Category: YA

Book Review: The River She Became, by Emily Varga

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books.

Title: The River She Became
Author: Emily Varga              
Genre: Fantasy, YA  
Rating: 4 out of 5

I’m going across the River. And I’m going to save us all.

Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land.

Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema the crown of an ancient Fae Queen.

With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own.

To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of losing their heart to each other.

I enjoyed this read. It felt unique and fresh, and I liked the characters and the world. The magic was interesting, too. Several layers of conflict happening at once, plus the enemies-to-lovers trope helped keep me engaged. I never totally understood the different factions and politics of what was going on, but this was still a solid read.

Emily Varga is a bestselling author. The River She Became is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:     When Dealing with Dragons, by Dana Swift  

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Title: When Dealing with Dragons
Author: Dana Swift            
Genre: YA  
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Copper-crafter Farren Walsh is set on following in her father’s footsteps to become a dragon veterinarian. The only thing more powerful than her love for these magnificent creatures is her hate for those who exploit them for their precious metal. That includes her classmate, an arrogant dragon racer named James Murphy, whose silver-crafting family represents the worst of human greed and dragon abuse―plus, he’s the biggest competition for the college scholarship she desperately needs.

When James strongarms his way into interning at her family’s dragon sanctuary for the summer, it puts everything at risk. Farren isn’t just the plain copper-crafter she seems. She’s hiding a secret that could not only change her life, but their society as a whole. And James, trying to find refuge from his controlling father, harbors his own secret, years-long crush on Farren. Hating James might be harder than she thought, but Farren can’t risk getting too close: the fate of an endangered species is at stake.

This was a cool world/culture. A little dark—the descaling and the class hierarchy—but I really enjoyed the world. The history of the different types of dragons, the way they made metal, the characters, all this combine to make a unique read, and one I really enjoyed. I liked both James and Farren (and Farren’s family) and enjoyed getting to know them more and watching them change. I’d love to read more in this world.

Dana Swift studied English and Advertising. When Dealing with Dragons is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Cursed Ever After, by Andy C. Naranjo   

Image belongs to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR).

Title: Cursed Ever After
Author: Andy C. Naranjo             
Genre: Fantasy, YA  
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Love is not for cursed girls. Risa is better off without it.

Risa Porto is a Bad Thing born on a Bad Day and cursed with Bad Luck. After years of taking the blame for every calamity, mishap, and minor inconvenience that befalls the townspeople of Barrow, she longs for escape. And on her seventeenth birthday, her wish is granted.

Sort of.

Risa owes a (very annoying) witch a favor, and it comes in the form of a quest: escort Prince Javi―the youngest, handsomest, and least significant prince―through the dark (and deadly) Bosque to his wedding. This measly errand quickly spirals into a struggle against greedy assassins, a murderous cult, a vicious tyrant―and Risa’s own curse.

Most unfortunate of all…

She is not immune to Javi’s charms and has a highly irritating urge to kiss the prince. Though, surviving the darkest corners of the Bosque is only the beginning. If Risa is to hold up her end of a witch’s bargain, she’ll need a lot more than luck on her side to untangle the web of lies threatening the kingdom. Is Risa willing to pay the price of happily ever after? What if the only person she’s meant to save is herself?

This was a fun read! It made me laugh quite a bit, and it felt really over-the-top in some spots—but in a good way. I liked the characters, even the ones that were a bit cliché. This was a cute, fun read with some laughs, and would be perfect for a weekend read. It felt a little bit like watching The Princess Bride, honestly.

Andy C. Naranjo is from New York. Cursed Ever After is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review: My Roman Summer, by Bruna De Luca

Image belongs to Scholastic | Chicken House.

Title: My Roman Summer
Author: Bruna De Luca            
Genre: YA  
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 

Sixteen-year-old Scottish-Italian Livia feels like an outsider, working in her ailing grandmother’s bar in Rome. Smug local boy, Guilio, works there too, and quickly becomes Livia’s nemesis. She is not going to be the cliché foreign girl who has a summer romance. But as Livia navigates family drama, newfound friendships and… Giulio, she starts to see the city (and herself) in a new light.

This was a quick, fun, read, but nothing unexpected. It all resolved about like I expected—with the added bonus of great scenery and lovely little local details. Lots of family drama and teenage angst, but this was an entertaining, cute read.

Bruna De Luca lives in Scotland. My Roman Summer is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Scholastic | Chicken House in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Heirs, by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Image belongs to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends.

