Tag Archives: Arthurian legend

Review: Castelon by Alyssa Roat

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,
Castelon by Alyssa Roat

Castelon (Wraithwood #3)
Alyssa Roat
Mountain Brook Ink
Published March 15, 2023

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About Castelon

Fifteen hundred years of Arthurian legend come to a head in the final installment of The Wraithwood Trilogy.

The sword of legend, ancient magic, and a dead man’s secrets—together they could save Brinnie’s world or end it forever.

Brinnie barely escaped Mordizan with her life. Battered and broken in body and soul, she knows she’s running out of time. And though she has discovered the identity of Mordred’s bane, no one knows where to find the legendary weapon.

To discover the truth, she and Marcus must journey to Castelon and seek the aid of the Council. However, their actions at Mordizan brand them as enemies and war criminals. Between Mordred’s armies engaged in full-scale war and the political machinations of the Council, Brinnie struggles to balance the battlefield and the courtroom while estates fall before Mordred’s wrath.

As magic ravages her own body, threatening her survival, the allure of ancient, forbidden power grows brighter. And only one man holds the knowledge of the weapon that could destroy Mordred once and for all—a man they buried in the gardens of Wraithwood.

My Review

CASTELON is the last book in a series I’ve closely followed. I love the way the author reimagined or was inspired by Arthurian legend. I also loved Brinnie and some of the other characters, too.

In CASTELON, we get to know Brinnie’s mom a bit more, and see the return of a character we thought was lost. We also say tough goodbyes to a few beloved characters. I liked the way the relationships between each character unfolded and especially the ones that I didn’t expect. In the second book in the series, MORDIZAN, Brinnie befriends a girl named Lana. I really liked the friendship between them, so I was excited to see her in this book, too.

The first two books in the series have built up to a battle against Mordred and his forces, which are bent on ruling the wizard world and destroying the human one. Brinnie and her allies struggle to find the weapon a prophecy calls Mordred’s Bane, believing only it holds the power to kill their enemy. The search takes them behind enemy lines, and gives Brinnie lots of opportunities to make brave but reckless moves.

Her bond with Marcus grows stronger chapter by chapter. Though he disagrees with her choices sometimes, he always respects her as her own person. They are partners in war and love. I adored him.

The conclusion of the book was both really exciting and also different than I expected, in a good way. I loved the wedding scene and all that represented, and the sort of open-ended way that the last pages concluded.

All in all, I thought this was a fantasy series both fierce and sweet. I think it’s perfect for readers just dipping their feet into young adult fantasy, especially those who enjoy reimagined fairy tales or Arthurian legends.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters reference their Christian faith. Brinnie draws battle inspiration from Bible stories like the story of Gideon.

Some characters have the ability to perform magic.

Violent Content
Battle scenes and some references to torture.

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 CASTELON in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Wraithwood by Alyssa Roat

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

Wraithwood (Wraithwood Trilogy #1)
Alyssa Roat
Mountain Brook Fire
Published July 15, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Wraithwood

An estranged uncle, a mysterious mansion, and Arthurian legend–together they lead to a world of magic and bloodthirsty wizards who want teenage Brinnie dead.

Brynna “Brinnie” Lane has always lived a quiet life under the watchful eye of her hovering mother–until she’s sent off for the summer to live with an uncle she didn’t know she had. While her parents get to travel across the globe, she’ll be spending three months in the middle of nowhere: upstate New York. It looks like she might spend the entire summer friendless with her nose in a book.

However, she soon finds that Wraithwood Estate, her uncle’s creepy old mansion, holds as many secrets as the man himself. When Brinnie is warned not to explore any of it, her curiosity only grows. As unnatural events take place and Brinnie hears whispers of a hidden war, she must unravel the truth about her family’s mysterious past if she wants to survive.

Something terrible happened at Wraithwood thirty years ago, and Brinnie is determined to find out what–even if it means confronting the possibility that magic is real.

My Review

I’ve read another book that was cowritten by Alyssa Roat before, so I based my expectations of WRAITHWOOD on that. I feel like this book absolutely surpassed them.

It’s hard to go wrong with a mysterious mansion and relatives keeping secrets. I liked Brinnie’s nosiness and her tendency to get into trouble. There were moments that I thought she’d be kind of shoved into more of a backseat role by the adult characters. Instead, she always held her own agency and found a way to take an active role in what was happening. I loved that.

I also loved Uncle Merlin. He’s kind of bizarre, but obviously honorable and loyal to his family, even if that loyalty sometimes leads him to do things he disagrees with.

The only thing that tripped me up at all in WRAITHWOOD was that Brinnie is fourteen in the story. That feels really young for a young adult hero, unless it’s a longer series and the author needs a lot of time for them to grow up. Her age also made her relationship with another character who’s in his twenties a little weird. Nothing inappropriate happens between them, but the setup of their relationship felt like it could lead into a romance. It doesn’t. It just felt odd to have her spend so much time with him.

On the whole, though, I really liked this book and enjoyed unraveling the mystery of the Wraithwood Estate and its connection to an old legend. This is a series I will definitely continue reading. I think fans of Cassandra Clare will like this story about family connections within a paranormal family.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Brinnie and her uncle attend church weekly. In service, the pastor strongly condemns witchcraft, and Brinnie feels like he eyeballs her group in particular.

Some characters have magical abilities.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Kidnapping. Brief 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. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.