Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Ghostcloud by Michael Mann

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,
Ghostcloud by Michael Mann

Ghostcloud
Michael Mann
Peachtree
Published October 7, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Ghostcloud

Twelve-year-old Luke Smith-Sharma shovels coal under a half-bombed, blackened power station. With his best friend Ravi he keeps his head down, hoping to one day earn his freedom and return to his family, while avoiding the wrath of the evil Tabatha Margate. When he tries to help new girl Jess, Luke is punished and sent to clean the sewers of the haunted East Wing, a place from which few return.

Whilst serving his punishment, Luke realises he can see things others can’t in the power station: ghostly things. He befriends a ghost-girl called Alma, who can ride clouds through the night sky and bend their shape to her will.

But when Luke discovers the terrible truth of why Tabatha Margate is kidnapping children and forcing them to work in the power station, Alma agrees to help him and his friends escape. Will Alma convince the ghost council to help their cause? And can Luke find his voice, while trying to find a way home?

My Review

I liked the story world a lot. GHOSTCLOUD is set in London, but an alternative London, one ravaged by war and pollution. One in which children disappear. I liked Luke right away. He’s the guy who knows he should keep his head down so he can win a ticket home to his family. Instead, he risks everything to help a girl who clearly has no idea what she’s doing.

So much happens in this book. Adventures in the air with ghosts. Adventures exploring ventilation systems with Jess and a precocious cat they call Stealth. Luke is determined to win not only his own freedom, but to help Jess and Ravi and the others, too. He can’t help but care about everyone he meets, and I love that about him.

Something about the writing and the mysterious/magical story world reminded me of THE SONG FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE by A. F. Harrold. Both stories have that fantastical feel to them and kids with big hearts at their centers. I think readers who love magical realism or are looking for a story about courage will find a lot to love in GHOSTCLOUD.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Luke is half white and half Indian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A girl kisses Luke on the cheek.

Spiritual Content
Luke meets a ghost named Alma who introduces him to other ghosts. Because he was dead for a moment at birth, he can see and interact with ghosts himself. Alma tells him this makes him “half-ghost”.

Violent Content
Luke and other children are forced to labor in a factory for a woman named Tabatha and her guards. She punishes them severely if they make mistakes or do something she doesn’t like. Brief references to torture and abuse.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria

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

Silver in the Mist
Emily Victoria
Inkyard Press
Published November 1, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Silver in the Mist

Eight years ago, everything changed for Devlin: Her country was attacked. Her father was killed. And her mother became the Whisperer of Aris, the head of the spies, retreating into her position away from everyone… even her daughter.

Joining the spy ranks herself, Dev sees her mother only when receiving assignments. She wants more, but she understands the peril their country, Aris, is in. The malevolent magic force of The Mists is swallowing Aris’s edges, their country is vulnerable to another attack from their wealthier neighbor, and the magic casters who protect them from both are burning out.

Dev has known strength and survival her whole life, but with a dangerous new assignment of infiltrating the royal court of their neighbor country Cerena to steal the magic they need, she learns that not all that glitters is weak. And not all stories are true.

My Review

I found the first few chapters of this book a little bit confusing. It seemed like there were things I was supposed to know already (magic systems, geography, etc.) that I didn’t know. I actually looked to see if this was a sequel to another book that I’d missed. Nope.

Once I was maybe four or so chapters into the book, though, I felt like the story settled into itself. I liked the whole spy network element and the magic system based on creating shapes called filigree. From the beginning I liked Dev’s character, but I think Lochlan was my favorite. I loved their snappy remarks.

I think readers who enjoy books about magic with a bit of political intrigue will like this one. It reminded me a teeny bit of DEFY THE NIGHT by Brigid Kemmerer, though I think there’s a little more world building in Kemmerer’s books.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
One minor character is nonbinary.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief reference to two women who married. It seemed like there was some attraction between Dev and Alyse (two girls), but nothing is ever openly specified.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic by creating filigree. Magic mist spawns terrible monsters.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. In one scene, characters fight off a monster. Other references to monster fights. One reference to torture and execution.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

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

The Luminaries
Susan Dennard
Tor Teen
Published November 1, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Luminaries

From Susan Dennard, the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series, comes a haunting and high-octane contemporary fantasy, about the magic it takes to face your fears in a nightmare-filled forest, and the mettle required to face the secrets hiding in the dark corners of your own family.

