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The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

Review: The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

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The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

The Forest Grimm
Kathryn Purdie
Wednesday Books
Published September 19, 2023

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About The Forest Grimm

Where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists…

“Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die.”

The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book – Sortes Fortunae, the Book of Fortunes – with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose―to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm’s Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel―who is fated never to be with her―have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest―alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales―has a mind of its own.

My Review

One of the things that most intrigued me about this story was the idea of a magical forest filled with twisted versions of well-known fairy tales. I was just talking with someone the other day about how many of the versions we’re most familiar with are very different from the darker original versions. I liked the idea of including references to those darker stories in a new tale.

And that’s one of the elements I enjoyed most about reading this book. I really liked the forest, too. It felt old and dark and filled with deadly magic. The story centers around Clara and her developing relationship with Axel, a plotline that I also followed with interest. I think I would have enjoyed a little bit more focus on Henni’s relationship with Clara. The way the story ends left me hopeful that Henni would be a critical character in a follow-up tale. All I can say to that is, yes, please!

On the whole, I think readers who enjoy reimagined fairy tales or books like THE GREYMIST FAIR by Francesca Zappia will definitely want to give this one a read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Clara describes a back problem as having an S-curve that makes her hips uneven. She wears a special insert in her shoe to help her walk more comfortably.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Clara’s Grandmère uses cards to predict someone’s future. A curse descends on Clara’s town, changing the forest into a dangerous place, isolating the village, and drawing certain villagers into it. In the forest, Clara encounters magic in the form of dark fairytales. She sees a ghost and monsters.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some battle situations between Clara and her allies and residents of the forest.

Drug Content
Hallucinogenic mushrooms cause Clara and her friends to see strange things. (They were tricked into eating them.)

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 FOREST GRIMM in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Gilded by Marissa Meyer

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

Gilded (Gilded Duology #1)
Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends
Published November 2, 2021

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About Gilded

Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller’s daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda’s outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price.

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times-bestselling author, returns to the fairytale world with this haunting retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.

My Review

I think what makes this book really cool is that, just like with her Lunar Chronicles, Meyer creates a whole world in which the fairytale Rumpelstiltskin takes place. The major points of the story exist in her story world, but there’s so much more breadth and depth around them. All that background or world building explains why the story happens the way it does, which I think is really cool.

Whereas the Lunar Chronicles exists in a sci-fi universe, GILDED takes place in a much more traditional fairytale world. A world with witches, curses, and a wild hunt that takes place every full moon.

I liked the characters, especially (of course) Serilda and Gild. Some of the elements of the story seemed obvious to me early on, but because this is a fairytale retelling, I feel like that’s okay? They were things beyond the Rumpelstiltskin elements, so I don’t want to spoil anything by saying more.

Overall, though, I found it easy to get lost in the lush fairytale world of GILDED and really enjoyed the story, especially the romance between Serilda and Gild.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. There are a couple of minor characters, two women, who are attracted to one another.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

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

Spiritual Content
The story contains magical creatures, ghosts, and magic. There are seven gods, and they can present as any gender they choose. They’re generally referred to with they/them pronouns. The Erlking binds ghosts to his service. They must obey his commands. He and the rest of his court are made up of Dark Ones, or servants of the god of death who’ve escaped his domain.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Serilda witnesses ghosts reliving brutal deaths. At one point, a gruesome zombie-like creature attacks her. She discovers the young bodies of victims of the hunt, their hearts torn out.

Drug Content
Serilda drinks a potion which makes her appear dead for a time.

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

Review: Sorceline by Sylvia Douyé and Paola Antista

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

Sorceline (Sorceline #1)
Sylvia Douyé
Illustrated by Paola Antista
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Published on May 17, 2022

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About Sorceline

Welcome to the Island of Vorn, where mythical creatures roam free and only the brightest students are invited to study them. In Book 1 of this riveting new middle grade graphic novel series, a gifted young cryptozoologist-in-training must learn to tame powerful beasts—including her own inner demons.

For as long as she can remember, Sorceline has had a knack for the study of mythical creatures. Now a student at Professor Archibald Balzar’s prestigious school of cryptozoology, she’s eager to test her skills and earn a spot as one of Balzar’s apprentices.

But for all her knowledge of gorgons, vampires, and griffins, Sorceline is mystified by her fellow humans. While she excels in her studies, she quickly clashes with her classmates, revealing her fiery temper.

When one of her rivals suddenly disappears, Sorceline must set aside her anger and join the quest to find her. But the mystery only deepens, leading Sorceline on a journey far darker and more personal than she expected . . .

