Sigmund BrouwerCritiques

Mystery

Mystery

Instructional

Adventure

Adventure

Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction

Adversity

Mystery

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Flight of Shadows is the fast-paced sequel to Broken Angel: A Novel. So fast-paced, in fact, that the whole book only covers a few days. In Flight of Shadows, we learn more about the history that has brought society to this point. The Water Wars, the return to a near-feudal caste system, and why thousands of people are living in soovie parks - large communities of disabled SUVs that are now good for nothing except keeping the rain off.

Caitlyn has escaped to the Outside and safety and made contact with Billy and Theo, but when threatened, they all quickly flee to another city and live in poverty while trying to stay "under the radar". They soon learn that that's not possible.

When Caitlyn is forced to defend herself from a brutal attacker, she sets in motion a chain of events that leaves all of them running for their lives again. She is befriended by Razor, a young man who is a master of disguise and can be found hacking a computer system one moment and braving the horrifying subterrainian community the next.

One of the things that makes a good thriller for me is never being sure who is one which side. Who can the good guys trust? Flight of Shadows is definitely a good thriller. And it's not just Caitlyn who has to watch her back. Most of the main characters in the book are betrayed at some point. Not a good way to live, but it makes for a great story.

I suppose you could read Flight of Shadows as a stand-alone book. The author does give a lot of background. I would recommend reading Broken Angel first, though.

I received this book free from the publisher as part of the Blogging for Books program.

See more reviews at http://www.livinglearninglovinglife.com

Broken Angel and its sequel Flight of Shadows: A Novel take place in an alternative future...or maybe not-so-alternative. It's obvious that the author wrote this story as a cautionary tale, a warning of the possiblities awaiting our country if we don't change our path. The story is great and stands on its own, though.

Caitlyn and her father, Jordan, have been living in Appalachia, which is now an oppressive country bordered by fences and thrown back into the dark ages by a dictator who refuses his subjects the right to read or to enjoy any privacy. Jordan Brown chose to live there 16 years ago because a life "Outside" was impossible with the authorities looking for him. But, now it is safer for Caitlyn to be Outside and Jordan will sacrifice anything to help her get there.

This is an emotional and suspenseful book. Jordan and Caitlyn are pursued by Appalachia's most feared bounty hunter, as well as a federal agent from Outside. Local police are soon involved and no one can be trusted. Yet, Caitlyn is forced to trust her new travelling companions, while we learn that things are not always what they seem.

I received Flight of Shadows as part of a review program without realizing that it is a sequel. I did realize it before I started it, though, and got Broken Angel from the library. I'm really glad I did. Not only is it a fabulous book, but the two books really should be read together. There is an ending in Broken Angel, but the story is not complete, and if you only read Flight of Shadows, you'll be missing important information. I suppose the second book could stand alone, but I wouldn't recommend it. I really don't think it would be as enjoyable.

For more reviews, go to http://www.livinglearninglovinglife.com

Personal rule: a book that starts with a map is going to be great. Trapped in Terror Bay is no exception to that rule, although it takes some skill and attention to navigate, much like the poor sailors on the lost Franklin expedition to the Arctic. Written almost in the style of a choose-your-own-adventure, this non-fiction book puts the reader in the doomed shoes of Captain Francis Crozier, sailing through imagined accounts of events onboard the ship, tracking the voyage across the Atlantic, around Greenland and eventually into the maze of ice and islands between the North American continent and the North Pole. As weather worsens, disease rampages, and nature triumphs over the technology of 1848, the reader explores this tragedy and its mystery in short, engaging chapters.

Within each chapter are subsections that include modern forensic research into the expedition, sidebars about characters, politics, nautical technology, and knowledge from the native peoples who have lived on the Arctic ice since time immemorial.

It took me a while for me to notice subtle changes in fonts, page color or border, or headings to denote these different sections, but once I did I read this like a textbook, skipping around to follow the parts I was interested in, then doubling back to read the sidebars that explained something in the main storyline. With that in mind, this is a great book to teach some textbook reading skills. Readers will love the inevitable doom, perfectly captured by the author, the fascinating facts and insights into life in the mid-1800’s, and the modern quest to understand the events of the past.

Crockett Grey was ready to spend the one night a year he dreads most drowning his sorrow and pain in a bottle of liquor. The anniversary of his daughter’s death always hit him like a ton of bricks and the only preparation he ever had was alcohol. That was, until Jamie showed up scared and in need of help.

Jamie a troubled foster child from his class was running away from home and they were following her. Grey and his neighbor take Jamie under their wing which set the ball of trouble and bizarre events rolling.

Crockett realized they were after Jamie and now him too. How would he protect Jamie and try to save himself and his reputation all at the same time? Suddenly his world is torn apart and a dark conspiracy begins to unfold, how will he ever get out of this let alone get his life back?

This was an amazing read. At no point in this book did I think I had it figured out. There are so many twists and turns and sub plots that jump out of nowhere, it keeps you from even trying to predict the end. There was so much mystery, conspiracy and mind games that it kept the action going. There were times I had to put the book down just to process the plot twist and change in possible outcomes.

The writer was amazing at concealing the gift and the motive for the individuals involved in Jamie’s life. With evil and the Catholic religion major factors in this book it brought deep scandal and intense darkness to the book.

I highly recommend this book. It is very well written and I was very intrigued that I could not correctly predict any part of the story. The Author surprised me at every turn of events and I LOVED it!

The centuries old question of what happened to the “Franklin Expedition” plagues scientists, historians and explorers as they work together to try and determine what happened in “Terror Bay.’
The author provides maps, charts, primary sources, photographs along with a table of contents, index, subject headings and side notes to provide a wealth of information to the reader. The unique format of setting up the story and then following the evidence and the stories of those who tried to rescue and later salvage the remains of the ships and crew as they try to solve the mystery of what happened. The author also provides forensic tasks for the reader to put them in the story. Readers in grades 4-6 who love forensics and solving mysteries will love this title.

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