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Tethered to Other Stars by Elisa Stone Leahy cover shows a girl sitting on the floor with her knees pulled up, her face turned away. A telescope sits on the floor behind her. A stack of papers on the floor in front of her. Stars and a planet hang from wires around her.

Review: Tethered to Other Stars by Elisa Stone Leahy

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Tethered to Other Stars by Elisa Stone Leahy cover shows a girl sitting on the floor with her knees pulled up, her face turned away. A telescope sits on the floor behind her. A stack of papers on the floor in front of her. Stars and a planet hang from wires around her.

Tethered to Other Stars
Elisa Stone Leahy
Quill Tree Press
Published October 3, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Tethered to Other Stars

Perfect for fans of EFREN DIVIDED and A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE, this luminous middle grade debut follows a tween girl navigating the devastating impact of ICE’s looming presence on her family and community.

Seventh grader Wendy Toledo knows that black holes and immigration police have one thing in common: they can both make things disappear without a trace. When her family moves to a new all-American neighborhood, Wendy knows the plan: keep her head down, build a telescope that will win the science fair, and stay on her family’s safe orbit.

But that’s easier said than done when there’s a woman hiding out from ICE agents in the church across the alley–and making Wendy’s parents very nervous.

As bullying at school threatens Wendy’s friendships and her hopes for the science fair, and her family’s secrets start to unravel, Wendy finds herself caught in the middle of far too many gravitational pulls. When someone she loves is detained by ICE, Wendy must find the courage to set her own orbit–and maybe shift the paths of everyone around her.

My Review

This is such a beautiful story. I grew up with the movie OCTOBER SKY. This book felt like it had a little bit of the vibes from that story: A girl with big dreams and an eye on the sky. A town full of people who don’t see her or understand her. A group of friends who do see her (once she lets them in). And discovering the heroes in your midst.

I loved Wendy’s friend group. She keeps a lot to herself, so at first, there’s a lot of distance between her and her friends. As they slowly get to know one another and build their friendships, she sees that they each have fears and dark things they’ve hidden, too.

Wendy’s Mom is awesome. I love the way she quietly supports her children, sometimes without even using words. I also love that Wendy is the one who makes several pivotal choices and takes critical action that creates change in the story. It would have been easy to let that fall on an older character and have Wendy be a witness to what happens. Instead, she takes charge. Also, I loved the way her taking action gets connected to her love for stars and forces acting in the universe for change.

I loved this book, and I think anyone who loves astronomy or feels scared or alone will find lots to love about this book, too.

Content Notes for Tethered to Other Stars

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Wendy is Latine and American. Wendy’s friend Mal is Korean American. Her friend Yasmin is Muslim and wears a hijab. K.K. is Black. Etta is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Wendy feels attracted to a boy briefly.

Spiritual Content
Wendy learns that her friend retreats to a safe space at school to pray.

Violent Content
Scenes show bullying and microaggressions. For example, kids deface K.K.’s campaign posters and posters about a Unity Club for inclusivity. Anti-immigrant graffiti appears on the walls. A boy also tries to take credit for Wendy’s work on a science project, insinuating that she is lazy and hasn’t helped him at all.

Characters in the story follow the case of a woman who takes refuge at a church to avoid deportation. Some characters refer to her as “illegal,” and others explain how that term is dehumanizing. A person can’t be illegal. She can do something which is illegal, but she can’t be illegal herself.

Drug Content
A teenager smokes a cigarette in a parking lot.

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 TETHERED TO OTHER STARS in exchange for my honest review.

centered around a girl who loves the stars

Top Ten Tuesday: 2023 Reading Goals Check-In

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Top Ten Tuesday: 2023 Reading Goals Check-In

With the fall weather hopefully settling in around us, it’s starting to feel like the year is nearing its end. We still have three more months, though, to get all the things our past, starry-eyed, January selves imagined would be so easy to do this year.

