Category Archives: Magical Realism

Review: Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Historical, Magical Realism, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,
Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Romanov
Nadine Brandes
Thomas Nelson
Available May 7, 2019

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About ROMANOV

The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them… and he’s hunted Romanov before.

Nastya’s only chances of survival are to either release the spell, and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s never dabbled in magic before, but it doesn’t frighten her as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her…

That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad… and he’s on the other.

My Review

Okay, so as soon as you saw the name Anastasia Romanov, you probably started thinking of animated movie where Meg Ryan voices Anastasia. And any second you’re going to wind up with that catchy lullaby from the movie stuck in your head. Or maybe I’m just showing my age.

This book has very little in common with that children’s movie. Actually, according to the author’s note, the book has a lot more in common with the real history of the Romanov family– with the exception of the magical elements of the story, and obviously, the fact that not all of the Romanov family members die at the hands of their captors.

I liked ROMANOV. Nastya was mischievous and fun and tried very hard to keep her family’s spirits up. I loved her dad’s humble, gentle character and his commitment to showing love for their captors as a part of his personal faith. Once I realized ROMANOV told a more historically accurate version of events, I found myself getting lost in the more unbelievable or amazing parts. Nastya’s sister’s romance with one of the guards, for instance.

Because of the consent issues, I felt uncomfortable with Nastya’s sister’s relationship with one of the guards. It is something that apparently happened in real life. Most of their relationship remains emotional rather than physical. Nastya herself has feelings for one of the guards but keeps telling herself to forget about that.

Overall I liked a lot of things about the book and really enjoyed learning some more about the Romanov family. If you enjoy re-imagined history, like THE RING AND THE CROWN by Melissa de la Cruz, then you’ll probably like ROMANOV.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
All characters are Russian, some based on true historical figures and others made up. Nastya’s brother has hemophilia.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one instance, the kiss happens between a guard and prisoner.

Spiritual Content
Lots of references to Iisus, or Jesus. Nastya and her father in particular speak of their faith and how important it is, even as prisoners, to show love to their captors and try to understand their perspective. She prays at some critical moments, but it’s clear she also has a great deal of faith in Rasputin and other spell masters to provide for her family’s needs.

Violent Content
Instances of open cruelty toward Nastya and her family by soldiers. They hear gunshots and learn they mean executions (mostly of people they don’t know, but not always). Nastya witnesses the execution of people does know and love.

Drug Content
The leader of the Romanovs’ captors is very often drunk. Some references to her mother’s and brother’s need for morphine for headaches and severe pain.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but help support this blog when used to buy books.

Review: Wren Hunt by Mary Watson

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Wren Hunt
Mary Watson
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published on November 6, 2018

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About Wren Hunt
Every Christmas, Wren is chased through the woods near her isolated village by her family’s enemies—the Judges—and there’s nothing that she can do to stop it. Once her people, the Augurs, controlled a powerful magic. But now that power lies with the Judges, who are set on destroying her kind for good.

In a desperate bid to save her family, Wren takes a dangerous undercover assignment—as an intern to an influential Judge named Cassa Harkness. Cassa has spent her life researching a transformative spell, which could bring the war between the factions to its absolute end. Caught in a web of deceit, Wren must decide whether or not to gamble on the spell and seal the Augurs’ fate.

My Review
It took a bit for me to really get into Wren Hunt. I feel like I had a hard time understanding the beginning of the story. The boys chased Wren, and she’s terrified, and they’re big enough that they could really hurt her, so obviously she was afraid. But I couldn’t really grasp something about it. Was she afraid because they had physically hurt her in the past? Or that they could start hurting her? I felt like I missed something maybe.

When she has a confrontation with the leader of the boys who harass her, I felt like Wren Hunt got super intriguing. I didn’t understand the Augur’s magic right away (okay, this could really be my fault for being slow? I had just moved when I read this book, so now that I’m thinking back I wonder how much was just me not putting pieces together because I was tired.) but I definitely felt intrigued by it and by the stakes it set up.

I loved Wren’s magic. Her visions and her dreams were super weird but had this fantastic mythical feel to them. I loved how they fit together with the story and the larger legend she ends up uncovering.

Probably the most unexpected part of Wren Hunt came in the form of Cassa Harkness. I thought she would kind of be this big boss villain, and she does have a kind of mafia-esque power and a certain darkness to her, but she’s so much more complex than that, and I loved her for it. I loved the relationship between her and Wren. I loved how the whole story seemed to pivot as Wren learned more and more about the lore and history of the Augurs and Judges.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are Irish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently. It was infrequent enough that I kept forgetting about it between instances. Maybe a dozen or so instances.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief but intense kissing. One scene goes a little further but the characters are interrupted.

