Tag Archives: Fae

Review: The Spell for Unraveling by Rochelle Hassan

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
The Spell for Unraveling by Rochelle Hassan

The Spell for Unraveling (The Buried and the Bound #3)
Rochelle Hassan
Roaring Brook Press
Published April 28, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Spell for Unraveling

Author Rochelle Hassan delivers a pulse-pounding conclusion to her dangerous and alluring trilogy, The Buried and the Bound, inviting readers into the realm of witches that churns beneath the surface of the mundane—just as it threatens to boil over. . .


After the chaos of the summer solstice, elder hedgewitch Anne Sterling steps in to take Coven Blackthorn under her wing—and to enlist their help. There’s damage control to be done as threats of a fairy war loom and the upheaval in Elphame spills into the human realm. Leo, in particular, is uniquely positioned to influence the course of events.

But Aziza’s top priority is to rescue her oldest friend and former librarian, Meryl, a selkie whose mysterious captor may have closer ties to Blackthorn—and Aziza herself—than she ever realized. To find him, Aziza will venture into the secretive community of witches hidden beneath the surface of mundane society and confront her deadliest foe yet.

Meanwhile, Tristan delves deep into the study of necromancy, certain it will be their best defense against the danger closing in on all sides. But mastery of the infernal arts is not without its own risks. And there are some things you can’t come back from.

My Review

I have been a huge fan of Rochelle Hassan’s books since I read her really imaginative middle grade debut fantasy, The Prince of Nowhere. This young adult series has been a lot of fun to read. The magical world is intricately built and contains so many facets. There are Fae courts. Selkies. Witches. Hags. All kinds of magical creatures with their own alliances and values.

The point of view alternates between the three main characters, Tristan, Aziza, and Leo. Each of them has a different connection to the magical world and different reasons to protect it. Across all three novels, we get to know each of them pretty deeply. Leo is a hopeless romantic searching for the true love he is cursed to forget. Tristan’s connection to magic also came through a curse when he was bound to a vicious hag. Aziza is the daughter of powerful witches, and she travels the borders between magical lands and the regular world, fostering peace between the creatures who live there and pursuing her own magical ability.

The Spell for Unraveling is the third book in the series, and one of the books I most looked forward to this year. Once I got the book, though, I almost dreaded reading it. This always happens to me with a series conclusion. I desperately want to know what happens, but I don’t want the story to be over.

Once I actually started reading, all the things I love about the series came rushing back. The relationships between Tristan, Aziza, and Leo are lots of fun. I love the way Aziza teases Leo, and how Leo protects Tristan. The three of them together make a pretty well-balanced team.

As the last book in the series, this one brings a potential romance to conclusion and hints at a new romance beginning as well. Though there’s a lot of pining and romantic tension across the series, this is largely a closed-door romance. Characters may fall into bed together, and the story picks up when they wake the next morning.

This isn’t the kind of series you could pick up from the third book. If you like the sound of the characters and story world, definitely start with book one, The Buried and the Bound.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Characters in a relationship sleep in the same bed.

Spiritual Content
Some characters can do magic. Fae and other mythological creatures exist within the story.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Scenes depict battles with injuries and fatalities.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Crimson Throne by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

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

The Crimson Throne
Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Sourcebooks Fire
Published October 7, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Crimson Throne

Powerless meets Reign in this new historical romantasy from the New York Times bestselling authors of Night of the Witch.

Samson Calthorpe’s curse has isolated him from everyone he has ever cared about. So, when the opportunity arises to break the curse, he grabs it. All he has to do for his freedom is risk his life and become a royal spy, using every bit of the skills and resolve he’s picked up on the streets of London to infiltrate the court of the Scottish Queen and uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth.

For years, Alyth Graham has been protecting Mary Queen of Scots from threats both physical and magical, including the Queen’s own husband, Lord Darnley. Alyth is more than meets the eye though, the child of a fae prince and a human mother, she is among the most powerful protectors in Scotland: guardians sworn to defend against the Red Caps, a bloodthirsty fae clan . . . that Lord Darnley is in league with to overtake Scotland.