Back at the beginning of the year, I posted a list of Top Ten Tuesday Bookish Goals for 2023. I also decided to do the BookRiot Read Harder 2023 and the Beat the Backlist 2023 reading challenge.

I posted some challenge pages to track my progress as the year has progressed. I was definitely much more focused on those goals for the first quarter of the year than I was this last quarter. Still, I’ve gotten a lot done, and I’m hopeful that with some careful (reasonable) planning, I can still get a few more things done before the end of the year.

Note: Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Anyone can join in by posting about the weekly prompt. This week, we’re posting about reading goals we still want to accomplish before the end of the year.

Another note: My goals for this year are really ambitious, but that’s because I spend a LOT of time reading these days. I listen to audiobooks while waiting in the car. I read for a couple hours most evenings. I can’t get enough, but that’s a me problem. Haha!

2023 Reading Goals (Top Ten Tuesday Post Check-in)

Reading Goals: 150 Books

So far this year, I’ve read 192 books, so this one I’ve more than met. Yay for starting off strong. I’ve been breaking my TBR down into four categories: middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, graphic novels (all ages), and nonfiction (all ages). Here’s how that looks for what I’ve read this year.

Middle Grade Fiction: 54 Titles Read So Far

So far this year, I’ve read 54 middle grade titles. This is the first year I’ve really tracked things based on when I read them (versus when the review posts or when I bother to update my Goodreads account), so I’m not sure how that compares to last year. I suspect it’s probably a little bit more than the number I’d read by the beginning of October last year. Seems like I read a little bit more middle grade each year. It’s filled with such hopeful stories. I really can’t get enough.

Young Adult Fiction: 100 Titles Read So Far

Young adult fiction is always the biggest category of books I read. When I started my blog, I reviewed YA exclusively, so I guess it makes sense. It’s also what I write, so I think that’s another reason it feels comfortable.

Nonfiction (all ages): 20 Titles Read So Far

Nonfiction has been a love I’ve come to later in my reading life. I think I depended on reading to be an escape for a long time and reading nonfiction felt too much like homework to me. There are some really incredible nonfiction titles about lots of different types of things, though, and some of them are so entertaining I hardly notice I’m learning as I read. At any rate, my goal in the past was to read one nonfiction title per month, so twenty is already well above that for the year. Yay!

Graphic Novels (all ages): 18 Titles Read So Far

I think I started reading and reviewing graphic novels on purpose last year. My nephews and niece really enjoy them, so it started as a way to connect with them and hopefully find new books they would enjoy. I’m pretty picky about my graphic novel reading, but I’ve ended up with some huge favorites and even a few auto-buy authors.

Goal: Read 3-5 Classics

It’s only as I’ve done some reading this year that I realize the edges of what constitutes a “classic” to me are a little fuzzy. Like, I read THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE by Louise M. Erdrich. It’s certainly stood the test of time. It’s noteworthy. Is it a classic? I’m gonna say yes. I’ve also read ANIMAL FARM and LITTLE WOMEN for the first time this year, and I reread THE GIVER.

I would like to read THE FIRE NEXT TIME by James Baldwin and THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK before the end of the year. I’ve got copies of both, so I think this is achievable.

Goal: Read 3-5 backlist Nonfiction Titles

 So far, I’ve read CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson, ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson, and MEG, JO, BETH, AMY by Amy Boyd Rioux.

My backlist nonfiction TBR is miles long. I would still like to read DISFIGURED: ON FAIRYTALES, DISABILITY AND MAKING SPACE by Amanda Leduc. I own several more backlist nonfiction titles I really want to get to, so we’ll see if I’m able to fit more in beyond that.