(This book contains the first three volumes of the original series)

My Review

I remember seeing this book when it came out and being completely taken with the illustrations. I love the whimsical feel of them, and all of the forest or nature spreads. The text and illustrations together give a great sense of the relationships between the characters. I love the expressions on the characters’ faces and the comments they make about each other.

At first, the story appears to be about a bunch of students competing for an internship and trying to solve the mystery of what’s causing a gorgon to be ill. (Almost like a middle grade, magical version of the show House. Ha.) As we get deeper into the tale, though, it’s clear someone is accidentally or purposefully sabotaging the students and maybe setting out to harm the magical creatures as well.

This first book in the series ends on quite a cliffhanger, so I’m really glad I’m reading it when I have access to the second book. I’m really interested to see where the story goes from here.

I think readers who enjoyed WINGBEARER by Marjorie Liu or ESTRANGED by Ethan Aldridge will love the detailed illustrations and emotive depictions of the characters in the book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
The main character appears white or white-passing. Some of the other students are people of color.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some attraction between boys and girls.

Spiritual Content
Some characters use magic. The story also contains magical creatures, references to curses, and omens.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

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 SORCELINE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliot McLemore

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

Venom & Vow
Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliot McLemore
Feiwel & Friends
Published May 16, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Venom & Vow

Keep your enemy closer.

Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother.
Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana.
Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect.
Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.

Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person.
Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade.
And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.

Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, this is a lush and powerful YA novel about owning your power and becoming who you really are – no matter the cost.

My Review

I’ve really wanted to read books by Anna-Marie McLemore for a long time, but so far only managed to read a short story by them in SERENDIPITY: TEN ROMANTIC TROPES TRANSFORMED. I loved the short story, and when I saw this book up for grabs as a review copy from MacMillan, I knew I wanted to read it.

To be honest, I had kind of a mixed experience with this book.

First, I loved the characters. Cade is a transgender prince who should be next in line to rule, but has complicated feelings about that. Instead, he impersonates his brother, Patrick, when Patrick needs things taken care of.

Valencia serves as a dama to her princess, but also as an assassin as Gael, a boy with an affinity for knives. Valencia wrestles with questions about whether her identity as both male and female is something her people will accept. Gael also makes some powerful enemies, which could be bad if those enemies connect his identity to Valencia’s.

The story world is definitely rich with magic and interesting elements that seem both inspired by Latine culture and Scottish culture. Super cool. The Eliane people are protected by Quetzals and other magical creatures that emerge from their tapestries. Sea monsters guard the Adare.

While the story world has some rich elements, I felt like there were also some confusing aspects. We know there’s been a curse, which removed both kingdom’s leaders and a few others. Descriptions of that night are choppy, which makes sense at first, because it’s a memory from years ago and both Cade and Valencia were not close enough to make out all the details.

As the story progresses, though, there were times information kind of got dropped into a scene and it felt like it was something we were already supposed to know, but yet was new information.

The progression of events from scene to scene felt choppy, too. At one point, a scene ends in the middle of a battle, with one character appearing to be the victor. The next scene opens with the apparent victor lying dead, but we never learn how they were overpowered or what happened. Stuff like that.

I did really enjoy the relationships between the characters and getting to see the representation of both Cade and Valencia/Gael. Both have chronic pain as well as queer identities.

Content Notes for Venom & Vow

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Cade is a transgender prince with chronic pain. He uses a staff for support and as a weapon. Valencia/Gael is bigender and also has chronic pain. Valencia and her people are Latine-coded.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some brief profanity in Spanish used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl or boy and boy. In one scene maybe the characters go to bed together? It’s written kind of subtly, and then mentions someone waking and their partner being already gone.

Spiritual Content
Magical creatures appear and help the members of the kingdoms they support.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle violence.

Drug Content
Characters consume drinks that contain alcohol and also, for the first time, caffeine. The caffeinated drinks make them feel mentally sharper but also jittery, so it’s presented much like drinking alcohol would be.

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 VENOM & VOW in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

Squire & Knight
Scott Chantler
First Second
Published May 9, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Squire & Knight

A young squire tackles mysteries, monsters and magic, but the inept knight he serves takes the credit. Every time.

Squire is brainy, bookish, and terribly under-appreciated by the brawny, inept knight Sir Kelton, who somehow always gets all the glory. So when the two mismatched heroes find themselves in a cursed village plagued by a demonic dragon, Kelton rides off to slay it and Squire stays behind to catch up on some reading. But Squire starts to notice that something isn’t quite right about this town . . . Can he uncover its strange secrets?

