Tunnels -- Full of Action and Adventure
347271
I'm a 6th grade teacher, and so I often read the books that I think my students will enjoy. I didn't know anything about this book before I picked it up, but boy, am I glad I read this one. A fresh idea and twists and turns at every corner will keep you turning the pages of this book. Even though the intended audience is the 11+ crowd, I found that I couldn't put it down. It was a bit slow to start, but once all the introductory features were out of the way, it picked up pace and really kept moving. It's got action, adventure, suspense, death....all the things that kids of this age group enjoy in a novel. The end of the book will have you clamorning for the next one, as the story is definitely NOT concluded at the end of this book. Kudos to Gordon and Williams. This is a piece of children's literature that will keep them coming back for more!
4101428
This book has a lot of action, interesting characters, and foreign locales.  Good balance of action, humor, adventure, and intrigue.  Just when you think you know what is coming up next, the story jumps into the next escape.  Hard to put down.  Waiting for the next book from this author.
2262191
Kathryn Johnson does a wonderful job of weaving space technology and action adventure together into this tense race against time.

NASA scietist Kate Foster thinks she is developing technology that will help solve our global energy problems, but when terrorists burst into her lab and kill one of her team, the whole project is turned upside down.  They plan to use her satellites as a weaponto extract a gigantic ransom from the U. S. government, and when they launch a demonstration of their power, Kate and security expert Daniel Rooker must race to stop the next deadly attackif they can only figure out where the bad guys are located. Is it West Virginia, Connecticut or Italy?

There are lots of twists and turns in this exciting story, including doubts cast on the loyalty of Kates remaining team members.  And youll wonder if theres any way the relationship between Kate and Rooker can possibly work out.  An incident in Kates past has made her vow to never pick up a gun.  But can she do it to save someone close to her?

Although Kate Foster is the heroine of this story, Mercy OBrien, who stars in the first two book of the series, has a strong secondary role in this adventure.
2490348
Another excellent novel from Connolly. Matt Rix takes us to Turkey where he's gone 'off-reservation' and is on a mission to hunt a familiar enemy. But when the British military become embroiled in the same mission, things quickly become complicated and dangerous for Rix. Just when I thought things were going in the right direction, the story takes a few twists and turns that kept me firmly on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed the adventure and recommend this book highly to anyone who enjoys some ripsnorting, action-packed, fast-paced storytelling by an author who's been there and done it for real.
4276785
This third book of the Adventure series has all the elements that make it difficult to stop reading in the middle:  Fast-paced action, burnt old houses, caves and secret tunnels, treasure, and four children who try to outwit bad guys while trapped in a remote and lonely valley. In my opinion, it is the best of the series. I prefer the original Adventure books that include terrific drawings by Stuart Tresilian which make the reader feel as if he or she is actually a participant in the story.
4489941
This is a strong sequel with action that moves the story forward. My rating 4.25.

Derry and a handful of undergrounders have escaped from the evil Dr. Lyong and the city of Craniopolis. Derry saw her brother, Owen, struck down and fall even as he facilitated the escape of their Hovermede. She believed he sacrificed himself for the mission but she is told that as the craft flew away, Owen was seen alive and captured by the Security Cyborgs.

Derry is intent on rescuing Owen from Craniopolis, hopefully before Dr. Lyong uses his horrible synthesizer equipment to experiment on him like so many of the damaged humans abandoned within the city. Some of the Undergrounders are willing to support her but others vote not to be involved. Derry knows she will need huge reinforcements before attempting to reenter Craniopolis. She hopes to recruit the dangerous Rogues whose camp is beyond Shoshane City. She goes to the city first and discovers a community of survivors led by a strong leader, Jerome, who has his own secrets. These survivors live under the threat of the Sweepers from Craniopolis so Derry convinces them to join in the attack to wipe away the common enemy. One of Jeromes conditions is that the deformed and damaged humans are rescued too.

