Reign the Earth *and* Imprison the Sky (The Elementae #1 and #2)

Reign the Earth by A. C. Gaughen
This is a series of at least four books:  earth, sky, fire, water. 

Reign the Earth begins  the series with the desert people.   Shalia, daughter of the chief, has volunteered to marry the King of the Tri-Kingdom to bring peace to the earth.  She is prepared to make concessions, have a child, even endure his abuse.  Until she realizes that she is an Elementa, a magic-worker who can control any pure earth product:  trees, rocks, gems, etc… And Calix, the Tri-King, is hunting and destroying the Elementae.  

There is also the prophecy:  the king will be destroyed by an Elementa – and - the king will not live to see his child.  There is of course, the brother to whom Shalia is attracted….

This is a fast read with surprises along the way.  You will find yourself cheering for Shalia as she tries to save her family and the earth.


Book #2: Imprison the Sky takes over with Aspasia, a wind element, who is a pirate, captain of her ship.  We saw her first in Reign the Earth when her ship sailed through the air to crash into the tower that was the slave quarters.  She both rescues slaves and takes slaves on her ship to sell and trade.  She briefly met Shalia there.  

Asp is also one gutsy complex heroine.  All the characters are complex in this second of the series.  Shalia’s brother, Kairos, joins the pirate ship.  It is also becoming obvious that they will need to fight the Tri-king, Calix.  Yes, Calix is still hunting down Shalia, who is now pregnant. And we find that there is a 5th kind of Elementa….and this one is a game-changer.

Another fast-paced novel that leaves you waiting for the third….

Highly recommended for readers ages 14 and up.

The Dead Queen's Club

The Dead Queen’s Club by Hannah Capin
This is going to sound hokey.  In fact, you will be tempted to put off reading this.  But don’t!  It was a hoot and 1/3!

So let’s get the hokey part out of the way:  In a forgettable small Midwest town, the high school is obsessed with football star and gorgeous guy Henry…Plantagenet.  He’s now on his 6th girlfriend.  2
are dead.  His first, (Catalina Aragon) left him.  His 2nd (Anna Boleyn) died in a horrible accident where her head was severed.  

We all know that poem, right?  Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survive.

So the not hokey part:  The story is told by Henry’s best friend Annie, who is determined to not only solve the case of the dead girlfriends, but also to clear Henry’s name.  And she is downright 
hilarious:  snarky,  irreverent,  bright and spot-on.

So as the real Anne Boleyn (and the character Anna) said, Ainsi sera groigne qui groigne: Grumble all you like, this is how it’s going to be.

Highly entertaining (and recommended) for ages 14 up.