Review: The Lost Hero

Title: The Heroes of Olympus #1: The Lost Hero

Author: Rick Riordan

Date of Publication: January 1, 2010

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.

Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.

My Review:

If there is one person who can write about Greek Mythology it's Rick Riordan. It's been years since I read the Percy Jackson series but I remember absolutely loving that series and I had a feeling that this one would be just as good. Full of Greek and Roman lore, as well as an action filled plot, this book was a great start to what promises to be a fantastic series!

The best part about The Lost Hero was, hands down, seeing characters from the Percy Jackson novels from a new angle. I loved getting reunited with Annabeth and I'm eager to get my hands on the next book in the series so I can finally reunite with Percy! After the horrible cliffhanger at the end of this one I have a feeling the next book is going to focus fully on finding Percy, and I'm super excited to finally see him again. Not only that but it seems like there's a whole different facet of the world Riordan has created focusing on the Roman versions of the same gods, though I know a lot about Greek mythology I'm shaky on the Roman versions, so I'm super excited to learn more about the differences between them.

I also really enjoyed focusing on a new set of gods and goddesses and seeing Rirodan's take on each of them. Though we only got to see Hephaestus and Hera in this novel I have a feeling Aphrodite and Zeus aren't far behind. I really loved Hephaestus and his awkward but likable personality and I really hope we get to see more of him in the future. I also really enjoyed reading about all the minor enemies along the way, including the Cyclops, and my personal favorite Medea. Instead of being outright evil she was sinister in a more underhand way, making her the most fascinating person on their journey. I wasn't as familiar with her as I am with other figures in Greek Mythology so it was fun learning more about her and watching the interactions between her and our three heroes.

Though I don't love Jason, Piper, and Leo as much as I did the character in the last series (yet anyway!) I still enjoyed reading about them and their adventures. Piper was by far my favorite and the cabin she ended up in really threw me for a loop since it was such a clash with her personality. I loved her tomboyish attitude and her bravery, plus her standing up to Drew was pretty awesome, she definitely gets extra points for that. I also liked Leo, he was a little childish and immature, but he brought a certain amount of comic relief to the story and he ended up saving the day on more than on occasion. My least favorite character was Jason, maybe it was because he didn't remember any of his past but I just felt like his personality was weak compared to Piper and Leo, I hope that as his memories return he'll become a stronger and more relatable hero in upcoming novels.

The Lost Hero is a strong start to the series and I'm excited to see where Riordan takes it. I'm especially excited to see more of Percy and Annabeth and watch the relationships between Jason, Piper, and Leo develop. All in all a great novel and I highly recommend all of Riordan's works to fans of Greek and Roman mythology.

4/5

The Eye Dancers: Interview with the Author

Our Author Spotlight book of the month is The Eye-Dancers by Michael S. Fedison! Throughout the month of January Lovely Books Blog will be hosting exclusive interviews, character profiles, and other exciting features! Check back on alternating Friday’s and Saturday’s to be the first to see exciting new posts!

For our final post this month we have an exclusive interview with the author of The Eye-Dancers, Michael S. Fedison! Check out the interview below and don't forget to pick up his novel, The Eye-Dancers, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, or Kobo!

Interview:

What inspired the idea behind The Eye-Dancers?

Way back around 1990, while still in high school, I had a dream—the kind of dream that really leaves a mark and stays with you.  In this dream, I felt drawn to look out the front window.  When I did, I saw a little girl, perhaps seven years old, standing in the road, beneath the streetlight.  Except . . . she wasn’t an ordinary-looking girl.  The light from the streetlamp filtered through her, as if she were only partly there—more spirit and ghost than girl.  And she had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen.

She gestured for me to come outside.  She seemed agitated.  But she scared me, startled me, and a moment later I woke up.  Right away I knew I had something—but what?  What had provoked such a dream?  Who was this strange little wraith-like girl?  And, the writer that I am, I wondered:  How could I place her in a story?

