Eldest: Christopher Paolini

For those readers who liked Eragon, they will have no problem enjoying this intriguing sequel.  Paolini continues the story of Eragon and his dragon Saphira, as well as the story of Eragon's cousin Roran and the people of his home village of Carvahall.  There is much that I could tell of the story if it wouldn't give away the plot of the whole inheritance cycle.  Let's just say that Paolini's writing gets better with each book and that the plot in this book is every bit as good as in Eragon.  Make sure that you have Brisingr (the third book) on hand after having read this one, because you won't be satisfied at the end.  Although, without even a title being announced for the fourth and final book, Brisingr will only prolong the excruciating and inevitable wait to know how it all ends.  Overall, Eldest is a very entertaining and engaging read.

Would I Read It Again?: Definitely

Grade: A
Content: Fantasy Violence and Some Mild Gore
Jeff's Recommended Age: 15+
Series Order:
     Eragon
     Eldest
     Brisingr
     Untitled (Coming Soon)

The Dark Is Rising: Susan Cooper

This series is a bit different from most.  It is a bit like the Chronicles of Narnia in that the main characters shift from book to book.  In book one of this series, we followed the first adventure of Simon, Jane, and Barny.  In the second book, however, we are treated to the story of Will Stanton.  This is the book upon which was based the movie The Seeker.  Will Stanton is indeed the seeker of the six signs of The Light.  Will learns that he is a member of an ancient race called the 'Old Ones'.  Those of this race are the advocates of the world and have always sought to further the agenda of The Light.  On his eleventh birthday, Will is thrust into the struggle between The Light and The Dark.  As the last of the Old Ones, it is Will's responsibility to seek and collect the six signs of The Light.  Obviously, The Dark does not want Will to find any of the signs as they realize that The Light would gain a tremendous advantage if they were to be found by the Seeker.  Very clean book and an enjoyable read.  Much more detailed, and much better, than the movie.  A good book for younger readers who like adventure stories.

Would I Read It Again?: Likely

Grade: B+
Content: Some Scary Sequences for Younger Readers
Jeff's Recommended Age: 12+
Series Order:
     Over Sea, Under Stone
     The Dark is Rising
     Greenwitch
     The Grey King
     Silver on the Tree

Skybreaker: Kenneth Oppel

Matt and Kate are back to their usual adventures in this sequel to Airborn.  During a near death experience, Matt sighted, and is therefore one of the few people who know the coordinates of, the lost airship Hyperion.  Rumored to be carrying the treasure of an eccentric scientist, the rush to claim the salvage begins.  Joined by others, Matt and Kate decide to go after Her themselves in a new class of airship capable of extreme altitudes.  Of course there are other groups eager to catch the Hyperion and the race becomes very dangerous.  This is a fairly intense book.  It is a great adventure and has some violence and mildly scary sequences for younger readers.  There are plenty of twists, and nothing works out the way one would assume.  A very fun read.

Would I Read It Again?: Definitely

Grade: A
Content: Some Violence
Jeff's Recommended Age: 12+
Series Order:
     Airborn
     Skybreaker
     Starclimber

The Da Vinci Code: Dan Brown

Robert Langdon is back in this suspense thriller.  This time, he is in Paris giving a lecture when he is invited to help solve a murder that occured at the famed Louvre museum.  Quickly the plot turns as Langdon finds himsel evading both the French Police and an assassin who is in the employ of a Catholic Bishop.  With the help of Sophie Neveu and Langdon's old friend Sir Leigh Teabing, Langdon unravels the mystery of the Holy Grail using his expertise as a symbologist.  But seeking the Grail does not come without danger.  This is definitely a thrilling novel with plenty of action and suspense.  But, as with most Dan Brown novels, they are intended for adults and this book contains some vivid descriptions of torture, murder and references to, as well as descriptions of, a sex rite.

