Tag: magic

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: Witch Season, by Julia Bianco     

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Witch Season
Author: Julia Bianco       
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

That is the price of magic – not just the blood, but the pain to bring it out.

Katherine Barnes is an enforcer, charged with upholding the rules of the notorious Los Angeles-based Aestas coven. It’s her job to maintain order and bring unsettled witches – people who aren’t aware they have magic until it explodes out of them in a catastrophic burst – into the coven’s fold. As a former unsettled witch, Katherine owes her life to Sylvia Page, coven leader and silver-haired rebel who founded Aestas years ago.

When Silas Khatri, heir to Noctis, the most powerful coven in the world, arrives to take Aestas to task for some of their more unconventional practices, Katherine’s dislike for him reaches blistering levels. She hates his money, his good looks, and his coven’s dangerous attitude towards unsettled witches. She can absolutely overlook that he sets her off in more ways than one.

But a powerful threat is about to rise. Stronger than any one coven. More insidious than the decades-long power struggle that exists in the hidden witch world. One that will pull Katherine and Silas together despite their differences. And one that will lead to an all-out war.

I…didn’t really like these characters—or this world—so it’s kind of surprising I kept reading. It was a quick read, so that helped. Everyone here was morally grey, so that was a problem for me. Katherine was not really a likable person, and I’m still undecided about Silas. That’s my takeaway, and I have no desire to reach more about these people.

Julia Bianco lives in L.A. Witch Season is her debut novel.           

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press 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: The Unicorn Hunters, by Katherine Arden

Image belongs to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey.

Title: The Unicorn Hunters
Author: Katherine Arden             
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 5 out of 5 

Anne of Brittany was a child when her realm was invaded, her home besieged, and her royal father driven to his death.

Now her treasury is empty, her land occupied by her enemies, and she is ordered, under threat of renewed war, to become queen of her conquerors and marry the King of France.

This marriage means her country’s annexation. But Anne promised her father that Brittany would never be conquered.

Defiantly, she betroths herself in secret to France’s greatest enemy. But in a world where courts may spy on each other by magic, there is only one way to solemnize this illicit union.

Anne takes her court deep into a legendary forest, where the court diviners’ skill cannot reach. The world thinks they are only a hunting party, coursing after unicorns. But that is a lie, a trick, a feint. No one in living memory has seen a unicorn. All Anne wants is this secret wedding, which is her only hope of salvation.

But when against all hope a unicorn appears and a stranger out of legend stumbles from the trees and falls at her feet, Anne is plunged into a world of enchantment where a doomed sovereign might find the power to change her own and her country’s destiny—or be lost in the shadows forever.

This was a lovely fantasy/historical fiction read! I truly loved reading Anne’s story and this wonderful fictional twist.  Anne was a great character, and the supporting characters were also believable to read. I really enjoyed all aspects of this, and found Katherine Arden’s writing to be as beautiful as always.

Katherine Arden was born in Austin. The Unicorn Hunters is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey 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 and Blog Tour: Thistlemarsh, by Moorea Corrigan  

Image belongs to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley.

Title: Thistlemarsh
Author: Moorea Corrigan            
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 4.2

Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.

Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.

In the wake of World War I, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother’s side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle’s offer: If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.

It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh…for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.

I enjoyed this read!  (Which means I was up until midnight, finishing it, if that tells you anything.) It felt like some of my favorite classic reads, but with a fantasy twist, and I loved that. Mouse is a thoroughly relatable character and I loved being in her head. As in a classical fairy tale, there are bad guys,—yes, more than one—secrets, hidden things from the past, and of course, romance. This is a lovely read, and would be a great weekend binge to sink into. Also—the cover is absolutely gorgeous!

Moorea Corrigan had her first novel published in high school. Thistlemarsh is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley in exchange for an honest review.)