Title: The Heirs
Author: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé   
Genre: Mystery/thriller, YA
Rating: 4.0 out of 5

Octavius the Maestro.
Fola the Brain.
Bilal the Olympian.
Perdita the Artist.
Romeo the Failure.

These are the five heirs of the illustrious billionaire Leontes Button. Adopted and viciously trained with their father’s infamous “Button Method” to prove his hypothesis for creating prodigies—child geniuses—the Button siblings have had no choice but to be brilliant according to their father’s impossibly high standards.

Until he is murdered at his annual Prodigy Ball.

Now, all who attended the ball are required to stay in the Button Manor while the police investigate. But the officers have their work cut out for them—each of the Button siblings has something to hide, but The Heirs aren’t the only ones with secrets. After all, Leontes Button was especially good at making enemies. . .

This felt a tiny bit like The Inheritance Games—except I liked all the heirs in those books. This? Not so much. Romeo was the only one here I actually liked. The other four I was ambivalent about at best. Leontes Button was obviously a horrible person, so I didn’t feel bad for him. This was an interesting sort of closed-room mystery with lots of red herrings, but it didn’t take me long to read and it held my interest. As long as you’re not expecting terribly likable characters, you should be good.

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is a bestselling author. The Heirs is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Seconds to Spare, by Rachel Reiss

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books.

Title: Seconds to Spare
Author: Rachel Reiss       
Genre: YA   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Werth is trapped in what feels like a never-ending nightmare. She’s the only person onboard Aloha Airways Flight 1333 who’s stuck in a 28-minute time loop, one that repeats over and over again. During each loop, four things always happen:

1. The Internet goes out and the pilot warns of upcoming turbulence.

2. There are five minutes of moderate shaking.

3. A woman in the very last row collapses.

4. The plane tilts forward and begins to nosedive.

When Orion James –the cute boy who’s been asleep the entirety of each cycle– wakes, it triggers an alarming change in the events Evelyn has come to count on. As the two grow closer and learn to trust each other, they discover there’s more to the loop than they initially realized. They must discover the hidden clues, piece together the moving puzzle, and save everyone onboard –before it’s too late.

This was a solid read! I liked the mystery of what was going on, and I loved how the characters dealt with their own issues in 28-minute increments. I can’t imagine how maddening doing the same 30 minutes 400 times would be—especially with it ending just before the plane crashed! I liked the action, the characters, and the mystery. This would be a fun weekend read!

Rachel Reiss lives in California. Seconds to Spare is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Ruins Beneath Us, by Sasha E. Sloan

Image belongs to Disney Publishing Worldwide | Disney Hyperion.

Title: The Ruins Beneath Us
Author: Sasha E. Sloan    
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

She saved the prince. Now she must survive his world.

Lyria and her mother have been on the run from the human kingdom of Verdinae for as long as she can remember. She’s an elf born with magic—a double offence in a kingdom determined to eradicate both. Under her mother’s watchful protection, Lyria learns the rules that keep her alive: stay inside, stay hidden, stay safe, and above all stay calm, lest her magic flair out of control.

But when she finds a human boy being attacked by a deadly monster in the forest, Lyria risks everything by using magic to save him. She doesn’t expect his broken body to survive, and she definitely doesn’t expect him to be the crown prince.

Offered a position at the palace as the royal apothecary, Lyria seizes the chance to step into the light and prove to her mother she can control her unwieldly magic. But Verdinae is not the paradise it at first seems. The nobles are ruthless, the secrets are deadly, and Cygnus—the brooding royal healer—seems determined to expose Lyria’s every flaw. As she navigates a world of glittering gowns, deadly secrets, and stolen kisses, Lyria must keep her identity hidden. . . even from the prince who’s falling for her.

But beneath the palace lies a darkness far more dangerous than any secret. And when Lyria and Cygnus uncover a hidden world that could change everything, she must decide who to trust and how much she’s willing to risk for a love that was never meant to be.

I enjoyed this read, and would be interested in reading more, but…Lyria had some issues. She believed everything her mother said—I can kind of understand this, but when she got out into the world and realized her mother hadn’t been honest with her, she still believed everything Finn said…even with evidence he was lying. She tends to overreact to things in big ways. And, even when evidence is right in front of her, she completely ignores it and is then shocked when it slaps her in the face later.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding and history of this novel, and I liked Cygnus a lot, but Lyria kind of got on my nerves.

Sasha E. Sloan is the author of The Ruins Beneath Us.

