A Hidden Magic is a great book. In A Hidden Magic a not-so-ordinary princess (Jennifer) and a handsome but self-centered prince (Alexander) wander into a magical forest, but a magic mirror casts a spell on Alexander making him fall into an endless sleep. Jennifer ends up teaming up with a not-so-powerful warlock named Norman thus, beginning their adventure to save Alexander. I think that A Hidden magic has an awesome plot line and the characters are very colorful. There is almost every magical creature you can think of in this book, from dragons to giants to genies to witches and warlocks. If you enjoy fantasy books you will love A Hidden Magic.

Once upon a time-before kings and queens were replaced by an act of congress and when kissing a frog still sometimes resulted in more than a case of warts-there lived a young princess named Jennifer.

So begins Vivian Vande Velde's fairy tale, A Hidden Magic. As you might expect, Jennifer meets Prince Charming who is immediately bowled over by her grace and beauty. The two marry and live happily ever after, having perfect children who someday grow up to have perfect children of their own. Well, okay, so Prince Charming isn't really bowled over by her beauty. And he isn't really that charming. In fact, I've rarely met a more egotistical (self-centered) stuck up prig in my life. But he is pretty to look at, and to a young somewhat homely girl like Jennifer that seems important.

This story is an obvious parody (misrepresentation) of the standard fairy tale. A Hidden Magic feels somewhat predictable at times. This book is almost exactly the opposite of the standard "handsome prince rescues princess" story, which we are all used to reading and in its attempt to parody it loses much in the way of originality.

The characters are:
Jennifer, a princess who's a bit homely and works at her father's old, run-down castle. Later, when she is faced with adversity (difficulty), she reacts well, keeping her goal in mind and doing her best to achieve it. She has a chubby, good-natured kind of face that parents would tend to call nice and sweet disposition (character) and really is quite a likable girl, but certainly isn't your typical princess.

Prince Alexander is a bold, arrogant (self-centered), proud, exquisite to look at and totally aware of it, and generally a royal pain. Women fall all over him and her knows it. He feels superior to everyone because he is the son of the king who reigns in a very wealthy place. He has curly golden hair, deep blue eyes, and very broad shoulders. In many ways, he is a very stereotypical (trite) royal.

Norman had the ability to change shape with the help of the ring that the old sorcerer gave him. But, underneath his outward appearance, he is always the same rather young and lonely sorcerer. Norman is steadfast (dedicated), loyal, clever, and has a good sense of humor. He is willing to make sacrifices for those he cares for.

The Magical Mirror serves the evil witch, living in one of her many residences in the enchanted forest. He has little patience for stupidity and dishonesty and reacts badly when Prince Alexander tries to steal him. He leaves Jennifer with a riddle to help her save the prince.

Malveenya, the evil witch, is known as the most evil creature in the enchanted forest. The townspeople erected a magical wall to keep her in the enchanted forest and away from civilized folks because of her propensity (tendency) for damage. The owner of the magical mirror, Norman and Jennifer must eventually face Malveenya in their quest to rescue the not-so-charming prince.

I wasn't sure it I'd like this book, but I found it great to pick up and read in an evening. It's make you smile, makes you laugh and is just plain entertaining.

The characters are all very colourful. The upstart of Alexander, the quiet and shy Jennifer, and then there's Norman about whom you can't write much about, but he completes the story.

The thing you will love most about the book is the ending, someone gets their just desserts...

A Hidden Magic is a great book. In A Hidden Magic a not-so-ordinary princess (Jennifer) and a handsome but self-centered prince (Alexander) wander into a magical forest, but a magic mirror casts a spell on Alexander making him fall into an endless sleep. Jennifer ends up teaming up with a not-so-powerful warlock named Norman thus, beginning their adventure to save Alexander. I think that A Hidden magic has an awesome plot line and the characters are very colorful. There is almost every magical creature you can think of in this book, from dragons to giants to genies to witches and warlocks. If you enjoy fantasy books you will love A Hidden Magic.

Once upon a time-before kings and queens were replaced by an act of congress and when kissing a frog still sometimes resulted in more than a case of warts-there lived a young princess named Jennifer.

So begins Vivian Vande Velde's fairy tale, A Hidden Magic. As you might expect, Jennifer meets Prince Charming who is immediately bowled over by her grace and beauty. The two marry and live happily ever after, having perfect children who someday grow up to have perfect children of their own. Well, okay, so Prince Charming isn't really bowled over by her beauty. And he isn't really that charming. In fact, I've rarely met a more egotistical (self-centered) stuck up prig in my life. But he is pretty to look at, and to a young somewhat homely girl like Jennifer that seems important.

