Ack, it's been so long. I apologize, but really there's been no time! Alright, fine, there was time, but I spent it doing other things. Like reading. And writing. And doing homework. And writing book reports. And research reports. And drawing. And making my sister's present (a quote jar). And baking.
Speaking of writing, I failed Camp NaNo epically, with a total of around 10,000 words out of my goal of 20,000. Nice going, Corina. It was really fun writing about Annora, though and towards the end of the month, I started a short-story-thingy about two girls who may or may not turn out to be a couple. Hm.
And reading! Ah yes, one of my favorite activities. For the quote jar, I dug out my sister's copies of the Tapestry series. She only had the first three, not the Maelstorm, but I made do with that. And 'accidentally' got sidetracked and practically re-read the first one in process. I'd forgotten how wonderful those books were. I might do a review on them later, but for now, I'm goign to reveiw another book I read in that time: The Vengekeep Prophecies by Brian Farrey

Jaxter Grimjinx is a born thief. At least, he's supposed to be. For generations, the Grimjinx clan has produced the swiftest, cleverest thieves in Vengekeep. The problem is, Jaxter is clumsy. So clumsy that in his first solo heist, he sets the Castellan's house on fire and lands his family in prison. Even Jaxter's talent for breaking magical locks can't get them out of this bind.

Then a suspiciously convenient prophecy emerges, naming the Grimjinx clan as the soon-to-be heroes of Vengekeep. It's good enough to get his family out of jail, but when the doomsday prophecy starts to come true, Jaxter is pretty sure a life behind bars would be a better fate. Now, with the help of his new friend, Callie, Jaxter will have to face down flaming monsters, a bazaar of thieves, and a renegade sorcerer to become the hero he was truly born to be.

I really enjoyed this book because it was well put-together, hilarious and action-packed. Aside from a couple problems, the characters were awesome and I loved the way Jaxter's family acted. I found that the plot was secure, with no holes or weak points and it was quite cleverly thought up. I loved the way it all built up to the ending too.

The problems I had with the characters were just little things, that didn't really bother me that much. For me, Callie seemed too much like the typical spunky, hot-headed heroine. I liked how Jaxter was so unique, but I didn't like how Callie was put there. Because, usually when there is a character like Jaxter, there's a character like Callie to support him. I thought maybe it would have worked better if she had been different. But that was basically all.

Anyways, I definitely recommend it and I can't wait to get the next one!

"Sorry, son, what was that? I was too busy ignoring you." - Da