Spiritual Content
Two enemy groups use magic against each other. Each has set rituals which are supposed to bring power or reveal the future. Augurs often have a special ability (maybe recognizing patterns or predicting the future). There’s also a lot of lore about magic in their history.

Violent Content
Boys chase Wren and she clearly feels terrified and threatened, even though we don’t witness any direct assault or violence. Her anxiety felt to me similar to what a victim of abuse might feel and so may be a trigger to some sensitive readers.
One of the Judges’ rituals for punishment involves bleeding. Wren doesn’t witness it but the effects on the person punished seem awful. She learns that one group of Judges were assassins with advanced training and terrible weapons.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of Wren Hunt in exchange for my honest review.

Q&A with Snow Witch Author Rosie Boyes

Author Interview, Magical Realism, News and Fun, , , ,

Rosie Boyes’ novel Snow Witch came out last week, and it’s another book I can’t wait to read. The story looks like a lot of fun, especially as we head into the holidays. I’m really excited to find out more about the Christmas curse and the mysterious St. Flurries. Read on to learn more about what inspired this unusual holiday story.

Q&A with Rosie Boyes

I find that a story was often inspired by a question. Was there a question that inspired you to write The Snow Witch?

I often imagine the thick snow-covered streets that Charles Dickens wrote about in A Christmas Carol, and the sense of wonder that Lucy Pevensie felt when she stepped through the wardrobe into Narnia – her small feet crunching through the fresh white snow – a puff of breath visible in the crisp, cold air. But due to climate change, a blanket of snow on Christmas day is rare, especially where I live in the south of England. Yet, every year, regardless, I ask myself… will it snow this Christmas? And that was the question that inspired me to write The Snow Witch.

Were there things about your favorite character or an awesome scene which you didn’t end up being able to include in Snow Witch?

Luckily, no, in fact, quite the opposite. After completing several edit checks, I sent my manuscript to a twelve-year-old boy who read the story and gave me his feedback. In his own words, he loved all of the characters apart from a snow creature called Pipit who he described as not very fun and needed more cheer. So, I wrote a new chapter, short and sweet, and in doing so, turned Pipit into an accidental hero. And strangely enough, the new chapter changed the whole dynamics at the end of the book.

Is there a scene or moment in your novel that really sticks with you? Can you tell us a little bit about it?

A chapter I found intense to write was when my main protagonist was cursed, and due to the curse, her family abandoned her when they believed she was dead. ‘Papa! Mama!’ she whimpered. ‘Don’t… leave… me…’ I hate sad scenes, I hate them with a vengeance. Yet, no matter how much the scene pulled on my heartstrings, I knew I had to leave it alone because it was a key element to the story.

I think it’s really cool and unusual to see a story about a curse (usually more of a Halloween theme) taking place around Christmas. What inspired this holiday mash-up?

I love snow! Love it! And I love the festive season mixed together with spicy yumminess and family hugs. So when I came up with the idea for The Snow Witch, I simply had to write a story set around Christmas-time. And into the mixture of the curse, I added three white mistletoe berries, a teaspoon of snow, two cat hairs, and…. well, I’ll let you read the story to find out what happens next.

What do you most hope that readers take away from your story?

Personally speaking, I enjoy reading books which blend an element of everything – fantasy, adventure, suspense, mystery, comedy, and maybe a little romance, all mixed up to make an unforgettable story. And so when it came to The Snow Witch, I wanted to evoke feelings, pure and simple. As an author, I want my readers to turn over a new page and not know quite what to expect. I want them to experience a rollercoaster journey until they finish the book, look around, perhaps a little disorientated because they don’t want the story to end. I want them to feel happy.

What is one question about The Snow Witch you are often asked by readers?

The question I often get asked is from my sister. Have you finished the story yet? When can I read it? In real life, she is an occupational therapist. She is warm-hearted and caring, funny, strong, empathetic and compassionate – in truth, she has all the characteristics needed to be a healthcare professional (but then I am a little biased!). Little does she know that I have loosely based her on a character in my book. Nurse Pamela Pintail, to be precise. It makes me wonder whether, subconsciously, I have based other characters on real-life people? Could it be you?

About Rosie Boyes

Website | Twitter

Rosie Boyes is a children’s author from the UK. She has been passionate about middle-grade books ever since she can remember. Her love of reading came at an early age when she escaped into classic stories, living out the lives of the characters she met. During her spare time, she dreams about dipping her toes in the sea, splashing through puddles, kicking up leaves in the autumn…

About The Snow Witch

Amazon | Goodreads

A GRANDFATHER CLOCK. A GLASS LOCKET. A POWERFUL CURSE UNLEASHED ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

Twelve-year-old Kitty Wigeon can’t wait for Christmas at St Flurries, a grand old manor house in the countryside, until one chilly night she vanishes without a trace.

