Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Rebel, Brave and Brutal by Shannon Dittemore

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,
Rebel, Brave and Brutal by Shannon Dittemore

Rebel, Brave and Brutal (Winter, White and Wicked #2)
Shannon Dittemore
Amulet Books
Published January 10, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rebel, Brave and Brutal

The gripping sequel to Winter, White and Wicked that boasts the thrills of Mad Max: Fury Road and the icy magic of Frozen

Sylvi Quine, the best rig driver on Layce, has braved the dangers of the Shiv Road to save her friend and learned the truth of her power over Winter. Now, she’s joined the rebels working to take down the Majority. Her magic could change the course of their fight, and she agrees to meet the king of Paradyia to offer an exchange: the healing powers of the Pool of Begynd for his army.

The journey won’t be easy. To get there, Sylvi will have to navigate the Kol Sea, crossing through Winter’s storms and swarms of her Abaki—all while outrunning the Majority, who have sent their best Kol Master to track her down and bring her in, dead or alive.

But she isn’t traveling alone. Mars Dresden knows Sylvi is the key to freeing Layce, and demands she train like it. Kyn, the boy with stone flesh and a soft heart, is bound to Sylvi in more ways than one, a connection that both hurts and heals. And Lenore, Sylvi’s best friend, insists the Majority pay for what they’ve done to her parents. Even though her crew believes in her, Sylvi’s still learning to use her power, and Winter’s whispers are constant.

Will she be able to control Winter when it matters most? Or will this be the end of the rebellion?

My Review

I have not read WINTER, WHITE AND WICKED, but I had no trouble reading and following this book. Whatever backstory information I needed to know was pretty seamlessly included in the book. I don’t remember reading anything that felt info-dump-like.

One thing I did notice is how smooth the writing is. It’s been a while since I read anything by Shannon Dittemore, and I remembered that I liked DARK HALO when I read it, but I didn’t remember how great her writing is. It made the book feel easy to read.

The romance in REBEL, BRAVE AND BRUTAL is pretty understated. I liked the relationship between Kyn and Sylvi and the bond between them. I also liked that it didn’t dominate the story, but felt like a significant relationship.

Something about the book reminded me of the Storm Siren Trilogy by Mary Weber. I think fans of that series would really like this one. Possibly also fans of COLD THE NIGHT, FAST THE WOLVES by Meg Long.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Some minor characters are Shiv, or humans made from a combination of stone and flesh.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kiss between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Sylvi has the ability to control the capricious spirit called Winter. She commands Winter’s magic, but pays a physical price for using her power. The Shiv believe in a creator called Begynd, who once healed people in the waters of a pool, now cursed.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to torture. Battle scenes.

Drug Content
Exposure to an ore called Kol, which is connected to magic, can become addictive and destructive to human bodies.

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 REBEL, BRAVE AND BRUTAL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Breakup From Hell by Ann Davila Cardinal

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Breakup From Hell
Ann Davila Cardinal
HarperTeen
Published January 3, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Breakup From Hell

Miguela Angeles is tired. Tired of her abuela keeping secrets, especially about her heritage. Tired of her small Vermont town and hanging out at the same places with the same friends she’s known forever. So when another boring Sunday trip to church turns into a run-in with Sam, a mysterious hottie in town on vacation, Mica seizes the opportunity to get closer to him.

It’s not long before she is under Sam’s spell and doing things she’s never done before, like winning all her martial arts sparring matches—and lying to her favorite people. The more time Mica spends with Sam, the more weird things start to happen, too. Like terrifying-visions-of-the-world-ending weird.

Mica’s gut instincts keep telling her something is off, yet Sam is the most exciting guy she’s ever met. But when Mica discovers his family’s roots, she realizes that instead of being in the typical high school relationship, she’s living in a horror novel.

She has to leave Sam, but will ending their relationship also bring an end to everything she knows and everyone she loves?

Clever, hilarious, and steeped in supernatural suspense, BREAKUP FROM HELL will keep you hooked until the last page.

My Review

This was a fun book to read. It’s got some suspense– the world may literally end if Mica and her friends can’t figure out how to stop it. But it’s also got a lot of fun banter between friends, a best friends to lovers thread, and a powerful main character with a strong connection to her mom and grandmother.

BREAKUP FROM HELL is set in a small Vermont town, which I also really liked. It feels very much like a small New England place, with a small downtown area filled with interesting shops and some surrounding farmland. I liked the way the story used the landscape at different points. It was kind of funny to see this quaint little town erupt with apocalyptic events.

