Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1) by Tomi Adeyemi

This action-packed story incorporates African legends and Yoruba language that involves three teenage protagonists in a high fantasy quest. The plot is an allegory of black oppression that digs into the consequences of violence on individuals marginalized in society. Zelie Adebola, 17, is a teen whose mother was chained and lynched because she was a maji that could raise people from the dead. King Saran of Orisha committed genocide against all maji because his family was killed by one. The children of maji called, Diviners have dark skin and white hair that distinguishes them from the other dark-skinned people and the King has made them servants, slaves, stockers, or prisoners in Orisha. The Diviners powers will not manifest without magical artifacts that the King has destroyed in his first purge. When a magical artifact is discovered and the King uses it to kill his daughter's best friend and servant, Princess Amari steals it and goes on the run. Amari runs into Zelie and her brother, Tzain, going on a quest to bring magic back to the kingdom and free the Diviners. The Crown Prince Inan is bent on stopping them and finishing his father's eradication of magic.

The strong character arcs and world building around African mythology make this fascinating. In Benin or Nigeria, orishas are divine spirits in Yoruba and the author incorporates this history into her world-building creating a rich tribal world reflecting ancestor worship. Zelie is a Reaper like her mother and her contact with the dead as well as with her ancestors makes a strong metaphor for those who have died under oppression either in slavery or in institutionalized racism. When Zelie gains her powers it connects her with her ancestors and the goddess Oya.

Inan's character arc has depth as he struggles with his father's expectations and gaining powers that help him to understand the pain of others. Amari foreshadows his wavering or misguided beliefs as she tells Zelie about Inan's influence under the tutelage of their father, King Saran. As Inan tries to please his father and do what is right, he makes mistakes that make him a complex three-dimensional character, unlike King Saran who has become hard-hearted from his choices.

Amari is part of the nobility and does not agree with her father. Her best friend is a diviner and when her father murders her she decides to bring magic back to the realm. Her interactions with other nobles reveal a race of lighter skinned Africans that favor light skin and despise the different looking diviner race. While most of the plot is straight-forward the twist at the end concerning Amari makes the reader wonder if she has a hidden agenda.

The characters engaged me more than the plot which seemed like a mix of different fantasy books such as Hunger Games. While the plot may have not felt wholly original, the well-crafted representation of a different culture and heritage gives readers identification of what it is like to be marginalized. The oppressive brutality of those in power and the violence inflicted on the oppressed people in Orisha is reflective of modern society. The author says that when the guards throw Zelie to the ground in chapter 1, it was written after a specific incident of police brutality. The first-person points of view are repetitive in some spots but for the most part, the plot moves along. I wished there were more twists like the one at the end. What I like about this fantasy is that it can apply to other minority experiences in the world whether the person is an immigrant, disabled, LBGTQ, or unique in some way and prejudiced by the ruling majority. The strong female characters are a draw and it sits alongside other well-written books produced this year such as "The Hate U Give" and "Long Way Down".

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (BBC radio dramatization)

Three strikes in three decades is my score for trying to read, "The Lord of the Rings." The pacing at the start puts me to sleep. I struggled with "Slaughterhouse Five" as a college student, but later listened to the audio book  and was able to finish it. Ditto Shakespeare. This audio book on "The Fellowship of the Ring," was a winner and the dramatization included music and sound effects that slammed the door on my problems with pacing or focusing issues. I listened each night on the elliptical machine and found it hard to turn off. A study in high fantasy with a classic hero in Aragorn and a common hero in Frodo.

Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit, lives a comfortable life in the Shire and has inherited the Ring of Power from Bilbo Baggins, the hero from "The Hobbit." When the wizard, Gandalf, comes to his house and reveals that the evil wizard, Sauron, is after the ring to control all the earth, Frodo sets out to destroy the ring. He is an unlikely and simple hero aided by friends, including the most heroic of the men, Aragorn. The task of the ring falls on the weakest of them, a hobbit who would prefer not to sacrifice himself, but he rises to the occasion and is the only creature able to resist the ring because he is not drawn by desires to seek power and worldliness. His naivety and simpleness make him the best candidate for success at destroying the ring as Gandalf and Aragorn both know when Frodo offers the ring to them and they realize the the power would be too tempting for them. Frodo's lack of desire for power makes him the best candidate for the quest.

I read a terrific book, "A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18" by Joseph Loconte that shows how the Lord of the Rings trilogy is an allegory for World War I with the Hobbits similar to common soldiers and Aragorn and Gandalf similar to military and political leaders making decisions regarding the war. It is a fascinating look at history and analysis of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis's novels. It was one the main reasons I decided to try and read the book again. The hobbits are like the common soldier and don't really know what danger they are approaching, but they have each others backs no matter what and are willing to die for one another. Gandalf and Aragorn are like the world leaders involved in the war.

