Book Review - The Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman

Is that a bird? A plane? Superman? Spiderman?

No...

Its the Aurora Borealis, a phenomena known as The Northern Lights. Norse mythology has it that these lights belong to the Valykries, female horse riders who serve Odin, the Norse God. They're more or less Norse Angels.

I think I'm going too much into mythology and am boring you, so I will now continue with my review...

Inter Dimensional Portals are up for grabs as people race to learn about some mysterious particles that have been discovered, which have some unique properties.

Lyra is a young girl (No, not that young, about thirteen or fourteen), who lives undisturbed at Jordan College. But when her friend Roger (Wink Wink) disappears under mysterious circumstances, she can't resist but to look for him. Together with her daemon, (The 'a' and the 'e' are sort of melded together in the book) Pantalaimon,(I'd say he's more like a demon, wouldn't you?) she must go to the North ( The North, The Northern Lights, get it?) where she discovers much more than some innocent (or should I say, guilty?) kidnappers. She must bargain with bears and consort with witches to find her friend.

And in the process she just might learn somethings she hardly expects (No slobbering for details now! Read the book yourself!!!) Secrets that should never be revealed.

I quite liked the book and hope you will too.

My rating on this book : 8/10 (Good)

Book Review - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling

Hi everybody.

Finally, the new Harry Potter has been released ( Much to the relief of Die Hard Potter fans, I'm one the the "Die Potter!!!" fans.)

I really don't know why people are so potty over Potter. I mean, what's so amazing about a little boy who stops one of the most powerful wizards in the world?

Anyway, back to the review...



Harry Potter and his friends, Ron and Hermione, are back and meaner then ever ( I mean, being of age and being allowed to use spells just like that, without a penalty, is pretty amazing, at least for them). They each have changed a lot ( being so close to each other, they're rubbing off their characteristics on one another).

Harry must destroy the Horcruxes before he can beat Voldemort ( And that's hard enough). He must also prepare himself and his friends for the battle against the evil Death Eaters ( Followers of Voldemort, NOT some evil mutants who have the ability to eat death, pure common sense)

But many secrets will be revealed. What are the Deathly Hallows? What are they used for? Harry will also discover ( much to his shock) the truth about one of his teachers (Which one? I do know, but I won't ruin the surprise...let me give you a hint, he, or she, is on the good side! Hooray!)

Honestly, I wasn't too impressed with the book. JK Rowling has written great books earlier, and I expected just the same from her this time...

My rating for this book : 6/10 (Okay, you'll probably read it because you're desperate to know what happens in the end...)

Book Review - Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer

This book is the first installment to the Artemis Fowl series.

The storyline revolves around an eleven year old criminal mastermind, who wishes to be the greatest criminal mastermind in his family. But his methods are somewhat...unusual.

He knows that fairies exist. And they aren't the cute little fairies of bedtime stories. They're armed and dangerous. Even the females.

Take Holly Short for example. She's the only female in the LEPrecon- Lower Elements Police Recon. Her superior officer is hard on her. She's not your typical fairy female. She's the dangerous kind.

Add that to Julius Root, who is Holly's boss, and Foaly, the paranoid centaur genius, and you get a bundle of laughter.

Don't get your stomach too tight from laughing, or you'll gas up the place, like Mulch Diggums, the kleptomaniac dwarf (No offense).

Overall, the writer has combined good word usage with strong characterisation and humour, and has created the ultimate book for readers in their teens or pre-teens.

My rating on this book : 9/10 (Must read)

Book Review - Ptolemy's Gate - Jonathan Stroud

This book is the third instalment to the Bartimaeus Trilogy. The author has once again impressed people with the combination of humour and a powerful storyline.

It has been a few years since the events of The Amulet of Samarkand, and the young magician Nathaniel, now referred to as John Mandrake, has already become a member of the Cabinet in the form of the Information Minister.

Yet he insists on still commanding Bartimaeus. Old habits do die hard, don't they?

But Bartimaeus still wants his freedom, and must complete one last task before he is released from captivity.

On the other hand, Kitty Jones must also work hard and learn something which no commoner has ever learnt to do before-... (I won't ruin the surprise for you)

But soon, a great power will emerge in London, greater than any the trio have faced before ( Again, i won't ruin your surprise!)

They ( Nathaniel, Kitty and Bartimaeus) must rally together in order to defeat this power.

The storyline is powerful consisting of mostly somebody's thirst for vengeance, which will ultimately endanger London, and then the world itself) The humour is ever-present and the word usage is okay.

My rating for this book : 8/10 (Good to pass time)

Book Review - The Amulet of Samarkand - Jonathan Stroud

This book by Jonathan Stroud will impress readers between the ages of 10 to 16. It is the first book of the Bartimaeus Trilogy.

The story is based in modern day London, complete with references to the Other World, the home of the demons which are summoned by magicians to do their biddings. Magicians rule the country. Somewhere in this huge city, lives a boy named Nathaniel. For his age, he has huge amounts of skill. Add that to Bartimaeus, the slightly-more-than-odd demon, and you get loads of humour.

Somewhere, a conspiracy unfolds. A plot is discovered. Nathaniel and Bartimaeus must confront their enemies and defeat them.

The storyline is impressive, and so is the wordplay. You don't often see writers who combine humour with serious storylines, but Jonathan Stroud is an exception.

I personally loved this book, and hope you will too.

My rating for this book : 9/10 (Must read)

Book Review - The Magician's Guild - Trudi Canavan

This book is the first instalment of the Black Magician Trilogy. The author may sound new to you, but trust me, its worth reading.

The story unfolds in the land of Kyralia, in the city of Imaldrin, where magicians control the land and non-magicians stand back and let the magicians control the city. A young slum girl, Sonea, discovers her magical potential and is unable to control it. Now the guild magicians are after her, desperate to control her powers before she destroys something, or somebody, with her uncontrollable powers. But Sonea is afraid, and she runs. Time is ticking as the magicians try desperately to find Sonea. Thus the story unfolds, revealing a conspiracy that will threaten not only Sonea's, but also the lives of those near and dear to her.

I will not tell you more, or you will not enjoy the book. But trust me, its a truly magical experience to read the book.

This was the first book of Trudi Canavan that I read. Truly, she is an amazing writer. While it lacks in word usage, it makes up for that with a gripping storyline that will pop the eyes out of most readers ( Metaphorically speaking, obviously)

Unfortunately, the author has not made good word usage. The storyline may be impressive but vocabulary is also important. The reader also tends to forget a bit of the storyline ( Who which character was, etc.) and has to flip back along the pages otherwise her doesn't enjoy the book, as he gets confused.

My rating for this book : 7/10 (Try to read)

First Post!

Hi everyone,
Welcome to my blog. . I am here to share my views on the various books I have read. If you have any comments, please feel free to post them. ( Please use proper language, grammar, punctuation marks, and please, no internet shorthand) If you feel that I have not written a review on any book you feel is good, then please comment again. Please, no spamming or flaming. And no abusing!. Thank you for cooperating and have a good time reading my reviews!