Review: Akarnae

Akarnae by Lynette Noni (Book 1 of The Medoran Chronicles)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Akarnae by Lynette Noni is a young adult, coming-of-age, fantasy. Although there aren't any wizards or witches, the story reminds me in many ways of the Harry Potter books, with a touch of Magic Kingdom For Sale...Sold! by Terry Brooks tossed in for good measure.

16 year old Alexandra Jennings, Alex to her friends, steps through a door and finds herself stranded in Medora, and quickly enrolled in Akarnae Academy, a school for gifted students. With no way to return home, she settles in with her friends' help, and becomes more comfortable in most of her ... unusual ... classes. She also uncovers some of the school's mysteries, and, perhaps most surprising, she learns she may have a larger role than just being a student.. a role that may be crucial in preserving the Medoran people against an ancient threat that has reappeared. 

Akarnae is terrific tale of found family, full of adventure, secrets, surprises, hidden places and unexpected danger. The story is an intriguing, fun, fast-paced read, and I was reluctant to put it down at night. I'm really looking forward to reading Noni's second book in the series, Raelia. 

Recommended especially for tweens and teens, and anyone who enjoys a fun fantasy full of adventure and intrigue!

Thanks to Astra Publishing House for providing an eARC to review via #NetGalley 

The US edition of Akarnae releases on Sept 22, 2026.

#MedoranTeamUS #MedoranABFYR

Review: Night Soldiers

Night Soldiers by Paul Michael Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

   Under the bed is where the 

darkness lives.

   Now, adults think darkness is 

simply the absence of light. That is a 

charming theory.

   Unfortunately, it is completely 

wrong.

   Darkness is a place.

I recently read Night Soldiers by Paul Michael Kane. It's a short story, in chapbook form, about the battle that occurs every night as children drift off to sleep and the night soldiers awaken to keep the monsters under the bed at bay. I LOVED IT, and can't wait to share this story with my grandchildren. 

Stan is a stuffed sloth who wakes each night as his boy, Parker, falls asleep. His goal: protect Parker from the monsters that emerge from the darkness under the bed. I won't spoil anything here, but will just say that poor Stan has his work cut out for him as wave after wave of different types of monsters try to get past his defenses and reach the sleeping Parker.

The design of this book is fantastic! It has a very cool cover, pairing a "Starry Night" blanket with a stuffed sloth under the bed, ready for battle against the approach of shadowy tendrils. And the two-column layout practically pulled my eyes down the page! 

I also loved the imagery - describing fear as a living thing that "grows best when it has time" and the sound one monster makes as something that "creeps into dreams." 

I also enjoyed the few nods to Stephen King's IT story.

Night Soldiers can be purchased directly from Paul Michael Kane's online store here: Night Soldiers purchase link

Review: Brona (Book 2 of The First Druids of Shannara series)

Brona by Terry Brooks & Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Brona, the second book in The First Druids of Shannara series, provides a fantastic⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ addition to the origins of the Druid Council and their fortress Paranor, as well as the origins of the Warlock Lord.  I recommend reading the first book in this series, Galaphile, before beginning Brona because of the multiple references to events in the earlier story. (To learn more about the earlier book read my spoiler-free review of Galaphile).

This second book in the series resumes the tale about 17 years after the events of Galaphile. After their last battle with the Spectre Telle, Galaphile and his life-partner Nirianne have continued to oversee the construction of Paranor while raising their 2 sons, 16 year old Abronja, nicknamed Brona, and his 10 year old brother Ional. Although the Spectre Telle has not been seen in many years, they remain vigilant and often travel throughout the Four Lands to improve relations and establish peace between the races of Humans, Elves, Gnomes and Trolls. When at home in Paranor, Galaphile continues to train Brona in the use of magic, which he did not start until Brona turned 14, in spite of his older son's eagerness to begin earlier.

In many ways, Brona is a "coming of age" tale. It is chock-full of new experiences, both tragic and heroic, as well as quests and battles. It's also a tale of the struggle between youth and experience, knowing when to act and when to wait, and the need to be seen as being skillful and able to handle new responsibilities without constant supervision. 

Most of all, this is a tale of a young man who desires to step out from beneath the perceived shadow of his parents' accomplishments, and of the burdens he carries being unable to forgive himself for a tragedy caused by a mistake in judgement. His drive to increase his magical skills, his desire to prove himself, and the overconfidence of youth make him particularly vulnerable to the temptations and traps set by evil forces at work within the Four Lands.  

Longtime readers will recognize many elements of the story, while enjoying new discoveries about the Druids, Paranor and the Four Lands. Newcomers and longtime readers alike will enjoy the adventures that occur, celebrate the victories and mourn the losses.

In March of 2025, Shannara author Terry Brooks announced that he was stepping back from day to day writing and was passing the Shannara torch to sci-fi/fantasy author Delilah S. Dawson. This semi-retirement meant that Brooks, 81 years old at the time, could continue to be involved and provide guidance to his chosen successor, without having the burden of writing the full book by himself. Brona is the result of that first collaboration, and is a more-than-worthy addition to the Shannara canon. It's a fantastic story and I look forward to reading what comes next. 

Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher, Del Rey for offering me an eARC to review. 

Review: King Sorrow

King Sorrow by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

King Sorrow by Joe Hill is a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ horror/fantasy tale about friendship, love, loyalty, desperation, redemption...and a dragon that likes to play with its food.