I still think the start is slow before launching into the quest and picking up in excitement. But this time the audio book helped me be patient. I think Tolkien's in-depth background development of the Shire is to show the domestic contentedness of the hobbits and their lack of desire to be heroes. They are drawn into a battle that they have no desire to be a part of. Because they like simple pleasures and are not tempted by power as most of the other characters in the book, they show the common person as being the hero and this allows the reader to empathize with them.  Aragorn proves his king-like qualities not by physical strength but his handling of the hobbits when he first meets them by playing on their fears and then using wit to ingratiate himself before revealing his letter from Gandalf.

It's the hobbit show, not Aragorn's victories in battle, that save and endear the reader. Frodo incorporates the high qualities of Aragorn's world and the hobbits because he is the wisest and bravest in that he is humble and admits his fears but still strikes forth on the quest to destroy the ring. This is why he is chosen for the task. Only he can resist the corrupting power of the ring to at least get it to the edge of the fire until powers beyond his control destroy it.  Even Frodo cannot resist the temptation of the ring. Tolkien's world building, character development, linguistic genius is astonishing in its brilliance, as most of you know. If you are having problems getting through a book, try an audio book. It felt like a home run this time round. 

Goblins (Goblins #1) by Philip Reeve

This clever story pokes fun at common fantasy conventions and tropes while appealing to young readers with its scatological humor. If you liked Christopher Healy's satire on fairy tales in "The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom" then you'll enjoy this one. Meet goblin Skarper, a whippersnapper that teaches himself to read and makes the mistake of correcting the King Goblin, Knobbler, about the definition of a pirate. Even though Skarper's right, but no one likes a smartypants, especially a cranky king goblin. Skarper's catapulted off the "bratapult" winding up outside the castle ruins of his home and in the company of Hewyn, a cheesewright, who wants to be a hero instead of taking over his family's cheese business. Hewyn, who is a bit of a cheese brain, is on his way to saving a princess from a giant when Skarper saves his life from a troll. 

Hewyn accidentally blew up his dad's cheese factory and he thinks he can redeem himself by becoming a hero. His cheese disaster reminded me of Big Anthony in Strega Nona. On their way Skarper and Hewyn are intercepted by three sorcerers that capture them and make Skarper lead them back to his home at Blackspike Tower in Clovenstone so they can reclaim the evil Lych Lord's power. A comet is nearing their planet and magic is stirring. Lych Lord has been dead for "years without numbers," sealing up his tower. By the way, lych, means corpse. Between friendly giants, boglins (froggy-goblin hybrids), goblins, a middle-aged princess, dragons, a prophecy, amulets, and more, this action-packed fun ride will satisfy many fantasy lovers.

The play on names pokes fun at a gazillion fantasy conventions. Okay, maybe not a gazillion, but a lot. King Arthur had Excalibar. King Knobbler has Mr. Chop-U-Up. J.R.R. Tolkien had Bilboa Baggins of Bag End where he made Frodo Baggins his heir to the disappointment of the Sackville-Baggins. Here, there is King Lusuenn's daughter, Princess Eluned from Porthstrewy who is to be married to Colvennor of Choon. It's on the Northerly Gate of Colvenstone along the Nibbled Coast by Oeth Moor.  Sounds like Tolkien drunk on Dr. Seuss. Tolkien liked to use "Dor" such-and-such, like Dor-Lomin of Hithlum by the Mountains of Mithrim. Reeve has the plain of Dor Koth and the Battle of Dor Koth by the Bonehill Mountains. Are you laughing yet? Or maybe you are cross-eyed.

When Hewyn finally reaches his princess he is going to rescue, he discovers it's been forty years and she is grey, middle-aged, and very happy living with her friendly giant and on a ship that sits atop the high tower where the battlements of the Westerly Gate arise. Oof. This is one silly tale that I know my students will like. There's the bumwipe heap where the goblins use book papers to wipe their bums. There's the King Knobbler that secretly wears pink undies and is terrified his subjects will discover the fact making him the butt, I mean brunt of jokes. Last month my third graders changed the html code on Follett catalog to "Poop is awesome." Hoorah. They'll love all the poop references. The kindergarteners are into "Booboo butt" thanks to "The Book with No Pictures" by P.J. Novak. It will be a while before those mini goblins can read this chapter book but it will be a hit when they do.

There are several villains, invisible ink, treasure hunters, beserkers, cloud maidens, and creepy batlike men. Skarper, who chooses friendship over power and treasure, is the real hero. He wants treasure but resists the urge when he sees how the person with power lavishes gifts only to turn toward punishment when people disagree with him or her. Power can destroy a person as well as ruin friendships and isolate the person in power - as it does to one of the characters in this tale. 

The plot has a quest and follows the Hero's Journey or monomyth as Skarper sets forth to get into the castle and find the hidden treasure. Skarper encounters obstacles before facing an ultimate challenge that changes him in the end; that being his discovery of true friendship. From the opening sentence the reader is immediately clued in that this is a high fantasy novel with its funny, melodramatic tone,  "In the lands of the west, where men are few and some of the old magic lingers still, there stands the ancient fortress of Clovenstone." The ruins of a castle is described and it sounds quite serious until the second page where Skarper is screaming "Aaaaaah!" as he is catapulted off the tower. Get ready to scream folks. This one is a hoot. The end suggests a sequel as the two adventurers muse over how dull life is once the excitement is over. Get thee to a bookstore to purchase thy grand "Goblins" book.

