Good morning, readers!  We have a weekly posting schedule!

I’m going to be doing book reviews every Tuesday, if I can manage it.  I don’t just love writing book reviews, but I decided I’ve read a lot of good books and I needed to share about them.  But this book review should be fun, because I love these books so much!

My Mom got The Black Star of Kingston by S.D. Smith and its sequel, The Green Ember, for free on her kindle recently and started reading The Green Ember.  She started telling me a I needed to read them, and she knew I would really like them.  She read me parts of The Green Ember, and they sounded interesting.  I asked Spencer to get them on my computer so I could read them too.

They are amazing.

Thank you, Mama, I love them!  And you obviously know me very, very well. 🙂

These books are about talking rabbits.  I don’t mind talking animals, but in general I prefer a more Narnian style, in which the animals’ natural behaviors and habitats are preserved.  The bunnies in these books wear clothes, use weapons, make ships, etc.  I was a little skeptical of that at first.

But talking bunnies that use swords, wear capes, and do archery?  Yes, please!!  They were Medieval books, with themes that reminded me of The Lord of the Rings and Robin Hood, but all acted out with bunnies.  It was cute and quaint, but still felt very real and relatable.

I read The Black Star of Kingston first, and though I love it and the main character is sheer and untainted awesomeness, I think The Green Ember is my favorite.  I felt like the author’s writing style had developed more, and he wove the fact that they were rabbits into the story more.

“I believe we are united in purpose, Captain Blackstar.”

“I’m delighted to hear that, Your Majesty, but I’m no captain.”

“You are now. You will command a company of miners. Pick your team, no more than ten, and give the list to Lord Grant for approval. You will train them and help me build a ship. We will attempt to secure a working settlement on the far side of the lake and, hopefully, a mine.”

Smith, S. D.. The Black Star of Kingston (Kindle Locations 200-203). Story Warren Books. Kindle Edition.

I would still recommend reading “Black Star” though, I really enjoyed it!  The main character is the captain of a ship, a born leader, and (like I said earlier) absolutely amazing.  On the other hand in “Green Ember” the main characters are younger rabbits, being pulled quite accidentally into the adventure.  I found this inspiring, which might be one reason I like “Green Ember” better; but Captain Blackstar, in the first book, is one of my favorite characters ever!

 

I made up a list of what was going through my head at different parts of “Green Ember”, and I thought I would share the ones that didn’t give much away:

16%  These rabbits are so clever and creative!  This is awesome!

30%  Ugh!  Why can’t they all just get along?

36%  Oh my word, it’s Strider!  Totally Strider!

37%  This does not sound good–I don’t think I like this place.

49%  Not Strider.  By a long shot.  He’s awful.

63%  Nooooo!!!

70%  What I want is an epic battle with Picket, Helmer, and Smalls all fighting together, as equals.

79%  He doesn’t hold a candle to Aragorn.  At all.  But maybe he’s not all that bad. . .

98%  *tears*

 

I would definitely recommend these books for anyone who loves a Medieval adventure or a story about freedom and family.  I believe the author is working on publishing a third book, which I plan to read the moment I get my paws on it.

“All of life is a battle against fear. We fight it on one front, and it sneaks around to our flank. . .  I regret many things I’ve done,” he said, “but most of all I regret those moments when I said to Fear, ‘You are my master.’”

Smith, S. D.. The Green Ember (Kindle Locations 243-246). Story Warren Books. Kindle Edition.