Hemlock Falls isn’t like other towns. You won’t find it on a map, your phone won’t work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie’s town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.

Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family’s good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

“You’ll want to get lost in the world of THE LUMINARIES again and again.”—Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author

My Review

THE LUMINARIES is the first book by Susan Dennard that I’ve read, and all I can say is, what have I been doing with my life?!

I was absolutely hooked from the first page. The story world is tense and dangerous, its forest filled with monsters. Winnie had my heart from word one.

At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of the whole clans organized by the day of the week thing? It seemed a little clunky? But once I got into the story and understood how it worked, why it worked, and that different places had the same system but used weekday names in other languages, I kind of got into it.

Okay, also, I loved the stuff with Winnie and Jay. He’s definitely got more secrets than we know about at this point, but that only made me read the book faster. It only makes me want the next book in the series sooner! Haha. I definitely liked the slow burn of their connection and the layered-ness of it.

All in all, I’d say this book is just about unputdownable. I started it in the morning one day and didn’t go to sleep until I’d finished every page. It made me think a little bit of A FAR WILDER MAGIC by Allison Saft, which I also really enjoyed. I haven’t read Susan Dennard’s other books, so I can’t compare this to those, but I’m much more likely to pick up her Witchlands series now.

Sooz Your Own Luminaries Adventures on Twitter

So the idea for the story began as a series of polls on Twitter where author Susan Dennard created what she calls a “Sooz-Your-Own-Adventure.” I love that. You can read the original thread here. If you’ve already read the book, you’ll recognize some of the characters from the thread, though the events in the book are not the ones described in the thread. THE LUMINARIES is its own story.

Additionally, in the days leading up to the book’s release, Susan Dennard had another “Sooz-Your-Own-Adventure” Luminaries thread going with daily polls and more chances to participate in the storytelling.

I love this! She’s absolutely cracked the code on creating engaging polls, and the threads made me laugh more than once.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
List.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
List.

Romance/Sexual Content
List.

Spiritual Content
List.

Violent Content
List.

Drug Content
List.

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

Review: Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts by Dianne K. Salerni

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , , , , , ,

Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts
Dianne K. Salerni
Holiday House
Published September 1, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts

Murderous ghosts and buried family secrets threaten young Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt in this thrilling middle-grade novel that puts a supernatural spin on alternate history.

It’s 1898 in New York City and ghosts exist among humans.

When an unusual spirit takes up residence at the Roosevelt house, thirteen-year-old Eleanor and fourteen-year-old Alice are suspicious. The cousins don’t get along, but they know something is not right. This ghost is more than a pesky nuisance. The authorities claim he’s safe to be around, even as his mischievous behavior grows stranger and more menacing. It’s almost like he wants to scare the Roosevelts out of their home – and no one seems to care!

Meanwhile, Eleanor and Alice discover a dangerous ghost in the house where Alice was born and her mother died. Is someone else haunting the family? Introverted Eleanor and unruly Alice develop an unlikely friendship as they explore the family’s dark, complicated history. It’s up to them to destroy both ghosts and come to terms with their family’s losses.

Told from alternating perspectives, thrills and chills abound in Dianne K. Salerni’s imaginative novel about a legendary family and the ghosts that haunt their secrets.

My Review

I didn’t realize when I first picked up this book that the main characters were going to be the actual historical figures, Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt. For some reason I imagined they would maybe be named after them or something else? Anyway, it was a pleasant surprise!

So the book takes place in an alternate history in which ghosts are not uncommon. They “erupt” sometimes soon after a person’s death and sometimes years later. Sometimes the ghosts have no interaction with the living, and other times they actively try to kill people. When a ghost appears, it’s classified in terms of its behavior toward others and any risk posed to the living. It’s a super fascinating idea, and I loved that it’s anchored in history by the presence of historical figures in the story (not limited to Roosevelts).

