To Read or Not To Read

So much for our happy ending -- because just because the bad guy was last seen being sent into the void doesn't mean he actually stayed there. School is back in session, but our trio isn't done with their mission. Holly Black and Cassandra Clare team up one last time for the last, fifth, explosive conclusion to the Magisterium series, The Golden Tower . With a thrilling revelation, a humorous cast of characters dedicated to growth, and (yes!) a happy ending, Black and Clare explore the gritty themes of good vs. evil, chaos vs. soul, and who truly prevails -- don't miss this exhilarating conclusion to the middle grade series that has raised the bar for all middle grade series.  Holly Black and Cassandra Clare first met over ten years ago at Holly's first-ever book signing. They have since become good friends, bonding over (among other things) their shared love of fantasy. With Magisterium, they decided to team up to write their own story about heroes and villains, good ...

When chaos breaks loose, school seems a little . . .  unnecessary. Especially when it's literal chaos, which wants to devour everything in its path. The fourth book in the Magisterium series branches off from the magic school and into new unknowns: enemy strongholds, prisons, and battlefields, to name a few. Because the plot is a series of twists and turns, the characters do unexpected things, and the ending is almost beyond belief, there can only be one word that can truly describe The Silver Mask : breathtaking.  Holly Black and Cassandra Clare first met over ten years ago at Holly's first-ever book signing. They have since become good friends, bonding over (among other things) their shared love of fantasy. With Magisterium, they decided to team up to write their own story about heroes and villains, good and evil, and being chosen for greatness, whether you like it or not. Holly is the bestselling author and co-creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles series and won a Newbery H...

To be destroyed from within is more dangerous than having an outside enemy. It's easy to turn against the people you thought you knew and trusted when a mysterious spy enters the story. With this new enemy, the kids of the Magisterium face a new threat, one they can't see. The third book in the Magisterium series is cleverly crafted; the authors point readers to where they want us to look, so no one can guess what's coming. Striking and heartbreaking, with such a crazy cliffhanger, Holly Black and Cassandra Clare succeed again at writing another well-paced, action-packed, complex middle grade novel.  Holly Black and Cassandra Clare first met over ten years ago at Holly's first-ever book signing. They have since become good friends, bonding over (among other things) their shared love of fantasy. With Magisterium, they decided to team up to write their own story about heroes and villains, good and evil, and being chosen for greatness, whether you like it or not. Holly is...

You may think you know monsters, but none at this scale. Especially not a monster who may be a good guy, who may also be an Evil Overlord. As the loyalties of friendship and accepted are tested, a world expands that includes a diversified conflict. Bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare write of an unforgettable quest for a group of four kids trying to save the world, while also learning to understand themselves and the world they're saving. Fans of magic and middle grade stories do not want to miss this series.  Holly Black and Cassandra Clare first met over ten years ago at Holly's first-ever book signing. They have since become good friends, bonding over (among other things) their shared love of fantasy. With Magisterium, they decided to team up to write their own story about heroes and villains, good and evil, and being chosen for greatness, whether you like it or not. Holly is the bestselling author and co-creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles series and won a...

Saving the world sounds crazy daunting, especially for someone who's only 12 years old. But sometimes, we can't choose these things. The same way that we can't choose the world we're born into, our families (or lack of them), or even our friends. Destiny, or fate, or both, sets us on a path that can lead to happiness or destruction. And most of the time, we might not get a say in the matter. This is the kind of lesson our newest 12 year old magicians are learning in our newest magic school series, Magisterium. Co-authored by bestsellers Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, The Iron Trial is a thrilling new saga for anyone who hoped magic would continue to exist past the bounds of Harry Potter.  Holly Black and Cassandra Clare first met over ten years ago at Holly's first-ever book signing. They have since become good friends, bonding over (among other things) their shared love of fantasy. With Magisterium, they decided to team up to write their own story about heroes an...