As Alyth and Samson circle each other in the volatile and glamorous Scottish court, both seek to uncover threats to their own countries. They have one unifying link: their shared hatred and suspicion of Lord Darnley…and their undeniable pull towards each other. Using secret codes, hidden messages, and a little bit of magic, Alyth and Samson unravel a plot centuries in the making. Lord Darnley is only a pawn, and in this game, the queen takes all.

“A biting historical fantasy series launch that fuses Tudor-era courtcraft with Celtic fae legend… …confronting duty, destiny, and betrayal” —Publishers Weekly

“An atmospheric fantasy brimming with intrigue and heart.” —Kirkus Reviews

My Review

I really liked Night of the Witch, so I had this book on my reading list as soon as I saw it announced. This one is steeped in Scottish history with legendary creatures threaded throughout. I liked the way the authors blended history and myth together to tell a sort of alternate, magic-infused account of the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots.

As you’d expect with a romantasy, Alyth and Samson have an immediate, powerful connection, though it takes some time for them to stop denying it. I think it really works because though they should be enemies, they both have many reasons to question what’s happening and whether they really belong on opposing sides. I like that it takes a bit for them to overcome their resistance to their feelings of attraction. It created a lot of tension, which really kept me reading.

I’m very happy that I read this book. I think I like this even more than Night of the Witch, though I enjoyed that one, too. The sequel will absolutely be on my reading list next year.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. References to sex.

Spiritual Content
References to Queen Mary’s Catholic faith. Alyth is part fae, and has some ability to do magic. Other characters share similar lineage. The story contains other characters and creatures from Scottish folkstories.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Characters use magical artifacts to control and/or kill others. Brief descriptions of characters attacking and killing someone.

Drug Content
One character is often drunk.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Guardians of Dreamdark: Windwitch by Laini Taylor

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

The Guardians of Dreamdark: Windwitch
Laini Taylor
Amulet Books
Published September 23, 2025 (Orig. 2007)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Guardians of Dreamdark: Windwitch

From New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor comes a new edition of her first cult favorite series, Guardians of Dreamdark, about a devil-hunting faerie and her quest to save her world
 
For centuries faeries have lived safely in their ancient forests, but now their peace is under threat. Devils are escaping the prisons that have held them since the Dawn Days, and only one faerie stands in their way. Magpie Windwitch is the greatest—the only—devil-hunter of the Age. Together with her trusted band of crows, she tracks down and recaptures these ravenous beasts that devour everything in their path.
  
When the hunt leads them to the legendary forest of Dreamdark, Magpie finds herself outmatched. Facing the greatest foe her kind has ever known (not to mention an imposter queen, a disgusting imp, and a young faerie warrior as infuriating as he is brave), one thing is If she’s to save the world, she’ll need all the help she can get. 
    
Bestselling author Laini Taylor’s thrilling first novel is now available for the first time for a new generation of fans.

My Review

I’ve read both the “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” series and the “Strange the Dreamer” duology, but I had never read “The Guardians of Dreamdark” duology. This first book is both like her other work and different. I can definitely see how she went from this series to writing Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

It feels a little like the 1994 movie Thumbelina. The story has definitive stakes and danger, but Magpie faces it all bravely along with her crew of crows and faerie allies.

This series is written for a younger audience than the author’s other books. It’s got a lot of adventure and danger, but very lightly brushes by romance, giving us the impression of characters who maybe feel some attraction for one another. It’s a longer book, coming in at about 400 pages, so that will certainly intimidate some upper middle grade/lower YA readers.

Because Magpie isn’t truly a child (she’s still young by faerie standards), I could see this being a great crossover series and appealing to adults, especially those who grew up with the author’s other books. Readers who like faerie adventures will enjoy the world-building and high stakes of the adventure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few made up curses.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some blushing and attraction between characters.