I really enjoyed both Eleanor and Alice’s points of view. Eleanor is methodical and sweet but shy. Alice is more impulsive and outspoken. At first getting along is a bit difficult for the girls, but they figure out how to work together as a growing threat from a ghost emerges.

Some of the scenes are a bit eerie, and but I thought a couple were actually frightening. A ghost attacks a group of children, saying creepy things about killing them and clearly trying to murder them. Later, a fire breaks out in someone’s home and nearly kills several people.

On the whole I wouldn’t classify the book as scary, but it does have those moments. I loved the tension as Eleanor and Alice try to find out what happened to the boy who haunts their aunt’s home. I also loved the appearances by Nellie Bly, , and Franklin Roosevelt, and Emily Spinach.

The author has included a note at the end of the book that clarifies some of the story elements which are true and where she took some artistic license. My favorite true fact was that Alice Roosevelt did indeed keep a green snake as a pet, and its name was in fact Emily Spinach.

I think this book makes a particularly fun fall read, and a wonderful way to inspire learning more about historical figures.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The story contains ghosts, some of which are harmless, but others of which try to murder people. Several characters organize a séance to try to communicate with a ghost.

Violent Content
Some ghosts try to kill the people they interact with. In more than one scene, characters encounter such a ghost and must escape.

Drug Content
References to the fact that Eleanor’s father died due to his alcoholism.

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

Review: The Sevenfold Hunters by Rose Egal

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

The Sevenfold Hunters
Rose Egal
Page Street Press
Published October 25, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Sevenfold Hunters

Sci-fi fans will love this genre-bending debut full of cutthroat school politics and the speculative intrigue of alien contact.

There’s nothing hijabi alien hunter Abyan wants more than to graduate from Carlisle Academy and finally rid the Earth of the Nosaru, a species hidden in plain sight.

Everything is going to plan until the Nosaru kill one of Abyan’s squad mates, leaving the team devastated. To make matters worse, the school admins replace her elite squad member with a sub-par new recruit, Artemis. Despite Artemis failing every test—and bringing the team down with her—their cutthroat instructors refuse to kick her out.

Together Abyan, Artemis and the rest of the team unravel the mystery of why Artemis is actually there, what the Nosaru really want, and what Carlisle Academy has been hiding from them all.

My Review

An elite team of teens fighting vampire space aliens called Nosaru. A girl wrestling with the her boyfriend’s sudden death. A girl on the hunt for revenge for her family’s deaths. All that seemed like it would add up to a pretty compelling read.

For me, those elements just didn’t come together in THE SEVENFOLD HUNTERS. Artemis felt kind of flat. In a couple scenes she seemed motivated to learn more about her boyfriend’s death, but mostly she was so distracted about her own survival that her grief got really pushed to the side. Concern for her survival makes total sense, but it was weird that the story framed her as this grieving girl, and I didn’t feel like it delivered that.

Abyan, however. She’s complex. A girl from a poor family in a school of wealthy elites. A practicing Muslim. The top team’s driven leader, with a tragic, secret past and a desperate hope for revenge. I was all in on her.

At times, I felt pulled forward through the intense, action-packed scenes. They fight space vampires who’ve invaded earth. It’s super cool. But.

I didn’t understand some of the dynamics of the overall battle between the humans and aliens. Like, the operatives know there are a number of hives of Nosaru near the school, but they just sort of… let them be? I thought this was a kill or be killed kind of enemy?

After a Sevenfold mission goes badly because one team member turns on the others, everyone goes back to base for a debrief where they… worry about this team member’s feelings? They’re like, we can’t press this person to tell us why they did what they did because it involves secrets from their past. We need to wait for them to feel comfortable to tell us.

That didn’t add up for me. Most of the members of the team were (I think) in their last year at the school, very near to being able to graduate and work as paid operatives in the fight against the Nosaru. It seemed like the first concern should have been, is this team member going to get me killed? Is this team member capable of serving the needs of the team, or do they need to step back and deal with whatever past issues are interfering with them and risking everyone’s safety?

I don’t know, but that whole part read very strangely to me.

