Rick Dial was a star quarterback for his Putnam Hills High School team until a car accident crushed his legs and made him dependent on crutches to even hobble 100 meters. Unsure of who he is without his athleticism, and embarrassed by his physical weakness, Rick retreats to the safety of his bedroom where he throws himself into video games and masters them. One day, while hobbling down the street, he is abducted by a government agency who convince him that the skills he displays during video play; coolness, quick thinking, and fearlessness are exactly the skills they need to combat a Russian cyberthreat to America known as the Realm. They want Rick to enter the Realm, and defeat the crazy genius who is masterminding the plot to control and disrupt American computer systems.
The biggest drawback is that, although Rick's body is fully functioning within the Realm, any injuries he sustains while in there are real, and when he withdraws from the Realm, the injuries remain. If he is killed while inside the Realm, he will remain in a coma forever in the real world. In spite of the very real threats to his existence, Rick realizes that this is a battle he has to face.
This is book one of a trilogy, guaranteed to be loved by those who enjoyed The Matrix or Ender's Game.

Now that Celaena Sardothian has become the King's Champion, one would think that her life would get easier and in some ways, it does. She can now afford to buy whatever she wishes and she is free to travel about the castle without an escort. However, there are mysteries surrounding the castle that she needs to solve, and pursuing the answers may get her killed.
There are a couple new characters in this second book in the Throne of Glass series. I particularly enjoyed the witch, Baba Yellowlegs. I'll definitely be putting book three on our shelves.

Celaena Sardothian has spent a year in the salt mines of Endovier, a place where most perish in months, when she is suddenly removed from the mines and given the choice of remaining in prison, or entering a competition to vie for the position of King's Champion. She negotiates a deal so if she wins, her contract is for four years, and then she goes free. It's an attractive proposition, but first she has to beat out 23 killers, thieves and soldiers. She has other worries as well. The distracting attractiveness of Crown Prince Dorian, threatens to disrupt her training focus, and the mysterious unsolved murders of the competitors by an unknown assailant in the castle threaten her life.
Characters like Celaena, tough, resilient, intelligent yet kind deserve a place on the library shelves. I will definitely be recommending this story to some of my stronger readers looking for a strong female character.
The paperback cover claimed that fans of Game of Thrones and Hunger Games would love it. I don't think it has the intrigue or complexity of characters to compete with Game of Thrones, and it's less gripping than Hunger Games, but it was still a good read.

Cross Game of Thrones with Terry Goodkind, and you get the Falling Kingdoms series. The mixture of royal intrigue, v for power, and ruthless murders combined with the magic and fantasy of the Watchers, their Sanctuary, the elementia and the Kindred produces a thoroughly enjoyable read. I can't speak highly enough of this series. I devoured the first book, and was worried that book two would fall short. Thankfully, Rebel Spring was as beautifully crafted and gripping as the first book in the Falling Kingdoms series.
Auranos, Limeros and Paelsia are now reluctantly united as a single kingdom, Mytica, whose ruler, King Gaius, is only predictable in his cruelty and heartless disregard for anyone except himself. His son, Magnus, wrestles internally with his choices, and that makes him a likable character, even when his actions are reprehensible. Cleo finds herself a prisoner in her own castle, although to the unwitting public, she is being treated honorably by Gaius. Jonas is still determined to free his people and sees Cleo as someone who might be able to help with that, and Lucia, Magnus' adopted sister, is a key component in the desires of all of the others. For middle school fantasy lovers (grade 7 and 8) I can't recommend the series highly enough.