In the Forests of the Night

By Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

In the Forests of the Night was written by thirteen-year-old Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It is set in and around Concord, Massachusetts and New York City. The main character, Risika, is a vampire who was "changed" more than three hundred years before the story's time setting. In the story, she struggles with who, and what, she is. Her greatest enemy is her "blood brother" Aubrey, who was changed by Ather, the same vampire who changed Risika.

In 1684, seconds before Ather changed Rachel (Risika's human name), Aubrey was ordered to kill her twin brother Alexander. She never heard him fall, but didn't have long to wonder why. After she has "died," Risika remembers her brother's murder, and vows revenge. Her hatred grows much deeper when Aubrey, in a warning to Risika, kills the one thing she has allowed herself to love since she was changed.

Can Risika defeat Aubrey? Will she get her revenge or be struck down? Can she finally fully cope with the fact that her human life is gone? These are all questions that are answered in the final chapters of this page-turner. It is amazingly well-written. Atwater-Rhodes is way ahead of her time with her writing ability.

--Review by Kelly Melton

The Seer and the Sword

By Victoria Hanley

My favorite book is The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley. This book has everything in it including magic, sword fights, medieval-style tournaments, betrayal and even romance.

When the story starts out, Princess Torina is given two gifts by her father after he returns from war—a crystal and a slave (who is captured Prince Landon of Bellandra). She sets Landon free and he is trained to be a soldier. While growing older, they become good friends and Torina learns that she is a seer. She even saves Landon from falling off of a cliff, thanks to a vision she got from the crystal. Later on, she becomes engaged to Vesputo, her dad's commanding officer. But on the day of their wedding, Vesputo kills her father and blames it on Landon. Torina cuts all of her hair off and runs away.

For a while she lives on a farm with a family under a secret identity. Meanwhile, Vesputo marries an imposter and kills her, causing everyone, including Landon, to think that the real princess is dead. Eventually she gains friendship with the High King and is reunited with Landon. Landon helps her gather the courage to return to her kingdom. Through a series of bloody events, Torina overthrows the evil Veputo and regains her throne. Soon after, Landon and Torina finally realize that they were meant to be together.

-- Reviewed by Erin Cantu