False Memory by Dan Krokos

“Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability.
Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy—especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can’t remember loving.
Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter... when there may not be a future.”

You guys all know I’m a sci-fi fanatic. TONS of sci-fi releases have happened in the past month, and the flow shows no sign of stopping.  It makes me absolutely GIDDY. I met Dan at BEA12 and had the honor of receiving his first ever signed book. Ridiculous, right? The second I read the synopsis for False Memory, I knew it would be one of the genuine ones. (As in, it’s an honest Sci-fi, not just a romance that happens to have an alien in it.) Dan does a fantastic job of writing in the female perspective! It follows our natural train of thought (completely different from most boys...) Not to mention…this was like an action flick on PAPER. Though it has high action, it also wages psychological warefare. You ask yourself questions like: “Did someone betray them? Who? One of their own team members?” My mind worked a million miles an hour to figure it out!  Even though this book had a moderate amount of cussing, I absolutely recommend this book.  Kudos to you Dan, in the dark alleyways authors have to travel, you found  THE flashlight. I can’t wait for False Sight.

Trail of Fate (The Youngest Templar #2) by Michael P. Spradlin

Picking up right where the breathtaking action left off, Tristan and his friends, the archer Robard Hode and the assassin Maryam, have escaped the Holy Land, but they are still a long way from the end of their perilous journey. And while they may have eluded the villainous Templar Sir Hugh, they know he will never be far behind.
Their only hope is to reach safety in England. But before they do that they run straight into a rebel band of Cathars, a heretical sect fighting off the oppression of France’s king. When Tristan falls for the beautiful leader of the Cathars, though, his loyalties are torn between aiding her in her hour of need or fleeing with his sacred charge—to protect the Holy Grail

 Trail of Fate:
The cliff hanger does not allow me to reveal plot (at all). The ‘Trail of Fate’ is even better than ‘Keeper of the Grail’. It has bigger villains, bigger settings, bigger dynamics, and it even has a bigger ending (it was almost impossible but the last ending was topped!) I cannot describe any of the interesting things to you, it was just too exciting to put down.I can say this- when I finished the book, I screamed so loud that my dad jumped about three feet off his seat (so far, it is the only book that has made me react out loud.) I cannot wait to get my hands on ‘The Orphan of Destiny.’

Keeper of the Grail (The Youngest Templar #1) by Michael P. Spradlin

1191 A.D. The orphan Tristan has joined the Knights Templar as a squire, journeying with Richard the Lionheart on his crusade to free the Holy Land from the Saracens. As defeat looms near, Tristan is entrusted with the most sacred of Christian relics, the Holy Grail. He must return it safely to Britain, but he must also keep it secret, because the Grail’s power will drive men to madness, and even his fellow Knights Templar will kill for it. Tristan teams up with the fiery Robard Hode— returning to his home in Sherwood after serving with the King’s Archers—and Maryam, an equally fierce girl and a member of the dreaded Hashshashin. Together they must escape the Holy Land, dodging bandits, the forces of the Saladin, and unscrupulous knights who will stop at nothing to possess the Grail.

Keeper of the Grail is an amazing story. It definitely deserves its spot on my top five list. The story starts with Tristan. While fifteen year old Tristan was thankful that the monks took him in after he was abandoned, he thirsted for change. When Tristan least expects it, the change arrives in the form of Sir Thomas and his fellow Knights Templar. Through a page turning chapters (that I’m not going to tell you about) Tristan becomes Sir Thomas’ new squire. The knights (plus Tristan) resume their journey to Acre. On the way Tristan learns swordsmanship, war tactics, and the laws of duty.