Goal: 10-12 Backlist Titles

I seriously over-achieved on this one, too. I’ve read about 54 backlist titles so far this year. I loosened my criteria for this a little bit, though. Initially, I imagined it would be backlist books that I own physical copies of, but I tend to be a really serious mood reader when it comes to my backlist. Those are books I’m squeezing in between the frontlist titles I’ve agreed to review. 17 of these books were also titles that I agreed to review or received from a publisher as part of agreeing to review book two in the series, so I’m not sure they should totally count. But since I’m the one making up the rules, I’ve decided THEY DO.

Even if I left out the ones I agreed to review, that’s still 37 backlist titles read. Yay!

Reading Challenges

I also signed up for the Bookiot Read Hard(er) 2023 and the Beat the Backlist reading challenges. You can check out my progress on that by clicking the challenge name in this paragraph.

How are you doing on your 2023 Reading Goals?

Did you set reading goals for yourself this year? What would you like to get finished before the end of 2023? If you posted about your reading goals for the year, whether it’s the Top Ten Tuesday post, something you wrote up back in January, or a Goodreads goal, leave me a link in the comments. I’d love to check it out.

Review: Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

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Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1)
Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Balzer + Bray
Published May 17, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Twin Crowns

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

My Review

Catherine Doyle’s Storm Keeper series is one of my favorite middle grade series ever, so when I saw that she was co-authoring this new YA series, I knew I had to check it out. Bonus: it’s about sisters! My favorite kind of story.

To start, I really liked the premise, and both Wren and Rose as characters. I felt like they were both pretty believable in the roles they’d grown up in. They were also different yet similar enough that I had no problem believing they were sisters.

I liked the pace of the story, too. At first it looks like Wren’s challenge will be keeping up the charade that she’s Princess Rose for thirty whole days. Then, when she realizes the kingsbreath’s true plan, the pressure reverses, so that it feels like she’s right up against a deadline with so much to do to stop her enemy and take the throne.

I only stumbled over a couple of things. One is the balance of romance to the quest for the crown. I think I expected the romance to be more of a subplot and to have the girls and their adventure be more centerstage. There were moments when I felt like the romance kind of overshadowed what was happening in a way that pulled me away from the rest of the story.

The politics also tripped me up a little bit. The story really builds up the strong prejudice against witches. They’re executed if found. People pray to the Protector if they think they’ve seen one. People worry they’ve been cursed if they have a string of bad circumstances. Those bad feelings seemed to unravel really easily, though. I found that hard to believe after the initial setup.

Honestly, all it meant for me was that I turned up my suspension of disbelief, because I really enjoyed the sisterhood and the magic and adventure elements that made up the rest of the story. I’m definitely going to continue on with this series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. Shen is from a desert kingdom. Celeste has brown skin. She and a couple other minor characters are queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Brief reference to sexual arousal. In one scene, a boy takes off his shirt and a girl loosens her dress as they make out.

Spiritual Content
Wren and other characters have the ability to perform magic and are called witches. Rose’s people worship the Great Protector, a historical figure they’re taught saved them from the witches. In her kingdom, witches are executed.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A boy battles a giant beetle. A girl tries to kill another by stealing her breath and using wind to shove her off a cliffside. A girl relives memories from a battle long ago and watches as witches are slain on the battlefield. References to the torture of witches. A man kills a woman by cutting her throat. A battle destroys a building and kills several people present. A leopard attacks a girl, severely wounding her.

Drug Content
Some characters drink alcohol until they’re drunk.

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

Review: This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson

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This Dark Descent
Kalyn Josephson
Roaring Brook Press
Published September 26, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This Dark Descent

THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US meets SIX OF CROWS in this spellbinding new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, and pulse-pounding action, where the eldest daughter of a renowned family on the verge of ruin joins forces with a mysterious, rogue enchanter and a handsome, ambitious heir to win a deadly race.

Mikira Rusel’s family has long been famous for breeding enchanted horses, but their prestige is no match for their rising debts. To save her ranch, Mikira has only one option: she must win the Illinir, a treacherous horserace whose riders either finish maimed or murdered. Yet each year, competitors return, tempted by its alluring prize money and unparalleled prestige.

