Category Archives: Fantasy

Review and Giveaway: Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

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

Spindle FireSpindle Fire
Lexa Hillyer
HarperCollins
Published April 11, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Spindle Fire
Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and her voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.

And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood–and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.

As the faerie queen and her army of Vultures prepare to march, Isabelle must race to find a prince who can awaken her sister with the kiss of true love and seal their two kingdoms in an alliance against the queen.

Isabelle crosses land and sea; unearthly, thorny vines rise up the palace walls; and whispers of revolt travel in the ashes on the wind. The kingdom falls to ruin under layers of snow. Meanwhile, Aurora wakes up in a strange and enchanted world, where a mysterious hunter may be the secret to her escape . . . or the reason for her to stay.

Spindle Fire is the first book in a lush fantasy duology set in the dwindling, deliciously corrupt world of the fae and featuring two truly unforgettable heroines.

My Review
Strangely, this is the second book I’ve read lately that’s written in third person point-of-view with present-tense action. I liked the storytelling but the verb tense didn’t seem to fit as well as in Defy the Stars.

The characters were a huge win. I can’t think of a single character I didn’t like—even including the villains. I will keep on rooting for Gil because he’s awesome. I loved the scenes from his perspective, and his descriptions of how Isabella interacted with him were so deep and emotive.

As far as plot, I wasn’t sure what to expect before I started reading. I knew it had elements from Alice in Wonderland and Sleeping Beauty but was having a hard time seeing exactly how those two stories would stack together well. I thought the mash-up was a success. The villain(s) reminded me of both stories, and Aurora’s journey definitely reminded me of the 2010 film version of Alice in Wonderland in the way she had to find her true self through the adventure in the Borderlands.

This has a bit of a darker edge to it than some other fairytale-inspired stories, but I liked it a lot. I think fans of Forbidden Wish or The School for Good and Evil will find Spindle Fire to be a worthy addition to the genre. I’m so glad I had a chance to read it and can’t wait to read the sequel and find out how the rest of the story ends.

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Cultural Elements
Both princesses have fair skin. One reference says the Aubin prince has darker skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A few kisses between a boy and girl. In one scene it’s unclear what happens, if anything, beyond kissing.

One of the faeries tithes (collects) sense of touch. She is rumored to have many lovers, both men and women. Another of the fae remembers playing a card game involving stripping with this faerie who happily gave up most of her clothing. It’s kind of a brief in-passing sort of comment.

Spiritual Content
A prince and princess take refuge in a convent. They make a disparaging comment about the god the nuns serve. The nuns rebuke them. At one point Isabella wishes to pray and realizes she doesn’t know how. She admires the nuns for their courage and care for young orphaned girls, who are not especially valued in her culture.

The fae (fairies) tithe an ability from someone in exchange for what the person wants. For instance one might take luck from someone in exchange for information.

The princesses learn of a rumor about two sister fae who fought until one killed the other.

In the Borderlands, a magical place, illusions which might look like innocent children lead naïve travelers to their deaths.

Violent Content
A few brief battles with soldiers and fae opponents. The crew of a whaling ship attempt to kill a narwhal.

Drug Content
None.

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

About Lexa Hillyer

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Lexa Hillyer is the co-founder of Paper Lantern Lit, former YA editor, and author of Proof of Forever. Lexa is also an award-winning poet: Her first collection, Acquainted with the Cold, won the Melissa Lanitis Gregory Poetry Prize as well as the 2012 Book of the Year Award from ForeWord Reviews. Her poetry has been anthologized in Best New Poets 2012, and has appeared in several journals. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their daughter.

Visit the other stops on the Spindle Fire tour!

Week 1:

4/3: Lost In Lit – Bookish Inspirations
4/4: Ex Libris – Review
4/5: The Irish Banana Review – Makeup Inspirations
4/6: Reads All the Books – Review
4/7: In Wonderland – Guest Post

Week 2:

4/10: Book Scents – Review
4/11: The Fake Steph – Q&A
4/12: Swoony Boys Podcast – Review
4/13: The Bookkeeper’s Secret – Mood Board
4/14: The Story Sanctuary – Review – you are here!

Enter the Giveaway for a Chance to Win One of Three Copies of Spindle Fire (US only)

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Review: Dream Magic by Joshua Khan

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Dream Magic (Shadow Magic #2)
Joshua Khan
Disney-Hyperion
Published April 11, 2017

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Dream Magic

People throughout Gehenna are disappearing, even the feared executioner Tyburn. Many of the nobles believe the kidnappings to be the work of the northern trolls, raiding south for the winter, and when Baron Sable and others head off to fight them, Castle Gloom is left guarded by only the squires.