4 Smileys

Frostborn (Thrones & Bones #1) by Lou Anders

The school year starts and I crank into tornado mode whirling through checklists that leave a swath of debris in my office. Reading this story was like the eye of the storm. I ended up sneak reading in-between lesson planning, system updates, meetings, and lunch before devouring it whole for dinner. Consider yourself warned. Read this book on the weekend or when you have a large chunk of uninterrupted time. The action-packed, well-plotted story has plenty of humor and a female character that defies stereotypes. A biracial girl named, Thianna, searching for her identity along with the message to girls to embrace yourself no matter what your size makes this story rise above your average fare. Boys will like the male protagonist, Karn, who loves to play the board game, Thrones and Bones, and uses strategy learned in it to defeat his enemies. He must face responsibility and discover his strengths and passion. The Norse mythology and Viking or Scandinavian history creates a world that is easy to visualize and solidly anchored in high fantasy. The linnorm or dragon, Orm, is like Jörmungandr from the Norse myths and the burial mounds where Karn crosses paths with zombies or "After Walkers" are patterned after the Viking burial grounds. This will appeal to fans of Percy Jackson, The Lord of the Rings series, and The Inheritance Cycle. Don't miss it.

Thianna is the daughter of a giant and human. At seven feet tall she is about half the size of most giants with the unique ability of being fast and agile. She struggles with her mixed heritage and is not accepted by some peers her age. When her dad gives her a gift from her mom to remember her human side, he sets in motion a series of events that cause evil people to hunt Thianna. Little does she know that the gift is a magical artifact that gives great power to the owner. While fleeing for her life, Thianna discovers how her mother ended up with the giants and must decide what to do with the gift. She ends up crossing paths with twelve-year-old Karn, a human whose dad trades with the giants. Karn will inherit his father's farm and become a Hauld. This is the most powerful position a free man can become in his culture and means the farm has been in the family for six or more generations. The Vikings traded in silver and Karn receives a lesson from his father. Even though he bumbles his first trade, he shows that he is a clever person with a quick mind as he corrects his mistake and challenges the buyer to a game of Throne and Bones, a board game made up by the author. This is one example of the terrific mix of Viking or early Scandinavian history facts and fiction.

Karn gets duped by a greedy uncle because he does not want the responsibility of running the farm. This causes a series of devastating events that make him decide to flee home. While on the run he meets up with Thianna who is being chased by wyverns. She saves him many times using her strength and agility. The author uproots stereotypes and when Karn calls Thianna enormous and big, it pleases her immensely. Strength is admired among the giants and she likes that she's the brawn in their relationship saving Karn from death many times. The culture she comes from plays violent physical games and she is disappointed when Karn just wants to play board games or "bored games" as she likes to joke.

Thianna's biracial background captures what it is like to be a minority. She is part human and part giant. Her human mother has died and she is not accepted by everyone in the community. In particular, she is bullied by a boy-giant and peer named, Thudgery. She knows how to outwit him and doesn't take him seriously until he puts her life in danger due to his intolerance of her. Not only does Thudgery show that he does not respect differences, he makes decisions that threaten others in the community. His illogical actions show a deluded young bigot whose narrow-minded views limit him from reaching his potential as a human. No one changes him in the end and he takes his friends with him starting his own village. While I envisioned him as the same age as Thianna, he must be older. He's only described as a "young giant." History has many examples of harmful intolerance due to race, social status, religion, or politics. This can be a good launch for discussions on tolerance and its definition in societies. Tolerance does not mean the acceptance of bad behavior, but it does mean treating others with respect.

As others in the community sacrifice their lives to help Thianna, she slowly realizes that they do accept her for being part giant and part human. At first Thianna wants to forget that she is human and be only giant. Her anger and resentment slowly give way to curiosity. And as she interacts with humans through trading and has adventures with Karn, she realizes that she wants to find out more about her human heritage. While she knows she is physically stronger than humans and that she's saved Karn countless times, she recognizes that Karn has saved her too using his intelligence to outwit his enemies. When she takes a last name, something giants don't do, it is the beginning of her learning to celebrate both cultures and find her identity as she moves toward independence.  A good message of focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses.

For a clever character, I thought Karn was a bit naive regarding his uncle and his motives, but he did adore him and obviously had a blind spot. Karn is obsessed with the game, Thrones and Bones. As he flees with Thianna, he discovers that he assesses the situation just like in the game and that he can use strategies that are similar when dealing with dangerous people. Later he finds that running a farm can be similar to his favorite board game and that it isn't as boring as he first thought. He faces his responsibilities and learns to not resent his inheritance. Thianna still doesn't know the entire story as to why her mother left her people and at the end, she sets off to find some answers. A nice breadcrumb that will make me keep my eyes peeled for the sequel.

5 Smileys