The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh

 Kelsey Worthington, an aspiring editor living in New York, wakes up one day in the hospital.  She had been hit by a car while on the sidewalk, and had a concussion. While in the hospital she meets another patient, Georgia Tate, a cosmetics mogul. Ms Tate is facing kidney failure.  Ms Tate is brusque and abrasive, but when Kelsey leaves the hospital and returns to her hum-drum job, she keeps feeling that she needs a vacation and that she is fated to take Ms Tate with her. That begins the summer of "Yes." Kelsey is determined that she and Ms Tate are supposed to really live life by saying "yes" to all the things they were too afraid to try before.  As they spend time together, Kelsey comes to realize that much of Ms Tate's off-putting behavior is due to regrets related to her family, a family that includes a very handsome and very nice estranged son, who is just Kelsey's age. Perhaps,  along with saying yes to sea food, and road trips, she will also be brave enough to say yes to love.

One of my co-workers recommended this book when she found out that I enjoy clean romance.  This totally fits into that category, but it also has a strong message about the importance of overcoming fear to live life to its fullness. The relationship between Kelsey and Ms Tate reminds me a lot of the relationship in "The Devil Wears Prada," so much so that I can't believe it wasn't one of the author's inspirations. The book suffers a little because Ms Tate's son, the love interest, is just too perfect.  He isn't as bad as the Richard Paul Evans male protagonists, but close. He is incredibly handsome, creative, successful, and volunteers teaching classes to children at the local community center. Authors need to learn that a man doesn't have to be perfect to be loveable. Still, if you are looking for a clean, feel-good read, this isn't a bad choice. (2024, 504 p.)

The Battle for the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

 In this fourth book of the Perseus Jackson series, Percy continues his quest to discover and thwart Kronos' plans to take over Camp Half-Blood, and then Olympus.  Percy and Annabeth discover an entrance into Minos' Labyrinth on Half-Blood Hill. Kronos wants to use it to invade the camp and destroy the demigods before he attacks Olympus. Minos knows that the only way to navigate the Labyrinth is with Ariadne's ball of magic string, and he will stop at nothing to get it.  The Annabeth is called to lead a quest to enter the Labyrinth, fine to Daedalus, and convince him not to help Kronos. If they can help Grover in his search for Pan, and save Nico from the evil influences of the underworld, all the better.

I read this years ago when it first came out, but had forgotten a lot of it. I enjoyed listening to it again and being reminded why these books areso successful. Riordan is so good at creating a fun world that blends the modern with the ancient, and characters that are really endearing. He also has a great blend of action and humor and I found myself laughing out loud several times during the book. If you haven't read them in a while, this series is worth a re-visit (400 p. 2008)

The Arkadians by Lloyd Alexander

 Lucian is an accountant in a palace in ancient Greece. When he discovers that the of the king's overseers have been cheating the king out of great amounts of money, he knows he must flee or they will kill him.  In his flight he meets up with a donkey, who is really a poet that has been enchanted.  The donkey, Fronto, helps Lucian escape and together they start an epic journey to try to get Fronto restored to his human form.  On the way they meet a young prophetess of the Lady of Nature who is being hunted by the evil king. She believes that the Lady will be able to restore the donkey's true form. As they journey together they encounter many peoples and survive many harrowing adventures. 

I have long been a fan of Lloyd Alexander, but had never read this book.  It was published in the 1990's, and I don't think anyone would publish it today. It reads like something written by Tolkien or Lewis, and the plot reminded me a bit of some of the Shakespeare comedies. The writing is lyrical and I enjoyed it very much. I also liked how he mirrored the Greek mythological and epic stories, without copying them exactly.  Parts of the story suggested Odysseus and the Trojan war, but with an folkish tone instead of an epic tone. They are almost like what the original story of the Odyssey might have been before they it was embellished by professional a professional story teller. There were also hints of the story of Hercules, and of Jason. It was fun to be listening along and then realizing, "oh, that is like the story of the Minotaur" or "Oh, they are talking about the siege of Troy." It is very clever.  There was one thing that bothered me and would make me hesitate to recommend the book to a child.  All during the story the donkey is called a "jack ass" and there are a lot of jokes suggesting that Fronto is a jack ass in more than just physical form. I was raised in a home that was conservative enough that we wouldn't have been allowed to use the term "jack ass" so it was unsettling for me to hear it every few lines of the story. (288 p. 1995)

The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

 In Satellite City, Cosmo lives in a home where corporations use orphaned boys to do product testing. It is a tortured life, and Cosmo is always looking for a chance to escape. When his chance comes, he is severely injured and left for dead, but is saved by a group of young vigilantes when they discover that he has the same talent to see supernatural creatures as they do. Being part of the "Supernaturalists" is as perilous as the orphanage, but in the group Cosmo feels a sense of family for the first time. Their leader Stefan, is determined to exterminate the "parasites" that killed his mother, but no matter how many of the little green creatures they kill, they seem to reproduce exponentially. When the huge corporations find out about their group, things get so complicated it is hard to decipher right from wrong and the good guys from the bad.