(Galley courtesy of Disney Publishing Worldwide | Disney Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Carnival Fantástico, by Angela Montoya    

Image belongs to Random House Children’s Books | Joy Revolution.

Title: Carnival Fantástico
Author: Angela Montoya         
Genre: YA, fantasy   
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 

Welcome to the Carnival Fantástico, a spectacle of magic and mischief, and the perfect haven for a runaway. Using her tricks and razor-sharp wit, Esmeralda becomes the carnival’s resident fortune-teller, aiming for the lead role in the Big Top Show. Success would mean freedom from her former employer, the commander of the King’s army.

Ignacio has defected from the army and is on the hunt for evidence of his father’s corruption. But the last thing he expects to find on his father’s trail of lies is the only girl he’s ever loved, spinning false fortunes at a traveling carnival.

Perhaps fortune has thrown them together for a reason. They strike a deal: she’ll help him expose his father if he helps her secure the main act. But old feelings don’t die easily, and the commander’s secret isn’t the only thing they’ll need to confront.  

This was an okay read. The dark carnival setting was fascinating and a lot of fun and was really the highlight of the book. Esmerelda and Ignacio felt pretty one-dimensional and their “conflict” could have been solved in one five-minute conversation instead of them continuously running away from each other. I liked the secondary characters quite a bit and would enjoy reading more about them.

Angela Montoya lives in California. Carnival Fantástico is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House Children’s Books | Joy Revolution in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Silver & Blood, by Jessie Mihalik

Image belongs to Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon.

Title: Silver & Blood
Author: Jessie Mihalik            
Genre: Fantasy   
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

There’s something in the woods…

Untrained and barely armed, Riela reluctantly agrees to enter the forest and kill the deadly beast that has been attacking her fellow villagers as she’s the only mage available—or so she thought. When one beast turns into two, she fears her death is at hand, but unexpected aid from a scarred, strikingly handsome man with dangerous moonlit magic means a second chance at life—and an opportunity to learn more about her own fickle power.

After being rescued and healed from her fight in the forest, Riela awakens in a magical castle complete with a gorgeous library, a strange wolf, and the surly man who saved her life. Riela soon learns Garrick is not a mortal mage at all—he’s a powerful Etheri sovereign who has been locked out of his kingdom in Lohka for nearly a century, and his powers are weakening.

Trapped in his castle and surrounded by the treacherous woods, the spark of attraction between Riela and Garrick slowly ignites into fiery desire. But the more they discover about Riela’s magic, the more suspicious Garrick grows of her identity. As they unravel the secrets connecting Riela’s past to Lohka, the tenuous threads of trust between them begin to fray because Riela’s life—or her death—might be the key to regaining everything Garrick has lost.

I just enjoyed this read. I liked the world and the culture and the characters. Did the “twists” surprise me? Not really, but I’ve read a lot of fantasy. That didn’t make me enjoy it less, though. I liked Riela’s spunk and her determination—even when I knew it was going to lead to some stupid decisions. Would I read more, just for fun? Absolutely!

Jessie Mihalik lives in Texas. Silver & Blood is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon in exchange for an honest review.)

   

Book Review: The Rebel and the Rose, by Catherine Doyle     

Image belongs to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Title: The Rebel and the Rose
Author: Catherine Doyle        
Genre: YA   
Rating: 5 out of 5

From a remote hilltop haven, far from the city of Fantome, Seraphine Marchant and her Order of Flames plot to eradicate shade magic with lightfire. But as Sera struggles to control her blooming powers, destiny calls her back to Fantome—and to the assassin who haunts her dreams.

Ransom Hale can’t get Sera out of his head. As their rivalry grows and he grapples with the responsibility of leading the Order of Daggers, he feels himself slipping further from who he wants to be. Is he doomed to a life in the shadows? Or can he forge another path?

Meanwhile, rebellion is stirring in the kingdom, and a dangerous prince grows in power. Forced to work together by order of the king, Sera and Ransom’s conflicted hearts are tested to their limits. And all the while, an ancient prophecy is unfolding that will change the fate of Valterre forever…

I had not read the first The City of Fantome book, but that didn’t end up mattering. The writing was so skillful and details from the past were worked in so seamlessly that I had no problems staying up-to-speed.

I loved these characters and this world! The mythology was interesting, and the culture was fascinating. So much sarcasm and snark made me snort frequently. I can’t wait to read more!

Catherine Doyle is from Ireland. The Rebel and the Rose is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books in exchange for an honest review.)