Convincing the brutal Rogues to cooperate is more dangerous and trickier. Derry is using Rummy, Blades brother, as a hostage for negotiation. They manage to capture Blade and then use both to obtain a meeting with the mysterious, dark Rogue leader known as The Ghost. Finally, a combined group proceed with the mission. Each step of the attack has its own risk and it will take a lot of coordination and a bit of luck to overcome the security force.

This is book two and I enjoyed the intense action and the new characters added in this sequel. I also liked the plot dilemmas of trusting enemies in a combined effort and weighing attempts at negotiation rather than violence. Ms. Hinkens style of presentation in first person present is a bit differed but works fine once the reader adjusts. This story has an end point but includes a surprise that leaves more danger ahead. I do recommend this to readers who like dystopian with action.

I received this title from the author for an honest review.
598549
In the Prologue, the reader is exposed to a picture of acute fear: someone running to escape horror and death.  The novel then reverts to almost two days earlier.  The story begins to unfold, drawing the reader willingly toward the Catacombs.  From the Prologue, the reader wonders what monstrosities inhabit the underearth.  Parts of the novel are edge of your seat action and suspense, but the story is more than that.  There are insights into human nature. We see it in the contrasting personalities of the explorers and in the contrast between evil that becomes pervasive and accepted as normal in the Catacombs and the un-evil and at times good within the explorers.  The characters are colorful, engaging, and believable with contrasting personalities that adds interest.  The writing is polished -- descriptive narrative that pulls the reader along.  Reviewed by the author of The Children's Story, About Good and Evil.
2887000
Trespassers is a fast-paced, immersive ride with characters you care about on both sides of the struggle. The combat action is exciting and well-described; you don't find yourself far-reaching passages just to keep things straight. The dialogue flows well and never seems stilted.

Downloading the next installment as I write this!
1244634
Peter Ash is an ex-marine, deployed for eight years in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now he's unemployed (though not without financial resources) and so wracked by post-traumatic stress that he can't live or sleep indoors. Compulsive hiking brings him into contact with June Cassidy. She, too, is on the run, not from memories but from real men with guns, men who are hunting for her in the forest.

I particularly liked the scenes with Peter and June among the California redwoods. Both of them are seasoned climbers, and the treetops are their refuge. Peter is the quintessential action hero, a boy scout with muscles, a warrior at home with every known weapon. June's life is under threat, and that's all it takes to activate Peter's protective impulse. As it turns out, June is a fighter and can mostly take care of herself, but two warriors are better than one. Later Peter's combat pals will also turn up to help too. They are a fun bunch.

The enemy is unclear, but they have trained killers at their bidding and lots of firepower. They want to get hold of an advanced algorithm that June's mother developed (and got murdered for). They assume June has this advanced artificial intelligence program. Technology drives the plot. June is never separated from her laptop.

There are some terrific villains, but the bad guys are not always easy to tell from the good guys. The action is almost non-stop. The reader can look forward to lots of gunfire, burning cars, stealthy stalking, and a high body count among the bad guys.

Burning Bright is a clever, well-written thriller with shocks and surprises at every turn. I burned through it quickly, and can recommend it to fans of the thriller genre.
2081528
Action, adventure, romance and suspense. The DeValery Code has them all. In some ways the story comes across as National Treasure meets Raiders of the Lost Ark. It draws you in and takes you along for the ride with Margery and Rhys as they look for a secret treasure based on a rumored mysterious code. I received a copy of The DeValery Code for an honest review. Strong characters and fun thrill ride equals a good story.
4481737
Kenly is on the run. She's a stranger in a strange land. No one must know who or what she is. She is being hunted both by United agents and tracked by the poachers who want to sell her. London is a dangerous place until she is rescued by new friends who are outcasts. Can she trust them? Kenly is a Higher Reasoning Talent who is now isolated from her previous life. I was caught up in Kenly's struggle to survive as she faces new dangers. Her new friends have special talents that helps them evade capture, but for how long. I enjoyed seeing her evaluate her past life with a new understanding and maturity. These new characters add depth and emotion to the story. I loved her tender and sweet romance with James. This is a fast-paced, well written story. London provides the perfect setting. I was overcome as the tension and violence increased against the Chromes. The new setting and new characters helped her become a stronger person. It was impossible to put this book down. I needed to know what was happening. It's a roller coaster ride filled with emotion and unexpected surprises. I can't wait for the adventure to continue.
1570056
Plenty of action, fantasy and mystery--a little darker than I would have liked, but the adventures kept me fully engaged.
2438400
This book is loads of fun.  It follows a ghul hunter as he fights various summoned creatures while trying to find the sorcerer who is doing the summoning.