One hundred years later… Still grieving over the death of their mother, Kes Bunting and his younger sister Star, are sent to live at St Flurries. They find a house steeped in mystery and brimming with secrets.

Who, or what, is making footprints in the snow?

And what evil force is taking a cold grip on Star?

Wrap up warm as you join Kes, and a cast of eccentric snow creatures, in a race against time to solve a hundred-year-old curse. Will he succeed? Or will the fate of his sister be decided by a shivery kiss from… the Snow Witch?

Review: I Do Not Trust You by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz

Book Review and Content, Magical Realism, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

I Do Not Trust You
Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
Wednesday Books
Published on September 11, 2018

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About I Do Not Trust You
Memphis “M” Engle is stubborn to a fault, graced with an almost absurd knowledge of long lost languages and cultures, and a heck of an opponent in a fight. In short: she’s awesome.

Ashwin Sood is a little too posh for her tastes, a member of an ancient cult (which she’s pretty sure counts for more than one strike against him), and has just informed Memphis that her father who she thought was dead isn’t and needs her help.

From the catacombs of Paris to lost temples in the sacred forests, together they crisscross the globe, searching for the pieces of the one thing that might save her father. But the closer they come to saving him—and the more they fall for one another—the closer they get to destroying the world.

My Review
Reading I Do Not Trust You was like reading an updated Indiana Jones style adventure. Archaeology and spirituality collide in the unlikely team of M and Ash. I loved the way they drew out the best parts of each other, and the way their relationship developed felt so organic to me. It had all these fits and starts and super funny moments but also super awkward moments. All the stuff a deep friendship is built from.

In addition, the tension between the two of them has a slow, steady burn. I loved that the story didn’t go down the impulsive-crazy-sex path, because so often those scenes feel really artificial and unnecessary. Instead, I felt like they had this natural attraction that grew out of their shared experiences, and I desperately wanted them to have that “I have to know if you like me” conversation to get things out in the open.

It reminded me a little bit of Protector by Jennifer Tubbiolo, which is also about hunting down ancient artifacts. I liked it a lot. Content information below.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Ashwin is described as having very dark hair and brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent use of extreme profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some romantic tension/attraction between a boy and girl.
At one point, Ash and M meet a girl who clearly has some sexual intentions toward Ash. Later, she performs a spiritual ritual naked. (We only see her because Ash tries to stop her.)

Spiritual Content
Ash is a member of a group who worship the ancient Egyptian god Horus. Ash himself possesses a power he refers to as being a god channeler. This means he can use some supernatural power to move objects or manipulate energy.
Another cult has kidnapped M’s father, believing he knows where pieces of their god, Set, are hidden. They believe if they find all the pieces of an idol of their god and bring them together, the god will resurrect. Horus followers believe if the god Set rises, he will destroy the world.

Other religious sites seem to impact the pieces of the idol. M wonders if this has a sort of “many paths to the divine” kind of explanation—maybe different religions are a sort of reimagining of each other. Her friend, a Catholic nun, says she recognizes that other spiritual things are happening which she doesn’t fully understand because they’re outside her own beliefs. She doesn’t offer further explanation, even when M asks whether her friend thinks this means the other gods are evil.

Violent Content
Some situations of peril. (Poison darts and snakes protect one piece of the idol, for instance.) M learns Ash was abused by his parents after seeing terrible scars on his back. Once scene shows a fierce battle between Ash and a spiritual creature in which he’s injured.

Drug Content
A guide tells M that Ash has a history of drug and alcohol use. To earn the guide’s trust, M drinks from a flask filled with alcohol possibly mixed with another drug. Later, M ingests a hallucinogenic powder as part of a spiritual ritual in pursuit of a piece of the idol.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt

Book Review and Content, Magical Realism, Middle Grade 8-12, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Bookish Boyfriends
Tiffany Schmidt
ABRAM Kids
Published on May 1st, 2018

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Bookish Boyfriends
Boys are so much better in books. At least according to Merrilee Campbell, 15, who thinks real-life chivalry is dead and there’d be nothing more romantic than having a guy woo her like the heroes in classic stories. Then she, her best friend, Eliza, and her younger sister, Rory, transfer to Reginald R. Hero Prep–where all the boys look like they’ve stepped off the pages of a romance novel. Merri can hardly walk across the quad without running into someone who reminds her of Romeo.