For days afterward, I thought of potential story lines involving the blue-eyed “ghost girl.”  Novels, novellas. short stories, you name it.  But nothing worked,  Reluctantly, I gave it up, jotted down a note about the dream, and mentally stored the whole thing away in an “idea box.”  Maybe some time, some day, I would come up with a plot to revolve around the “ghost girl.”

But nearly two decades went by, and nothing.  Then, out of the blue, in 2008, I had the same dream!  There she was—the “ghost girl”—standing in the street again, beckoning, calling. . . .  This time, upon waking up, the genesis of The Eye-Dancers was in place.  It’s always an amazing feeling when an idea strikes like that, out of the ether, and demands you to write about it.  This was like that.  I didn’t have the whole story yet, but I had enough, and I began chapter one shortly thereafter.  Anyone who has read chapter one of The Eye-Dancers will no doubt recognize the “ghost girl” from the dream I experienced.

Put all that together with a desire to write a story incorporating some of the memories and experiences I had growing up along with a plot that explores the very concept of what we term “reality,” and The Eye-Dancers was born.

What made you interested in writing science fiction instead of other genres?

I’ve always enjoyed science fiction.  From the time I was a kid, I’ve liked stories that introduce you to new and different worlds, places, time periods.  I also have been a lifelong lover of old comic books—and they certainly would fall under the genre of sci-fi/fantasy as well.

Many of my short stories are mainstream, not sci-fi.  For The Eye-Dancers, I wanted to have some fun and explore some of the questions and themes that only science fiction can navigate.

Which character was most fun to write about?

They were all enjoyable.  But of the four main characters, I would say Marc Kuslanski was the most fun.  I have always had a soft spot for science geeks and know-it-alls.  They can be annoying to talk to in real life sometimes, but they are an awful lot of fun to write about.

Are the characters based off people you know or are they entirely made up?

A little of both.  No question, the four main characters, and even a couple of the supporting characters, are inspired by some of the friends I grew up with.  There are even a few “inside jokes” thrown in for good measure.  (Hopefully I chose those “inside jokes” that will appeal to a broad audience and not just me and my childhood friends!)  But as so often happens when you create fiction, the characters rapidly took on a life of their own.  They fleshed out, became their own unique personalities, and as I wrote the book, I often no longer even thought of my childhood friends who initially inspired them.

What was the most difficult part of the writing process?

I think, just the grind of writing a novel when you can’t devote yourself to it full-time.  I do have a “day job,” and so I always have to be able to fit my creative writing in to an already busy schedule.  And sometimes, when I hit a tough chapter or slogged through a sequence that just wasn’t clicking, and continued needing work, it was hard to stay motivated.  Writing a novel is a humbling experience and takes a lot of want-to on the part of the author.  But ultimately, I cared deeply about the book’s characters, and I had a story I very much wanted to tell.  So I kept on going, and got through the rough patches.

How long have you been interested in writing?

For as long as I can remember!  I was writing short stories way back in the third grade.

What were some of your favorite novels growing up?

Probably my all-time favorite novel is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  I also enjoyed some of the great Victorian novels, from David Copperfield to Wuthering Heights and all the way down to Anne of Green Gables.  A Separate Peace is a favorite, along with some of Stephen King’s earlier novels (The Shining, It, The Dead Zone).  I read My Antonia by Willa Cather in college, and thought it was one of the most beautifully written novels I’d ever come across.

Do you have plans for any future novels?

I am in the planning stage for a sequel to The Eye-Dancers.  I hope to have all the necessary details in place within the next couple of weeks so I can begin the writing process.  I’m looking forward to delving into that world again.

What books would you recommend for readers who enjoyed The Eye-Dancers?

I would recommend any young adult sci-fi novels or stories that tackle questions of parallel worlds, alternate realities, etc.  Perhaps The Maze Runner by James Dashner or The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.   Or any novels, really, that deal with the confusion, feelings, and struggles of adolescence and the ability of the main characters to confront and hopefully overcome them.

