The Luxe

by Anna Godbersen

2007

The Luxe is a hugely popular series right now. I can understand its appeal. Gorgeous wealthy women who have recently come out to society are choosing their fates, and are struggling with the mores of the past, and the decadence of the present. I appreciate Godbersen's attention to detail. As someone who studies Germanics, it was interesting to note the casual allusion to a Rheinlander, a member of a German immigrant community. Rheinlanders are known to have settled in New York. The story kept me involved, but it was rather predictable because the hook she used allowed me guess most of the story early in the novel. Her novels remind me of a teenage version of Victoria Holt's historical romances. They are definitely romances which usually are created to formula, but stop just short of lurid sex scenes, and blatant nudity. I also appreciate the use of narration, and change in perspective form each young lady, or gentleman. It allows to create more than one main character, and see more than one perspective. This will obviously work well with sequels (as there are three more which I have on reserve at the library). The books will relate well to young women who are romantics at heart wanting more than reality sometimes offers.

Review-The Lost Hero

Heroes of Olympus

The Lost Hero
by Rick Riordan
October 12th, 2010

check out the video on Amazon about the book!

http://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Olympus-Book-One-Lost/dp/142311339X/ref=cm_cmu_pg__header

The Prophecy:



Seven Half bloods shall answer the call
To storm or fire the world must fall
An oath to keep with a final breath
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death


Rick Riordan, with his first book of this new series has blended perfectly bits of the old series into something entirely new. He introduces the concept of Roman mythology with its similiarities and differences to the Greek myths that we have learned in the Percy Jackson stories. He has created a potential time bomb by bringing the two together. Potentially the hostility goes back as far as the heroes from the Trojan war when the sole Trojan survivor Aeneas leaves Troy for Rome after his home had been destroyed by the Greeks. Riordan has also created new likeable characters while not forgetting the old. He becomes more and more adept at weaving these mythological stories into his tales so that it becomes much more than just a retelling of mythological stories. Overall, Riordan continues to create suspenseful stories which can be enjoyed by young readers, and also teach them and lead them to the past great epics and mythologies of the Greeks and Romans.