After they arrive at Acre, they are presented with a problem: Al Hashshashin warriors (they either win or die trying). The Templar regimento of 2,000 didn’t even stand a chance against 6,000 assassins. After the walls of Acre were breached, the Templars decided to take a final stand at the crusader’s palace. Like the sands of a desert being changed by the wind; Tristan’s new life was tossed to chaos. Sir Thomas took Tristan to a secret passageway and told him to escape. However, there was one last order Tristan was to complete for his knight. He was to take the most sacred relic of all time to Scotland; The Holy Grail. As Sir Thomas locked him into the passageway, Tristan realized that it was Sir Thomas' dying wish. Along the journey, Tristan makes two loyal friends who become his traveling companions. But he keeps his burdened mission a secret, and it takes its toll.

At a jaw dropping ending the questions fly past your brain giving you milliseconds to think about them. How much longer can he lie? Or will he even live long enough to tell his tale?

This book is an absolute recommend.

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.

The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.
The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?
Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.

Piper is a strong independent teenager despite her deafness. (In a way, I think this is a physical way to illustrate the reader’s own flaws, and teach that we can grow, and overcome them anyway.) She has frustrating parents, a new baby in the family to get the new attention and special treatment, and boy troubles of both the brotherly and romantic variety.

I love how real Piper is, she deals with annoying parents, misunderstandings, sibling squabbles, jealousy, disappointment,  she just has well rounded problems. I also adore Ed and Finn. Ed is the boy who goes out of his way to express his affection for Piper. He’s just so genuine! Finn is Piper’s brother, and while they have intensive fights, they love each other fiercely. It was just so down to earth…
The only complaint I have is that Piper really did seem to get a large amount of leverage in the music world too quick. But you know, it IS a character driven novel, and everything has to have a flaw.

Antony John has gained a new fan!

Believing in Horses by Valerie Ormond

"First, the move to Maryland. Then Dad's deployment to Afghanistan. Sadie is in trouble. Then she gets Lucky, a new young horse who proves to be a handful. But that's just the beginning. Together they encounter horse thieves, Maryland storms, and unwanted horses destined for auction and uncertain futures.

Sadie makes it her personal mission to save them. Along the way she meets other people who are dedicated to rescuing horses. She also learns that some people in the horse industry are driven by greed.

She's twelve.
Can she save the horses in time...and herself?"

Loved it! Amazing! If you don't like horses, then you probably won't like it that much. BUT, I know about a dozen little girls that would die to read this ASAP. If you have a horse lover in the household, this is a definite recommend for them! I read lots of pony pals and another series (the name escapes me right now...saving ginger or something like that.) Absolute must-read for all horse fans!

Au Revoir Crazy European Chick (Perry & Gobi #1) by Joe Schreiber

“It’s prom night—and Perry just wants to stick to his own plan and finally play a much-anticipated gig with his band in the Big Apple. But when his mother makes him take Gobija Zaksauskas—their quiet, geeky Lithuanian exchange student—to the prom, he never expects that his ordinary high school guy life will soon turn on its head. Perry finds that Gobi is on a mission, and Perry has no other choice but to go along for a reckless ride through Manhattan’s concrete grid with a trained assassin in Dad’s red Jag.
Infused with capers, car chases, heists, hits, henchmen, and even a bear fight, this story mixes romance, comedy, and tragedy in a true teen coming-of-age adventure—and it’s not over until it’s “au revoir.”

WOW. What a crazy whirlwind. I loved the format! It starts as a college application style question/answer form. But you can tell, Perry just get’s too caught up in this chain of events to answer the questions seriously. He just rolls with it! There was some explicit sexual implications coupled with pulse pounding action. I absolutely adored the style of the story, the way you discover Gobi, and the way Perry discovers himself. You want to grit your teeth, cheer, and scream…sometimes all at once.  I read this on the staircase at my place, and finished it within an hour. I thought I knew what was going to happen…then I didn't….then I did. But at the end, it didn't matter if I saw it coming or not. It had a Mary Poppins ending (it was practically perfect in every way!) This book could be read as a standalone or, like me, you’ll look forward to Perry’s next adventure. I was wholly satisfied with this read and would recommend it to any action junkie.