Julia Hughes

There is a keen sense of life not being fair in the “The Griffin’s Boy.” There is desperation of circumstance that may be familiar to some readers. The Griffin Riders are children born into their elite circle. They don’t earn a place by skill or work but by the noble bearing of the family into which they’re born. Neb’s ambition seems hopeless if not a bit silly at the start of the work and therein lays the brilliance. Neb aspires in a way that will translate to young readers and succeed or fail, the message of nothing being easy for most of us. His name literally means “no one” and at the start of the novel, Neb is no one.

The setting is rather Harry Potteresque in that it is a world next to a world. Neb’s England is foggy and inhabited by magic and griffins. If you’ve read the first novel in the series, “The Griffin’s Boy” is consistent while not dependent upon the prior work. Children who like fantasy will soak up the familiar landscape with foreign elements inherent in its atmosphere. There’s a wisdom in writing what you know and coloring it in with what you imagine.

The baddies are everywhere and somewhat nebulous. Neb and Balkind direct the story and carry the reader through. The last line is great and provides the reader great promise for what’s to come.

“The Griffin’s Boy” is a great story. Pick it up today and follow this talented author.… (plus d'informations)

This is a creative novel involving one of my favorite elements - time travel.

While I found the beginning of this novel a bit confusing, about half way through it started to make a bit more sense to me and I caught on.

It is the story of Wren, a time traveler who has inadvertently wreaked havoc on the world by saving the Titanic from sinking. He, his cousin Rhyllann, and the spunky Carrie, must find a way to go back in time and make sure the Titanic is not saved in order to restore order to their world.

A harrowing ride, where it seems the good guys aren't always good and ethical challenges abound Julia Hughes shows a great deal of imagination. I enjoyed this.
… (plus d'informations)

Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2012/04/indie-book-review-ripple-in-time-ang...

A Ripple in Time is about a young man named Wren who is quite the dreamer. You see, his dreams have changed history entirely. All of which start with tragedy of the Titanic sinking. Problem is, it didn't sink and that has caused a ripple in time. So it is up to Wren to find a way to travel back in time and make sure the Titanic runs its course properly. With the help of a powerful sword (Excalibur), his cousin and a girl named Carrie, they will fight to make sure history is corrected and stop whoever gets in their way.

I got this book months ago from Hughes and only got into a couple of months back. Man, my life can't be simple can it? I finished this a while ago though, but I thought with the anniversary coming up, why not post this review then? I was given this a while back by Julia Hughes and it took forever for me to get to it. I really need to change my reading habits. Still when I finally started this, I couldn't put it down. It is fun, unique, and adventurous.

I loved our characters. We have Wren who truly is a "time lord". I know Wren is a blond, but I couldn't help picturing a younger David Tenant when reading this (best Doctor ever, I dare you to disagree). Wren is super smart and has an odd sense of humor. There were times in the book when you weren't sure you should trust him because he was quite impulsive. But it made him more interesting. I really enjoyed Carrie. I love that she finally came around. Carrie's granny could see Wren's "ghost" and Carrie just thought she was nuts. But I was so happy she put her doubts aside and she was very courageous. Rhyllann (love that name by the way) was so pigheaded. It took him forever to get onboard, but you do root for him. He is the one who must help because Caliburn (Excalibir) responds to him.

I love this story. It is a great mixture nonfiction and fiction. Hughes did a great job balancing those out. I love how the story progresses. It does start of a little slow because you are trying to grasp the full extent of the situation. It is quite in depth. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It goes through a lot of adventures and mystery. I love the idea of time getting screwed up because of what happened, well didn't happen, with the Titanic. Going back and time and trying to make sure the tragedy takes place or else our future (well our present) is doomed. This is why I love sci-fi. This truly would make an awesome movie or tv show. If you are a Doctor Who fan like me, you will be drooling all over this. Just a blast.

I highly recommend this read to everyone. It was such a fun read. It definitely took me by surprise. And I know how iffy some can get about time travel, so I am glad to say this won't confuse you. You will love all the characters instantly and you will dive right into to this story. If you are looking for a romantic, adventurous, and original read, this is your book.… (plus d'informations)