I really liked the relationships between Mica and her friends, especially Zee and Rage. They were a loyal friend group with a very can-do approach to things. They stuck together and needed each other in order to piece everything together. I also loved Mica’s relationship with Abuela. They didn’t always see eye to eye, but they both loved each other so much, and ultimately wanted the best for one another. I thought Abuela’s notes on the fridge were fantastic.

All in all, I thought BREAKUP FROM HELL was a fun read, perfect for fans of paranormal books like BITTERWINE OATH by Hannah West.

Content Notes for Breakup From Hell

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Mica is Puerto Rican.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Mica learns that the boy she’s been dating has dark powers and dark spiritual connections. Some characters have supernatural abilities. Some items also have supernatural abilities. Evil creatures can’t come onto the sacred ground of a church or chapel. Mica and her friend witness an evil sacrifice.

Violent Content
Mica and her friend witness an evil sacrifice of a deer. Situations of peril. Brief battle violence. A powerful weapon vanquishes an evil character, turning them to ash.

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 BREAKUP FROM HELL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

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

The Queen of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief #2)
Megan Whalen Turner
Greenwillow Books
Published February 28, 2017 (originally published in 2000)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Queen of Attolia

The brilliant thief Eugenides has visited the Queen of Attolia’s palace one too many times, leaving small tokens and then departing unseen. When his final excursion does not go as planned, he is captured by the ruthless queen. The Queen’s Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans and have been honored with glowing reviews, “best of” citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award.

New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin.

My Review

A bit more than a year ago, I finally read the first book in The Queen’s Thief series, THE THIEF, and I’m finally reading the second book. I remember the first book being a bit rough at the start because it felt like it took awhile for the story to get going.

THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA begins with a pretty big bang, and right away I was carried off into all the politics and intrigue of what was happening. In terms of violence, the beginning is the roughest part of the book. There’s one scene that’s particularly awful. I think the hardest part about the book is that I bought in so deeply to those early scenes, and that made shifting away from how the characters felt in that moment difficult.

Partly what made following the characters’ changing feelings hard is the way the story is told. Turner’s writing is pretty omniscient, giving us a view of a scene and what different characters are thinking. But we don’t always get to see how they feel. I think having more of a window into how characters felt and how those feelings changed would have strengthened my buy-in to the second half of the story.

I still really liked the second half of the book. One of my favorite parts that I really liked is Eugenides’ cleverness and the depth to his character that his experiences brought him. I also liked that the story focused so much on the relationship between the two queens, the difference in their ruling styles, and situations within their kingdoms. In my review of THE THIEF, I lamented the lack of female characters. This book did not leave me feeling that lack.

On the whole, I am really glad I read this book. I think I enjoyed this one more than the first one, and I would say it’s very likely I’ll continue with the series. (Have I mentioned that Steve West performs all the books in the series on audiobook?? Because yes, please!)

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. The countries are made up but inspired by countries on the Mediterranean Sea.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A kiss between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Eugenides serves the God of Thieves and has taken his name as part of his role as the Queen’s Thief. He leaves sacrifices at alters for various gods and goddesses, and sometimes prays. The Queen of Eddis tells a story about a woman who is tricked by a goddess. The Queen of Attolia believes in the gods, but refuses to serve them. Attolians in general aren’t very religious.

Violent Content
References to torture and execution. One scene shows a boy strapped into a chair while a soldier cuts off his hand. Brief battle violence. Situations of peril.

Drug Content
Wine is served with meals. A physician gives Eugenides a strong pain medication which helps him sleep and recover from serious injury.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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

Howl’s Moving Castle (Howl’s Moving Castle #1)
Diana Wynne Jones
Greenwillow Books
Published August 1, 2001 (Originally published 1986)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Howl’s Moving Castle

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle.

To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.

My Review

HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE is the first book by Diana Wynne Jones that I’ve ever read. I think that’s weird, considering how popular her books are and how much I read as a kid, but there you go. First time for everything, I guess.

I wasn’t sure whether I would like this book or not when I first started it. I felt like the author was kind of making jokes about fantasy as a genre, and I wasn’t always sure I was in on them? For instance, Sophie worries about being the eldest of three sisters, because it means there’s no likelihood that anything magical or amazing will happen to her. I wasn’t sure if that was something that was particular to her world or a joke about fairytales?

Anyway, once the witch cursed Sophie and she ran away, I got a lot more invested in the story. She’s smart and loyal, and I loved her from the first moment she rescued the dog stuck in the hedge.