This is a YA Sci-Fi from the author of the Artemis Fowl series. It has very interesting and vivid world building and the characters are delightfully troubled and complex. The plot reminded me a lot of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card but maybe a little less dated. Both Colfer and Card have the ability to aim a magnifying glass on both current social issues and deep philosophical questions and turn them into fast-paced YA fiction. The book ended with an opening for a sequel, but I guess it never happened, though there seems to be a graphic novel version of this book that was published in 2012. (2004, 273 p.)

In Pursuit of Jefferson by Derek Baxter

 In the early 2000's Derek Baxter was feeling stifled by his job as a lawyer. He had been interested in American History as a student, and was intrigued when he found out about a short book by Thomas Jefferson that was a travel guide for Americans in Europe.  Over the course of 8 years, he and his young family endeavor to recreate some of Jefferson's experiences in Europe by visiting places he went and trying things he did. At first it is fun to go to France's wine country and sample fine wines, or go to England and visit famous gardens, but as Baxter continued to try to better understand Jefferson, he kept running into the fact that, although Jefferson was a champion of liberty, he depended on enslaved workers to maintain his lifestyle. This book is a record of the Baxter families effort to not only come to know Jefferson, but also learn more about the people who were robbed of their freedom so that Jefferson could become a famous founding father. 

Here is another book on the America 250 list.  I enjoyed it quite a bit.  The writing is candid and engaging. Some of Baxter's adventures in Europe are fun and funny. When he has to wrestle with the stark reality of Jefferson's shortcomings, instead of flinching, he leans into it and accepts the challenge of taking on tough issues. I love that he includes his children in his wrestle as they visit the slave quarters at Monticello and learn about Jefferson's children with Sally Hemmings. I think the book is a good model for white people to start to be aware--and help their children be aware--of the role that enslaved workers played in the early history of the United States. (416 p. 2022) 

Whispers from the Shadows by Roseanna M. White

 Lady Gwyneth Fairchild is forced to flee England when her father is betrayed.  Anticipating the attack, her father, a general, arranges for her to travel to America to say with the Lane family in Maryland. Gwyneth is confused by the decision, since the British are currently at war with the Americans. Thad Lane finds Gwyneth a broken woman, haunted by her family tragedy and fearful that the perpetrator with seek out and kill her next. He treats her gently, and with time she begins to feel safety in his presence. As they grow closer she begins to realize that Thad and his parents are not what they seem on the surface.  As the War of 1812 approaches their doorstep, Gwyneth has to decide where her true loyalties lie.

This is the second in the Culper Ring Series. I read the first back in 2024, and liked it, so I am not sure why I waited so long to read this one. I enjoyed it as well.  Gwyneth is the most broken of any of White's heroines I have read so far and she does a good job of portraying her trauma.  Thad is a wonderfully solid counterweight to her brokenness. I also enjoyed how White incorporates Gwyneth's drawing as a tool of healing and also as an apt plot device. I have recently read a book about the war of 1812, so was happy to see that White grounded the story within real historical events. As in the first book, the Christian elements are a little heavy handed, and the cover is similarly lame, but I can handle that. (352 p. 2013)

Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer

 Grace Mallory escaped to Harper's Station after watching her father get gunned down because he had found a will that would destroy the fortune of a wealthy mine owner. Now Grace is the keeper of the deadly will and keeps a low profile as a telegraph operator in the all woman settlement. Her one male social interaction is with another operator whose identification letter is A. Amos Bledsoe has more brains than brawn and favors a fastidious suit and tie to buckskin. He is enchanted with his last evening conversations with the operator from Harper's Station. Even though he doesn't know her age, appearance, or even her name, operator M has captured his interest with her wit and intelligence.  Then one day, while they are conversing, Mallory receives a warning from another station that the man who killed her father has found out where she lives. Amos jumps into action travels to Harper's Station and is quickly arrested by the settlement's marshal, and only permanent male resident. He quickly establishes that he is Grace's telegraph pen pal and they put their considerable brain power together to try stop the man who will do anything to keep the will from getting to the estate lawyers. 

