Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White

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The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White

The Excalibur Curse (Camelot Rising #3)
Kiersten White
Delacorte Press
Published December 7, 2021

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About The Excalibur Curse

While journeying north toward the Dark Queen, Guinevere falls into the hands of her enemies. Behind her are Lancelot, trapped on the other side of the magical barrier they created to protect Camelot, and Arthur, who has been led away from his kingdom, chasing after false promises. But the greatest danger isn’t what lies ahead of Guinevere—it’s what’s been buried inside her.

Vowing to unravel the truth of her past with or without Merlin’s help, Guinevere joins forces with the sorceress Morgana and her son, Mordred—and faces the confusing, forbidden feelings she still harbors for him. When Guinevere makes an agonizing discovery about who she is and how she came to be, she finds herself with an impossible choice: fix a terrible crime, or help prevent war.

Guinevere is determined to set things right, whatever the cost. To defeat a rising evil. To remake a kingdom. To undo the mistakes of the past…even if it means destroying herself.

Guinevere has been a changeling, a witch, a queen—but what does it mean to be just a girl?

The gripping conclusion to the acclaimed Arthurian fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White finds Guinevere questioning everything—friends and enemies, good and evil, and, most of all, herself.

My Review

I’ve loved reading this whole series. I love the way it celebrates the Arthurian legend but centers around female characters. There’s really something magical and immersive about it.

If you know me at all, you know I really struggle with third-and-final books in a series. I long for them. I dread them. Too often I put off reading them until the last possible minute. Then I read them, remember all over again why I fell in love with the series or characters, and can’t believe it took me so long to read the book. Which is pretty much what happened here, too.

Guinevere is such a great character. I loved the way she wrestles with finding the balance between protecting the people she loves and giving them respect and autonomy to take the risks they deem appropriate. And the way she faces questions about her own existence and her value.

I love that the story celebrates Arthur’s magnetism and shows his pursuit of being a good king but also acknowledges his flaws. It made him seem like a much more real person than some of the other Arthurian stories that I’ve read in which he seems too much a legend and not enough an actual person.

One of the amazing things about the story really is the way that it’s not just Guinevere’s tale. She builds friendships and relationships with many women around her. They play key roles in the story and in her journey, and I loved how that played out.

All in all, I think this is a great fantasy series, and I’m so glad I read it. I think fans of Leigh Bardugo or Brigid Kemmerer will enjoy this series.

Check out my reviews of the first two books in the Camelot Rising series: THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION and THE CAMELOT BETRAYAL.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main character has romantic feelings for a man and woman. There are two female side characters in a romantic relationship. Another side character is bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between man and woman. References to sex between a man and woman and between two women.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to do magic. The Dark Queen wants to use magic to destroy humanity. Merlin and the Lady of the Lake used a kind of magic to create Camelot.

Violent Content
Battle scenes, situations of peril and some descriptions of death.

Drug Content
Guinevere and another woman drink a truth potion which makes them feel drunk but speak only the truth.

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 EXCALIBUR CURSE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Spell Sweeper by Lee Edward Födi

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Spell Sweeper
Lee Edward Födi
HarperCollins
Published November 30, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Spell Sweeper

Magic is messy. A standalone middle grade fantasy featuring a failed young wizard and her chaotically fun cleanup crew.

Cara Moone is a wizard—and she’s basically flunked out of wizard school. Now she’s in training to be a MOP, a.k.a. Magical Occurrence Purger, a.k.a. it’s Cara’s job to sweep up the hazardous dust a real wizard’s spells leave behind.

A real wizard, that is, like Harlee Wu, the so-called “Chosen One” destined to save the magical world. But when one of Harlee’s spells goes awry and leaves behind a rift in the fabric of magic itself, it’ll take more than magic to clean up that mess. Luckily, messes are kind of Cara’s thing.

My Review

I feel like snarky books can be kind of a risk for me, because sometimes I love the quirkiness and confidence of the main character, and other times it kind of grates on my nerves and seems like the character can never be happy with anything. This book packs a lot of snark, but it brings an awful lot of fun, too, so I felt like the upbeat, quirky fun elements created the perfect balance.

I enjoyed the way the relationships developed and watching Cara learn new things about the magical world in which she lives as well as her journey toward finding her place in it. I really liked the idea that certain types of magic leave behind a residue that has to be cleaned by specialists like Cara. I’ve never seen anything like that before, and I loved that at the end of the story, there’s a note from the author about his family member who made his own brooms, too. How cool to be able to bring something so personal to life in a fantasy novel. I loved that it was part of the inspiration.

