House of Night by PC Cast and Kristin Cast with Kent Dalian

I almost prefer to be introduced to a series through graphic novel.  It gives me a quick insight as to whether or not I will like the books.  House of Night is one of those series that I was curious about but unable to fit into my reading schedule.  This graphic novel was a great introduction.

Designed to accompany the books, this story gives a quick introduction to the characters for those who are unfamiliar with them and a deeper exploration into the mythology that runs through the series for those already reading the books.

The story line wasn’t great but it was interesting enough.  Zoey Redbird has been made the leader of the Dark Daughters but she doesn’t feel fit to rule.  Through five lessons and historical stories, she learns how to be a leader. 

I, actually, liked Zoey.  I found her to be quite real and interesting.  She had so many layers to her personality and wasn’t perfect like so many characters in vampire books come out.  I loved the mythology and the changing of the stories to fit into vampire lore.

The art was quite cartoony which worked well for this story.  The colors were vibrant and engaging.  It would appeal to younger audiences as well as more mature ones.

Hades by George O’Connor

This is the fourth book in the graphic series The Olympians by George O’Connor. This is an amazing retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone. I was just captivated by the beauty of the drawings and the passion of the characters.
With tons of research into the myths, George O’Connor has created a story that weaves together all the bits and pieces. This telling of the Hades myth is not only touching but opens up a humanity in the Greek Gods that I believe was often missing in the more serious versions. Hades is portrayed as a man who has been given a job to do. He is shrouded in darkness but he is not evil.
Persephone has more personality in George O’Connor’s story than she has been given before. Here is a young woman smothered by her overprotective mother. Though Hades took her against her will, he is willing to give her more freedom than she ever had before and a chance to become the woman she wants to be.
Then there is Demeter, Persephone’s mother, who nearly destroys the world with her grief at the loss of her daughter. Through a connection with Hecate she is able to find her daughter.
In the end, this is a powerful story that can be enjoyed by girl or boy. It’s dark but romantic and I can’t wait to pick up more.

Nice Shot, Cupid by Kate McMullan

Nice Shot, Cupid is the fourth book in the Myth-O-Mania series from Capstone Kids.
I think I liked this story better than Say Cheese, Medusa. It's not that this is a better story but I understand the rythym of the books better now. There's a lot to be said about Kate McMullan's myth books.
Nice Shot, Cupid tells the story of Psyche and Cupid. Psyche was the beautiful daughter of a king and Cupid, the son of Aphrodite. Mortals were so taken with Psyche's beauty that they stopped worshipping the goddess Aphrodite. Angry, Aphrodite told Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a horrible man but Cupid feel in love with her himself.
Psyche is kidnapped and all she can think of is her love for the Voice, which is Cupid behind a curtain. When she sees him, she knows he's her true love but Aphrodite won't let her be with him until she's completed a series of tasks. The list of tasks continue to grow as Psyche ages.
Without Hades help, Psyche would never be able to settle down with Cupid and find happiness.
I loved Psyche. She's beautiful but that doesn't matter to her. She's kind and thoughtful. She's willing to accept her fate but doesn't mind doing the hard work. She loves Cupid so she doesn't mind all the tasks Aphrodite makes her do.
It's a sweet story of love, perseverance and gratitude. I highly recommend it for all ages. It's a great introduction into Greek Myths and a good catalyst for discussing good personality traits.

Say Cheese Medusa by Kate McMullan

This third book in the Myth-O-Manic series from Capstone Kids is phenomenal. The "true" story of Medusa and Perseus as told by Hades. It's not accurate to the original myth but a great introduction to Greek Myths for young children.
The story starts with Hades spending a night with his brothers Zeus and Posiden. "Po" wants to picnic with some moon goddesses at Athena's new temple. When Athena finds out, she curses the moon goddesses turning them into gorgons.
Later that night, Hades discovers Danae and Perseus. This starts off a legend in the making.
Hades promises to keep Perseus safe only to find he's grown up to be like his father Zeus - arrogant and lazy. Fun and frolics occur when Perseus sets of to hunt Medusa and bring back her head.
It's a violent concept but the book is violence free. It's witty and amusing with lots of cheese and pop culture references. Perfect for middle grade readers. There are some tough words but the book comes equipped with a glossery of names and another for more difficult words.