  

Book Review: Metal Slinger, by Rachel Schneider

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Title: Metal Slinger
Author: Rachel Schneider    
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5

Even though she’s not one of them, Brynn has spent her life among the Alaha, training to be a guard and waiting for the chance to attend the annual market hosted by the Kenta–the very same people who exiled her adopted community to a life at sea. Going to the market is a rite of passage eagerly anticipated by all young guards, but Brynn does not anticipate breaking a century-long peace treaty while there. Nor does she plan for the intense encounter with an enemy soldier that now threatens to unwind the fragile coexistence between their people–and everything Brynn once believed about herself to be true.

Brynn’s loyalty to the Alaha is tested when the truth of her identity is brought to light by this soldier who’s taken an oath to bring her back to where she belongs. Narrowly escaping death on the violent high seas, Brynn’s connection to the Alaha is further tested when she learns about the world of magic she’s been denied. She was once certain of her fate and where she belonged, but the dark, knowing eyes of this stranger have her questioning everything, including her heart.

I was not expecting the twist at the end! I didn’t pick up any hint of betrayal, so that really threw me for a loop. Did I miss some breadcrumbs?

The political/cultural landscape was a bit fuzzy for me, but I found the different cultures interesting. Very different societies and beliefs to contend with. I liked Brynn and Acker quite a bit, and they both felt very believable. Even the minor characters were vivid and interesting, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

Rachel Schneider lives in South Louisiana. Metal Slinger is book one in Fire & Metal.

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

Book Review: Deathly Fates, by Tesia Tsai

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

Title: Deathly Fates
Author: Tesia Tsai          
Genre: YA  
Rating: 4 out of 5

As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death―secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.

I liked the setting of this novel: the world, culture, and magic. Beyond the reanimated prince, did I find anything unexpected here? Not really. There were enough breadcrumbs that I wasn’t surprised by any of the twists and reveals, but I enjoyed the read enough that I finished this is one sitting, so it’s a solid read.

Tesia Tsai lives in Utah. Deathly Fates is her debut novel.

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

Book Review: The Book Witch, by Meg Shaffer

Image belongs to Ballantine | Ballantine Books.

Title: The Book Witch
Author: Meg Shaffer    
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Rainy March is a proud third-generation book witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps into and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes.

Book witches live by a strict Real people belong in the real word; fictional characters belong in works of fiction…. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don’t even think about it.

Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she’s ever caught with him again, she’ll be expelled from her book coven—and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.

But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there’s only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.

This is the perfect book for anyone who has ever fallen in love with a character, for anyone who loves books and all the worlds they contain. Was it realistic? Absolutely not—and in the best possible way. This was run, engaging, and filled with all the literary references and Easter eggs imaginable. Highly recommended!

Meg Shaffer is a bestselling author. The Book Witch is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Ballantine | Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Burn the Kingdom Down, by Addie Thorley

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Title: Burn the Kingdom Down
Author: Addie Thorley             
Genre: Fantasy, YA   
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

One year ago, Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland in a wedding dress of chains—sent away to the enemy nation of Vanzador as a captive bride.

Now, Rowenna is dead. Brought home in a coffin after an alleged fall from a cliff.

Second-born princess, Indira, knows her sister’s death was no accident. Desperate for truth and vengeance, Indira agrees to wed the prince so she can infiltrate Vanzador, find Rowenna’s murderer, and burn their kingdom to the ground.

Indira’s plan is simple, she will make nice until she can find out how to avenge her sister and free her country from the rival nation’s stranglehold. But when Indira arrives, nothing is as terrible as Rowenna described. As Indira grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, and uncovers more about Vanzador, the source of its powers, and what happened during Rowenna’s final days, she’s no longer sure what—and who—to believe. Because everyone, even her sister, has secrets. Deadly ones.

This book really had me questioning myself, my people judgement skills, and everything happening on the page. Tashir seemed a dreary place, although unrelenting poverty and struggle can do that. I liked how Indira grew and changed, becoming not just her own person, but a strong, capable person, too. This was a captivating read, and I highly recommend it!

Addie Thorley lives in New Jersey. Burn the Kingdom Down is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)