Mari Mancusi

Ack. This book is horrific. How did this get printed? Can we give it a negative score rating?

My review.. ? A shallow, self-absorbed, overly self-important, "omg if it isn't NYC it's nowhere" protagonist who is more concerned with her shoes, clothes, and the latest trend (that only she is savvy enough to detect of course - why doesn't her editor worship her already?!) deigns to visit a medieval faire (re-enactment) under serious duress wearing Armani (WHAT KIND OF MORON WEARS ARMANI - and show more Manolo Blahnik high heels - TO A FAIRE?!) to "visit the freaks". Did I mention she abhors tech and thinks the internet is only for those not lucky enough to be amazing like her to manage having such a stellar life on their own? A gypsy (who she is very rude to - how utterly New York stereotype of her) tells her fortune and soon she's at Camelot. Still bitching and being a pita. I won't even go into her attitude on men - no wonder she's single.

I skimmed the rest of the book. It seemed more of the same tripe (and that's an insult to tripe) and bother. At the end she brings Guinevere and Lancelot "back to her time" only to discover she's landed in 2110 at Arthur's Camelot.com outside of Poughkeepsie. *shudders* The fact the author has only the barest grasp of actual history is all that can be said about the Camelot episode, what she does have of it is highly romanticized (I suspect she saw the play a few times and wrote based upon that).

While I admit I do not enjoy romance novels mostly for what I perceive as "lack of plot"* issues, (I selected this title because it sounded like it might be fun) and my comments above should be taken with that grain of salt. However the parts I actively read didn't involve any romance.. just a lot of really badly written, and self-serving, drivel.

Of course an avid romance reader might find this a rather good book. Mileage varies.

* I don't mind novels that are well written, have a plot, and contain romance that is consistent with the story. But it appears that romance books for the sake of "romance" just don't cut it for me. show less

This is a really fun kids book! Follow Lucas, living it a world like today, as he finds an injured baby dragon, they discover they can communicate with one another, but his secret comes out when the the baby dragon, Cinder, accidentally starts a fire in Lucas's houses basement. The dragons decide to come with a thank you and peace offering only to have it misunderstood, making the dragon-human relationship (with other humans) worse. The humans and dragon ultimately continue to wage war with show more one another, but with Lucas and Cinder, their town and this dragon herd have learned to live in peace (for the time being!). This is a prequel to her other series and a wonderful read! Written in real world time, this is a very engaging and fun book to read. I would think it would be for 4th-maybe 6th grades ideally. It has appropriate vocabulary and context for kids and would be appropriate for classrooms, libraries and read alouds. I was engaged from the beginning and it did not slow down throughout the entire book. If I had endless time I would absolutely read the rest of the books in this series. It was a fun read, nothing too serious (as in heavy topics).

It would also be a great book to gift to any reader who might be interested in an exciting dragon story. I loved this story and if I had the time would read the series. Great for state reading list so I hope this one gets picked up!

I would add this to my very selective 6-star list of books! show less

This was a fun bit of fluff. I read the first book, A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court, years ago. This one has languished on my TBR shelf for a long time, but I needed a dose of lightness, and this fit the bill.

Chrissie is wandering around an upstate NY Ren Faire, looking for her slacker coworker, Kat, when her cellphone rings. It's Kat, supposedly calling from the 22nd century, where she, Lancelot, and Guenevere ended up by mistake. She needs Chrissie to rescue them by show more notifying the gypsy fortuneteller, Nimue. Not really believing, but playing along, Chrissie finds the fortuneteller who confirms everything Kat says. The only way to help is to send Chrissie to the 12th century to retrieve a magic ingredient from King Richard. The next thing she knows, Chrissie is flat on her back in the woods, staring up at Sherwood Forest.

