For complete list, checkout FictFact.com's Book Release Calendar.  (If link doesn't work or you lose this post, it's under the "Explore" menu.) 

Highlighted a few in this post ; see http://www.fictfact.com/BookReleaseCalendar for the rest and the series info.

See complete list at their new release calendar, https://www.fictfact.com/BookReleaseCalendar 

Is Percy back?

Back to my favourite old series (well not old – but I did like the original series that I read earlier in the year). However, this series begins completely different. Don’t read further into this paragraph if you don’t want to be spoilt. Instead of Percy Jackson being the main character, we’re led into a new world where Jason (son of Zeus/Jupiter) is the main character. There are also two new support characters for him, Piper (daughter of Aphrodite), and Leo (son of Hephaestus).

Wait, so he isn’t?

Now, for me, this was a jolt. I expected to be eased into this series with Percy Jackson. I rolled with it, however, because I thought, why not? Jason is not as fun as Percy was. I found the earlier series much more entertaining than this book. I don’t know yet if Jason deserves to be the main character, I found him too stiff (but that’s probably his training showing). The other two characters, Piper and Leo, are quite okay as support characters. We get to see a little bit of some of the last cast but only glimpses actually.

Is the story okay?

The story follows a similar arc as previous books by Rick Riordan. Jason, Piper, and Leo go on a quest to save the world. There are all sorts of obstacles put in the way, but you can predict the ending. The gods in the story are ever present and ever angry with their children. Story wise, I think it’s quite okay what followed.

What’s your recommendation?

So, summary time! I thought the book didn’t start off as well as the previous series. I don’t know if there was any hype, as I read this book years after it was published, but in my head, I thought it would be cooler. If you’re a fan of the Percy Jackson series, then please go ahead and read. You’ll eventually get to see the whole cast again.

Even in war-torn Syria, animals have brave protectors. Have you heard the story of the “Cat Man of Aleppo”?

His name is Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel. In a life now long gone, he was an electrician. Today, he’s the guardian angel to more than 150 stray and abandoned cats.

Read more here.