Review of Nyxia, by Scott Reintgen

TOTAL - ★★★☆☆Nyxia tells the story of fifteen-year-old Emmett, who is enlisted along with nine other teens to partake in a competition. The eight who pass get unlimited riches and search a recently discovered planet for the new "black gold," nyxia. Nyxia really surprised me. It was like Survivor and The Hunger Games! In space! The characters were incredibly diverse

The Shadows of Vellair, Part 8

In the morning, it was still dark. The sky was permanently black now, with shades of red mixed in. Was the voice still there, or had it all been a dream? I will always be here, the voice whispered. My fists clenched at Vellair’s sentence. I didn’t want to disobey, or I’d die. But the

The Shadows of Vellair, Part 7

My vision came back into focus. I was sitting on the floor of the cart. How am I still thinking? My father was sitting up, dazed. Then he looked at me. His eyes filled with tears, and I turned away, ashamed that I had disobeyed him. Kikona turned around from atop the shadow horse. Its

The Shadows of Vellair, Part 6

The gray sky hung above me, tinted slightly red. But it wasn’t the sun. The sun was long gone. It had vanished when we had left the village. I sat up. I could barely move. A thin sheen of ice rested on my body. My father’s eyes had deep bags beneath them. Icicles hung from

The Shadows of Vellair, Part 5

“Oh no, mother,” I cried. I put my ear against her chest. A weak, almost silent heartbeat thrummed. “Father . . . no! I — I have to save her too! She’s dying!” I looked into my father’s eyes, which were clouded with sadness. “Kikona! Please! Save my —” I started to yell, but my

The Shadows of Vellair, Part 4

I awoke with my father leaning over me. His eyes no longer looked dead. In fact, they were awake and alert.  “You aren’t dead?” I asked, my throat stinging. “You saved me,” he said, though something hung in his eyes; something haunting him. “Why do you look so scared?” I asked. “The shadow-man took your

The Shadows of Vellair, Part 3

Here it is!!! Part three!!! 🤗 My parents still laid on the floor of the cart, possibly never to wake again. The shadow creature was moving quickly over the path, as I could feel a swift night breeze blowing over me. The curtain of blackness made it impossible to see, but I felt branches and

The Shadows of Vellair, Part 2

So, I tend to stick to the scheduling of posts on my main blog, as this website tends to be my "archives." But I'm feeling daring today, so here you go! The much unanticipated part of my newest short story! (LOL. Nobody reads this. But I do these intros anyway.) As always, subscribe for more

The Shadows of Vellair, Part 1

Hello, whoever is reading this post (probably not anyone, but I try). This is the first part of my short story series, The Shadows of Vellair. Warning: It's dark. My writing gets like that sometimes. 😂 If you enjoy this post, please like it and subscribe to this blog for more of The Shadows of

2020-2021 Battle of the Books and Black-Eyed Susan Nominees

I am going to write thirty mini reviews on the elementary and middle school Black-Eyed Susan and Battle of the Books lists (these are the nominations for Maryland, but I highly recommend you check the books out for your state!). However, some of the books aren't available to me or I didn't read all the

Review of the “Enchanted Forest Chronicles”

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles is one of the most beloved fantasy series for children, written by Patricia C. Wrede. The first book in the series, Dealing with Dragons, is told from Princess Cimorene's perspective as she goes to live with a dragon, which is customary in her world. The next book, Searching for Dragons, is

Why writing is so important during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for everyone, especially teens and those with anxiety and depression. It is healthy for all people to maintain healthy relationships with others outside of their homes, most importantly teens. I know first-hand that my friends can help me through certain issues that my family can't during my teenage years,