This is the second in the series that started with No Other Would Do.  I have read a bunch of Witemeyer's Texas romances, and it was refreshing to experience one where the hero isn't a tall, strong, silent cowboy. Amos wears glasses and rides a bicycle instead of a horse. I am glad that Witemeyer acknowledges that a man doesn't have to be high-testosterone to be attractive. Amos and Grace are an adorable couple, both pushing against their own timidity and reserve to be the hero the other needs. If you are a Witemeyer fan like I am this is certainly one you won't want to miss. (2017, 336 p) 

Unraveled by Julie Daines

 Bronwyn tries to avoid the stares and repulsion she sees in other's faces when they see her crippled legs. One day a fey creature called a gray lady comes to visit her and gives her a pair of shoes that make her legs straighten and appear whole. Her mother is so excited she arranges for her daughter to go to the capital city to be presented at court. At court she meets the handsome prince who is instantly taken by her beauty.  She also meets and old friend who knows she is normally crippled. He tries to discourage Bronwyn from accepting the Prince's advances, warning her that she can't keep her secret from the Prince forever,  but who can resist being courted by the most eligible man of the kingdom? Perhaps if the Prince comes to love her enough, he won't mind when he finds out she is not what she seems. Perhaps.

I need to look back at the other books I have read by Daines.  I must have liked them because I put her on my "clean romance writers" list.  This one, however, I could barely get through.  I almost quit several times, and only made it through so I could write this review and say how much I disliked the story. Bronwyn is a stupid, silly girl who keeps making bad decisions. She keeps stacking lies on lies even when she knows that once she tells the prince the truth it wouldn't go well. She is also not very nice to her other friends.  She lets them suffer so she can continue to enjoy her royal suitor's attentions and she's rude to everyone who is trying to help her. I think the premise of the story could have worked if she had tried to come clean earlier in the story but have been trapped into the lie by other circumstances, but she keeps coming back to a bad situation even after she has a chance to escape. I know stupidity is pretty common in the world, but I personally never want to read it. (192 p. 2014)

Sticks and Stones by Sarah Mlynowski, Laren Myracle and Emily Jenkins.

 In this second book in the Upside Down Magic series, things seem to be looking up for Nory.  She and Bax start having tutoring sessions with the Kitten Ball coach, and he recruits Nory for the team. She starts to make friends with some kids at school not in the Mixed-up Magic class. Meanwhile, strange rock centered magic keeps happening at the school, and everyone blames Bax. Bax knows he didn't do it, so the Mixed-up Magic kids work together to try to find out what is really happening.

I read the second book in this series because I wondered if it had the "Shadow" magic that shows up in the Net Flix series.  It doesn't. I think the Shadow Magic is a "made for TV" addition, to make the story more visually interesting. I enjoyed the book, though. There is a lot of humor, but also a few things to think about. It is a cute series for early novel readers. (208p., 2016)

Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

 Hannah Swenson is busy whipping up treats for the county fair when she is asked to be a judge in the baked goods competition. She enjoys the challenge, but then one of the other judges ends up getting murdered.  Hannah can't resist getting involved in the investigation, even when her handsome police officer friend warns her away.  Her attentive dentist friend has fewer qualms and together with her sisters and mother, they try to discover the culprit. 

After reading the last Vampire Book Club I wanted to read book from the same genre that was better written.  The Hannah Swenson cozy mysteries are not great literature but they are certainly better than the Vampire Book Club series. There are actual clues and suspects that Hannah investigates with the help of family and friends. Of course, the final scene finds Hannah in mortal danger from which she is saved by one of her boyfriends. It is formulaic, but a fun read. (384 p. 2011)

Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown

 In 1942 there is a vibrant community in the Bethnal Green neighborhood of London despite the war and frequent bombing. When the bomb sirens go off Nellie, age 18 and her family go into the yet unfinished tube station which has been converted into a bomb shelter. One of her best friends, Billy is a air raid warden, and her other best friend is Billy's sister.  Billy would like a more serious relationship with Nellie, but his hopes are shattered when Nellie meets a handsome American airman, Ray. As their relationship progresses, Ray gives Nellie hope of fulfilling her dream to leave Bethnal Green and see the bigger world. But then a terrible tragedy strikes. Nellie is left reexamining her relationships and ambitions. With all that the war has taken from her, will Nellie every have the chance for a happy life?