This story is an obvious parody (misrepresentation) of the standard fairy tale. A Hidden Magic feels somewhat predictable at times. This book is almost exactly the opposite of the standard "handsome prince rescues princess" story, which we are all used to reading and in its attempt to parody it loses much in the way of originality.

The characters are:
Jennifer, a princess who's a bit homely and works at her father's old, run-down castle. Later, when she is faced with adversity (difficulty), she reacts well, keeping her goal in mind and doing her best to achieve it. She has a chubby, good-natured kind of face that parents would tend to call nice and sweet disposition (character) and really is quite a likable girl, but certainly isn't your typical princess.

Prince Alexander is a bold, arrogant (self-centered), proud, exquisite to look at and totally aware of it, and generally a royal pain. Women fall all over him and her knows it. He feels superior to everyone because he is the son of the king who reigns in a very wealthy place. He has curly golden hair, deep blue eyes, and very broad shoulders. In many ways, he is a very stereotypical (trite) royal.

Norman had the ability to change shape with the help of the ring that the old sorcerer gave him. But, underneath his outward appearance, he is always the same rather young and lonely sorcerer. Norman is steadfast (dedicated), loyal, clever, and has a good sense of humor. He is willing to make sacrifices for those he cares for.

The Magical Mirror serves the evil witch, living in one of her many residences in the enchanted forest. He has little patience for stupidity and dishonesty and reacts badly when Prince Alexander tries to steal him. He leaves Jennifer with a riddle to help her save the prince.

Malveenya, the evil witch, is known as the most evil creature in the enchanted forest. The townspeople erected a magical wall to keep her in the enchanted forest and away from civilized folks because of her propensity (tendency) for damage. The owner of the magical mirror, Norman and Jennifer must eventually face Malveenya in their quest to rescue the not-so-charming prince.

I wasn't sure it I'd like this book, but I found it great to pick up and read in an evening. It's make you smile, makes you laugh and is just plain entertaining.

The characters are all very colourful. The upstart of Alexander, the quiet and shy Jennifer, and then there's Norman about whom you can't write much about, but he completes the story.

The thing you will love most about the book is the ending, someone gets their just desserts...

I often get YA books to review, but I usually glance and put them aside. This one caught me and I started reading. Couldn't stop until I'd finished. What a charming writer! Seems to me a likely successor to Judy Blume and Robert Cormier. This fast novel has all the elements of modern life's challenges (a distant gay dad, a lukewarmly welcomed but pretty decent stepdad, misbehaving hair that ruins more than a day, glasses you try to take off whenever dreamboat is around, an almost too-protective mom, and a sister who did everything beautifully, or did she?). It's the humorous tone that attracted me, but the sharp psychological insights are everywhere too. The suspense about missing Alison is relatively low-key, but manacingly present throughout. The ending worked perfectly, in the context of the protagonist's philosophy of life, which includes both randomness and acceptance.

As a writing instructor (online mainly), I'm going to be recommending this one for all YA writers to take notes from.

Spellbound is the omnibus edition offered by the Science Fiction Book Club containing two books: The Changeling Prince and The Conjurer Princess. I found both to be quirky, imaginative fantasy, though darker and for an older audience than VVV's other books.

The Changeling Prince is the story of Weiland, who is only human when the sorceress Daria chooses to change him from his natural wolf shape. At sixteen, he has already learned to survive at all costs against Daria's cruel whims and his brutal companions. Life in Daria's hall with her other creatures (bears, birds, mice all turned into humans) is harsh, but it takes a drastic turn for the worst when Daria decides to take her changelings to town with her. While masquerading as one of the bodyguards, Weiland discovers Daria's insidious plans and true identity. He also learns the value of human companionship and kindness. Weiland finds he must make a decision: keep quiet and watch Daria destroy an innocent family, or tell his new friends about Daria and risk her punishment. Or worse, at her death, be transformed back into a wolf for the rest of his life...

