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Tiger Lily and the Secret Treasure of Neverland Review
Tiger Lily has long been a subject of interest for lovers of Neverland and Peter Pan. She’s brave, and fiesty, a nicer counterpart to the boy who will never grow up as she aims to be a wise chief like her father. Plus she’s more mischevious than the mini-adult Wendy. No wonder fans long for her to take the spotlight as a girl who can be a leader, an indigenous woman ignored by the white protagonist.
No more!
In this novel by indigenous author, Cherie Dimaline, readers get to enjoy Tiger Lily having a solo adventure where she faces off pirates in a race against time for a treasure that may or may not exist. And she better do it soon or else her best friend’s life will be forfeit.
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The Maze Cutter Review
Dashner returns to the world of the Maze Runner seventy three years later for a brand new mysterious adventure of the world at war between the Godhead in Alaska, the Remnet Nation in the Plains, and the islander descendants who may have the solution to the Cure.
Just as before, Dashner creates an immersive world so different from our own and from the Maze Runner’s in the original trilogy. Here, Crankheads are more diminshed as more variants popped up creating in-betweens, and other Crankheads that are as intelligent as they are vicious, making an even more deadly combination.
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The Fever Code Review
As the world descends into a wasteland full of homocidal Crankheads, Stephen is “saved” by WICKED and sent to their HQ. But even though his mother gave him to them, he refuses to play by their rules. He won’t forget his name, he won’t pretend to have no idea of his past.
That notion is quickly expelled when his ‘handlers’ for lack of a better term, demonstrate that they’re willing to take any means necessary to make him behave. As they remind him, him being WICKED is a gift. Not only will he be safe from the world outside but he will be contributing to the Cure. He can save the world.
If that sounds familiar, it should be for this prequel tells the story of Stephen aka Thomas, the maze runner.
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The Kill Order Review
This will be a pretty short review as the prequel follows a small group of people as they first experience the spread of the Flare (then just unknown disease) with their journey to find out the cause and potential cure which leads to it picking them off one by one as they race against forest fires, cults and Crankheads, not to mention their own detoriating sanity.
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The Death Cure Review
The final book in the trilogy has a very apt name as Thomas, and the Gladers seem to have finally reached the end of their journey with WICKED. Their minds will be removed of the Swipe, the cure is near.
But it is WICKED, and Thomas, Newt and Minho don’t plan to accept their explanations or offers to bring back their memories. No way are they going to give them a chance to mess with their minds again even if they say they have a cure.
But WICKED isn’t planning to let them go so easily so with Brenda and Jorge’s help, they break out to the wastelands of the apocolyptic real world to find a potential safe haven because there may be no chance for a cure, but there is a chance for the surviving immunized to be safe and rebuild.
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The Scorch Trials Review
Thomas and the rest of the Gladers had thought that things were going to be okay now that they got out of the Maze. But after only 24 hours of rest, they are thrust into a new trials because it turns WICKED’s machinations turn out to be less than altrustic. What do you expect with an acronym like that?
Well, their goal is altruistic. The Gladers are the best of the best, and all the pain and suffering they’ve been through has been used for testing to find the cure for the Flare. A pandemic disease brought by sun flares that turns infected to cannibalistic, animalistic zombie-monsters. Now, the Gladers have to go through the Scorch in order to reach the Safe Haven. One final test to complete WICKED’s blueprint for a cure.
Oh, and if they don’t complie, they’re gonna die from the Flare that WICKED injected into them while they slept. You know, for added personal motivation.
AND to top this all off, there’s a Group B. A parallel group of girls and one boy who have undergone the same trials and Ending as they have. They’re going to be on the hunt for them to add to this survival of the fittest narrative they have.
It’s a lot, but even though Thomas and the others want to live in peace, they decide to follow WICKED’s orders and once the trial ends, get their control back. If they survive.
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The Maze Runner Review
I had thought I completed my 2000s dystopian binge when I finished the Matched trilogy but I realized I would be remissed if I hadn’t read The Maze Runner. So in I go to the maze with very little idea of what it is really about.
Only to find Dashner’s world to be a dangerous thrill ride of puzzles and gruesome death that may lead Thomas and the Gladers to potential freedom. . . or death.
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Warriors: Power of Three
The third generation takes the stage and things get even darker than before. Bluestar had prophesized long ago that the kin of Firestar’s kin, a trio to be precise, would be the most powerful cats of the age. They would have the power of the stars.
The thing about prophecies is that they’re oftentimes vague and Firestar’s grandkits-Jaypaw, Hollypaw and Lionpaw end up in more trouble than they could ever believe when they stumble through their destiny.
This series starts at the very beginning of the kits’ lives with each eager to become real warriors and contributing members to the clan. They don’t know of the prophecy even though Firestar suspects that they’ll be the ones to fufill it. They fit the criteria after all. But they’re not just Firestar’s grandkits, they’re also Tigerstar’s grandkits and when they learn about the prophecy, the pursuit of power becomes a major focus.