This is a charming and heartfelt historical fiction based on an actual event in the history of London's WWII days.  It is written and read by Millie, Bobby Brown, the actress who played Enola Holmes on Netflix, and also stared in Stranger Things. You always wonder if a book by a celebrity author will be any good, but this one was.  The writing isn't going to win a Pulitzer, but it was good enough.  The story deals grief and loss during war times, but emphasizes that love and community is what gets you through tragedy. Brown states that the story is "inspired" by her own great grandmother's experience, but doesn't go into detail about how much of the story is biographical. I think that probably her grandmother was in the tragic experience featured in the book, but I am guessing the rest is fiction. I am also guessing that a ghost writer helped Brown with the prose.  Still, this is a book I will be recommending to my friends who like WWII fiction. (320 p. 2023)

In Want of a Knife by Nancy Warren

 In this fifth installment of the Vampire Book Club series, a movie producer has come to Ballydehag wanting to make a porno version of Pride and Prejudice. At the same time Jane Austen, now one of the undead, shows up in town and asks for help to stop the production. Quinn Callahan is at first start-struck by meeting her favorite author and determined to help her any way she can, but when the producer of the film turns up dead, can she be sure that her literary idol was not the killer?  Of course there are other suspects and motives, and it takes all Quinn's supernatural friend's help to discover the truth.

I keep reading these, and they just aren't very good. I knew who the killer was going to be in the first chapter, but the author didn't have Quinn even consider the true culprit until the last two chapters.  It was an entire book of red herrings. The only redeeming quality about books in this series is that listening to them takes absolutely not emotional or intellectual effort on my part. It is about as engaging as elevator music in a department store.  Still, sometimes that is exactly what I am looking for in a book, so I will probably read more. (226 p. 2023)

More Than Words Can Say by Karen Witemeyer

I was a little disappointed by the 
cover.  She is supposed to be 
more plump than this. 

 Zacharias Hamilton is happy to be free from family responsibilities. He has a good job, a good friend, and good sticky buns for breakfast each morning. When his favorite female baker's shop is threatened, the only way to save it is for her to get married, and Zach can't imagine her marrying anyone but him. In Abigail Kemp's mind, the marriage is just a business deal, allowing her to keep her bakery, and giving Zach free room and board. She considers herself--plump and independent--as not worthy of the romantic attentions of a tall, strong, handsome man like Zach. He sees it differently. It doesn't take long before convincing her to be his wife in reality is his highest priority, but first he needs to find out who is trying to ruin Abby's life, and stop them.

It is a common trope in historical romance, for a couple to get married first and then gradually fall in love.  It is a sweet theme and Witemeyer does it well here. There is good chemistry between Zach, the strong silent type, and Abby, who is delightful, but doesn't know it. One thing I appreciate about Witemeyer, is that when the main characters have a misunderstanding she doesn't let it draw out for chapters and chapters.  They resolve it quickly by actually talking to each other, and most the the time is spent with them confronting exterior threats together rather than bickering between themselves. If you had told me 10 years ago if I would be a regular reader of Texas cowboy historical romances, I wouldn't have believed you.  But, there it is. (358 p. 2019)

A Study in Death by Anna Lee Huber

 This is the fourth in the Lady Darby Mystery series. Lady Kiera Darby is preparing for her upcoming marriage to inspector Sebastian Gage. The wedding preparations are stressful, as is her commission to paint a portrait of Lady Drummond. She suspects that Lady Drummond is the victim of spouse abuse, but doesn't know what she can do about it. Then Lady Drummond is found dead in her home. The physician rules her death as natural, but Lady Darby suspects that she was murder. Her husband's family is not pleased as she jumps into the case, trying to find justice for her fallen friend. When the number of possible suspects grows, so does the tension between herself and Sebastian. Is she willing to pursue the case to the end, even if it costs her own future happiness?

