Boys Rule Boys Read!: Michael! Michael! He's Our Man!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Michael! Michael! He's Our Man!

Hey, all you cool reader guys. Our old friend Michael has sent TWO more of his first-rate book reviews! Michael always finds the most interesting reads and always gives his straight-up thoughts on them. Let's see what he's read lately:

Bone: Quest For the Spark, book 3
by Tom Sniegoski
Tom, Percival, Lorimar, Abbey, Barclay, Randolf, Stinky, and Smelly are all back one last time for the fateful conclusion! The Nacht is incredibly close to his goal, Tom only has one piece of the Spark left to find, and Lorimar is ready to betray her friends in order to save her people, the First Folk. Plus, Rock Jaw (Master of the Eastern Border) returns! Isn't that guy just a boss? And for long-time Bone fans, the great cat performs an encore of his odd behavior back in Crown of Horns! Plus, this is one fantasy book that is 300 pages of non-stop action! No, I mean literally, someone is always engaged in action during this book. This book is really not just a step up, but like, a whole flight up from the previous Quest books. And although I considered this sequel trilogy just a way to make more money from Bone, it really has turned out so well. I can say with confidence once again that Bone is the best fantasy series I've ever read. Definitely a must-read for any fans of fantasy, supernatural, or action!

The Infinity Ring, book 3
The Trap Door
by Lisa McMann
The daring trio of Dak, Sera, and Riq are back again in their third book, but fifth adventure. They've landed in America again, but this time they're not in Washington, D.C., but they're in Maryland in 1850. What's stopping them this time? SQ disguised as slave traders disguised as abolitionists! Whew! While the three are in peril nearly the whole book, Riq is in the most danger, being an African-American. He is quickly sold into slavery, and Dak and Sera must help him out while dealing with problems of their own. And where is the Hystorian? This is a pretty decent book. It's slower than the previous two, because those two took place in battlefields, and this one is pre-Civil War, making the action more sparse and not as weapon-filled as one (meaning me) might like. I do think, however, that the author does a very nice job of explaining not only why slavery is wrong, but also why some people of the time thought it was OK, answering the oft-asked question, "How could one person treat another human being that way?" The climax was good, and there's a bit of a surprise ending. To join in the friends' next adventure, set in Japan, with samurai and ninjas, log onto infinityring.com and get in the game! And don't forget book 4, Curse of the Ancients, by Matt de la Pena, coming soon. And one more thing guys: Don't mess with the cards!

Michael Lanier
Pianist, guitarist, banjoist, autoharpist, jaw harpist, Ukeist, Mandolinist

Thanks, Michael! Once again, you've picked a couple of books that sound really good. I have not read any of the Tom Sniegoski Bone series but I really want to now. Keep up the good work! Can't wait to hear from you again.

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