Jaypaw and Lionpaw are particularly susceptible to the idea of power. Jaypaw, becoming a medicine cat makes him more spiritual connected to Starclan and the powers of the universe. Lionpaw’s skills on the battlefield with his enhanced speed, strength and senses make him physically unbeatable. And when you’re ontop, it’s intoxicating. Hunter nicely segues into the different types of temptation that power can hold over the kits with Jaypaw believing he can use his power for the good of the Clan, Lionpaw wishes to protect the Clan. Their power also allows them closer connect with the Starclan, specifically Tigerstar who offers to help them become stronger to take their true place in true might-makes-right mentality.
Hollypaw, on the other hand, is strictly bound to the Warrior Code. Honestly, she’s a bit anal about it and is the least tempted about power. She’s a real rule follower which is why the actions of a traitor in the Thunderclan or the Shadowclan turning their backs on the warrior code hit her hard. Despite her rule-following personality, she also falls prey to power as she wishes to make everyone obey the code.
Which brings me to the Warrior Code. Here, it is questioned and tested to the limits from Lionpaw’s interclan friendship with Heatherpaw of the Windclan, Jaypaw aiding the Tribe and biggest disruption of all-an outsider named Sol whose prophecies and warnings lead some cats to believe Starclan has forsaken them. The prophecies and omens are all hookem more or less, and even though some cats can see that his words are just clever twists to fulfill his own ambition, he is charasmatic, threatening the entire world of the clans.
Yet with all this talk of power, the kits remain relatable as they struggle with what the respnsibility means to them, even wishing such prophecy wasn’t thrust upon them because if how it will make them different from others and make them more likely to fail.
Also the grand twist was just shocking and adds a new darker layer to the cat’s souls that had never been done before. As you can see in my rankings:
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Warriors: The New Prophecy
Ah, the next generation come of age and everything changes for the warrior cats. Yet some things stay the same.
I had only read the first two books when I was little before abruptly stopping so this was all brand new for me, and I had no idea what would happen next. Okay, I actually had some idea, mainly the cats being forced to relocate from their home.
This change is status quo and territory is one I applaud Hunter because tthe authors have asserted from the beginning that they are willing to go there-kill off major characters, lose love interests, and yes, change the local because of forces outside their control. It’s realistic even though there aren’t happy endings sometimes but I believe it just adds to the intensity of the book. This is the wild, anything can happen and you have to be prepared.
These set differs from the first as it is a revolving door of POVs rather than the singular focus of Firestar. Brambleclaw (Tigerstar’s son), Squirrelflight, Leafpool (Firestar and Sandstorm’s daughters) and sometimes Stormfur (Graystripe’s son). Unlike Firestar’s POV where he was an outsider still finding his place in the shifting politics of the clans, these kids are right in the thick of it with parentage being a major point informing their decisions, personalities and actions.
Brambleclaw fears that he will be viewed as traitorous and dangerous as his father, Stormfur is still deriding for not being fully Riverclan and Firestar’s daughters must contend with their father’s legacy and kittypet origins. A great choice and provides a consistant source of conflict and development throughout.
It also reverts back to a idea mentioned throughout the first series-the clans should learn to unite and while the majority revert to the boundary lines in their new territory, Brambleclaw, Crowfeather, Leafpool, Squirrelflight, Stormfur and Feathertail are undeniably changed by their journey together. They’ll always be friends despite clan loyalty.
There was also more focus on the roles and rankings in the clans, particularly Leafpool and her journey to becoming a medicine cat which includes questioning some of its rules and a greater focus on the Starclan and its role for the cats as they journey into the unknown.
The world really expands. Not only with new allies (including a badger!) but different ways of surviving the wild like when the Chosen Ones meet the Tribe.
Now to the rankings:
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Warriors: The Prophecies Begin
So I decided to officially reread the Warriors series which should be interesting as I’ve only gotten through the first eight books so the rest of the expanded world is a whole new adventure for me to read. I’m very excited.
So my first post on this will be pretty quick as I remember the first series the best even though I haven’t read it since middle school. It sets up a common-place “chosen one” trope with the future Firestar aka Rusty as the series follows him from leaving his kittypet life to becoming an apprentice to deputy to becoming the savior of the Thunderclan.
Even so, it immediately sucks me in with its complicated power struggles within and outside the clans with an underlying mystery as Firepaw gets caught up with his suspicions over Tigerclaw. Even though they’re cats, Hunter personifies them with universal themes of potential love lost in Spottedtail, the bonds of friendship with Graystripe, the insecurities of leadership and mentorship as Firepaw navigates his shofting relationships with Cloudpaw, Cinderpaw, Bluestar and others.
There’s also a reoccuring theme of unification versus division and clan vs blood with certain cats possessing the blood of two clans or interclan romance being a major source of conflict throughout.
It also helps that Hunter establishes a unique lore, astrology being a major focus in the Starclan, that gives the cats spiritual guidance for the future and heavily impact their decisions through prophetic dreams, omens etc.
It’s really fun to reread these books and remember how much I (not to mention my whole grade) got into them. They’re such a powerful and engaging read and considering its continued popularity, young readers now feel the same.
Now for my rankings:
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Rachel Reads & Reviews 