Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull is the first book in the Beyonders Trilogy.  When Jason falls into the hippo tank at the zoo where he works, he never would have imagined being swallowed and entering a new world called Lyrian.  But, that's exactly what happens.  Not only that, but he learns if he every wants to make it back to Beyond, he'll have to take on the evil Wizard Maldor.  Rachel, who also appeared in Lyrian under mysterious circumstances, teams up with Jason on this quest.  They know there is a magical word that if uttered in Maldor's presence will completely destroy him, so they set off on an incredible journey in search of all six syllables of this word.  They face intense dangers and mystery along the way, including making friends with a man who can drop his limbs at will, battling a human-sized crab, traversing a lake worse than quick sand, and thwarting numerous villains who want them dead.  Around every corner they meet new people, but they never know who can be trusted and who is out to get them.  Will Lyrian find its hero in Jason and/or Rachel?  Read to find out!

This was an amazing book!  It was full of action, adventure, mystery and fantasy.  I especially liked the fact that there wasn't any romance!  I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels - this one reads like a movie.  It's not hard to visualize the action in this book!  I can't wait to read the second and third!

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor is the first book in the Looking Glass Wars series. It tells the "true" story of Alice in Wonderland. Alyss Heart is the daughter of Queen Genevieve and King Nolan. She had lived a relatively happy life in Wonderland, until her 7th birthday. On that day, Alyss's Aunt Redd, scorned after being denied the crown in favor of her sister, decided to take over the kingdom. Redd and her army of card soldiers killed both the kind and queen and were ready to kill Alyss as well, until Hatter Madigan saved her. They jumped through the Pool of Tears and ended up in separate places in our world, in the year 1859. Alyss ends up in England, while Hatter Madigan finds himself in France. Alyss, through a series of strange experiences, ends up adopted by a family. After years of trying to convince everyone about her past as princess of Wonderland only to be mocked, she begins to forget. That is, until Madigan finds her and sends her old friend Dodge Anders to bring her home. By this time, Alyss is an adult and about to be married to royalty in England! She doesn't know about what her people have had to endure under the dark imagination reign of her Aunt Redd. The Alyssians, people who still serve the Heart family, have gone into hiding, determined to bring Alyss to her rightful place on the throne. Redd has terrorized everyone she suspects of being loyal to Alyss and white imagination - the kingdom is in turmoil. Will Alyss be able to defeat Redd and return the kingdom to its former glory?

This was an exciting adventure. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy and adventure! It reminded me of The Mirror's Tale by P. W. Catanese (another excellent adventure). At the end of the book there is a time line which shows the connections between what happened in the story and what was happening in the "real world" during the same time period. It was really interesting to see how the author mirrored the events.

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock is about Benevolence, the niece of King Ferdinand of Montagne. Ben was raised in the soldiers' barracks by her mother and father (King Ferdinand's brother) and lived a very happy life sheltered from the dramas of the kingdom. That is, until her parents and King Ferdinand were assassinated and Princess Benevolence became the only heir to the throne of Montagne. Ferdinand's wife, Queen Sofia immediately took over her care, forcing Ben to learn the ways befitting her station... preparing her for her future queenly duties. Ben fought this at all costs and ended up imprisoned in the wizard's tower of the castle. By day Ben was forced to endure the awful trainings but by night, she worked in her little cell to discover the secrets to the castle. Purely by mistake Ben discovered her magical abilities and the maze-like paths and tunnels that ran throughout the castle. She also discovered a tiny room above her own which held a magical spell book, teaching herself many spells and enchantments. These proved useful as Ben learned of a plot by Queen Sofia to marry her off in an attempt to strengthen the kingdom. Ben winds up escaping the castle, but becoming a prisoner of the very people she suspects killed her parents! In an exciting turn of events, Princess Benevolence finds peace within herself, her aunt, and even the rival kingdom with which Montange has warred for years...

This was a great fantasy. There was magic, adventure, dragons, a great battle scene, and even a little romance! I loved the way Ben's character changed throughout the story as a result of all of her experiences. I also really liked the role of magic in the story, which was very minimal. There were parts where I laughed right out loud! I would recommend this book to anyone who liked The Goose Girl series or The Princess Academy (both by Shannon Hale).

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo is a tale of love and magic. When ten year old orphan, Peter asks a fortune teller if his sister is still alive, he gets an unexpected answer - YES, and that an elephant will lead him to her. Peter doesn't know what to believe; the strange fortune teller with the even stranger fortune or his father's old army friend who has been raising him and training him to be a soldier ever since his father died in the war and his mother died during the birth of the very same sister. Just after Peter hears his fortune, a magician spices up his magic routine just a little and accidentally produces an elephant (instead of a bouquet of lilies), which promptly lands on one Madam LaVaughn, crippling her. Both the magician and the elephant are thrown in jail for this crime. The elephant becomes the talk of the town and ends up being purchased by a prominent woman in society, and put on display. Once Peter learns of the elephant's appearance, he is convinced that his sister really is alive. He enlists the help of a police officer who lives in his apartment building to see the elephant, and then the magician who summoned her. Meanwhile Adelle, Peter's sister who has lived in an orphanage her whole life, begins having dreams of a snowy night and an elephant coming to her rescue. Everything comes together in the end of this magical story!

This was a great book! I absolutely loved it. I love the way the author wove all of the different stories together - Adelle, the policeman Mr. Matienne, the homeless singer and his dog, the caretaker of the elephant, Madam LaVaughn, the elephant, the magician, and of course, Peter. A quick read that will make you feel good and believe in magic!