The Conjurer Princess takes place some ten years after the events of The Changeling Prince. At her sister Beryl's wedding, Lylene watches in horror as an invading lord kills Beryl's husband and kidnaps Beryl. After half a year, when no one seems to be taking action against this crime, she decides to go by herself and rescue Beryl. She first goes to the wizard Harkta to learn magic from her, but the magic has unexpected side effects... However, armed with her newly acquired powers of conjuring a temporary fetch of anything, Lylene is ready to take on the world. On the road, accompanied by two mercenaries named Weiland and Shile, she must separate friend from foe and find the truths in a world where nothing is as it seems.

Of the two, I liked The Conjurer Princess better; it's an often bittersweet, painfully realistic fairy tale. Lylene is not your typical sweet and beautiful princess, though she is basically honorable and consistently tries to do the right thing. The Changeling Prince is also excellent in a darker way, with fully developed, atypical characters and a quickly moving plot. This anthology also includes a short story called "Just Another Dragon-Slaying" which tells a bit about What Happened After; it falls in chronological order after The Conjurer Princess. Anyway, YA fantasy fans looking for something a little more reality-driven should try this duet. It's entirely unlike any other I've read.

Ailanna

When I read The Silver Kiss (Annette Curtis Klause), I was positive that it couldn't get any better than that. I was wrong. This book definitely takes the cake in it's genre. When Kerry, an average 16-year-old, with a learner's permit and a Mom who abandoned her family, grudgingly drives to a laundromat late at night to retrieve her little brother's stuffed koala bear, she unknowingly gets involved with a world of mystery and vampires when she meets Ethan, gagged and bloddied, and suspected of being a vampire by a group of vamp hunters. Which, of course isn't a good thing for Ethan. Her beliving there are no such thing of vampires, she helps him escape, and she assumes she'll never see him again. She's wrong. When her family goes missing, Ethan is the only one who can help her find them, and Kerry is the only one who can help Ethan get the revenge he wants on the vamp hunters. Things get more complicated when Kerry realizes she's fallen in love with Ethan, and... oh yeah, he really IS a vampire. The characters are well developed, and the plot has tons of twists. The many facades and uncertainties that surround Ethan will keep you guessing throughout the whole book. if you like vampires and romance, buy. This. Book. Now. I cried at the end, probably due a combination of the way the book touched me so deeply, and the fact that there is no sequel yet. Because, not to give away the ending, but it is wide open for a sequel. Unfortunately, it was written in 95', and we're still waiting ....but I haven't lost hope! Good luck trying not to read it in one sitting ;-).

I've just recently gotten into vampires, and I found Companions of the Night while browsing through amazon.com. Intrigued, I read some of the reviews, and knew that I had to read this book!

It all begins when Kerry's little brother Ian asks her to go to the laundromat to get Footy, his stuffed koala bear, which he'd left there earlier that day. Kerry is reluctant to go, since it's 11:00 at night, she has a test the next day on a book she hasn't finished, and she doesn't have her driver's license yet. But she can't resist her little brother's pleas, so she goes anyway. The action starts when a group of men burst into the laundromat while Kerry is there, dragging a tied-up and bloodied young man who they believe is a vampire. Kerry, knowing there is no such thing as vampires, helps the young man escape.

But the next day when Kerry's dad doesn't pick her up from work, she's worried that it has something to do with the events of last night. But then the young man, Ethan, shows up to give her a ride home... where she discovers that her dad and brother have been kidnapped by a crazed vampire hunter. Having run out of options, Kerry asks Ethan for help in finding her family--and learns that vampires do exist, and Ethan is one of them. Can she trust him to help her rescue her family, or is he using her to get at the vampire hunter? She doesn't know who to trust, or even whether she'll live through the night.

Companions of the Night is filled to the brim with action, suspense, romance, and even a little humor. It instantly became a favorite, and I am looking forward to buying it and reading it again and again. If you like vampires, romance, and a superb hard-to-put-down story, this book is just the thing for you.

