Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Umberland by Wendy Spinale

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

Umberland by Wendy SpinaleUmberland
Wendy Spinale
Scholastic Press
Published on May 9, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Umberland
They’re dreadfully fond of beheading people here…

Gwen, Pete, and the others have escaped from Everland. Except the safe haven they hoped to find at Alnwick Castle doesn’t exist. With the Queen of England on her deathbed, Duchess Alyssa has stepped in, but things have gotten worse as the cure Doc created for the Horologia virus has mutated into something even more deadly. The only possible solution he can think of is to go back to the virus’s origin: an extinct poisonous apple.

Legend has it, though, that a tree bearing the apple might be found at the center of an impossible labyrinth hidden deep within Germany. A place no one in their right mind enters. With no other options, Alyssa sets out with only her sword, her wits, and the help of Maddox Hadder, a wild boy who oversees the castle gardens. To get to the center of the maze, she’ll be forced to battle monsters more terrifying than her darkest nightmares.

But can anyone truly survive the madness of the maze? And what if there’s no apple to be found there?

My Review
I’m loving this series so far. I think I was pretty primed to like Maddox Hadder – something about that whole dark and misunderstood boy with a terribly tragic past tends to be irresistible to me – and I really did like him a lot. I think I expected there to be more of a sort of madness about him though? I think that was the only thing I felt was missing about Umberland. The Labrynth was a scary place for sure, but apart from a specific scene, there really wasn’t much of a madness element to it. I think I wanted more of that Wonderland flavor.

Even without that, though, I liked the new characters introduced in the story. And I liked that it carries forward the stories of Jack and Hook as well as Gwen and the Lost Boys. Cat, the heir to the English throne and sort of Cheshire Cat type of character, added a lot of depth to the story with her own plot to save Umberland through a very dangerous alliance.

I think Everland is still my favorite of these two books, but I enjoyed this one a lot, too. The story in Umberland didn’t feel like quite as much of a retelling of Alice in Wonderland as Everland did of Peter Pan. Lots of things were different. And there were also some Snow White-like elements mixed in with the poison apple and wicked queen. All in all, though, I’m glad I read it, and this seems like a fun series for readers looking for dystopian or fairytale mashups.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white. Lily is Indian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some situations of peril. Lizard -like people attack the castle where Pete and the others have taken shelter. A gunshot kills one boy. Alyssa and Maddox fight a huge machine.

Drug Content
Maddox and Cat host huge, indulgent parties each night in their garden. Guests with advanced-stage disease consume drugs and alcohol and end their lives at the close of the party. Maddox makes some vague references to sampling opium tea in the past.

Review: Huntress by Julie Hall

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

Huntress
Julie Hall
Published on May 16, 2017

Amazon | Goodreads

About Huntress
No one’s afterlife is as dispiriting as Audrey’s―at least that’s what she believes after waking up dead without her memories and being promptly assigned to hunt demons for the rest of eternity. She’s convinced God’s made a cosmic mistake; after all, she’d rather discuss the color of her nails than break them on angelic weapons.

It doesn’t help that her trainer, Logan, is as infuriating as he is attractive. And just when Audrey and Logan appear close to developing an amicable relationship, a decision made under duress pushes their hearts in a direction neither of them saw coming.

Despite her sub-par fighting abilities, an ancient weapon of unparalleled power chooses Audrey as its wielder, attracting the cautious gazes of her fellow hunters and the attention of Satan himself. With Satan’s eyes now fixed on Audrey, a battle for the safety of the living looms in the shadows.

My Review
Huntress is one of those unexpected, adventurous books that make for ideal weekend or poolside reading. Audrey is a fun character—sometimes clumsy, both physically and in her words—and yet she’s clearly a strong force to be reckoned with and a creative strategist. Her mentor, Logan, has that dark, unapproachable, aloof and handsome thing going on, which makes the perfect foil for Audrey’s big emotions. The other characters in the book are just as colorful, too—from Alrik, the Viking, to the more reserved Romona, who knows Audrey better than she’ll admit.

