Lodestar: 5 (Keeper of the Lost Cities) Hardcover – 1 Nov. 2016

spoilersthis book hasitallits sad happysuper grippingand HOW DARE SHARON KILL THE FORKLENATORcant wait for nightfallrip brielle

It seems like with every book, Shanon Messenger's series turn better - and trust me, you WILL get addicted to them! I STILL highly recommend this series. IT IS JUST THAT AWESOME.

Imaginative and adventurous story that makes you really want to know what happens next.

I unashamedly LOVE KotLC. All of my friends are probably sick of hearing me say it by now. Reading this series is like coming home on a cold winter night and climbing into your nice toasty bed under piles of blankets. It's what I look forward too, it's familiar, it never disappoints.I bought Lodestar because I couldn't stand waiting in the massive line to check it out at the library(it took me forever to get Neverseen) and because at this stage, it'd take a miracle for Shannon Messenger to majorly fail me.Lodestar was even better than Neverseen. There was lots of little pieces that really hit home for me. I love Shannon's ability to not only create a completely engaging story that draws in even old people like me, but also that she finds a way to add elements that we all so desperately need to see in fiction. She makes them easy to understand and does it naturally so that it's not like she's hitting me over the head with a moral.For example, one of Dex's brothers is being flirty and goes to wrap his arm around Biana. It's a little thing and completely appropriate for a MG audience. And Dex's dad steps in and says, "No, we do not touch women without their permission." It fit the story, it was easy to slip in there, and it's a good way to show a young audience(or an older one) that it's not okay to just touch people in a "sensual" way without asking. It showed a perfect example so people won't be confused with friends hugging, or high fives, etc.I loved getting to see more of Dex's family and some of the non-elvin cultures. I was really hoping that Sophie would take Lady Cadence's advice to heart and was sad that things had to end the way they did with a particular group(trying to avoid spoilers).Mysteries are solved, and new mysteries are born. Shannon did a great job of giving me some answers while creating enough questions where again I'm sitting here wishing that the next book was out already.I miss Dex. He's been sidelined the past two books and I'm sure that's just to start narrowing down who Sophie ends up with and shift more people to Keefe or Fitz. I'm not a fan, at all, of love triangles(I even went so far last book to call it a square and laughed when a character called it that in Lodestar). Luckily, Shannon puts very little emphasis on it and Sophie's not leading anyone along. It's been obvious from the very start that Fitz has always been the one she's got a crush on. And crush is what it is. Sophie was like what . . . 11? 12? in the first book. She's a child and I'm not in a hurry to matchmake for a child and I'm quite happy to see her just be Sophie(though Dophie made me laugh also) for now.Maybe in 4-5 years or so she'll be ready for a real romantic relationship and realize she's been blind to the awesomeness that is Dex.And kudos to Shannon for adding in the scene where Sophie stands up to the Songs. I read that part to my mom and my husband because what Sophie says can be applied to so many situations and it really struck home. It's a message that kids need when parents have failed to be parents. They need to know they're worth more. They need to know that they can stand on their own and there's nothing wrong with separating themselves from harmful parents(if possible). Adults need to know this too!I'm so excited to see 2 more books are at least going to be added!! I hope this series never ends. I'd be happy to read about an 18 year old Sophie, and a 20 year old sophie, and considering Elves live forever, let's be real, who wouldn't be happy to read about Sophie for the rest of our lives at any age?

A chance meeting five years ago led me to discover the books of Shannon Messenger, and I am so thankful. I am completely hooked on her Keeper of the Lost Cities series. They may be fantasy books aimed at kids, but they are outstanding for any age. Lodestar just came out, and I bumped it to the top of my to be read pile because I absolutely had to know what happened next.Now if you have not yet met Sophie Foster and her family and friends, DON’T START HERE. Seriously, I can’t emphasize that enough. I am going to attempt to write my review in such a way that it doesn’t spoil not only this book but also the previous books, and considering the cliffhanger the last book left us with, that’s going to be hard. Plus, you won’t truly appreciate all that happens here if you jump in with book five of the series. Trust me, you won’t be sorry you headed back to the beginning.The series is set in a world parallel to ours that contain all those creatures you thought were mythical. They just withdrew from our world. Sophie Foster, a young teen elf, is our main character. She’s found herself caught up in the changes happening to her world, including a fight with a group who call themselves Neverseen and are out to gain power for themselves.This book opens just a few weeks after the previous book ended. Sophie and her friends have returned to school in time for mid-terms, but as the break starts, the Neverseen make a move that shocks everyone. Sophie isn’t content to remain on the sidelines and begins to press for things she thinks will help figure out the Neverseen’s next move so they can be stopped. This especially hits home when Sophie gets a warning that her family might be a target for the group.But through all their efforts, Sophie and her friends keep finding a symbol and a reference to the Lodestar Initiative. What does the symbol mean? And what is Lodestar? Can Sophie find a way to stop the Neverseen’s latest plan?Phew, avoiding spoilers of previous books was harder than I thought. Hopefully, this still gives you a feel for the plot because once again it is a wonderful ride. The book is 676 pages, but it never feels like it is dragging. There is always something happening to advance the story. Granted, it helps that the story is advancing on several different fronts, but each piece of the puzzle leads us somewhere interesting. And watching how everything comes together at the end was wonderful.Meanwhile, the characters are just as strong as ever. All the regulars are back, and they all get a chance to show some growth. (Yes, even that character. Fans of the series will know who I mean.) I love these characters, and it is always fantastic to spend time with them, and this book was no exception.As I mentioned, the last book ended with a cliffhanger, but I wasn’t that concerned about what would happen next. This book has a cliffhanger as well. I was shocked by it, and I am definitely anxious to find out what happens next. I’m starting the countdown to the release date for book six even though we don’t have a release date for the book yet. That’s how anxious I am.So if you have already met Sophie, don’t hesitate to pick up Lodestar. You’ll love it every bit as much as the previous books in the series. And if you haven’t started yet, fix that today.

this book is totally amazing and i don't know when the next ne is released (raging) and i wonder is shannon messenger will give sophie a talent that nobody has...:)

SO GOOD not spoiling it thow if youh want to read it save upDONT START HERE seriosly you will want to read 1234 before