Mikira’s mission soon unites her with Arielle Kadar, an impressive yet illicit enchanter just beginning to come into her true power, and Damien Adair, a dashing young lord in the midst of a fierce succession battle. Both have hidden reasons of their own to help Mikira — as well as their own blood feuds to avenge…

Steeped in Jewish folklore, THIS DARK DESCENT is a pulse-pounding new fantasy full of forbidden magic, sizzling romance, and epic stakes. In a world as dangerous as this, will the need for vengeance butcher Mikira’s chances of winning the Illinir … or will another rider’s dagger?

My Review

I definitely see the comparison from this book to SIX OF CROWS. Damian, the mysterious young nobleman, has that same calculating, cards close to the vest thing going that Kaz has in Bardugo’s duology. Unlike SIX OF CROWS, THIS DARK DESCENT follows only two points of view: Ariella and Mikira. I loved both of them pretty much right away. Ari is a self-taught enchanter, grasping for more of her own lost history and the magic of her people that’s since been forbidden. She teeters on the edge of an unnamed darkness as she pursues her magic, and I feel like I was on the edge of my seat, needing to know she would be okay.

Mikira is sparks and frenzy. She’s impulsive, fierce, and fiercely loyal. I wish we’d gotten a little more of her relationships with her sisters Nelda and Aileen. The scenes when she races are so intense. I couldn’t look away. Those moments and some of the behind-the-scenes politics reminded me a little bit of THE SCORPIO RACES.

This is a completely different story than that one, but it definitely has some similarities: strong, desperate heroine; powers that be trying to control the outcome of the race; unlikely alliances; and, of course, a high-stakes, highly dangerous race.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this book. It anchored me in its story world pretty quickly, giving me just the right amount of detail so that I felt oriented to what was going on but not bogged down in unnecessary trivia. The pacing kept me turning pages from one chapter to the next all the way until the end. There’s also a bit of romance. It doesn’t dominate the story, but I really enjoyed that, too. I also loved the references to Jewish folklore and the way faith and heritage or culture and the complex relationships they can be were celebrated in the story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Some characters are described as having tawny or brown skin. Inspired by Jewish folklore. Also– yay for Widget the cat-who-is-not-a-cat.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Mentions of attraction between same-sex couples. References to sex (happened off-scene).

Spiritual Content
Four Harbingers delivered magic to humans and are still revered and celebrated. Ari is Kinnish, but her family wasn’t devout. Now she longs to know more about the history, faith, and magic of her people, though it’s forbidden by the current rulers. Ari and another woman visit a temple. In intense moments, a couple of characters make reference to praying to gods or goddesses.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Two men attack Ari, intent on mugging her. A man puts on brass knuckles and prepares to beat two men who are restrained. Racers attack Mikira with weapons and magic. She and her horse fight back. A man tortures a young woman, trying to get information from her. A young woman tortures a man and kills him. A couple of scenes show knife or gun fights.

Drug Content
Characters drink wine and whiskey as part of social events. A character tells a story about getting accidentally drunk on whiskey once.

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 THIS DARK DESCENT in exchange for my honest review.

20 Fabulous Middle Grade Books Coming Fall 2023

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Usually, my review calendar is about sixty to seventy percent young adult and only thirty to forty percent middle grade, but this season, I’m split pretty close to fifty-fifty for what’s on my reading list. It’s hard to keep up with all the great books coming this season, but I’m going to do my best to try! Here are my 20 most-anticipated middle grade books coming fall 2023.

Since September is already almost over (How?!), I’ve linked a few of the books I’ve finished to my reviews below.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle grade posts called Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays. Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

20 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Fall 2023

Deephaven by Ethan Aldridge

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Nev arrives at Deephaven, a boarding school with secrets, determined to keep their head down and fit in until they become embroiled in a quest to save a girl everyone thinks is dead. I’ve read everything published by this author, so I knew I was going to read this one. Looks like it’ll be a series, so I’m anxious to see where it goes.