My biggest struggle with the book was in the plot. For most of the story, Audrey has no idea what’s going on or what her purpose or goal is. She remains a passive character until the last fifty pages or so, when she finally finds something to fight for. At that moment, I really invested in the book. I’m not sorry to have read it, but I wish I’d seen that side of Audrey much earlier in Huntress.

While the story itself is off the map in terms of Christian understanding of Heaven and the afterlife, it’s pretty solidly framed within an Evangelical understanding of scripture. Demons attack humans and whisper lies in an attempt to destroy them, but humans make the choices themselves. God sends angels (and in this case, Hunters) to intervene, but their response and power depend on God’s will and the faith of the people under attack.

I’ve heard the book compared to Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness, and in the sense that it has angel and demon characters, yes, it does have a connection there. Whereas Peretti’s book focuses on the human characters and uncovering a huge, focused plot against humans on earth, Huntress is more about Audrey and her role in the Hunter team as well as her angsty relationship with her mentor, Logan. It reminded me a bit of I Woke Up Dead at the Mall by Judy Sheehan because it has some of the same lighthearted voice and connection with family.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. Audrey uses faux swears like “shoot” and “gosh.”

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Later Audrey learns that kissing in Heaven is more significant than it is on earth in that it creates a bond between two parties and is meant to lead to marriage.

Spiritual Content
Most of the story takes place in Heaven. Audrey briefly meets Jesus (though she doesn’t recognize him and he calls himself Joe) and angels. It’s based in Christian doctrine, but there are some big departures. For instance, Audrey and others are assigned to a strict physical training regimen for service on a team called Hunters. These Hunters go to earth to battle demons.

When Audrey wakes up in Heaven, she knows she’s dead, but has no memories of her life or her relationship with God. She rediscovers God’s existence and begins to learn about him through experiences with other characters and a face-to-face encounter.

There’s some discussion about how demons prey on the minds of humans, feeding them ideas or leading them away from truths about God. At one point, Audrey and her team intervene in a high school where one student has a gun.

Violent Content
Audrey spars with a training partner and battles demons using a sword. Some of the descriptions are graphic in terms of fighting and injuries/gore. One sequence of scenes shows Audrey and her team intervening in a school shooting situation. The story doesn’t show students being injured, but does show a student with a gun firing shots.

Drug Content
None.

Review: The Girl with the Dragon Heart by Stephanie Burgis

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The Girl with the Dragon Heart
Stephanie Burgis
Bloomsbury
Published on August 9, 2018

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About The Girl with the Dragon Heart
Once upon a time, in a beautiful city famous for chocolate and protected by dragons, there was a girl so fearless that she dared to try to tell the greatest story of all: the truth.

Silke has always been good at spinning the truth and storytelling. So good that just years after arriving as a penniless orphan, she has found her way up to working for the most splendid chocolate makers in the city (oh, and becoming best friends with a dragon). Now her gift for weaving words has caught the eye of the royal family, who want to use her as a spy when the mysterious and dangerous fairy royal family announce they will visit the city. But Silke has her own dark, secret reasons for not trusting fairies …

My Review
I enjoyed reading the first book in this series, The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart, so as soon as I heard about the second book, I knew I had to read it. I was even more excited to learn it’s Silke’s story. She was one of my favorite characters in the first book as Aventurine’s best friend, the creative and spunky storyteller. She reminds me of a friend, so I couldn’t help loving her from the first page.

Silke has always depended on her stories to get her out of trouble, and for the most part, they’ve worked. She’s always able to distract people or shift attention with wild tales and entertaining bits. She keeps her guard up, not allowing herself to get close to anyone or depend on anything in case she loses them the way she lost her parents. I loved how complex and tender she is.

The Girl with the Dragon Heart also has some sibling themes. Silke has some run-ins with the royal family, specifically the crown princess and her younger sister, who don’t seem to see eye to eye on anything. She rolls her eyes at their shenanigans, but watching those girls helps her begin to evaluate what went wrong in her relationship with her brother, Dieter.

Honestly, I loved this book so much. I liked the first book and thought it was a lot of fun to read, but this one absolutely leaped into my heart. The writing is peppy and smart. I think it’s my favorite of the two by Stephanie Burgis. Will there be more to this series? I hope so! I would read them for sure.