I also thought it was clever to tell the story from the perspective of a girl under a curse that makes her look like an old woman. Normally I’m not a fan of children’s books written from the point-of-view of an adult, but Sophie wasn’t really an adult… she just looked like one. Which was an interested juxtaposition.

All the way through the book, new pieces get added to the mystery of Sophie’s curse and the story of Howl and why he is what Sophie terms, “a slitherer-outer”. I loved the book, and really want to read more stories by Diana Wynne Jones.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to Howl falling in love with lots of women and trying to make them fall in love with him.

Spiritual Content
Some characters use magic. Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the Waste. Howl has a contract with a fire demon.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
Howl comes home drunk one night.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

Mooncakes
Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joamette Gil
Oni Press
Published October 22, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Mooncakes

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

My Review

I reviewed TIDESONG by Wendy Xu and noticed that a lot of other reviewers commented on how much they’d loved MOONCAKES, so I decided to check it out. I feel like I’m always saying I’m not really a big reader of graphic novels, and I’m not, but I’ve read several this year that I’ve really enjoyed. MOONCAKES is definitely one of those!

At the start of the story, we meet Nova, who helps her grandmothers in their magical bookshop. When Nova’s friend Tam returns to town in trouble, Nova immediately decides to help them. As the two reconnect, some romance blossoms. Some secrets get spilled. Plot twists happen. I found I couldn’t stop reading.

Between the beautiful illustrations and the charming dialogue, I got completely sucked into this story. I loved Nova’s grandmothers. They’re so practical and chill about everything. And I loved watching Nova and Tam’s relationship develop. It’s absolutely sweet.

MOONCAKES is definitely written for an older audience than TIDESONG, but I loved it all the same. I think readers who love witchy stories about found family will want to check this one out (if you haven’t already!).

Content Notes for Mooncakes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Tam is nonbinary. Nova is maybe pansexual? Two women, Nova’s grandmothers, are in a relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a girl and a nonbinary person.

Spiritual Content
Nova and her grandmothers are witches. Tam is a werewolf. They fight other spiritual creatures.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Cartoonish battle violence.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: The Prince of Nowhere by Rochelle Hassan

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

The Prince of Nowhere
Rochelle Hassan
HarperCollins
Published May 3, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Prince of Nowhere

Roda isn’t afraid of the monsters that roam the wilds of the Aerlands. She’s safe in her small town, surrounded by a wall of freezing, enchanted mist that keeps the beasts away. So when Roda rescues an injured crow on the instruction of her secret pen pal, Anonymous – whose letters arrive without warning and correctly predict the future – she’s surprised to learn she’s brought one of the so-called monsters home. Because her crow is really a shape-shifting boy named Ignis.

Ignis doesn’t remember where he was going before he crashed. But Anonymous brought him and Roda together for a reason – and the only way to find out what Anonymous wants is to follow the trail of baffling clues in Roda’s letters. Their perilous journey leads them into the mist and beyond, to a mysterious place called Nowhere. But Ignis has secrets, and the farther they get, the more Roda doubts she can trust him.

As a nefarious force closes in, they’ll have to put aside their differences and work together. For they might be each other’s only defense against an enemy who threatens their past, present, and future.

My Review

One of the things I’ve been really interested in finding are books that bridge the transition between middle grade and young adult books. Every reader is different, and some leap forward into YA without looking back. Others take longer to make that transition, even though they may feel like middle grade books become too young for them. At any rate, I feel like this book is exactly the kind of thing I have been looking for in terms of still having some middle grade themes, but written in a more mature way that I think will appeal to older readers.

I loved both Ignis and Roda. Most of the story is in Roda’s point of view. She’s smart and determined and I couldn’t get enough of her. She and Ignis tend to bicker a bit, but it feels like the way you argue with a best friend or sibling, so I found it endearing.

The plot kept me turning pages and reading chapter after chapter. I really didn’t want to put it down. I read the whole book in less than 24 hours. Some of the things that happened were things I’d been hoping for– other things took me completely by surprise.

It looks like Rochelle Hassan’s next book (which comes out next year and is titled THE BURIED AND BOUND) will be a young adult novel. I definitely want to read that, but I hope she writes more middle grade, too.

Readers who enjoyed THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND by Catherine Doyle or SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF by A. F. Steadman definitely need to put this one on their reading lists!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Roda has pale skin. Ignis’s skin is gray.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Ignis can shapeshift into a crow. Other characters have the ability to use magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battle scenes causing injury. Not graphically described.

Drug Content
A woman is apparently poisoned and unconscious.

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 PRINCE OF NOWHERE in exchange for my honest review.