This is the only book I have ever read more than once! If you've read The Silver Kiss, Shattered Mirror, or any other Vivian Vande Velde books, or vampire books for that matter, you're guaranteed to love this! There are no one, or two star ratings, and that's gotta tell you something. Many of the other reviews of this book end in people saying they want a continuation, and trust me, in the end, you'll well agree. This was the book that got me interested in vampire books, and it's so well written. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that I never could picture what Ethan really looked like, even though she descirbed it very well, and I tried countless times.
It's about a sixteen year old girl named Kerry Nowicki, who, at eleven at night, can't resist her brother's pleas for her to retrieve Footy, his stuffed koala bear, from the 24-hour laundromat he left it at earlier in the day. Kerry's father is sleeping, and her mother left their family for another man. She only has her learners permit, so she has to do this quick.
When she gets there, she finds Footy, and is just about to head out the door, when, all of a sudden, three men come in dragging a fourth, Ethan Bryne (who by the way is really, really hot, his charater is mysterious, incredibly seductive to Kerry, and he's a bad boy, so this is a good book for bad boy fans), who's gagged and bloodied. They spot her, and she has no time to escape. She learns the men believe that Ethan is a vampire, and they think she may well be one also. They allow her to help Ethan with his wounds, so as not to make a nuisance of herself, she doesn't believe anything they say, Ethan seems so helpless, and she has no reason to doubt that he's innocent of everything they're accusing him of, so, she decides to....read it to see what happens.
If you've never read this book before, ENJOY it the first time, I couldn't bring myself to give any of it away, that would ruin it, and you don't want this book ruined the first time you read it. I wish I could read it again, forgetting everything that happened, because the first time is a once in a lifetime thing.
If you don't even like vampire books, this'll change your mind. It's a combination of suspense, and romance, with murder, kidnapping, stealing, vampires, and thrill after thrill, what more can you ask for in one book? I don't think you'd be reading this if you couldn't read, but if you can GET. THIS. BOOK. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, ENJOY IT THE FIRST TIME.
You may never feel the same about any other book, I looked for some more vampire books, but none look this good!!

There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around

There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around by Vivian Vande Velde is about a ghost haunting a family who lives in Rochester, New York. Ted, 12, has a little sister named Vicki who claims she has an imaginary friend. At first nobody believes her, but as time goes by Ted starts to think she is telling the truth. Things get serious for Ted when he has a bad dream about a dead corpse following him. Ted decides to question his grandmother to see if anyone has died in his house and she tells him about a journal in the attic. The journal tells about Vicki's imaginary friend and her mother haunting Ted and his family . Ted calls his cousin Jackie to help him get rid of the ghost. Jackie suggests that they hold a "ring" ceremony in order to contact the ghost. When one of the ghosts overtake Vicki's body, Ted is determined to try and save his sister from becoming one of them. Ted will need Jackie's help and lots of courage to transplant the two ghosts back to a happier resting place.

This book is a fun and thrilling novel, and I recommmend it for ages 9-13. The readers of the book will enjoy it because it has some scary parts but then again some adventurous and humorous parts. If you read this book, you will have fun reading and will recommend it to your friends or fellow classmates.

What could possibly be scarier than your brother or sister ruining your school project? I can't think of anything except coming home to find our that your project has been ruined by a GHOST! This is just what happened to Ted when he left his Luxemburg project alone at home for a few hours. But why would a ghost want to bother Ted or destroy his project for that matter? Something that happened at Ted's house long ago is not only back to haunt him, but his sister as well. It is Ted's job to find out who or what was haunting him, his sister, and their house. This novel keeps your attention from the first to the last page. It provides both suspense and a learning experience for the reader. Each chapter is full of significant historical events which would motivate students to research why those events are so important. It could also help spur classroom discussions or teaching lessons in many different subject areas. This book would be appropriate for middle school aged students. I encourage each person to read this book both for the spook and for the learning experience!

This book is set in the present, but takes you back to the past by painting mental images. It begins with Ted's sister talking to her imaginary friend. Most people have an imaginary friend at one time or another during their childhood, and Ted didn't think much about it when his sister told him she was talking to her new friend. Then strange and unusual things began to happen. Ted's Luxemburg project is tossed around in the basement. He begins having nightmares and becomes sick one night after waking up from a bad dream. He dreamt he was drowning, and that he had swallowed alot of water. This convinces Ted that his house must be haunted, and that his sister's 'friend' is actually a ghost. The problem is that there seems to be a bad ghost haunting them also. As Ted delves into the fact that his house may be haunted, he uncovers many things. When he called his grandparents to ask about the house, he learned that his great, great grandmother kept a journal, and that it might be up in the attic. As he searches through the attic, he is faced with the ghost trying to keep from it. The first time he attempted opening the attic door, it was slammed shut and the key flew out of the lock. Determined to find the journal, he tries again, only to have boxes and books fly off shelves at him. As he read the journal, he discovered who the ghosts were, and what happened to them.
This book keeps you guessing at every turn of the page. It is definitely a book you can't put down until you're finished. I feel it is an excellent book, and well worth reading. There are many ways educators can tie this book into lesson plans and framework competencies.