Lily is struggling with her growing necromantic powers. The castle fills with ghosts, drawn like moths to a flame by the brightness of her magic. Zombies roam the country, some left over from those raised in SHADOW MAGIC, others awakened by Lily. Families are troubled by the returning dead, so Lily tries to incorporate them into day-to-day life, much to the resentment of the living.

Then Lily is attacked in her own castle by a mysterious sorcerer known as Dreamweaver, a young man determined to conquer Gehenna using jewel-spiders, strange crystalline creatures whose bite doesn’t kill, but sends victims to sleep. Lily soon discovers that Dreamweaver is harvesting dreams to fuel his magic.

Lily enters the realm of sleep known as the Dream Time, in an attempt to awaken all the captive dreamers. Instead she finds herself trapped within a dream, one where her family is still alive. With the help of Thorn and the ever loyal Hades, she must somehow overcome the evil Dreamweaver by using his own magic against him – and reclaim her kingdom.

My Review

This is one of those books I wanted to review because it sounded so original. I had not read SHADOW MAGIC before reading this one, but I had no trouble following the plot and characters of DREAM MAGIC, the second book in the series. I absolutely loved the writing. It’s dark, for sure—I mean, Lily’s magic interacts with the dead. Zombies, ghosts, and trolls fill the pages of the story. But it’s also cheeky and off-beat and fun! Maybe a little bit of a Nightmare Before Christmas kind of tone, though obviously a completely different story. (It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that movie, so don’t quote me on that.)

Both Thorn and Lily had me from their earliest scenes. I loved his courage and her determination to bring justice and fairness to every one of her people. There’s a gentle romantic pull between them which was really fun, too. Their struggles to figure out what their roles are in the midst of their crazy world felt real and compelling.

Another thing I really enjoyed were the illustrations at different places in the book. I liked getting to see drawings of some of the critical moments, and character depictions brought the story even more to life.

Thorn and Lily’s ages (Thorn is twelve and Lily thirteen) make this more of a middle grade read, but the writing struck me as more like young adult. I guess it’d be considered upper middle grade, but I think it’d have strong appeal to young adult readers as well. Definitely a great fit for fifth and sixth grade readers especially.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 up.

Representation
DREAM MAGIC takes place in a fantasy landscape without a lot of racial descriptions. Some of the names sounded reminiscent of Asian culture. The biggest and most interesting social conflict in the story relates to Lily’s magic. Rumors of curses on women with magic leave people with strong prejudice against any woman who uses magic. Lily faces some harsh criticism and fear simply for being a female with magic. The conflict is well-grounded within the story. Other groups like trolls and zombies face discrimination as well. Lily and Thorn advocate fair treatment and acceptance for all creatures.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild and in context. For instance, a couple uses of Hell refer to the actual place. One use of damned refers to those cursed.

Romance/Sexual Content
A brief kiss between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Lily, a necromancer, rules a kingdom closely associated with death. She possesses powerful magic that controls the dead and can summon ghosts and interact with undead creatures. Other kingdom rulers possess different types of magic—one controls wind, another light, etc.

Thorn possesses the ability to summon a giant bat monster named Hades to help him in battle. He doesn’t control Hades’s actions, but it’s clear he does have some influence and a relationship with it.

Violent Content
Battle scenes. Some creepy stuff related to zombies falling apart and such. Lots of spiders!

Drug Content
Brief references to drinking ale at a celebration.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Defy the Stars
Claudia Gray
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published April 4, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Defy the Stars
She’s a soldier.

Noemi Vidal is a seventeen years old and sworn to protect her planet, Genesis. She’s willing to risk anything—including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.

He’s a machine.

Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel has advanced programming that’s begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.

My Review
I started this book with pretty high hopes. Right away, I liked the third person present tense writing. It kept the story feeling immediate, and especially made sense to me in Abel’s scenes. I loved both Noemi and Abel straight from the start. Like Abel, I respected Noemi’s willingness to sacrifice herself to save others and her love for her best friend Esther. I felt a bit skeptical of whether Abel’s scenes would really seem like AI or whether they would feel too human. Actually, I really liked him a lot, and I think the internal experiences—rational breakdowns and examinations of emotions worked really well. I liked that over time he experienced character development, too.

The plot took me to some places I didn’t expect. I liked that unexpectedness. On the other hand, I really struggled with the ending. I don’t want to give anything away. But. The whole story had a certain goal and then by the end it felt like that goal sort of got dropped. I didn’t really understand a couple of the details that led up to the goal being abandoned. I mean, I feel like I understood some of the reasons, but I don’t know. It was weird. It felt like a really solid story that took a detour at the end to allow for setting up the rest of the series. Normally that doesn’t bother me—I liked the characters so I’m not sad at all that there may be other adventures, but it felt a little bit like a bait and switch or something.