This is another well crafted mystery by Ms. Huber.  She is good at creating both clues and red herrings so that the final solution is not obvious.  The relationship between Kiera and Sebastian vacillates between being steamy and cold.  I guess the author has to write it this way to maintain a dramatic tension, but it made me feel a little frustrated. If they can't even get along while they are engaged and still enjoying the first flower of their amore, how will they ever survive marriage?  Still, it was entertaining enough that I finished it, even though I was reading it instead of just listening to it (I checked out the print version to take on a vacation.)  (336 p. 2015)

Upside Magic by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins

 Nory's father is the head master of a very prestigious magic school, and her older brother and sister are both star students in the school.  When it comes time for Nory take the qualifying test for the school, she fails dramatically. Her embarrassed father arranges for her to go to a different school where they have a program for kids whose magic is "upside down." There Nory finds friends and an emotionally supportive teacher but still longs to be normal and able to go home and be with her family again.  She and one of her newfound friends create a scheme that will allow them to test out of the special class, but it requires her to box up most of her inner life in order to fit in.

I checked out this book because Netfix has a new series based on it.  I remember it being fairly popular when it fist came out. I also noticed it on the Pride Month book list in June.  It is a short book for primary grade readers, but I can see why it would be on an LGBTQ list, even though it never mentions gender identity. It is all about the social pressure to be "normal" and how it encourages children to deny their real self. It is a good message for anyone who feels different, not just those with gender identity issues. The same yearning to be socially acceptable drove me to anorexia at about the same age as the Nory character. The writing is good and there are plenty of humorous scenes where Nory and the other kids in her class try to control their as-of-yet-uncontrolled magic. I think a lot of 3rd and 4th grade kids would enjoy it. (208 p. 2016) 

Yours is the Night by Amanda Dykes

Orphaned as a teen, Matthew raised himself and his younger sister in the stables of a race horse farm where he found work as a stable hand. When WWI begins, Matthew enlists, and his sister become nurse. Both end up in France where Matthew's commander recognizes in him the qualities of a true leader.  They are in trenches near the Argonne forest, where Mireilles had always lived with her father and grandfather.  When the war encroaches on Mireilles sheltered life, Matthew and his band rescue her right before she falls behind enemy lines.  In a rare moment of sentimentality, their commander allows Matthew and two companions to escort Mireilles and the important documents she holds, to Paris where Mireilles might have relatives. On the way, shared joys and trials bond them in ways that nothing but a war, hard fought, can. 

Here is yet another historical fiction by Amanda Dykes.  The style of the writing and general tone is the same as her other books. It is perhaps a bit more somber because of the backdrop of WWII but Dykes manages to balance the darkness of war with the hope of faith and friendship. Dykes clearly did a lot of research to get the setting of the novel authentic. The characters are well drawn (and well read by the narrator) and each makes their own journey of self-discovery. At one point Dykes leads the reader to believe that one of the main characters has died, but since I had read her other books I was pretty sure she would pull out a happy ending.  I will be reading more from Dykes, but I need a rest from the thickly layered emotions of her literary style. (368 p. 2021)

Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes

 Mercy Windsor has fled Hollywood because of a scandal not of her making and runs to the only place she felt she might belong. She knows her best friend doesn't live there anymore, having suffered a tragic early death, but she still hopes the secluded Colorado mining town will still give her needed seclusion. When her friend, Rusty Bright, was still alive, they had sworn to each other that together they would try to find a lost treasure rumored to be in the hills surrounding the town.  Mercy is determined to fulfill their dream and use the money to help the struggling town that Rusty had loved so much. Mercy doesn't expect the warm welcome and support of the townspeople that help her discover something more valuable than any hidden treasure.

Since I enjoyed the book All the Lost Places by the same author, I decided to try another. I ended up liking this as well, so I have added Ms Dykes to my illustrious "Clean Romance Writers" list. The book has plenty of heart break but it primarily hopeful. I guess I wouldn't call it a romance, since the primary relationship is between the two friends, but there is a nice secondary romance that adds a dollop of sweetness.  Like the Lost Places book, this book jumps back and forth between time periods, the past  being primarily represented by excerpts between the pen pal letters written between Rusty and Mercy. Rusty has an indominable personality that is fun to read.  Another fun thing about the book is that we get to see a cameo of Victoria and Daniel from the Lost Places book. They don't play a role in the plot, but just step in and take a brief bow.  (384 p. 2024)

A Full Life by Jimmy Carter

 Jimmy Carter was born in 1924 in Plains Georgia.  His parents were poor land owners and he grew up in a small community where most of his neighbors were black sharecroppers. They lived humbly without either running water or electricity.  From those humble beginnings Carter's intelligence and work ethics helped him attend college and later be appointed to the United States Naval Academy. After graduation he went through specialized training to serve on submarines, and eventually rose to become a major player in the development and testing of the first nuclear submarines.  When his father died, he left the military and took his young family back to Georgia to take over the running of his father's interests which included both farming, and the distribution of farming supplies and seed to other farmers. He got involved with politics as a champion of civil rights, and eventually was elected of Governor of Georgia. He was so successful in cleaning waist and corruption in Georgia that leaders of the Democratic Party urged him to run for President. He won the election and served for one term.  After being defeated by Ronald Regan in 1981, he spent the rest of his life working for political causes through the Carter  Foundation which sought world wide democracy and improvement of civil rights and economic equity.  

