The Ghost Orchid by Carol Goodman

This is the second book by Carol Goodman that I have read. I really love how she writes her stories! They are considered "literary suspense" and this one certainly qualifies. There are two different stories, one set in 1893 and one in "present day" - or 100 years later. The setting for both stories is the same, on the Bosco estate.

The two stories connect and intertwine in an intriguing way. Both in 1893 and present day, a medium in involved. Of course we don't know if the mediums are fakes or really do "talk to the dead" - or something in-between. It's also difficult to determine who is genuine (character-wise) and who is a con. My tendency was to believe the feelings and dreams of Ellis Brooks, who comes to the Bosco estate to write her first novel. Ellis' mother is a medium herself, so Ellis has experience with her mother's "profession" - which she seems embarrassed by. Ellis is writing about the medium, Corinth Blackwell, who is called to Bosco by the owner of the estate in 1893, Milo Latham. Milo's wife, Aurora, cannot work through her grief after losing three of her four children from illness. Milo wants Corinth to do a seance with Aurora so she can talk to her children and let them go.

That is the main storyline, but there is so much more! We are introduced to all the people who are at Bosco in 1893 and the present. Since Aurora wanted Bosco to always be inhabited by true artists, Bosco was turned into an exclusive artist's colony, with some pretty strict "rules", for artists who are accepted after a stringent application process. So, we get to meet the Latham family and employees in 1893 and we get to meet the caretakers of Bosco and the five artists working on their particular form of art in present day. All of the characters are unique and mysterious and intriguing.

The farther I got into the book, the faster I read and the more nervous I got! It is sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspenseful. As the story unfolds and the connections are unveiled (a little bit at a time) I seriously could not put the book down. I had to read to the end, literally holding my breath for the conclusion. Even after you figure out the connections (sometimes before the characters do), you still don't know how it will end. You fear for the worst and hope for the best. Seriously, I loved this book!

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

It's interesting that (what I consider to be) the "main characters" in this series are not always present in each book. Annabeth was hardly in this book, since she was taken by the General (Titans) and held captive, along with Artemis, after Percy, Thalia and Annabeth respond to Grover's emergency call to rescue two newly discovered sibling half-bloods (Bianca & Nico). Of course rescuing Annabeth gives Percy a side-mission to the ultimate quest. Another missing character in this book was Tyson. I missed both Annabeth and Tyson, but we are introduced to more characters, including Artemis, Bianca, Nico and Zoe, a huntress. I cannot imagine Harry, Ron or Hermione missing in action for nearly a whole book in the Harry Potter series!

This book includes the mandatory monster-fighting; a visit to the gods; a revelation of another demi-god, whose father is one of the "big three" who were not allowed to have any more children. Ha!  Try to tell a god what to do - or not do, in this case! Luke is in over his head, but I don't see him going back to the "good side". Percy thinks he died, but everyone else knows better. Luke is just re-grouping.

A prophecy tells the reader what will happen in this book. Of course we don't know who it pertains to until the story unfolds. But that's part of the charm.
Five shall go west to the goddess in chains
One shall be lost in the land without rain,
The bane of Olympus shows the trail,
Campers and Hunters combined prevail,
The Titan’s curse must one withstand,
And one shall perish by a parent’s hand

I wasn't expecting Thalia to become a huntress, that's for sure. Now she is immortal. That takes Thalia out of the running for being the child (of the main prophecy) who will save or destroy the world when they turn 16. Percy is 14. Nico is 10. Percy believes that he is the child the prophecy refers to. I agree, but Percy only voices this to try to protect Nico. (Like you could change roles in a prophecy!)

Wendy's Rating: ****