To be honest, I’m a little bit sad that SPELL SWEEPER is a standalone! I would definitely read another book about Cara, Harlee, Gusto and their friends. I feel like readers looking for stories about schools for wizard students will love this fresh, fun book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
There’s a magical hierarchy at Cara’s school. Wizards get additional privileges and access to certain coursework that Cara, as a Spell Sweeper, doesn’t get.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
There are some made up swears, like “dratch”.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic or can use objects to perform magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
Some teen characters vape or smoke cigarettes.

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 SPELL SWEEPER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

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Rule of Wolves (King of Scars #2)
Leigh Bardugo
Orion Children’s Books
March 30, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Rule of Wolves

The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible.

The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.

The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.

King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.

My Review

It took me SO long to finish reading this book! I think because it’s the last book in the King of Scars duology, AND it’s the last book set in the Grisha universe, which means it feels like the end in a lot of big ways. I think I wasn’t ready for it to be over.

I’ve heard a lot of mixed feelings about both KING OF SCARS and RULE OF WOLVES. Zoya wasn’t my favorite character from the Shadow and Bone trilogy, so I was not really invested in reading more of her story. And Nina was maybe the character I was least invested in from SIX OF CROWS. Nikolai was absolutely my favorite character from the Shadow and Bone books, though, so I was in it for his story for sure. As I read, I came to invest in Zoya and Nina’s parts of the tale, too.

I love that this book continues that big, sweeping feeling that the other books had. I love that it builds on all that we knew about the saints and Nina’s plan to change Fjerda’s perception of the Grisha through recognition of saints.

Most of all, I love that the book wrapped up some plot elements and relationships that I was really invested in. I was surprised by some of the things that happened, for sure. But I definitely came away satisfied and loving that I’d made the time to read this mammoth book. (It’s almost 600 pages!)

On the whole, I think readers of the Grisha books will not be able to miss this one. SIX OF CROWS is still my favorite, but this duology, KING OF SCARS and RULE OF WOLVES are ranked just behind it as my next favorites.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Nina is pansexual. One minor character is transgender. Zoya is Suli, a race of travelers who are not given equal status or treatment in Ravka.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl, two girls, and a trans boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
In Ravka, the people worship the saints, Grisha who did remarkable deeds and were martyred. In Fjerda, they worship the god Djel and believe the Grisha are witches who must be executed.

Violent Content
Multiple scenes showing battle violence, situations of peril, and some graphic descriptions of death.

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 RULE OF WOLVES in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell by Kate Brauning

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

The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell
Kate Brauning
Page Street Publishing
Published November 23, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell

Seventeen-year-old Dinah runs her family’s farm in the Ozarks. When she finds her grief-stricken mother dead in the living room with wealthy rancher Gabriel Gates standing over her, Dinah’s life narrows to a single point: kill Gabriel Gates.

But Gates has built his wealth giving out bad loans and surrounds himself with bodyguards. Dinah’s mountains are now one giant foreclosure, including her own farm. It all belongs to him. Once he puts a ten-thousand-dollar reward on Dinah’s head, everyone in the starving county wants a piece of her.

Homeless and alone in the woods, all she has is Johnny, the moonshining bootlegger at home in the caves. He begs her to leave the mountains, to start over with a new life. But Dinah is hell-bent on sparking a county revolution. She’ll lose her life to see this killer dead.

My Review

From the very beginning, I was totally invested in this book. It has this gritty, gripping writing style that I absolutely love. And I love Dinah as a character. I loved watching her grow and figure out how to be on her own and what she wanted for her life.

The last few chapters were a bit rough for me, if I’m honest. I still love the book, but there were some things that happened differently than I hoped for, and I think that kind of meant that it ended on a bit of a down note for me. I’m still thinking about it, though, days after I’ve read it, which always means it’s a book that meant a lot to me to read and that I enjoyed reading, even if it ended differently than I expected.

On the whole, I liked the gritty feel of Dinah’s town and the connections between people. I loved her as a character. I think readers who like raw, post-apocalyptic types of books will like a lot of things about THE BALLAD OF DINAH CALDWELL.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Dinah is pansexual. Her best friend is Latina. Another character has two dads. Several characters are in a polyamorous relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls. There’s one long, descriptive scene of having sex.

Spiritual Content
Dinah doesn’t believe in any god. She believes she has deity inside herself.

Violent Content
Several scenes show graphic violence. Some descriptions are pretty gory.

Drug Content
A few characters make and run Moonshine. One man offers Dinah Moonshine to drink. She sips some but doesn’t finish her drink. A child drinks with her.