The Eye-Dancers: Character Profiles

Our continuing Author Spotlight book of the month is The Eye-Dancers by Michael S. Fedison! Throughout the month of January Lovely Books Blog will be hosting exclusive interviews, character profiles, and other exciting features! Check back on alternating Friday’s and Saturday’s to be the first to see exciting new posts!

This week the the characters have been kind enough to tell us more about themselves! Check out their hilarious profiles below and don't  forget to pick up a copy of The Eye-Dancers from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, or Kobo!

Character Profiles:

Name: Mitchell Brant

Age: 12

Birthday: January 24

Physical Description:  I’m tall, buff with washboard abs, have brown wavy hair, and a dimple on my chin that everyone thinks is irresistible.  Okay—so I exaggerate.  I have that tendency.  I guess, if I’m being honest (something that doesn’t come naturally to me)—I’m on the tall side for my age, thin, and, well, I do have brown hair, that much is true.  I’m not bad-looking, even though I never really considered myself anything great. But then Heather, a really pretty girl I met, tells me I’m cute.  And she . . . but wait.  If you want to hear more, you’ll just have to read the book!

Hobbies:  I love collecting old comic books.  My favorite title is The Fantastic Four.  I like to tell people my collection’s worth thousands of dollars, but that isn’t really true.  I like to daydream, pretend, and okay, I do lie a lot.  One of my favorites is telling classmates I once climbed the summit of Mt. Rainier.  It’s hard for me to tell the plain old boring truth.  I like sports, and am not too bad at most of them.  I once bragged that I ran the mile in four-and-a-half minutes.  It was more like eight or nine, but who’s timing me?

~~

Name: Joe Marma

Age: 12

Birthday: July 27

Physical Description:  What can I say?  I’m short, bud.  You got a problem with that?  I’m the shortest kid in my class, and I keep hoping I’ll grow a few inches.  I guess I still have time to catch up.  I better.  I don’t like to think I’m full-grown here!  I have short black hair and am stocky and strong.  My dad says I’m built like a fireplug.  But I hate being so freakin’ short.  My brother, who’s in high school, is six feet tall.  The lucky creep.

Hobbies:  Can I put fighting?  Busting heads?  Throwing uppercuts?  Nothing gives me the high of a good scrum.  I might be short, but you don’t wanna mess with me, bud.  Most people don’t anymore.  I got a reputation now.  Hmm, what else?  I like comic books, too, but not like Mitchell does.  He’s way into them.  Sports are good, movies—especially action flicks short on plot and big on chase scenes.  And girls.  Too bad most of ‘em are way taller than me.

~~

Name:  Ryan Swinton

Age: 12

Birthday:  September 5

Physical Description:  You know, I like to tell a lot of dumb-blonde jokes.  They’re kinda my calling card.  But that’s mostly ‘cause I’m blond myself.  I learned a long time ago that people think you’re funnier if they think you’re pokin’ fun at yourself.  I’m real tall, too, one of the tallest guys in my class.  Funny thing is, when I’m with Joe, who’s like, a foot shorter than me, I end up feeling shorter than he does.

Hobbies:  I’m pretty obsessed with being funny.  It all started by accident one time in school.  People just flooded around and I started tellin’ jokes.  I had a lot of ‘em, and everyone kept laughing.  It was great, but it made them want more.  And more.  And more.  And I never want to let ‘em down.  I’m always on the lookout for new punch lines. I check online constantly.  And I watch people, just looking for funny things.  I have to make sure I always got fresh, new material I can use.  Everyone expects me to always have a joke at the ready.  It’s fun in a way, and real stressful in another way.  It’s not easy always trying to be funny.

~~

Name:  Marc Kuslanski

Age:  12

Birthday:  March 19

Physical Description:  I’m pretty thin, I guess, just ordinary-looking.  It’s my glasses that kind of set me apart.  Tortoise-shell frames that are always sliding down my nose.  I continually have to push them back up.  That happens so often, I hardly even notice doing it.  If you picture a junior-high geek in your mind, well, unfortunately, that probably describes spot-on what I look like.