Published: September 5, 2023 | My Review

The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria by Adi Alsaid

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Bobert and his friends must find a way to break the spell placed on them by evil wizard Matt before he takes over Nefaria. Silly, offbeat, and packed with heart. I loved this one.

Published: September 5, 2023 | My Review

Finch House by Ciera Burch

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: When Micah becomes trapped in the house her grandfather forbade her to enter, she must confront secrets from her past and make a frightening deal to escape. More eerie than truly scary, this is a great choice for a fall book.

Published: September 5, 2023 | My Review

Learning to Fall by Sally Engelfried

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: After Daphne is forced to live with her dad, she grudgingly offers him a second chance when he begins teaching her skateboarding tricks. Will he let her down again? I love complex family stories like this one, and I’m super excited for a book about skateboarding.

Published: September 5, 2023

Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Paintings, secrets, and a missing sister send a boy and his cousin on a quest into a painting. Marketed as perfect for fans of the Wingfeather Saga, which includes me!

Published: September 12, 2023 | My Review

Between Monsters and Marvels by Alysa Wishingrad

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Dare refuses to accept the story she’s told about her father’s death and sets out to prove monsters still exist. A fabulous story about friendship and how to build trust from the author of THE VERDIGRIS PAWN.

Published: September 12, 2023 | My Review

The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: River must face their deepest fears when a monster from the Otherwoods kidnaps their only friend. This one definitely gives off Halloween vibes.

Published: September 12, 2023 | My Review

Tethered to Other Stars by Elisa Stone Leahy

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl who dreams of winning the science fair is faced with a terrible choice when someone she loves is detained by ICE. I love the way the book description links science and Wendy’s fears about her family. Looks like a book that will make you think.

Published: October 3, 2023

White House Clubhouse by Sean O’Brien

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Two girls whose mother has just been elected President join a secret society of presidential children where they must help the Roosevelt children in order to return to their own time. Written by a former White House staffer. I’m super curious about this one.

Published: October 3, 2023

The Race for the Ruby Turtle by Stephen Bramucci

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: When Jake is sent to his great-aunt’s cabin in remote Oregon woods, he stumbles upon a threat against a turtle with a ruby-colored shell. Features a boy with ADHD and a focus on nature and conservation.

Published: October 3, 2023

The Deadlands: Trapped (The Deadlands #2) by Skye Melki-Wegner

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Five outcasts from their herds team up to find evidence of an alliance between carrion dinosaurs and save their herds from war. I loved the first book in this series, which I’d describe as LAND BEFORE TIME meets WARRIORS.

Published: October 3, 2023

Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A neurodivergent teen who can see things no one else can must stop a magical threat to her world. This reminds me a little bit of STONE HEART by Charlie Fletcher, which I loved.

Published: October 10, 2023

Secret of the Reaping (Vanquishers #2) by Kalynn Bayron

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Now that vampires are back, Boog and her friends want to help fight them in this sequel to the series opener I loved last year.

Published: October 10, 2023

Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl desperate to save her family’s struggling magical bakery casts a (slightly illegal) spell that backfires. Looks like lots of delicious descriptions of baking and magical hijinks from an author on my auto-read list.

Published: October 10, 2023

Hollowthorn: A Ravenfall Novel by Kalyn Josephson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: As Hannukah approaches, best friends with magic must stop a demon from Jewish lore who is hunting the Tree of Life. RAVENFALL was one of my favorite books from last year, so this one is a must-read for me.

Published: October 17, 2023

Secrets We Tell the Sea by Martha Riva Palacio Obón, translated by Lourdes Heuer

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl with a powerful connection to the sea moves in with her Abuela and meets a new friend she believes will truly understand her. The book description has a lot of imagery about the sea and ocean life and says Sofia is a mermaid. I can’t tell if that’s literal or metaphorical. In any case, I’m super intrigued.