This book is about witchcraft. In the story, Selwyn, the 17-year old boy, is accused of a murder.Farold is the guy who is murdered. Selwyn is innocent, but he is punished. He was sent to a burial cave and was locked. The witch helped him get out of there and made Farold alive in a bat's body. You'll have to find out who is the real murderer when you read the book. I greatly recommend this book. It's a GREAT BOOK!

Never Trust a Dead Man is a highly entertaining, humorous and original. An intriguing mystery. Vivian Vande Velde has written a tight knit mystery, with a host of characters-most of them suspects. With puzzle pieces all over the place, I could not wait to finish the tale to see what the final picture displayed.

Selwyn is a young man, working the farmland with his father when a mob from the village shows up. Selwyn has been accused of murdering Farold. The villagers have all the proof they need. Both had been courting beautiful Anora. Recently, Anora chose Farold to marry. Perhaps embarrassed, Selwyn started a fight with Farold, in which Farold won. To make matters worse, it was Selwyn's knife found at the murder scene.

Selwyn, in front of a Star Chamber proceeding, is sentenced to be sealed with Farold's corpse in the community burial. Thought to be doomed, Selwyn cannot believe when he encounters a witch. With hasty promises made, the witch agrees to help Selwyn out of the tomb. She also agrees to bring Farold back, so he can tell Selwyn who the true murderer is. The spell goes awry and Farold is returned as a bat. Worse, he does not know who killed him.

Promising to serve the witch as a slave for many years, Selwyn and Farold set out to find the killer and to let Selwyn's family know that he is all right. The witch, for a price, provides the two with disguises. Selwyn has only one week to solve the crime before he must return to repay his dent to the witch.

Never Trust a Dead Man is just full of laugh-out-loud bantering dialogue, hilarious situations and an insistent sense of urgency to figure out who is responsible for killing Farold. This is a spry and witty, a solid mystery. Vivian Vande Velde is quickly becoming my favorite young adult novelist.
--Phillip Tomasso III, author of Third Ring, Tenth House & Mind Play

Never Trust a Dead Man is about Selwyn (17 year old) who is convicted of a murder. For punishment he has to sit in the burial cave with Farold (dead man). A witch comes to the rescue and helps Selwyn find the true murderer. The witch brings Farold back from the dead. The true murderer was ... You'll have to find out yourself. I would recommend this book to people who like witchcraft and to anyone because I thought it was a GREAT book!

Not only is this adventurous and romantic, it's funny too. The main character is Deanna. When she drops her watch into a well, and it is transported into medievel France, Deanna must get it back before it changes history. She has only one other thing to help her - a cat-turned-into-a-boy. Okay, I know what you're thinking. How in the world could something as simple as a watch change history? Well, suppose someone found it and believed it was something magical. And then, suppose the king found out about this watch, and he took it. Well, you know how these kings get - if one king has something, another king will want it. It could start a war, and then... Well, anyway, Deanna and the cat-boy have to get back the watch. So, in medievel France, Deanna and Oliver (the cat) meet a bunch of annoying (and rather stupid) nobles. And the story goes on with even more adventure. As for the romance, a lady noble falls in love (or at least thinks she has) with Oliver, another (Leonard) decides to marry Deanna, and finally, at the end, Deanna and Oliver fall in love. Okay, so far you haven't heard of anything funny. But there is plenty of humour. Throughout the story Oliver has to get used to being a human (he's used to being a cat and this isn't an easy switch to make). For instance, here's a part where Oliver is having trouble with using expressions.

"'...turns out since Leonard lost so badly, he figures his lady must be a real dog, so he wants to replace her with me.' Oliver stopped and stared at her. 'Leonard is marrying a dog?'"

Oliver also has trouble adjusting to a new diet of human food after all those years of mice. Anyway, if this review hasn't convinced you that this book is either adventurous, romantic, or funny, you probably wouldn't enjoy it. I'd say for ages 8-14.

This book is fun and a fast read! Something that would appeal to people everywhere! The cultur that is woven in with the spell binding words give a sneak peake into the past, something that may appeal to many! a interesting blend of charechters, from a conseated Lady to a cat turned humman! A lively pace is deffinetly attrctive to readers! I deffinitly rate this book absalutly wounderful!

I found this book amusing and well written. Vande Velde twisted comedy with romance having an excelent effect. I think that anyone who likes ficton should read this!