a thirteen year-old graffiti artist in Los Angeles. He’s a ward of the state. In foster care. Blanco loves art. Paintings. Sculptures. And Van Gogh’s Starry Night, aka: Swirly Sky. All he’s ever really wanted, from as early as he can remember, is a family that wants him. Will a mysterious underground art community fill the bill? And what about the kids in this community who are “saving” art from the evil Master of Shadow? (Think Voldemort and Inkheart’s The Shadow.) Is the “forbidden wing” really haunted? By whom? Why? And what’s up with Smirk?

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‘Here, There Be Dragons’ Ignites Imagination

The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica:

Here, There Be Dragons

Written and illustrated by James A. Owen

Simon & Schuster, 2006

Genre: Fiction: Fantasy/Young Adult

Pages: 324

“There’s a very strange man outside, said Jack…’

One of us is totally kicking herself for not finding this book sooner.

“Good thing one of my brothers sent this to Her Momness for Mother’s Day,” spake I, Kimber the Magnificent. “Otherwise, Mom would still be clueless. Cuz this book is a bibliophile’s treasure trove. It’s just Too. Much Fun! Ya know. Like me. So way to go, bro!”

Here’s more:

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Electrifying New YA Novel DISCOVERS Dazzle

Kimber yukking it up with her BFF, Xenia. Is it dinnertime yet?

Discovery of the Five Senses: The Urban Boys

By K.N. Smith

Via: Author Request

Genre: Young Adult/Light Fantasy/ Action and Adventure

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

***

Before we jump into this review, Kimber wants to make one thing perfectly clear: She is not happy about Her Momness forgetting dinner because she was so absorbed in this book, she forgot what time it was.

Not that we’ve got that out of the way…

Basic Plot

The fate of humanity hangs in the balance as five high school friends battle evil with their unusual gifts and abilities. Meanwhile, there’s a reason the nearby “forbidden preserve” is forbidden. You so do not want to go there.

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Adventure Abounds in ‘The Aging Machine’

The Aging Machine

By Paul Robert Schreyer, 2021

Genre: Young Adult Action/Adventure

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One of us started reading this book with a big bowl of marble fudge ice cream with extra hot fudge sauce. And raspberries. Mom added peanut butter to make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the berries. This book moved along so briskly, she kept having to refill. To “keep her energy up,” dontcha know. (Insert eye roll here.)

Anyway, I, Kimber the Magnificent, will let Her Momness tell you more about The Aging Machine:

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