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 BALLAD OF DINAH CALDWELL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

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King of Scars (King of Scars #1)
Leigh Bardugo
Imprint
Published on January 29, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About King of Scars

The dashing young king, Nikolai Lantsov, has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war–and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, Nikolai must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha general, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried–and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

My Review

Okay. So. I went into this book with some big reservations. When I read SHADOW AND BONE, I was pretty solidly team Alina and Nikolai, so I kind of never got over the fact that they didn’t end up together. I also really didn’t feel like I had a deep connection to or understanding of Zoya, so I wasn’t sure how to feel about reading her perspective. I was looking forward to reading more of Nina’s story, but also not sure I was ready for the wall of grief she’d be experiencing.

So that’s where I was when I picked up the book. It took me a while to get into Zoya’s character. I’m kind of a fool for witty banter, so the back-and-forth between her and Nikolai or her and other members of their team definitely drew me in. Her backstory also deepened her a LOT.

That last quarter of the book, though. Like, I was enjoying reading and getting more into the story all the way through, but once I got to that last 25%, I was definitely hooked. The stakes went up SO much. Zoya and the dragon. Just. Wow. Nina and her plot to change the game in Fyerda. So amazing.

So yep. I pretty much went from finishing the last page of KING OF SCARS to immediately opening up to the first page of RULE OF WOLVES because now I need to see where this ultimately goes. I’m calling that a win.

I think the SIX OF CROWS duology is still my favorite of the Grisha books, but this one is a very close second.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Nina is bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. A soldier makes a comment that a girl looks like she’d be fun in bed. Nina admires another woman’s beauty in a romantic way.

Spiritual Content
References and some deference to the Fjerdan god, Djel. In Ravka, the people mainly worship saints. There’s some exploration of what it means to be a saint and who should qualify for sainthood.

Violent Content
A horse nearly tramples a soldier, injuring her head. Poison and drug addiction cause injury and death. Some scenes show battle violence. An assassin kills someone and injures someone else. An army of the dead attack a group of soldiers and others.

Drug Content
A highly addictive drug called Jurda Parem changes a Grisha’s power (it’s fatal to non-Grisha) and causes immediate, intense addiction. Nina has taken it before in a dire situation and now carries a sensitivity to it. Nikolai has a team studying the drug looking for a cure or a form that enhances power without creating an addiction.

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

Review: Tidesong by Wendy Xu

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Tidesong
Weny Xu
Quiltree Books
Published November 16, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Tidesong

Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother pressure her to attend the Royal Magic Academy–the best magic school in the realm–even though her magic is shaky at best. To train for her entrance exams, Sophie is sent to relatives she’s never met.

Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan seem more interested in giving Sophie chores than in teaching her magic. Frustrated, Sophie attempts magic on her own, but the spell goes wrong, and she accidentally entangles her magic with the magic of a young water dragon named Lir.

Lir is trapped on land and can’t remember where he came from. Even so, he’s everything Sophie isn’t–beloved by Sophie’s family and skilled at magic. With his help, Sophie might just ace her entrance exams, but that means standing in the way of Lir’s attempts to regain his memories. Sophie knows what she’s doing is wrong, but without Lir’s help, can she prove herself?

My Review

I don’t read graphic novels very often, but I have really enjoyed the few I’ve read– and this one is no exception! I didn’t realize until I began reading TIDESONG how much I missed this style of storytelling. Once I finished reading it, I looked up MOONCAKES by Wendy Xu, and I’ve heard so many great things about it that I want to order myself a copy of that, too. I also had to look and see if Ethan Aldridge had anything new coming out, and yes! He does! So I can tell next year is going to include some amazing graphic novel stories, and I’m excited.

But back to TIDESONG. I loved the vibrant depictions of characters in this book. It’s always fascinating to me the way that illustrations and a few words in the hangs of a brilliant storyteller can bring a story so fully to life. I felt like I knew the characters and could hear them in my head. I loved Sophie so much.

The story hit the perfect level of complexity, too. Like, a lot happens, and there are some unexpected moments that pull things together in different ways. It never felt overwhelming and there weren’t any moments that dragged. The pacing was perfect.

I’m definitely interested in adding this one to my family library. I’ve seen several reviews listing TIDESONG as perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. I think it’s also a great fit for fans of Ethan Aldridge’s The Changeling King duology.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Written by a Chinese-American author and artist.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to do magic and are called Water Witches. Sea Dragons also have power and some are able to transform into a human form.

Violent Content
One of Sophie’s guardians uses a lot of strict rules and sometimes cruel words. Sophie also has a deeply negative voice in her head that says critical and hurtful things to her.

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 TIDESONG in exchange for my honest review.