Hobbies:  Well, I don’t really think of my interests as hobbies—they’re more like vocations, stepping-stones, pursuits.  I’ve loved science since I was a little kid.  Astronomy, physics, quantum mechanics, you name it.  I believe that all mysteries can, and ultimately will, one day be solved.  Science, the pursuit of knowledge is the key to our further understanding of our universe.  I don’t believe in miracles or supernatural explanations.  There is a sound, logical underpinning to everything that exists.  Once I get on a roll talking about my theories and hypotheses, I can drive people a little crazy.  I get told to shut up often.

The Eye-Dancers: Author Bio

Our continuing Author Spotlight book of the month is The Eye-Dancers by Michael S. Fedison! Throughout the month of January Lovely Books Blog will be hosting exclusive interviews, character profiles, and other exciting features! Check back on alternating Friday’s and Saturday’s to be the first to see exciting new posts!

Today we have the opportunity to learn more about the author behind the novel! Check below to find out more about Michael S. Fedison and where to purchase his novel, The Eye-Dancers.

Author Bio:

Michael S. Fedison was born in Rochester, New York, and now lives with his wife, Sarah, and regal cat, Luke, in the green hills of central Vermont (though this time of year the hills are rather white).  Michael has been writing creatively for as long as he can remember, and has had short fiction published in several literary magazines, including Iconoclast and The Written Word.  In addition to writing fiction, he works as a full-time technical writer and also is a freelance proofreader and copy editor.

Michael enjoys any story that takes you by the hand, lifts you up, and transports you to another place, a new and creative way of looking at the world around us.  Favorite authors include Ray Bradbury, Truman Capote, and Stephen King.

Feel free to visit his website: www.eyedancers.wordpress.com or like the Eye-Dancers Facebook page here!

If you would like to buy The Eye-Dancers the novel is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo!

The Eye-Dancers: Plot Summary

I am thrilled to introduce our Author Spotlight book of the month, The Eye-Dancers by Michael S. Fedison! Throughout the month of January Lovely Books Blog will be hosting exclusive interviews, character profiles, and other exciting features! Check back on alternating Friday's and Saturday's to be the first to see exciting new posts!

To introduce the book we have a great plot summary that gives a deeper look into the plot of The Eye-Dancers and offers insight on the characters. To get a real feel of the novel check out the summary below!

Plot Summary:

Mitchell Brant is not your typical seventh grader.  He is a compulsive liar, who adamantly defends his lies, no matter how outlandish they are.  When he is tormented by a recurring nightmare of what he has come to call “the ghost girl,” he is certain that no one will believe him. Three nights in a row, he has dreamed of this “ghost girl” and her blue eyes that expand and swirl when he gazes into them.  He is sure she is not of this earth, and that she is trying to draw him in to her world—wherever that may be—through the hypnotic power of her eyes.

Desperate to tell someone about his dreams, he decides to confide in Joe Marma, his best friend. To Mitchell’s surprise, Joe believes him; because he, too, has been having the same dreams—three nights in a row.  They soon discover that their friend, Ryan Swinton, is also haunted by the “ghost girl.”  What does it all mean?  Who, or what, is this girl?  And will she indeed transport them to her world the next time they fall asleep and dream?

Banding together, and convincing their classmate Marc Kuslanski to stand watch as they sleep, the three boys, along with Marc, are unwillingly thrust into an empty blue void.  When they awake, they find themselves in a world that seems much like their own, and yet very different at the same time.  The layout of the streets, the contours of the land, the feel of the place is familiar, almost like a replica of their town on earth.  Yet the differences are puzzling.  Old-fashioned cars that resemble 1950's designs; currency they've never seen before; an absence of PCs and cell phones.  Even the spelling of words is slightly off.  They wonder if this is all an extension of their dreams—or if it is actually real.

To solve the mystery, they need to work together, as a team.  Joe, a natural leader and take-charge person, is short, with a chip on his shoulder, eager to think with his fists instead of his head.  Ryan is the class clown, always wanting to elicit a laugh, but unable to make a decision on his own, preferring to go along with the group.  Marc is a science whiz, and looks at the world through a rigid lens of rationality and logic.  He continually tries to view their situation through scientific reason.  This naturally collides with Mitchell’s storytelling and less logical, more intuitive nature.