The book’s description says it’s perfect for fans of Shannon Hale and Cornelia Funke, and I say yes to that! I definitely see the comparison, and it held true for me, since I like both those other authors, too.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Silke has brown skin and dark curly hair. The princes have one white parent and one black parent.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Fairies use magic to attack others. A girl shapeshifts into a dragon.

Violent Content
Some instances of peril. Silke has traumatic memories of her parents being kidnapped by fairies. She finds two adults unconscious and feels responsible for what’s happened to them.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Common by Laurie Lucking

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Common
Laurie Lucking
Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing
Published on February 14, 2018

Amazon | Goodreads

About Common
One person knows of the plot against the royal family
and cares enough to try to stop it — the servant girl they banished.

Leah spends her days scrubbing floors, polishing silver, and meekly curtsying to nobility. Nothing distinguishes her from the other commoners serving at the palace, except her red hair.

And her secret friendship with Rafe, the Crown Prince of Imperia.

But Leah’s safe, ordinary world begins to splinter. Unexpected feelings for Rafe surface just as his parents announce his betrothal to a foreign princess. Then she unearths a plot to overthrow the royal family. Her life shatters completely when the queen banishes her for treason.

Harbored by a mysterious group of nuns, Leah must secure Rafe’s safety before it’s too late. But her quest reveals a villain far more sinister than an ambitious nobleman with his eye on the throne.

My Review
Common was a really fun book to read. I enjoyed Leah’s take on things, and especially her relationships with the other female characters, like her friend Gretchen, her Ma, and of course, the awesome mystic nuns. More on them in a minute, though.

I kind of wanted more from Rafe, and I can’t decide if I’m being unfair in that or not. I mean, he taught Leah to read, and he pays attention to her needs in specific instances, but he seems a bit clueless as to what her life as a servant is actually like. That made me question her affection for him a little bit. He does come across like a super honorable guy, though, so I feel like maybe that should be enough, if that makes sense.

]Don’t get me wrong – I was really enjoying reading the story and then once I got to Leah’s banishment, I was super hooked. Then came the mystic nuns and I was like wow, this book is going all kinds of places I did not expect. I loved that! And the nuns were incredible. Deep and wise but also frank and sometimes kind of funny.

The romance element of the story remains sweet and simple—very Cinderella-esque, if Cinderella saved the kingdom instead of finding a dress to wear to the ball. Ha! It reminded me a little bit of The Selection by Kiera Cass or Everless by Sara Holland. I think fans of Traitor’s Masque by Kenley Davidson would also really enjoy this book, and I definitely recommend it.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white or not physically described.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Leah and other characters reference a deity called the Luminate. She meets mystic nuns who live secluded lives devoted to serving the Luminate.

Some characters possess special abilities given either by the Luminate or a dark power.

Violent Content
Leah overhears someone plotting to kill members of the royal family.

Drug Content
None.

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Thou Art a Villain

Fantasy, Lists, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is about amazing book villains. While there is no shortage of memorable villainish characters out there, I wanted to go a little bit of a different direction with my post and focus on stories that repaint a well-known villain or villain archetype as the story’s protagonist. So here we go.

Elphaba in Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

I feel like this list kind of had to include Elphaba, even though it’s not really a YA book (which is what I normally read and review). It’s a pretty dark book, but I was really fascinated with how Maguire incorporated the plot of the original Wizard of Oz story into this book and twisted things around to make a completely different story.

 

Raven Queen (daughter of the Evil Queen) in Ever After High books

This series was really fun and fast to read. My daughter and I read them together when she was in maybe third grade, and it was a blast.

 

Agnes in the School for Good and Evil series

School for Good and Evil is a little more serious (classical?) in its fairytale-ish-ness than Ever After High, which really just made me love it even more.

Kara in the In the Thickety books

I guess it’s not new for a witch to be the hero of the story, but I love the writing in this book and the creepy forest. Also, plot twists! I seriously need to finish reading this series.

Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos in The Descendants

Carlos DeVille pretty much stole the show for me in this book. I didn’t expect to be such a huge fan of a fairytale mash-up type cast, but now that I’m looking at my list, there are a bunch of those types of stories on here. And I really enjoyed them all. I could probably just do a top ten list of those.

Levana in Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Fairest was not my favorite book in the Lunar Chronicles, but it was cool to see a Levana origin story, and Marissa Meyer always does cool Easter egg type elements to her stories, so I enjoyed that aspect of it for sure.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless is still on my to-be-read list. The Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland is one of those characters I can’t imagine being actually sympathetic, so I’m super interested to see what Meyer did with this one.

Xifeng in Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie Dao

Somehow I didn’t realize this was an evil queen origin story when I picked it up, so I was super confused by how dark it was. I kept wanting Xifeng to resist or thwart her dark destiny, and kept being disappointed when she didn’t. Then about halfway through the book I read somewhere that it was supposed to be a retelling of how Snow White’s stepmother came to be who she was, and I was like, ohhhhhhh. Suddenly it all made sense. After that, I got into the story a lot more.

Evie in Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

This one is still on my to-be-read list. I love the idea, though – an outcast witch girl who’s trying desperately to help someone only she ends up creating a big mess.

Vanessa in Rise of the Sea Witch by Stacey Rourke

Another from my to-be-read list. In this one, the Sea Witch and Triton are brother and sister, and it’s his treachery which provokes her to witch-y-ness. Yeah, I really have to read this.

Who are your favorite novel villains?

Leave me a comment with your top favorites or a link to your list!

Review: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

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

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
Julie C. Dao
Philomel Books
Published on October 10, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins–sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

My Review

I picked up this book after hearing a ton of buzz about it on Twitter and review blogs. For some reason, though, I didn’t piece together what it was until I read something in an email when I was about halfway through reading the book. This is a re-imagined origin story about the Evil Queen (Snow White’s stepmother) in mythological Chinese setting. As soon as I realized that, I felt like a light went on for me.

Because wow, it’s so dark. The whole eating hearts thing is super creepy, and I kept thinking why is she doing this? She’s the protagonist! Why isn’t she resisting evil more completely? I kept waiting for her to break away from the dark magic, and was frustrated when she didn’t. Then I realized I didn’t understand the purpose of the story. Once I figured out where it was going, things made a lot more sense and I could enjoy watching the elements of the story unfold and appreciate the clever way certain things were re-invented (already there’s a dwarf character, an ambassador from another country, for instance).

The writing and the story world pretty much blew me away. It’s a much darker story than I realized before picking it up, though. I think fans of Fairest by Marissa Meyer will appreciate Forest of a Thousand Lanterns for its unapologetic, clever spin on one of the most iconic fairy tale villains.Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Cultural Elements
This is an origin story about the wicked queen from the Snow White fairy tale, but reimagined with Chinese characters/setting.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Xifeng has sex with Wei – few details. It says something about them fitting together like interlaced fingers. She definitely uses his love for her and the intimacy they share to try to control him and keep him from leaving her.

Spiritual Content
Guma uses rituals to access the magical ability carried down through her family. One such ritual involves eating a living heart. Xifeng eats the hearts of two rabbits in one scene. Horse-like creatures (also called demons) save Xifeng and her friends from assassins. The demon queen references a great destiny for Xifeng and talks about how there are two forces at war within her: one for evil and one for good. She warns Xifeng about the blood rituals and says there’s a price for them that she doesn’t know, as Xifeng’s aunt only taught her parts of the truth about them. She alludes to the idea that Xifeng’s aunt promised Xifeng to the serpent god in exchange for her power.

Xifeng wrestles with her connection to the serpent god, often finding herself at moments where she must decide to serve him or resist his influence. She recognizes as evil, but he offers her great power, which she craves more than anything.

Violent Content
Guma beats Xifeng when she’s displeased with her. She’s cruel and manipulative. See above regarding the blood rituals for magic.

Xifeng eats the hearts of her enemies to gain magical power. There are some pretty graphic descriptions of her removing a heart from a victim. (This happens several times.)

Drug Content
Xifeng learns someone poisoned an important character.