Still, I’m not at all sorry that I read it. I loved getting to explore so much of the intricate story world Gray created and her masterful characters had me hooked from the first page to the last.

If you liked the recent movie adaptation of Ender’s Game or Ex Machina, you want to add this book to your list. I think fans of Hayley Stone’s Machinations would also find this book appealing.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Noemi is Latina. Abel has the appearance of a white male.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between male and female. When it becomes clear Noemi and Abel will need money to carry out their plan, he offers to sell himself into prostitution, since he has been programmed with the ability to perform those activities. Noemi feels horrified by that idea and refuses to ask him to do such a thing, even though she still considers him a machine. At one point he offers to have sex with her, reasoning that since they are alone and have time to kill, and it would provide her with a form of release, it might be helpful. Noemi tells him her faith mandates that she not have casual sex.

Spiritual Content
On Noemi’s planet, Genesis, faith is of high value. People of all different faiths live together in harmony. Noemi herself is Catholic but has always struggled with her faith. Sometimes she knows she should pray and instead, she feels doubt. She keeps her faith through the story.

Violent Content
Noemi helps a fellow soldier with grave injuries. Abel and Noemi witness a terrorist attack at a celebration.

Drug Content
None.

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

 

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Review: The Star Thief by Lindsey Becker

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

The Star Thief
Lindsey Becker
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Available April 11, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About The Star Thief
Honorine’s life as as maid at the Vidalia mansion is rather dull, dusting treasures from faraway places and daydreaming in front of maps of the world. But everything changes when she catches two brutish sailors ransacking Lord Vidalia’s study, and then follows a mysterious girl with wings out into the night….

Suddenly, Honorine is whisked into the middle of a battle between the crew of a spectacular steamship and a band of mythical constellations. The stars in the sky have come to life to defend themselves against those who want to harness their powers. Much to her surprise, Honorine is the crux of it all, the center of an epic clash between magic and science, the old ways and the new. But can this spirited young girl bring both sides of a larger-than-life fight together before they unleash an evil power even older than the stars?

My Review
From the very first pages, I was totally hooked on this book. I loved Honorine right from those first few lines. She’s smart but so compassionate. Her interest and talent at mechanics not only made her an interesting character but contributed to several key points in the story. At first I found the concept of the Mordant a little bit confusing. I felt like I missed something, but I read the first few chapters really late at night, so it could have been entirely my slow brain not processing them very well.

One of the interesting things about The Star Thief is the fact that Honorine finds herself caught between two men: a sea captain determined to capture the Mordant and the Mapmaker, a powerful Mordant who vows to stop the captain at any cost. Honorine loves them both, though she trusts neither, and wants desperately to find a way to save them both.

Sometimes stories where all the adults turn out to be disappointing or untrustworthy really bother me. I think that’s because my experience was so the opposite and I want so much for other kids to have good adults in their lives and value them. Someone very close to me did not have the same experience, though. Stories where the hero emerges from difficult situations despite a lack of trustworthy adults really resonate with him, and I wonder if it’s because it’s closer to what he went through.

Either way, this book is a win. Totally imaginative and full of heart. If your reader isn’t quite ready for Percy Jackson, The Star Thief would make a great alternative read. If you’re already a PJ fan, you’ll want to add this book to your reading list. Either way, don’t miss it!

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two instances of “hell.”

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
In The Star Thief, each constellation corresponds with a living creature called a Mordant. They inspire specific types of knowledge, invention, or creativity. For instance, spending time with one inspires advances in medicine. Fearsome creatures called Bellua inspire war and chaos and will try to kill the Mordant. While they’re not gods and goddesses exactly, it’s clear they have an elevated role compared to humanity.

Violent Content
Battles between a group of pirates and the Mordant and the Mordant and Bellua.

Drug Content
None.

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

 

Review: Perfect by Cecelia Ahern

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Perfect
Cecelia Ahern
Feiwel & Friends
Available April 4, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads
Celestine North lives in a society that demands perfection. After she was branded Flawed by a morality court, Celestine’s life has completely fractured–all her freedoms gone.

Since Judge Crevan has declared her the number one threat to the public, she has been a ghost, on the run with Carrick–the only person she can trust.

But Celestine has a secret–one that could bring the entire Flawed system crumbling to the ground. A secret that has already caused countless people to go missing.

Judge Crevan is gaining the upper hand, and time is running out for Celestine. With tensions building, Celestine must make a choice: save just herself or to risk her life to save all Flawed people.

And, most important of all, can she prove that to be human in itself is to be Flawed?

My Review
Perfect was the first book by Cecelia Ahern that I’ve read. Even though I haven’t read the first book in the series, I found it fairly easy to follow the story. I think reading the first book would have helped me understand her relationship with Carrick better and made their reunion more meaningful.