Published: October 24, 2023

Song of the Swan by Karah Sutton

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: I can’t say it better than the cover copy: “A magical retelling of Swan Lake, featuring a clever orphan, a castle filled with enchanted swans, and a quest to unearth the secrets of the past.” Yes, please!

Published: October 24, 2023

Hidden Truths by Elly Swartz

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: An explosion destroys a friendship and leaves a girl injured. Her former best friend won’t stop until he uncovers what truly happened. Looks like a powerful story about friendship and healing.

Published: October 31, 2023

Sail Me Away Home (Show Me a Sign #3) by Ann Clare LeZotte

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Set in the world of SHOW ME A SIGN and SET ME FREE. Explores the origins of formal Deaf education and complex issues on Martha’s Vineyard between Deaf and Wampanoag communities. I loved SET ME FREE, and I can’t wait for this one.

Published: November 7, 2023

Keeper of the Lost Cities: The Graphic Novel Part 1 by Shannon Messenger

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The first half of the epic novel adapted into a graphic novel. This looks like it will be really cool.

Published: November 7, 2023

What are your most-anticipated middle grade books coming out this fall?

What amazing middle grade books coming fall 2023 are you most looking forward to reading? Are you planning to read, or have you already read any of the books on my list? What books am I missing that I need to add?

Review: Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake

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Champion of Fate (Heromaker #1)
Kendare Blake
Quill Tree Books
Published September 19, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Champion of Fate

Behind every great hero is an Aristene.

Aristene are mythical female warriors, part of a legendary order. Though heroes might be immortalized in stories, it’s the Aristene who guide them to victory. They are the Heromakers.

Ever since she was an orphan taken in by the order, Reed has wanted to be an Aristene. Now, as an initiate, just one challenge stands in her way: she must shepherd her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and Reed will take her place beside her sisters. Fail, and she’ll be cast from the only home she’s ever known.

Nothing is going to stop Reed–until she meets her hero. Hestion is fiery and infuriating, but what begins as an alliance becomes more, and as secrets of the order come to light Reed begins to understand what becoming an Aristene may truly cost. Battle looming, she must choose: the order and the life she had planned, or Hestion, and the one she never expected.

My Review

I haven’t read anything by Kendare Blake in a really long time, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I loved the concept. It hints at star-crossed lovers and magic and secrets, all things I love in a book.

And, boy, did it deliver those things. I loved the pacing of the romance between Reed and Hestion. I constantly wanted more for them, but loved every minute of their scenes together. The minor characters are amazing, from Reed’s often-absent mentor to her mentor’s lover and former Aristene to Reed’s fellow initiate. I liked that the order was made up of so many different kinds of women and that made for lots of different kinds of relationships between them. That was pretty cool.

The stakes heightened pretty quickly in the second half of the book especially. I felt like I flew through that last quarter with my breath held, wondering how things were going to turn out.

At the end of it all, I find the only thing I’m disappointed about is having to wait until the next book is released to know what happens next!

I think readers who enjoy epic hero stories– maybe things in the vein of Greek myth retellings or stories about paladins or spiritual warriors– will really enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Reed has tanned skin. Other characters are described as having darker skin. Two women are in a romantic relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls. References to sex.

Spiritual Content
Reed and the other members of the Aristenes serve the goddess of glory. Other nations serve other gods. A prophet of all gods was recently murdered. One scene shows a man praying at the temple of the prophet. Reed participates in several rituals as part of her initiation into the Aristenes. One involves drinking blood to receive magic. Another involves drinking water from a well that reveals her path.

Violent Content
Lots of battle scenes and descriptions of battle. A man holds onto the decomposing head of a corpse, using it as a weapon.

Drug Content
Several scenes show celebratory drinking. A few characters get drunk and say or do things they regret later.

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 CHAMPION OF FATE in exchange for my honest review.