A queen without a kingdom is really not a queen at all. In fact, her title wouldn't even have power or prestige behind it. Especially if no one knows that she's the queen. So what can she do? Well, why doesn't she start with exile! These are the immediate questions readers face when opening the thrilling conclusion to The Folk of the Air series, The Queen of Nothing  (and what a title, too!). This heart-racing finale is full of plot twists, provocative themes, and a show-stopping ending, making for one of the most captivating, magical, and wonderfully intense reads I've ever had.  Holly Black is the #1  New York Times  bestselling author of over 30 fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She grew up in New Jersey, but now currently lives in New England ...

Once one has control, it's easy to lose it. Once one has power, it's easy to let it fall from your grasp. How can we get power and control to work for us, and to stay in our hands? The webs are tangled, the rose bushes thorny where this question is involved. Being a politique, as history has taught us, is never easy -- especially if you're not making selfless decisions. Jude is learning all of this after her wildly successful grasp for power. Will she continue to succeed, or will everything fall like sand through her hands? This sequel is cleverly crafted and spellbinding: The Wicked King  is an addictive dream of a book.  Holly Black is the #1  New York Times  bestselling author of over 30 fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She grew up in New Jer...

Power and politics are often synonymous in the world we know. In fact, even in the worlds we don't, power and politics are cut from the same cloth. Often, those worlds include magic and intrigue, peril and ecstasy. Any character, because of the true wishes of their heart, can get tangled up fast into these dangerous webs. Enter Jude, a powerless girl without a home determined to get both those things for herself. Set in the seductive fantasy land of Elfhame, one of fantasy's best characters lights the sparks for a dangerous political game. Magically dark and cleverly twisted, The Cruel Prince  is everything any reader would want in fantasy, and a must read for every booklover's shelf. Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 30 fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages w...

Relationships are tested, allegiances are forged, and enemy lines drawn. These are the characteristics of a war, especially one fraught with personal revenge and redemption. There are so many players, and each with a particular part and loyalty -- some of which can't be predicted or clearly articulated. These are all characteristics not just of war, but of Sarah J. Maas's novel, A Court of Wings and Ruin. A jam-packed novel with twists and turns, Maas gives readers a lengthy reading experience without some of the elements of a novel we've grown to love. That is to say, the character development and plot we've enjoyed in her previous novels are lacking in this one. Read on for my particularly detailed comments on this three-star novel. Sarah J. Maas is the #1  New York Times  bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a  USA Today  and international bestselling author. She graduated from Hamilton College with ...

Politics. Power. Passion. And new evils. No world is every fully redeemed from the mistakes of the past, or ever fully free from any kind of evil. Instead, all anyone can hope for is the ability to better face the demons and protect others. Even these protectors can suffer from the politics and power of the world, and need time to recover -- time they don't fully receive as the world keeps turning. These are the stones in which Sarah J. Maas begins building A Court of Mist and Fury with. In this spellbinding sequel, Maas presents us with a struggling and recovering heroine, a world still stumbling towards redemption, and another impossible mission. Sarah J. Maas is the #1  New York Times  bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a  USA Today  and international bestselling author. She graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in creative writing and a minor in religious studies. She wrote the first incar...

Fantasy is such an intoxicating genre, not only because the worlds are different and the characters remain relatable, but usually because the story can always continue. Fantasy is the genre that allows for the creation of vast worlds such as the Grishaverse, the Shadow World, and Prythian. And yet even in these unfamiliar worlds with unfamiliar politics, we can still see something innately human in all of them, and recognize familiar stories. In A Court of Thorns and Roses , author Sarah J. Maas creates the world of Prythian, a divided land between mortals and faeries. We see a familiar "beauty and the beast" retelling with characters as complex as the politics they fall prey to. With a distinct fantasy world, a retelling of a classic story, and some truly interesting characters, A Court of Thorns and Roses  is a novel (and series) that gives the fantasy genre credibility and honor. Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and ...