Reviewed by Olivia

Rating: High Five!

Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of The Blackthorn Key, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Peter and the Starcatchers.

Synopsis (partly from Amazon):
After the death of his dad, Martin and his mum move into an enormous stately home where they encounter a mysterious being called the Keeper of Portals, who claims to control every portal on the planet, except for the door at the end of Martin's bedroom, which has been sealed for 400 years. One morning, Martin wakes to discover the Keeper of Portals is missing and the door at the end of his bedroom has been opened. Martin steps through the door to find himself in the 17th century where he meets Isabel, the house's maid. Martin and Isabel quickly learn that everything on earth, from time and causality, to pleasantries and buttons, is controlled by its own keeper, but they soon become entangled in a battle against the Keeper of Questions. Their adventures takes them on a journey through time, ending up in London. But when they arrive there they find the town deserted - the Keeper of Questions has control of everyone in London and it won't be long until Martin and Isabel are next.

Reviewed by Olivia

Rating: High Four

Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of TombQuest, anything Stuart Gibbs, Eragon, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Rump.

Synopsis (from Amazon):
“Tell no one what I’ve given you.”

Until he got that cryptic warning, Christopher Rowe was happy, learning how to solve complex codes and puzzles and creating powerful medicines, potions, and weapons as an apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn—with maybe an explosion or two along the way.

But when a mysterious cult begins to prey on London’s apothecaries, the trail of murders grows closer and closer to Blackthorn’s shop. With time running out, Christopher must use every skill he’s learned to discover the key to a terrible secret with the power to tear the world apart.

Rating: High Five!

Synopsis (from Amazon) : 
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Hypnotism!Molly Moon is no ordinary orphan. When she finds a mysterious old book on hypnotism, she discovers she can make people do whatever she wants. But a sinister stranger is watching her every move and he'll do anything to steal her hypnotic secret...

Why We'd Recommend It: We first stumbled upon this book on audiobook, some four years ago. We were instantly captivated, and proceeded to read all the other books in the series within weeks. Molly Moon's world is one that all readers will instantly love, with adventure, action, danger, fame, mystery... who could ask for anything more? It's the perfect book to get you out of a reading "slump," and lucky for reluctant readers, this fast-paced book is only the first of a long series. It's also incredibly imaginative. Overall, one of our favorite semi-fantasy books, still to this day!

Reviewed by Oscar

Rating: High Five!

Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of any other Rick Riordan book, Eragon, and TombQuest.

Synopsis (from Amazon):
How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favor. But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

(to see the full review, click the read more button in the bottom right hand corner of this post)

Reviewed by Olivia

Rating: High Four
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Percy Jackson, Wings of Fire, and the Land of Stories.
Synopsis (from Amazon):

The ancient rivalry between the Olympians and the Titans has been rekindled. However, this time the Titans have a secret weapon—a weapon that rivals the Flame of Olympus. The balance of power is tipped in Saturn’s favor now that he has found his own Flame of Titus. Olympus is almost in his grasp! And just when the Olympians need Emily most, she finds her own grip on the flame weakening.

If Emily is going to save Olympus, she will have to save herself first. To do so, she and Pegasus must head to the Diamond Head volcano in Hawaii to track down the one thing that can rescue Olympus…but can they get there before the Titans or the CRU beat them to it?

Reviewed by Olivia


Rating: High Three
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of the Thief Lord, Inkheart, Magyk, and other books with similar contexts. 
Synopsis:
In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery's pocket and touched the wizard's locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who—or what—is stealing the city of Wellmet's magic.

Reviewed by Olivia


Rating: High Two and 1/2
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Harry Potter, the Familiars, and Percy Jackson. 
Fav Quote: 
Synopsis (from Amazon):
In the sixth book of the Magykal series, Alther Mella has been Banished, a Darke Domaine engulfs the Castle, and a Darke dragon is on the loose. Septimus Heap must use all of his skills to save the Castle and the Wizard Tower from destruction: He must enter the Darke. But he cannot do this alone. With the help of Jenna, Alther Mella, Marcellus Pye, and Septimus's estranged brother, Simon Heap, Septimus and Marcia Overstrand battle the spreading Darkenesse. Will Septimus succeed in protecting his Magykal world?

Reviewed by Olivia


Rating: High Five!
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of very complex fractured fairy tales... but be warned, this is darker than it seems. 
Fav Quote: (coming soon)
Summary (from Amazon):
Sophie and Agatha are back in Gavaldon, living out their Happily Ever After, but life isn't quite the fairy tale they expected. When Agatha wishes she'd chosen a different Happy Ending, she accidentally reopens the gates to the School for Good and Evil, and the girls find that the world they knew has changed.

Witches and princesses reside at the School for Girls, where they've been inspired to live a life without princes, while Tedros and the boys are camping in Evil's old towers. A war is brewing between the schools, but can Agatha and Sophie restore the peace? Can Sophie stay good with Tedros on the hunt? And whose heart does Agatha's belong to—her best friend or her prince?