The Midnight Gate by Helen Stringer

This book reminded me of Harry Potter. Not in the broad sense, they aren't witches but in the smaller sense that a young child is forced into a position where they have to be so much wiser and older than their years. Poor Belladonna is still only 12 years old - this story is only months away from the previous. The adventure is far more dangerous. The sad part is that those who have put Belladonna in this position really don't care if she lives or dies, she's replaceable as the Spellbinder. She has people who love her and want to protect her but they are not in positions to really help her.
There were things I loved about this story. Belladonna and Steve take their missions very seriously but there seems to be loose ends from one book to the next. In the first book, the oracle gives them two riddles to solve and they only solve one. That second riddle doesn't come up in this book. Aside from that, it's very good.
Belladonna is forced to live with foster parents but her new family is not what they appear to be. So many things happen but I worry about spilling any of the surprises. Early on you figure there is something wrong with her foster family and you find yourself very suspicious of hot chocolate but what is going on has so many details and twists that you can't guess it all.
I love the way Helen Stringer mixes in all types of mythology. There's so many more creatures in this book than in the last one. I really need a good mythology book but that will have to wait until after I finish my growing reading pile.

Spellbinder by Helen Stringer

I was going to give up this blog and stick with the two sites I mentioned in my last post. As I was transferring reviews around, I realized how limited those sites were. There are things I can share here that I can't really share on Goodreads or LibraryThing. There are some great features to those sites but I can only review books that they have in their databases. Sometimes I come across books sold by the author or, as the case is now, be given an ARC that isn't available. So here I am. I'll share the same reviews here as I do on those sites (or vice versa) but will add things here that don't apply on the other sites. It's a little more work for me but reading is my passion and sharing what I read brings me joy.

Spellbinder by Helen Stringer
Spellbinder was an amazing book. Helen Stringer did a great job of creating a story that is frightening, funny and wonderful. It's a touching story of a young girl who can see ghosts. She feels like an outcast and works to separate herself from her classmates. Her ability works in her favor when her parents are killed. They pretend they are a normal family until all the ghosts disappear. Belladonna wants to save her parents but no one will tell her what is happening. She and her friend Steve opt to do it on their own.
The journey mixes in some old mythology with some new ideas. It's a quick lesson in learning to trust and learning to be cautious. The two have unusual chemistry. They are such good friends and on this great adventure but they are challenged in ways they didn't expect.
At one point Belladonna cries "But I'm only twelve years old." It was so easy to forget how young they were. The book follows a sort of prophecy-like format but the kids involved have no idea who the Spellbinder and it's Paladin is or how they are involved. Right up to the end, they question and wonder.
There's a great realism with these two children. They are willing to try anything to help save the ghosts and the world but they don't think of themselves as heroes or warriors.
The story is not full of that many twists and turns but it does keep you reading. There's a number of struggles which kind of reminds me of Wizard of Oz. Not that the stories are similar but that you have an idea of where the journey is going - it's what happens on the way that makes the story great.
I will say that there were some weak spots in the writing but I can't say for certain that they are obvious. I've been doing a fair amount of editing lately and researching how to edit better so those particular parts may have just triggered my internal editor. They weren't enough to turn me away from the book or to prevent me from recommending this book.
The main character is female but I believe that this story will appeal to boys and girls. There's lots of action and age appropriate interactions.

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Pierce died when she feel into the pool one winter. The doctors have nearly convinced her that everything that happened when she died was a dream but they don't know about the necklace and they don't know about him. John is the ruler of the underworld and he wants Pierce to be his.
This twist on the Hades/Persephone myth was as captivating as it was unexpected. It's more than a love story and more than a tale about good vs evil. Pierce is torn between two worlds and a long battle. She didn't put herself in the position she is in but she doesn't accept it willingly either.
I was really impressed by Pierce's character. She was strong but not overbearing. She just wants to survive high school like a normal person but she's in the middle of something that goes back far before she was born.
This is the first book of a trilogy starring Pierce and John. I can't wait until the second book. This first one had me so enthralled I barely put it down.