Here is another book from the US 250 celebration list.  I enjoyed it immensely.  It is read by the author and listening the the book felt like I had been invited to his home and allowed to sit while he told stories about his life. I have kept journals since I was 12 years old and the first entry in my very first journal stated that Jimmy Carter had won the election, and that my mother said, because of that, we should get our food storage up to date since there was likely to be a war. My parents were staunch Republicans, so I didn't really have a great opinion of his presidency.  Listening to the stories in the book, however, I feel like he was one of the most moral of the US presidents. He was devoutly Christian and let his religious faith guide his decisions in office. His presidency has not been seen as one of the best in history, but the way he comported himself is so strikingly different from some current politicians, it made me nostalgic for days gone by.  This book is a good choice for those in my demographic who are interested in US political history, but also for those who want to read about someone who tried his whole life to do the right thing. (2015, 272 p) 

Die with Zero by Bill Perkins

When most middle and upper class people die, they leave tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars for others to inherit. Most Americans believe that saving for retirement is so important that when they get to retirement age, they don't know how to stop saving and start spending.  In this book, Perkins makes a case for trying to live your life intentionally so that you use your money to enrich your life long before you get too old to really enjoy it. He encourages people to think about their lives in "buckets" of time and imagine what they can and cannot do in each bucket.  Then they should decide what they would like to experience in their life and which bucket it would best fit in. That might mean putting less in your 401 k during your 30's and 40's so you can have experiences while you are young you wouldn't be able to have when you are older, or taking a month off in your 30's to hike the Andes. He also encourages readers to think about bestowing inheritance money to family and causes earlier, when they really need it, instead of waiting until you die. He suggests that if we live into our 80's or 90's our kids will be old enough and well established in their careers so that what they inherit from us at death won't have a lot of impact.

My sister recommended to me that I read this book while we were talking about cash flow now that I am no longer working full time.  I told her my husband and I had to be financially conservative until we reach 65 and start collecting pensions and social security.  This book certainly counters that idea and Perkins makes a convincing argument. That said, in the book he over-simplifies things a little too much in places. For example he talks about estimating how much money you will need each year for the rest of your expected life span.  In his example calculation he doesn't adjust for inflation, but inflation is a very important thing to think about.  I may be able to live comfortably on $80,000/year now, but will I be able to in 20 years? Not likely. In order for your money to keep up with inflation most of it needs to be in an account that makes enough interest to keep up with inflation. If you spend it all in your 30's or 40's, there is nothing there to make interest. Still, he gave me something to think about and I think I will be more daring about spending money on experiences now that I have read the book. (240 p. 2021)

The Forever Man, by Eoin Colfer

 In this final episode of the W.A.R.P. series, Chevie Sevano is just getting used to being are in Victorian England with Riley, when they come face to face with Riley's old master, the evil Albert Garrick who has returned from the temporal wormhole with amazing powers.  All three of them are sucked back into the wormhole and are spit out in the 1600's. Garrick has been to this time period before, and had styled himself as a witch hunter.  Upon arrive, Garrick proclaims Chevie as a witch and Riley as her familiar.  The population of the small town are after them, but luckily, or unluckily, they are not the only ones to have traveled in the temporal divide. It takes a lot of skill, wits, and help from new friends, to escape the the transformed Garrick, the Forever Man, and save the world from an increasingly unstable temporal rift. 

I was a little unsure of this series when I read the first one, but Colfer does a great job in this book of tying everything up into a satisfactory ending. I was really impressed. Over the first two books he threw out a lot of threads, and I wondered if he could manage to gather them up again, but he did.  The book has Colfer's characteristic exciting action sequences, and a couple of really good plot twists. I still didn't like the writing style as much as the Artemis Fowl books, but I got used to it by the third book.  Overall it is a great middle grade/YA series, especially for those who like his other novels. (368, 2016)