Dragon of Seas by P D Baccalario

This is Book IV of the Century Quartet and it's the best one yet in the series.Sheng, Elettra, Harvey, and Mistral are back together again and facing the biggest challenge ever.  Shanghai is a city of secrets with their last token hidden in it and they have their work cut out for them to try to locate it and foil their opponent.  Are the dreams they are having to guide them, warn them, or are they not related to their quest?

Random House sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and is available now.  This whole series would make a very nice gift for the young reader in your family.  If your reader has been waiting for it, you'd best buy it now!

There is a man in skyscraper in Shanghai that wants to find them, their tokens, and the final piece of the puzzle:  The Pearl of the Sea Dragon.  He's not about to let them get it first.  This turns into a grand adventure with all parties fighting for survival and success.  It's not the least bit boring and you turn the pages quickly.  It's a bit sad that it's the last in the series but you'll be happy with the ending.  Why not grab a copy and see what you think? 

Happy reading.   

Star of Stone Century Quartet Book II by P D Baccalario

Imagine being twelve years old and trying to save the world - could you do it?

Random House Books for Young Readers sent me a copy of this hardcover book for review (thank you).  This is the second book in this series, and I was very happy to get a copy of it.  The first one left me drooling with desire to read more in this series.  This one continued with the same fast pace, is full of danger and challenges for the young characters, and leaves me looking forward to the next one (due out in September, 2011).  This second book is available in stores now.

With children from Rome, New York, Paris and Shanghai, you get to know different cities of the world as you read the series.  Their whole goal is to collect all the mysterious artifacts that the murdered professor told them about.  However, there is an evil group who is looking for the same artifacts, and it's not an easy journey.

The book is filled with maps and clues so you can get as involved in the story as you wish.  Since each book is set in a different international city, you learn the history of the setting as well as about the various antique buildings.

It's a busy read that grabs your eyes and makes your imagination work overtime.  It's written for ages 10-13, but this reader enjoyed it just fine despite being grandmotherly in age.  The author is Italian and while this book was translated into English, it still has an Italian flavor.

Visit your local bookstore and pick up a copy.  If you missed the first one, I'd start there (although it can stand alone).  Let's have some good clean reading fun!

Happy reading.

Century Book One The Ring of Fire by P D Baccalario

This is the first novel in a series of four (I think - it covers four cities in the series) and starts with the premise that every 100 years humankind is tested. The problem is that the four young people who have been chosen to fight the battle don't even know it's happening.

They meet by chance when they all end up in Rome at the same hotel. They are from different parts of the world, but they were all born on February 29th.

When they take a walk to alleviate the boredom of the hotel, they find a man who is running from someone - and entrusts his briefcase to them. Unfortunately, "they" are looking for the briefcase and soon trace it to the children.

Then begins the game of cat and mouse while the young adults try to figure out what they have and what it means, the other side is trying to kill them to retrieve it.

Full of drama, some magic, and some luck, this is a busy tale that keeps you reading and will leave you wanting the next book when it comes out.

If you would like to have my review copy, leave a comment here on the blog and email me at info NOSPAM @ bookfaerie.com (take the spaces and NOSPAM out) and tell me your name and address and why you'd like to have it.