The premise was the most interesting part to me. Celestine lives in a society in which good behavior is vital to survival. One mistake can leave a person literally branded as imperfect and make them outcasts. When Celestine ignores her society’s rules about shunning those outcasts marked Flawed, she earns her own branding.

The story made me think a lot of the beginning of I Corinthians chapter 13. It starts with this list of really impressive abilities—being able to perform miracles, helping the poor, speaking in the tongues of angels, etc—but warns, “if I have not love, I am nothing.”

In Perfect, Celestine’s society has become obsessed with living this outwardly perfect life. What Celestine discovers, though, is the price to live such a “perfect” life demands giving up compassion, mercy, and empathy. She rallies others around her to stop living these cold, rule-bound lives and instead forgive each other, show mercy. She wants everyone to realize that no one is without flaw, and therefore the system is based on a lie anyway.

I liked that message a lot. Readers who enjoyed Lauren Oliver’s Delirium or Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies will probably enjoy this book.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. They have sex. The scene describes some lead-in, but not the actual event. Guard corral a group of women into a barn and force them to change into skimpy outfits to shame them.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Celestine remembers a terrible incident in which Judge Crevan brands her without anesthesia. Soldiers believe Celestine hides underneath a pile of kindling and demand that her family light it.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry

Book Review and Content, Historical, Sci-Fi, , , , ,

The Methuselah Project
Rick Barry
Kregel Publications
Published September 27, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

After he’s shot down in 1943 Nazi Germany, American pilot Roger Greene endures a medical experiment at the hands of a German doctor. When a bomb destroys the facility, research, and all other participants, Roger finds himself swept away to a secret Nazi compound. There he survives while his captors try to recreate the data from the original experiment, an experiment which leaves Roger able to heal miraculously fast and removes the effects of his body aging.

In 2015, all Katherine Mueller has ever wanted to do is please her guardian and uncle. Lately, though, her uncle’s wishes push Katherine further into the ranks of a mysterious, closed society which begins to feel way too much like a cult for Katherine’s liking. As she wrestles with when and how to break away, the group offers her a deal: an easy assignment that would ensure Katherine’s promotion and her uncle’s pride. All she has to do is track down a young American man who thinks he’s a World War II pilot.

This isn’t my usual genre, since it’s really too old to be considered YA, but it’s a book that a trusted friend has recommended to me several times over the years, so I figured it was about time for me to actually sit down and read it!

Truth is, I really like historical fiction, especially stories that feature World War II. (I blame Bodie Thoene.) So it wasn’t hard to convince me to pick this one up as soon as I knew what it was about.

I liked Roger’s frank but often optimistic nature. He continually tried to see the best in people even when it wasn’t easy. I liked that he was more brain than brawn, but he wasn’t afraid of a fight, either. He doesn’t become a superhero after the experiment, but he does continue to fight for good as a normal human guy. I liked that, too.

Katherine hooked me with her sort of hodge-podge life. She’s trying to make it as a freelance editor, which is her passion, but doesn’t quite pay the bills. She moonlights as a taxi driver to pay her bills, and refuses her wealthy uncle’s aid in everything except membership to a secret society. Her bond with him felt natural and complex. She definitely came across like a girl still in that becoming-an-adult moment.

She also really, really wants a boyfriend, a desire I found both realistic and also sometimes made her seem shallow. I think I wanted her to have bigger aspirations than finding a man, and that being the big Point B she was looking for, if that makes sense. Honestly, though, it’s not unrealistic, and it doesn’t dominate the story. She’s also not looking for just a pretty face– she really wants someone whose strengths compliment her own.

The Methuselah Project definitely puts an interesting spin on a World War II story—it’s part Captain America and part spy novel. I liked the blend and found the characters really interesting. I think anyone who likes historical fiction and light romance, especially fans of The Zion Covenant series by Bodie Thoene and Brock Thoene will find The Methuselah Project to be a great read.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
All major characters are white and either American or German (or both).

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
At one point a woman approaches Roger and seems interested in sleeping with him. He misinterprets her advance and is confused more than anything else. Katherine longs for a boyfriend and spends a great deal of time trying to figure out how to find the right one. At one point a man pressures her to let him come to her apartment to have sex. She refuses, but feels horrible when he says cruel things to her afterward. Later, a man and woman briefly kiss.

Spiritual Content
Roger frequently remembers a woman who cared for him as a child telling him to pray. When trouble finds him, he does just that. While imprisoned, he asks for and receives a Bible and spends a great deal of time reading and studying it.

Violent Content
Roger shoots down enemy planes as a pilot during World War II. He briefly fights his captors. An ally attacks a man and leaves him tied up. An attacker shoots a woman and child who witness something secret. Gunfire is exchanged between Roger, his allies, and opponents a couple other times. No gory details.

Drug Content
None.