It's definitely the "sword and sorcery" genre.  It's a great action adventure piece.  I loved the different descriptions of the various ghuls and how to defeat them.  The fight scenes were very exciting and enjoyable.

I also really loved the religion that was common within the city of Dhamsawaat.  It was one where it is excepted that there are magical demons and ghouls that plague mankind.  These are all the work of the "traitorous angel" which is such a neat description of what Christians refer to as the devil.  I hope the sequels give us a bigger glimpse into their faith and religious practices.

On a less positive note, I didn't feel like the characterization was super strong.  The characters felt a little one dimensional.  Raseed's struggle with how best to follow God was the exception to this rule.  I loved his struggle with the fact that he had to kill in order to protect his city.  The other characters, whether good or bad, seemed to have much less nuance.

That being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.  I loved the ending.  The story was wrapped up in a satisfying way, but it still left an opening for the sequel to step in.

Language: some, but infrequent
Violence:  sword fighting, spell casting, most is not gorey but 1 or 2 scenese get pretty brutal
Sex:  references to bearing children, nothing more explicit than that
2216195
ERIN HUNTER HAS done it again! In this book you experience the life of a WindClan warrior who's father wants him to become a tunneler. Tallkit loves the feel of Wind in his fur and can't stand the thought of being trapped underground. Under teasing of Shrewkit he grows. Moons later Tallpaw becomes a moor runner apprentice against his parents will,  Sandgorse, Tallpaw's father has taken him underground for the required training for every apprentice. (They must spend a day underground) when the tunnelers strike water the cats barely escape with their life. Tallpaw sees Woolytail emerge from a tunnel while on patrol. His mentor Dawnstripe discovers the flood and reports it to Heatherstar who shuts down the tunnel Tallpaws father worked on for a season. Sandgorse is furious and won't speak to Tallpaw. Hs blames him for the operation ending. When rogues come to spend Greenleaf with Windclan, a cat named Sparrow convinces Sandgorse to show him the tunnel when it collapses killing Sandgorse. Tallpaw blames Sparrow and when the rogues leave at Leaffall Tallpaw now Talltail tracks them down to avenge his fathers death. Instead he makes a sincere friend, reveals who he truly is, and learns where his heart lies.

This book is a great adventure waiting to happen! You haven't lived until you've read Erin Hunter's newest addition to the warrior world. Tallstar's Revenge

  Palestream of Riverclan
686817
Great underground compound concept! This may be the middle book of the series, but it isn't just a ploy to get you to read the next one. Plenty of content and action. I spent the entire book trying to second guess when zombies would come into play. Surprises await...
499420
Waterhole is a very well written western tale that takes the reader on an adventurous ride through nail-biting, action-packed events. The well-developed characters make the reader feel a real-live part of the 1800's in the southwest. Historical details are researched so that information is accurate, making it even more believable. Just when the story seems to reach resolutions, the reader is taken on another ride, with unpredictable twists and turns, making the book difficult to put down. If you want to sink into a true to life western, this is the book for you!
4766449
Leigh K. Hunt delivers an adventure that moves along at triphammer speed and doesnt let up.  I read this book without knowing anything about it going in, and boy was I pleasantly surprised.  Mack leads us on an exhilarating ride that will leave you breathless!  The action is blended expertly with sentiment, compelling me to keep telling myself just one more chapter until, before I knew it, the sun was coming up.
This is an author, and series, you don't want to miss!