Would I Read It Again?: Maybe

Grade B- (A without the offensive content)
Content: Torture, Murder, Sex
Jeff's Recommended Age: 18+
Series Order:
     Angels and Demons
     The Da Vinci Code
      The Lost Symbol

Stardust: Neil Gaiman

This was a book that I read after having watched the movie.  Both my wife and I really enjoyed the movie.  I found it very creative and very engaging.  I wanted to watch it again immediately afterward.  Stardust was intended, by the author, to be a fairy tale for adults.  He writes of young Tristran Thorn's love for his beautiful Victoria.  The only problem, is that Victoria does not love him back.  This, however, does not dissuade Tristran and he secures a promise from Victoria that she will marry him if he returns with a falling star.  This is where Tristran's adventure begins.  He travels into a land full of witches, magic, and a brotherly feud for the throne of Stormhold.  Along the way, he finds that his 'star' is not what he expected and, through the influence of many others, his views and priorities in life begin to change.  Stardust is a fun magical book that would have been great had it not been for the fairly explicit sex scene near the beginning of the book.  The movie did a great job skirting this part of the story.  This scene renders this book pretty inappropriate for anyone like me who finds this type of content offensive.

Would I Read It Again?: I think I'll Stick to the Movie

Grade: B- (A Without the Sex Scene)
Content: Explicit Sexual Content
Jeff's Recommended Age: 18+
Sequels:
     None

Over Sea, Under Stone: Susan Cooper

I first took interest in this book after having watched a movie called 'The Seeker'.  I found the movie lacking in any detail and wondered if it was based on a book.  It indeed was based on the second book of 'The Dark is Rising Sequence'.  I decided to start the series with book one: Over Sea, Under Stone.  I was not disappointed.  The book is a fairly simple read on the surface and is fine for younger readers, however, older readers can enjoy the deeper connotations that exist in most books that tell of the struggle between light and dark.  Cooper provides a new twist on the story of King Arthur that renders this story both magical and intense.  This particular tale is of three siblings (Simon, Jane and Barny) who travels to a coastal village in England to stay with their Uncle Merry.  There they find a very old map that allegedly leads to the Holy Grail.  The Grail, being an object of power, is aggressively sought by agents of both The Light, and The Dark.  In a whirlwind adventure, the reader is blown along as an observer to the race for The Grail.  This is a very clean book, good for kids.  Entertaining Story.  Not quite on the level of, say the Chronicles of Narnia, but a very fun read nonetheless.

Would I Read It Again?: Likely

Grade B+
Content: Scary Sequences for Younger Children
Jeff's Recommended Age: 11+
Sequels:
     The Dark is Rising
     Greenwitch
     The Grey King
     Silver on the Tree

Eragon: Christopher Paolini

How many people can say that they are a New York Times best selling author?  And how many of those can say that they were a best selling author by the age of nineteen.  This is exactly what Paolini accomplished when he wrote Eragon, book on of the Inheritance Cycle.  Paolini grabs the reader immediately and rarely lets the reader take a breath, even though the book is not all action.  Eragon discovers a stone in the Spine, one of the most feared forests in all of Alagaesia.  It turns out that it was not a stone but a dragon egg from which Saphira hatches and who subsequently chooses Eragon as her rider.  With the the tyrant king, Galbatorix, being the only other rider, Eragon becomes the symbol of hope for those who wish to overthrow the king.  Paolini writes a gripping story of Eragon's adjustment to his new life as a rider, and his and Saphira's flight to join the rebellious Varden in hopes of returning peace and freedom to Alagaesia.  As is fairly obvious to those who've read other books of this genre, Paolini does borrow quite a bit from other authors.  One might also suspect, after reading Eragon, that Paolini is indeed a debutant author.  However, those feelings quickly dissapear with each book in the Inheritance Cycle.  Eragon is an extremely entertaining read and and well worth reading multiple times.

Would I Read It Again?: Definitely

Grade A-
Content: Fantasy Violence
Jeff's Recommended Age: 15+
Sequels:
     Eldest
     Brisingr
     Untitled (Coming Soon)