Marc suggests they are not dreaming at all, but rather marooned in a parallel world, a variant of their hometown in a different universe, and the mystery deepens when they spot a poster of a kidnapped girl nailed to a telephone poll.  They realize with astonishment that the picture is of their “ghost girl,” who is, evidently, not a ghost at all, but a seven-year-old girl named Monica Tisdale who has been missing for several days.  It all adds up, though the conclusions strain belief.  This kidnapped girl has somehow managed to pull them into her world, in a parallel universe, because she needs their help.

Will Mitchell, Joe, Ryan, and Marc be able to find her in time?  Because, as the truth sinks in, they realize that the “ghost girl” is their only hope to get back home.  And they are her only hope for rescue.

To succeed, the boys need to confront life-threatening dangers, unexpected pitfalls . . . and themselves.  They bicker, argue, disagree on what the correct path should be.  They come face-to-face with their own insecurities, and in order to survive, they must learn to overcome them.

Throughout it all, they ultimately learn that everything is connected.  Events and people that seem so far away, a universe away, are, in actuality, much closer to us than we ever dared to think.

If you would like to buy The Eye-Dancers the novel is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo!

The Eye-Dancers Review

Title: The Eye-Dancers

Author: Michael S. Fedison

Date of Publication: November 16, 2012

Formats Available: E-Book

Synopsis: A ghost girl with bright blue eyes haunts Mitchell Brant in his dreams, beckoning him to help her. One night, when he wakes up with a scraped knee after another dream about the girl he decides its time to call his friends. To his surprise his friends Joe and Ryan have been having the exact same dream. In search of answers the three boys call up the smartest guy at school, Marc Kuslanski. Despite numerous theories provided by Kuslanski they ultimately decide that Kulanski will observe them while they sleep, checking if this ghost girl is real or just a figment of the boy's overactive imaginations. That night the four boys find themselves pulled into an alternate universe, where things are completely different than at home, yet eerily similar. Once there they discover that the ghost girls name is Monica Tisdale, and she has been kidnapped. To get home the boys must rescue her or they will be stuck in this alternate reality forever.

My Review:

Despite not really being one for middlegrade novels I ended up really enjoying The Eye-Dancers. Fedison is a great author, capturing the mentality and language of four seventh grade boys perfectly. With awesome writing, an interesting plot, and unique characters this novel held my interest and made for a great read!

Each of the four boys had a distinct personality paired with a distinct flaw, which they learned to control through their time in the alternate reality. Mitchell struggled with his parents growing arguments, his speech impediment, and his need to tell lies to impress others. Joe was selfish and constantly resorted to violence whenever he felt angry or frustrated. Ryan could never make decisions and allowed himself to be led wherever the others went. Marc had a constant need to be right, never allowing anyone to offer other ideas or solutions.

During their time in Colbyville, the parallel version of their home Bedford, the four boys learn a lot about themselves and learn to control their flaws while the work together to search for Monica. With so many different personalities it was easy to relate to at least one of the characters and understand the trials they were going through. Each of them had their little quirks, such as Joe's overwhelming use of the word "bud" or Mitchell's tendency to lie to make himself sound more impressive.

While the kidnapping aspect of the plot had a lot of potential the conclusion fell a little flat. Most of the clues leading to Monica fell straight into the boy's laps and yet the struggled to see what was right in front of them. I really enjoyed the idea of the boys discovering how to improve their flaws and work together but I felt like the kidnapping was a weaker aspect of the novel.

The Eye-Dancers is a great first novel; fantastic writing paired with an interesting story this book definitely caught me off guard. Perfect for middle schoolers who enjoy a good science fiction story with a little mystery thrown in this novel will definitely encourage reluctant readers and entertain those who love to read!

4/5

*Note: I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review and received no monetary compensation for this review.*