When the brooding and complicated Monroe Stratford scales Merri’s trellis in an effort to make her his, she thinks she might be Juliet incarnate. But as she works her way through her literature curriculum under the guidance of an enigmatic teacher, Merri’s tale begins to unfold in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Merri soon realizes that only she is in charge of her story. And it is a truth universally acknowledged that first impressions can be deceiving…

My Review

A solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to four. When I started reading this book, I quickly lost interest and began to hate it. The characters (especially the main one) got on my nerves, and I found the writing style very irritating. I didn’t think I was going to finish it at all, honestly, but I made myself promise to at least read to 50% before giving up. Then, around the 25% mark, something changed. I’m not sure exactly what it was–if the author finally hit her stride, or if the characters improved or what–but suddenly, I found myself empathizing with the characters instead of berating them. I was pulled into the story (somewhat skeptically) until I was staying up late just to read a little bit more. Bookish Boyfriends, to my surprise, was suddenly good. Now, there was a few hiccups here and there (some of the characters still made horrible, face-palm worthy choices that I don’t agree with), but overall, I actually enjoyed this book. I would definitely be interested in reading a sequel, even a whole series with this theme. Overall ,it was a clean, pleasant read that straddles the line between middle grade and YA.

Some of the things I liked most included:

–Merrilee actually listened to her parents and made the right choice, at least once. You have no idea how satisfying it was to find a contemporary YA heroine being somewhat sensible for once.

–The story twist I didn’t see coming

–How the author incorporated the retelling aspect while still making the story her own

Some things I didn’t like:

–The lack of sensible adults

–Merrilee’s silliness at times

–The lesbian/bisexual couple represented and the mention of a homosexual customer. As a conservative Christian this was a red flag for me.

Recommended for Ages 12 and up

Cultural Elements
One character is described as being biracial, and partly Asian. One character is described as having brown skin. A lesbian/bisexual couple is featured, and there is a mention of a homosexual customer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some characters “curse,” but actual words are not given.

Romance/Sexual Content
Heavy kissing and embracing, semi-detailed. Describing how attractive male characters are (stays appropriate for age range overall).

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One character behaves threateningly towards Merrilee, trying to intimidate her into a relationship. One character is injured during sport’s practice.

Drug Content
Some reference to teen drinking at a party (no main characters participate).

Note: I received a copy of this book to review from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Book Review and Content, Magical Realism, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Rithmatist (Rithmatist #1)
Brandon Sanderson
Tor Teen
Published on May 13th, 2013

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About The Rithmatist

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery—one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever.

My Review

I devoured this book. It has been a long while since I’ve read a book that fast, and it felt good. I loved the entire plot, the amazing world-building, the fantastic characters….I could go on and on. This book is definitely worthy of its five star rating.

The plot was thrilling. As an artist, the idea of chalk drawings coming to life was very intriguing, and it was exciting to see how Sanderson spun out the mystery. He did an excellent job of weaving in unexpected twists and turns to keep the mystery going until the very end. My only complaint would be that the mystery was wrapped up very quickly in the end, leaving me wondering if that really was the solution, or if there was something more in store. And it ended with “To be continued,” and some unresolved loose ends. Not cool–how am I supposed to survive until the sequel comes out?

The world-building was phenomenal. It was completely unlike any other setting I’ve ever read. It was based on the premise of “what if America was actually an archipelago of islands?” It also had some other twists in history, but I’ll let you discover them for yourself. Part alternate history, part fantasy, it had a familiar feel to it while still being original. It even had touches of steampunk–er, springpunk? And the magic of the Rithmatists? It was awesome. I loved how it was based on logical principles and geometric properties. I can’t wait to read more about it in the next book. One note: the Monarchical Church in the book seems Christian in nature at first, and is classified with other Christian denominations. However, from the little tidbits that were in the book, it seems more of a religion glorifying science, along with some ritualistic aspects that could become dark very quickly. I would be wary letting younger children read this book on their own–if they do, at least discuss with them the religious views the characters hold to, and how that differs from Christianity to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.

The characters were great. Quite well-developed and life-like. My personal favorite was Melody–I loved her spunky, melodramatic personality, and all the hilarious comments she added. When I first started the book, it was a little hard to figure out whose POV it was from, but it became clearer within the first few pages. By the way, I kept wanting to call Joel “Joe” instead. Not sure why–I just thought it fit him better.

Wrap-up: This was a really fun, exciting read. It’s a blend of magical realism, alternate reality, and steampunk. I highly recommend it. Just a warning though: the explanation behind the origin of Rithmatist powers was hinted at, and it points to a rather dark theory. Some of the religious aspects, a fight scene toward the end, and the actual villain were very creepy and disturbing. Not for the weak of stomach.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Most characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Made up curses, like “dusts,”and “dusting,” were common phrases.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mentions of dress showing quite a bit of leg, a girl being pretty, etc

Spiritual Content
The Monarchical Church in the book seems Christian in nature at first, and is classified with other Christian denominations. However, from the little tidbits that were in the book, it seems more of a religion glorifying science, along with some ritualistic aspects that could become dark very quickly.

Violent Content
Most of the attacks are off page, though the end fight scene is very creepy. The wild chalklings eat off the skin and eyes of victims. One “historical” account of a chalkling attack is pretty disturbing.

Drug Content
None.