My Review

I tend to be really picky about the artwork in graphic novels that I read. The cover of this one really drew me in. There’s so much going on in just that one image. The knight wrapped in the dragon’s tail and held upside down. The squire holding up the lantern and looking thoughtful– I love that the cover conveys this part of his character. He’s a thinker, which is probably harder to draw, since it is an internal process. Then there’s the skeleton dog standing beside the squire and the dragon’s face, behind him as if he’s sniffing a trail of some kind.

I loved the dragon’s character and how he talked. It’s different than the way the other characters talk, and that kind of cracked me up. I like the way the pieces of this story fit together, and the fact that it’s the squire who solves it. Brains over brawn for the win!

I think readers who enjoy fantasy graphic novels like THE LEGEND OF BRIGHTBLADE will like this one. I always read graphic novels thinking of my nephews and niece, who prefer them, and I think this is one I’ll add to my shelf for them to read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Most human characters are white. One family from the town Squire helps has bronze skin and pointed ears.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used once.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The squire hears rumors of a ghost haunting the town’s well. The town was founded by a wizard, and appears to be under some kind of curse. The townspeople blame a local dragon for their problems.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. The townspeople rally, intending to kill the dragon. The knight intends to kill the dragon. The dragon intends to eat the knight.

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 SQUIRE & KNIGHT in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays

Check out other blogs talking about middle grade books today on Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz

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

Last Sunrise in Eterna
Amparo Ortiz
Page Street Press
Published March 28, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Last Sunrise in Eterna

Three teenagers are invited to spend seven days on the secluded island floating off the coast of Puerto Rico to learn the magic of the elves.

All they have to do is give up their dreams.

Seventeen-year-old goth Sevim Burgos hates elves. Everyone else on earth loves the elves (especially their handsome princes) and would give anything to participate in Eterna’s annual Exchange, where three teens can trade their dreams for a week of elven magic.

But Sevim knows things most people don’t. She can see through the illusions the elves use to conceal their crimes. Ever since elves killed her father, Sevim has longed for revenge. So to help support her single mother, she has been selling abandoned elf corpses on the black market.

But it turns out that the elf prince Aro has noticed Sevim bodysnatching, so he kidnaps her mother in retaliation. To get her mother back, Sevim must participate in the Exchange.

In the home of the elves, Sevim will have to surrender her dreams and put her trust in the charming prince who took the last family member she has in order to master the art of elf magic. And in working with him, she will discover how the royal elves might be more tied to her own history than she ever suspected.

My Review

I liked several things about LAST SUNRISE IN ETERNA. First, I loved the setting. The story takes place in Puerto Rico, and all the characters have brown skin. I loved that we got to see elves reimagined as Puerto Rican and anchored to the island and language. I’ve never read anything like this, so it felt very fresh and pulled me in.

Second, I liked the characters, especially Sevim, Aro, and his brother, Feyn. Sevim goes full speed ahead, even when she knows she’s outmatched. Her determination and her loyalty to her mom along with her refusal to believe things just because someone told her they were so made me a big fan from the early chapters of the book.

The plot also goes some interesting places, some that I really didn’t expect. That plus the Puerto Rican elves element gave the whole book a totally unique vibe for me. I really enjoyed reading something so different and with such high stakes.

I struggled a bit with the writing at times. It seemed to jump around a bit, so that sometimes I had to reread things before I could figure out what was going on. I read an ARC, a pre-release version, of the book, so it’s possible that the final version reads more smoothly. Or it could just be me– I was reading pretty fast because I wanted to know what happened next.

All in all, I think fans of this author’s earlier books will not be disappointed in this one. I think fans of TOGETHER WE BURN by Isabel Ibañez will love the magic and high-stakes adventure of LAST SUNRISE IN ETERNA.

Content Notes for Last Sunrise in Eterna

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters have brown skin. Sevim is Puerto Rican.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Brief mentions of attraction between two boys.

Spiritual Content
Elves have magic and the ability to create illusions that affect how humans see them. Other characters have the opportunity to gain magic through challenges and other rituals.

In a dream, Sevim encounters a character who talks about feeding on the magic of others.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some descriptions of battle violence. In a couple scenes, Sevim encounters the bodies of elf children who’ve been mutilated. The person responsible for the mutilation talks about enjoying harming them.

Drug Content
Sevim takes an elixir that is meant to allow her to see through the elves’ illusions.

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 LAST SUNRISE IN ETERNA in exchange for my honest review.