The Island of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer

The Island of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer is the third installment of the trilogy including The Sea of Trolls and The Land of the Silver Apples. In this book, a draugr is terrorizing the small village where Jack, Thorgil, Pega and the Bard live. The draugr was once a beautiful mermaid who fell in love with Father Severus while he was exiled on an island. Because he refused to take her as his wife, she turned into a sea hag and was left to die. She returned as an evil draugr when Father Aiden accidentally rings the bell of St. Columba. The draugr is bent on exacting revenge - a life for a life. Jack, Thorgil and the Bard set out to prevent anymore deaths from occurring. First, they must go to Bebba's town with Thorgil's brother Skakki on his berserker Northman ship. Once there, they must gather supplies and trade so that the village is prepared for winter. Finally, the trio must travel to Notland and meet with the deceitful finfolk to bargain, hopefully putting a stop to the draugr's killing spree. Along the way, Jack and Thorgil face many creatures, including a half-troll that turns out to be Thorgil's brother, a hogboon, an evil king, and more!

I loved this book just as much as the other two! These books are so full of adventure and suspense. I also absolutely love the last 20 or so pages the author includes about the folklore and research behind the events of the story. Almost all of the creatures and strange situations that arise in this book were based on stories, mythology, and long held beliefs from various cultures and religions. I highly recommend this trilogy to any fantasy fan!

Happenstance Found (The Books of Umber Series #1) by P. W. Catanese

Happenstance Found (The Books of Umber Series #1) by P. W. Catanese is about a strange twelve year old boy called Happenstance, Hap for short. Hap doesn't remember anything about his life before a man named Umber and his crew found him trapped in a cavern, deep under an explosive volcano. All he had with him was a note addressed to Umber. Hap is not like other people - he has strikingly green eyes which allow him to see perfectly at night (which is nice because he doesn't sleep) and he can jump higher than any human. He can also see "threads" that seem to link things together, but he can't quite figure out what to do with them. Umber takes Hap back to his home at Kurahaven. Hap is excited to be a part of something, but continues to wonder who he is and where he came from. He knows Umber holds some clues in that note, but Umber won't tell Hap anything. It doesn't take the group long to realize they are being followed. The Creep, called Occo, followed Hap across the sea and to Kurahaven. He even tried to attack Hap in the market one morning! Thankfully, Hap's special abilities allowed him to escape unharmed, but now everyone is afraid that Hap has brought unknown evil to their town. As he tries to fit in and learn more about himself, Umber withdraws into a deep depression. It seems as though everyone is against Hap and that he'll never know the answers to the questions he has about himself. That is, until he meets the evil queen, Occo returns, and Umber is kidnapped!

This was an excellent story! I can't wait to read the second book, Dragon Games, when it comes out in January of 2010. This story reminded me of a combination of P.W. Catanese's The Mirror's Tale, Christopher Paolini's Eragon, and Jane Yolen's The Wizard's Map. I love the way the author wove twists and turns into the story and filled it with adventure and mystery! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy!

What I Call Life by Jill Wolfson

What I Call Life by Jill Wolfson is about Carolina Agnes London Indiana Florence Orion Renee Naomi Ida Alabama Lavender, or Cal for short. One unfortunate afternoon, Cal's mother has one of her "episodes" at the library, and eleven year old Cal is whisked off by a social worker to live in a group home. Cal goes along with everything because she doesn't really consider this event as a part of her real life story. She's certain that Betty, her mother, will be waltzing through the door at any minute, to pick her up and resume their wandering life together. However, days upon days go by, and Cal begins to doubt her relationship with Betty. As she gets to know the Knitting Lady and the girls in the house, Cal's certainty falters and she's left not knowing what her life really means. All of the other girls at the house have their own life stories that all lead to them ending up with the Knitting Lady. Through stories of her own, the Knitting Lady has unique ways of teaching all of the girls about their stories, and imparting valuable life lessons.

This was a great book. Cal was named for every place and person who affected her mother positively. The first letter of each name spells out California - Cal for short. This was such a unique story. While each of the girls at the Knitting Lady's home had very sad stories, this book focused more on the positive aspects of life and of the life lessons one can learn from each other and everyone's shared history.