Book #33: Entanglements by P.R. Mason

I like it when I'm able to step outside of my reading comfort zone and read something I wouldn't normally even consider. That's what happened when I read "Entanglements" by P.R. Mason.

"Entanglements" is a young-adult paranormal/fantasy book that forced me to try to believe things that I can barely grasp. It follows teenager Kizzy Taylor as she discovers alternate dimensions and has to save her stepsister after she accidentally opens a vortex and her stepsister is sucked away.

Not being familiar with the idea of vortexes (vorteces?) or alternate dimensions, "Entanglements" was a good way for me to venture into the genre. P.R. Mason does a great job of explaining the ideas succinctly yet clearly so that even a noob like me could understand what was going on. In actuality, it made me a little curious about these types of theories. I can't wait to read what she writes as a follow-up!

There was also a bit of romance involved in the story, but it was just under-the-surface enough that it didn't get in the way of the storyline or seem cheesy. It simply added a bit of realism to the characters, even if one of them was not of our dimension.

"Entanglements" is a great book for teenagers and for those of us not familiar with the paranormal/fantasy genre.

Book #26: Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst

Promise of the Wolves is the first in The Wolf Chronicles series by Dorothy Hearst. I was not familiar with this series until I saw this book at the BlogPaws conference I attended in Washington D.C. in August. Ms. Hearst left copies of the first and second books in the series on the swag swap table for people to take. Of course, I don't turn down free books about animals so I grabbed one of each!

Promise of the Wolves is set 14,000 years ago. It is a fantasy grounded by research that tells the story of the relationship between humans and wolves. The main character, a young wolf named Kaala, is drawn to humans even though she has been told that she is to stay away from them. We follow Kaala's story from the time she is born, through being a pup and a young wolf. All that time, she struggles with the fact that she is an outsider in her own pack and wonders if she fits with the humans instead. She is taught pack rules but there is a constant pull outside of the pack that she doesn't understand.

Kaala is a very relatable character that I found myself pulling for throughout her difficulties. She is young, but driven and strong. I liked the way time and distance were described using "wolf terms" and how the author was able to immerse me in this long-ago world. I will definitely be reading Secrets of the Wolves to follow Kaala's story. I can't wait to see what the second book brings for her!

Disclosure: I received this book for free, but my review is based on my true thoughts and feelings about the book.

A Little Time Travel Never Hurt Anybody

For book #18 of 2010, I chose "Now & Then" by Jacqueline Sheehan. I had previously read another of Ms. Sheehan's books, "Lost & Found" and thoroughly enjoyed it. This book caught my attention because, like the first of her books I read, there was a dog on the cover. Not just any dog, mind you, but an Irish Wolfhound. Being a lover of sight hounds, I picked it up and read the description on the back. Somehow I didn't pick up on the fact that there was time travel involved. All I seemed to notice was the pooch!

In "Now & Then" Anna, a former lawyer and her nephew, Joseph are somehow sucked through time from present day Boston to 1844 Ireland. They arrive separately and fall into very different lives. Anna spends her days trying to find Joseph, trying to understand how she got to where she is and trying to figure out how to get home. In the midst of their travels they each find love but also discover a curse that had been cast on their family all those years ago.

I am not a fan of anything fantasy-like and had I known that the story centered around time travel I probably would not have read it. That being said, I'm very glad that I didn't know what the book was about! I would have missed out on a wonderful story.

Unfortunately, the Irish Wolfhound did not play as big a role in the story as I had thought he would. Since I enjoyed the book so much, I'm willing to overlook that fact!