Action & Adventure

The Dark Is Rising

by Susan Cooper

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Fate, Coming of Age, Art

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

The Dark is Rising is a 1973 contemporary fantasy novel for young adult readers by English author Susan Cooper, and the second book in The Dark is Rising Sequence. It is preceded by Over Sea, Under Stone and followed by Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. The series, published between 1965 and 1977, focuses on eleven-year-old Will Stanton, who learns on his birthday that he is what is known as an “Old... Read The Dark Is Rising Summary

The Da Vinci Code

by Dan Brown

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Perseverance, Conflict, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was originally published in 2003 and has become an international bestseller, with sales of over 80 million. It was made into a popular movie starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tatou, and Ian McKellen. The novel is Brown’s fourth, a fast-paced thriller with political, historical, and religious overtones. Its initial release generated controversy for perceived condemnation of the Catholic Church and historical inaccuracies. Despite the charges, The Da Vinci Code... Read The Da Vinci Code Summary

The Dead and the Gone

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hope, Religion & Spirituality, Social Class, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction, Survival Fiction, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s The Dead and the Gone, published in 2008, is the second book in The Last Survivors, a postapocalyptic series about an asteroid hitting the moon and setting off a chain of natural disasters on Earth. The novel focuses on three stateside Puerto Rican siblings as they struggle to survive starvation while living in a New York City apartment building. Pfeffer has written many young adult science-fiction novels and has likewise received several... Read The Dead and the Gone Summary

The Death Cure

by James Dashner

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

The novel opens by showing Thomas, who is stuck in a padded room and consumed with anger. Not only is he disgusted with WICKED, but he also cannot reconcile the betrayal he feels Teresa has committed back in the Scorch. He can no longer speak to either her or Aris telepathically. Each day, he watches the door, waiting and willing for it to open. On the 26th day, the door opens. The Rat Man, Janson, announces... Read The Death Cure Summary

The Death of King Arthur

by Thomas Malory, Peter Ackroyd

Publication year 1485

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Medieval

First published in 1485, Thomas Malory's Le Morte d’Arthur collected the mythological-historical legends about King Arthur from numerous source texts into a comprehensive prose narrative divided into plot sections and written in late Middle English. Although multiple men named Thomas Malory lived around that time, the most likely author was an English knight, later a prisoner in Newgate, who would have been educated in all the practices of “courtesy” (knightly conduct). The title of his... Read The Death of King Arthur Summary

The Deep End

by Jeff Kinney

Publication year 2020

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Childhood & Youth, Safety & Danger

Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Dog Stars

by Peter Heller

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Beauty

Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Dog Stars is a post-apocalyptic novel, published in 2012, by Peter Heller. It was selected as the Apple iBooks Novel of the Year, and an Atlantic Monthly and San Francisco Examiner Best Book of the Year. It follows the experience of Hig, the narrator, and his partner, Bruce Bangley, as the two patrol and protect their eight-mile perimeter around an abandoned airport in Erie, Colorado, outside of Denver, where fuel and survival supplies are... Read The Dog Stars Summary

The Drawing of the Three

by Stephen King

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Love, Mental Health, Death, Friendship, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Western, Action & Adventure

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The Eagle of the Ninth

by Rosemary Sutcliff

Publication year 1954

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fathers, Religion & Spirituality, Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

First published in 1954, The Eagle of the Ninth is the first of three novels constituting English author Rosemary Sutcliff’s Roman Britain trilogy, all of which are connected through the emerald ring belonging to the family of Marcus Flavius Aquila. A work of historical fiction, The Eagle of the Ninth draws upon two historical events. One is the disappearance of the Ninth Legion of the Roman Army around the year AD 117 after they departed... Read The Eagle of the Ninth Summary

The Ersatz Elevator

by Lemony Snicket

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Order & Chaos, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Love, Childhood & Youth, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Family, Teamwork

Tags Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Humor, Children`s Literature

... Read The Ersatz Elevator Summary

The Eye of the World

by Robert Jordan

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age

Tags Fantasy, Coming of Age, Action & Adventure, Narrative Poem

The Eye of the World is the first installment in the 14-volume high fantasy series The Wheel of Time by James Oliver Rigney Jr., who wrote under the pen name Robert Jordan (1948-2007). Rigney was born in Charleston, SC. He enlisted in the army after high school and served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. In 1970, he enrolled in The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, earning a BS in physics... Read The Eye of the World Summary