Soujon's Journey by Marlee Morgan

Set in the mystical village of Sky Mountain and the city of Cyane, SOUJON'S JOURNEY is the tale of a young girl growing up and discovering life. Finding her gifts and the inner strength that allows her to stand up to adversity and overcome obstacles in her life.
In the mystical city there are four basic laws--(1) if harm it does none, do as you will, (2) be kind in spirit, (3) be in harmony with your surroundings, (4) be clean in body, mind and spirit.
Soujon embraces the new world around her and finds joy in life beyond her wildest dreams. This is a magical growing up, coming of age tale that will grab the reader from the very beginning.

     
 At first, I was wary, but then I realized exactly what I was reading. I was looking at it from entirely the wrong perspective. It’s listed as a fantasy/fairy tale so I read it from a fantasy angle. Then I noticed something different. How do I explain it? Around page 70 or so, I came to the realization that while this was a fairy tale, it is a specific kind. Here is how I noticed it:

Occasionally I would run across a passage that seemed out of place (at first.) The passages in question would shift almost to first person, without marking so. Then tell you in an almost narrative style about something in the particular characters past. I couldn't figure it out! At first I thought it might be a simple error, but around the third time it happened I realized this was no editorial error. These passages were clearly put there on purpose and for a specific reason. We were driving down the road and I was discussing the book with my mom (she’s a very good listener) when somehow the topic drifted to Disneyland and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Then, it struck me. The book was written in a classic fairy tale fashion, just without old English words such as thy (etc..) In other words: A classic with out muddled meanings. Classic lovers, enjoy. Once I had pinned the style down, I enjoyed reading it!  I did feel as though the synopsis didn't do it justice. I couldn't find a better way to word it though.

Progeny (The Children of the White Lions #1) by R.T. Kaelin

Nikalys and his sister Kenders grew up living a peaceful life in the quiet farming village of Yellow Mud…until one blistering hot summer day when they went to the nearby lake for a swim. When they reached the lake, they saw and unknown mage conjure a massive water creature hundreds of feet tall. They watched in horror as the monstrous creation plunged toward their home, apparently drowning all in its path, including their parents and older brother, Jak. As the only survivors, brother and sister strike out on their own, hoping to discover the reason their home and family was destroyed. They must make their way through a countryside where magic is outlawed, punishable by imprisonment or even death, while struggling with the revelation that Kenders has magical abilities herself. Ancient, powerful forces seek them on their travels- some intending to eliminate the threat they pose, and some hoping to help them fulfill a destiny of which they are unaware. Myths and Legends come to life, whisking the pair along a journey they never could have imagined possible.

This book was the hardest book I have ever read. Not in the good way either. You may have read my review for ‘Allon’ by Shawn Lamb, I mentioned that it had a unique style that would be most appreciated by experienced readers. This is totally different. To be blunt, this was a major waste of my time. Tons of reviewers have given it good reviews (haven’t seen one below five stars yet.) I don’t see where they get ‘almost as good as the Chronicles of Narnia.’ I suppose it’s all up to opinion. The syntax was muddled, and the content was constantly redundant. I would sometimes have to re-read ENTIRE paragraphs to understand what was going on. Or, one of my favorite mishaps was learning that after four pages that the view had switched to a completely new character in a completely different place. I almost felt physically exhausted after reading it. I would stop after about twenty pages and do something else (within the course of one hundred pages, I read four other books), it was sucking the energy right out of me. I really do not like being a negative person, but I couldn’t find anything positive.I would definitely not recommend this book.

BOOK HAS SINCE BEEN EDITED AND REPUBLISHED.

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!