The problem with inviting the unnatural into your life is it might decide to stay.
Joe Hill: King Sorrow

King Sorrow follows the lives and choices of 6 friends: Arthur, Colin, Donovan (Van), Donna, Allison (Allie) and Gwen, as they deal with the consequences of helping one of them find a way to escape from a blackmailer who threatens to harm a family member if they don't provide them with valuable items from a local college. Their method of escape, and revenge, comes with an unexpected price...one that each deals with differently as it pits their senses of morality with their desire for survival.

Hill delivers a fantastic, superbly paced tale, full of surprises, twists and betrayals... and a dragon... and the ultimate internet troll...

No one was ever in charge of a dragon. Some snakes were too big to catch by the tail.
Joe Hill: King Sorrow

100% Recommended!

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Review: Ants Waking

Ants Waking by R.J. Huneke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

ANTS WAKING by R.J. Huneke is a unique, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ dark fantasy tale of identity, loss and discovery. The Massachusetts setting may be familiar to many but Huneke has imbued it with an almost Victorian feel. I think Dickens would have felt right at home walking these streets along with Erica, the main character, as they seek to undo the mistake that caused the death of their best friend before midnight while fighting the Dark and a vengeful god.

While it features a trans character It is not, to my mind, a "trans" story. Rather it is the story of anyone who's had to find their identity, deal with not being accepted for who they are, wrestle with their past, overcome both internal and external obstacles, and find the strength to move forward.

Erica is fascinating - a protagonist with challenges and a surprising strength of character. Someone who is able to do what's needed while recognizing and owning the cost.

The story presents an interesting mythology in the appearance of Lobodomar Devorador, recounted against the backdrop of a city unknowingly falling to the coming of the Dark, with seemingly few beings aware of and able to defend against it. I hope that there will be more stories set in this world and that we learn more about the evil of the old gods that Erica battles.

===
Thanks to author R.J. Huneke for providing me with an ARC of ANTS WAKING to review.


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Review: The Neverending Story

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A story can be new and yet tell about olden times. The past comes into existence with the story.
-- Michael Ende, The Neverending Story


Published in 1979, THE NEVERENDING STORY by Michael Ende is a wonderful fantasy tale that was brought to life with a film adaptation in 1984. The film, however, covered only part of the tale of Bastian Balthazar Bux, a bullied schoolboy who finds escape from his tormentors one day as he reads about the magical land of Fantastica in a book called The Neverending Story. He is swept up in the adventures of a boy named Atreyu and the Luckdragon Falkor as they race to learn how to save The Childlike Empress and all of Fantastica from the Nothing that is destroying the land.

The film tells only a little of what happens to Bastian, Atreyu, Falkor and Fantastica AFTER the cure for The Nothing is discovered. As the adventures continue in the second half of the story we find lessons about losing what really matters in the pursuit of acceptance and popularity, and the value of friends who love and accept you for what you are.

The story is filled with many amazing, dare I say fantastic, adventures, creatures, places and characters. Young readers in particular are sure to be entranced by both halves of The Neverending Story, and while there are lessons to be gained from the story, it is not a "preachy" tale by any stretch.

As an older reader, I was charmed by the story and can highly recommend it.

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Review: Galaphile

Galaphile by Terry Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fans of Terry Brooks' Shannara stories are in for a treat when Galaphile: The First Druids of Shannara gets released in 2025. This long awaited tale of the origins of the Druids, and of their fortress Paranor, provides readers with the details of the early life of Galaphile Joss and the events that led him to commit his life to establishing peace in the Four Lands and to create a place where the races could work together to preserve knowledge.

Longtime readers have often wondered how the Druid order came about, and how magic became such a potent force in the Four Lands. Galaphile provides a fantastic start to filling in the gaps between the end of the Great Wars and the time of the Druid Bremen and the first King of Shannara.

As usual for a Terry Brooks' tale, this book is well written and well paced. There is more than enough danger, excitement, quests and battles, not to mention references to familiar beings, creatures and places to satisfy the Shannara faithful,. The story is complete enough to draw new readers into the Shannara universe, although these readers would be better served by starting with the original Sword of Shannara and reading the entire backlog in publication order.

#Galaphile #NetGalley

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Review: The Forgiven

The Forgiven by Paul Michael Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Forgiven by Paul Michael Kane is a fantastic tale, told from an interesting and unusual point of view. The characters may seem familiar at first, but are surprising in unexpected ways. The accompanying illustrations are not only beautiful but they fit the story well.

If you haven't read this yet put it onto your TBR pile... near the top!

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Review: Sister of Starlit Seas

Sister of Starlit Seas by Terry Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I like Terry Brooks and his writing. I enjoyed the previous 2 books in this series very much, but I had trouble connecting with this book and its main character Char. I would say it IS a good story overall that serves as a nice continuation of the series, and could stand alone reasonably well. It is definitely worth a read, especially if you've enjoyed Child of Light and Daughter of Darkness, and you may find that connection that I did not.

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Review: Dragon's Code

Dragon's Code by Gigi McCaffrey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading Dragon's Code was like a trip down someone else's memory lane. In many ways this was like hearing about the adventures of friends you'd lost touch with over the years. While the broad strokes of Piemur's story were familiar from the original series, Gigi McCaffrey did a wonderful job filling in details that hadn't been provided by her mother Anne.

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