There were also a couple of reveals that came late in the story that I felt like didn’t really get explored. It’s possible that those were primarily supposed to be a setup for a sequel. I just didn’t see how they fit into this story and they were big things, so it was weird that they didn’t have more focus or weren’t revealed earlier.

On the whole… I struggled with this book. There were things I liked. Abyan’s character is at the top of that list. I loved her. I liked some of the other team members, too, especially Kade and Hank. The plot felt a bit unfocused and some parts didn’t make a lot of sense to me. So that made the book harder for me to read. I thought the story world was interesting and there are a lot of cool elements to explore if there are further books to come in the series.

Content Notes for The Sevenfold Hunters

Content warning for torture and violence.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Abyan is Somali and Muslim. Artemis is biracial and bisexual. Other characters identify as LGBTQIA+.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
References to Abyan practicing daily prayer and keeping to halal foods.

Violent Content
References to a brutal attack on a group of teenagers. Situations of peril and battle scenes. One scene shows a man torturing a captive.

Drug Content
One scene shows several teens drinking alcohol at a party. Another scene shows a teen vaping.

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

Review: The Spirit Queen by Arnée Flores

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

The Spirit Queen
Arnée Flores
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Published October 18, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Spirit Queen

The hope spread by the Firebird Song was supposed to change everything. Although nature has returned to balance, the Kingdom of Lyrica suffered for too long, and remains afraid. Worse yet, Princess Calliope has begun to hear sounds–horrible shrieks and cries from across the sea that keep her awake at night–and she seems to be the only one hearing them. How can she lead her kingdom if everyone is so afraid?

When Calliope’s friend Ilsbeth is kidnapped, Calliope and the Bargeboy, Prewitt, embark on a secret quest to save her–but before she can rescue her friend, Calliope must find the confidence to act like the Queen she knows she is destined to be.

This imaginative, heart-warming tale brings truths of our own world to the surface, and shows readers that out of sorrow emerges joy, out of fear arises courage.

My Review

THE FIREBIRD SONG was one of my favorite books last year, so when I saw this sequel, I absolutely had to read it. It begins soon after the first book leaves off, with Calliope and Prewitt working together trying to rebuild the kingdom. Only something is still terribly wrong, and Calliope isn’t sure how to fix it. She should have access to the same magic that past queens held, but her only advisor, the Bookkeeper, doesn’t know the particulars about how it works.

I loved getting to revisit some of my favorite characters, namely Calliope, Prewitt, and Ilsbeth, the leader of the Glade Girls. The story follows all three of them with snippets of scenes told from a few other points of view. Ilsbeth might have been my favorite. She’s the girl who won’t stop until things get done, and I love that about her. She’s pragmatic and fierce, and I love that.

THE SPIRIT QUEEN seemed a tiny bit less well-organized than THE FIREBIRD SONG, though. Sometimes I felt like a scene shifted point-of-view too subtly, so I had to go back and reread a few paragraphs in order to be sure I understood what was happening. This problem may have been corrected in the final version of the story– I only read a pre-release copy, so more editing has happened since I read the book myself.

Nevertheless, I still very much enjoyed the story world and the theme about the power of stories, specifically the stories we tell ourselves and the stories we try to lock away and forget and the ways those impact us. Those threads in the book were especially cool.

I also liked its messages about fear and hope. I loved the way those ideas played out in Calliope’s journey. With her magic connected to hope, she had the best emotional arc in the whole book, I think. I loved the way her past memories and fears as well as the current situation she was in fit together. They helped her understand what she had to do to save her people.

On the whole, I enjoyed reading THE SPIRIT QUEEN a lot. I think readers who enjoyed THE UNICORN QUEST by Kamilla Benko or THE RAVEN HEIR by Stephanie Burgis will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Characters are described as having light brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Calliope believes she should have access to magic through the power the firebird gave to her ancestors. One advisor encourages her to attempt to wield a powerful magic called Spirit Magic, but another mentor warns Calliope that humans aren’t meant to be a vessel for Spirit Magic.

Several Spirits exist with special powers. One has the power to take away painful memories in exchange for a blue pearl.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

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