Only, things aren't quite as the stories portray them. Robin is moping around, mourning the loss of his lands and love. The Merry Men are just hanging around the forest. And King Richard still hasn't returned from the Crusades. Chrissie is confused and disgusted and wonders what she's going to do. The first thing is to hide the fact that she's a woman, which is a hilarious bit of misdirection itself. She then proceeds to whip Robin and the Merry Men into shape, turning them into the legends we know and love, while waiting for the king to show up.

It was fun to watch the relationship develop between Chrissie and Robin. It's all one-sided at first, of course, because Robin thinks she a guy (sort of). It doesn't take Chrissie long to realize that he's not as useless as she first thinks, he just has no purpose to motivate him. Once she gives him that, she also uncovers the good heart inside him. Unfortunately for her, it also increases the attraction she feels for the handsome outlaw. Things start to look up when she reveals the truth to Robin, and the feelings between them begin to grow. Things get complicated when Maid Marion comes on the scene. Chrissie's knowledge of the legends and her own jealousy has her putting some distance between herself and the couple. Some interesting twists and turns reveal an unexpected side to Marion and put Chrissie in the position of having to save the day. Yet, underneath her feelings for Robin is the knowledge that once she has fulfilled her quest, she will return to the future. All she wants is to stay in the past with him. The ending was fun and perfectly crafted.

I really liked both Chrissie and Robin. Chrissie is a bit down on men at the moment, thanks to her cheating husband. She's not really looking for a relationship, especially a 12th century one. She comes across a little bitchy at first when it comes to Kat, but that relationship changes as the book goes on. I also liked the way that she finds unexpected inner strength, finally losing her tendency to see herself as a victim. She rocked by the end of the book. Robin started out as a less-than-impressive character. He was just shy of a whiny crybaby, but not by much. I enjoyed his transformation into the Robin Hood of legend, thanks to his willingness to be guided by Chrissie. I was a little worried when Marion showed up, but he came through that with flying colors. I loved him at the end and how he expressed his feelings for Chrissie.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was stuffed full of cultural references that date it, but that didn't decrease my enjoyment. The basic legend of Robin and his Merry Men was there, with sometimes hilarious twists. Overall, it was a terrific way to escape from reality for a day.

The book was republished 01/09/2019 as Mojitos with the Merry Men. I haven't read this version, so I don't know if it has been updated. Either way, it's a fun read. show less

A unique and imaginative post-apocalyptic and dystopian story for middle-grade readers.

New Dragon City is one of the most unique and imaginative post-apocalyptic and dystopian stories I've read. While destruction by war, zombies, pestilence, and extreme climate change have all been done to death, an infestation of dragons feels like a fresh take on this theme.

I enjoyed immensely that the story is told from two points of view, that of the boy Noah and Asha, the young dragon. The parallels in show more their situations made the story much more interesting, entertaining, and emotion-filled. Both are still so young and are thrust into situations that would be tough on those older and more experienced. Noah is being tugged in different directions by his disagreeing parents. Asha, as the daughter of the dragon herd's queen, has restrictions on her actions and a heavy burden of responsibility for the herd. I liked that during their brief encounters with one another that they could eventually relax and relate and just be "kids."

The ruins of New York City are described in compelling detail, with familiar sights and locations sprinkled throughout. I had a clear picture of where everyone was and what it looked like. Unlike other books in this genre, I liked how organized these survivors had gotten and how well they seemed to get along and help each other. The survivors Noah meets away from the safety of the organized groups were scary and surprisingly creepy to me. I can't get that couple he encountered in the restaurant out of my mind.

Young readers will easily relate to the two very likable main characters. Their budding friendship and ability to get along despite the years of terror of the other's species will delight. They will soon be rooting for Noah and Asha to overcome their friends' and families' objections and anxieties.

I recommend NEW DRAGON CITY to middle-grade readers that enjoy novels with fantasy elements such as dragons and won't be disturbed by the post-apocalyptic setting, dragons hunting and trying to eat people, or people hunting and killing dragons.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author or publisher through NetGalley and TBR and Beyond Book Tours. show less