Spiritual Content
Some characters are faeries. 7 powerful Djinn created the world through their dreams. Faeries can choose to leave the world for the Moonlit Gardens, a different realm, sort of like an afterlife space. If faeries are killed in battle, they also appear in the Moonlit Gardens. Other creatures like imps and scavenging devils appear in the story and cause trouble. Magpie and her family have spent years tracking down these devils and imprisoning them in bottles.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battle scenes and scary imagery. A monster made of darkness swallows up some characters.

Drug Content
Reference to social drinking and smoking tobacco at a community celebration.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

The Absinthe Underground
Jamie Pacton
Peachtree Teen
Published February 6, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Absinthe Underground

Moulin Rouge meets Holly Black in a thrilling sapphic friends-to-lovers romantasy!

For Sybil Clarion, the Belle Époque city of Severon is a wild, romantic dream, filled with cafés, cabarets, and glittering nightclubs. Eager to embrace the city’s freedom after running away from home, she’s traded high-society soirées for empty pockets and barren cabinets. At least she has Esme, the girl who offered Sybil a home, and maybe—if either of them dared—something more.

Ever since Esme Rimbaud brought Sybil back to her flat, the girls have been everything to each other—best friends, found family, and secret crushes. While Esme would rather spend the night tinkering with her clocks and snuggling her cats, Sybil craves excitement and needs money. She plans to get both by stealing the rare posters that crop up around town and selling them to collectors. With rent due, Esme agrees to accompany—and more importantly protect —Sybil.

When they’re caught selling a poster by none other than its subject, Maeve, the glamorous girl doesn’t press charges. Rather, she invites Sybil and Esme to The Absinthe Underground, the exclusive club she co-owns, and reveals herself to be a Green Faerie, trapped in this world. She wants to hire thieves for a daring heist in Fae that would set her free, and is willing to pay enough that Sybil and Esme never have to worry about rent again. It’s too good of an offer to pass up, even if Maeve’s tragic story doesn’t quite add up, and even if Sybil’s personal ties to Fae could jeopardize everything she and Esme have so carefully built.

Jamie Pacton, author of THE VERMILLION EMPORIUM, dazzles in this lavish and decadent LGBTQ+ fantasy romance that will leave readers utterly enchanted!

My Review

I don’t know how Jamie Pacton does it, but both times I’ve read her fantasy books, I’ve fallen deeply into them and not surfaced until the story concluded. I love this immersive fantasy world inspired by 1890s Paris.

The chapters alternate point-of-view, flipping back and forth between Esme and Sybil’s perspectives. Esme is organized and orderly. Sybil is pure creative chaos, but somehow, the pair really works. I liked the differences between them and watching them navigate those differences in their friendship and as participants in a dangerous heist.

The girls pine for one another a lot throughout the story, which was okay, but sometimes felt a little bit distracting from the other elements. The romantic arc progressed perfectly, though. I loved that– it’s so sweet.

The Fae elements felt both magical and otherworldly, which I find I really like as well. The magic elements were used in very cool ways in connection with the plot.

All in all, this is another hit for me with this author. I think fans of Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fae series or Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves books will very much enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Sybil, whose family is wealthy, has had past romantic relationships with people of all genders. Esme, who grew up poor and in an orphanage, would like a romantic relationship with a girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. The story hints they slept together but does not show this.

Spiritual Content
Contains Fae and characters who can use magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to physical abuse. Two characters get into a fight, and one is stabbed with a knife.

Drug Content
Characters drink a strong alcoholic drink called absinthe.

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 an honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: Like a Charm by Elle McNicholl

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

Like a Charm
Elle McNicholl
Random House Books for Young Readers
Published October 10, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Like a Charm

After the death of her grandfather, neurodivergent tween Ramya uncovers a world of mystery and magic–and she’s the only one who can see it! From the award-winning author of A Kind of Spark.

“Ramya, you have something this city needs. And it’s something that’s going to change everything.”

Ramya Knox always knew she was different. Her dyspraxia makes her clumsy and prone to attracting the disapproval of her teachers. Ramya didn’t know she can see magic! But when a dog statue comes to life, Ramya follows the pup and discovers a world she thought existed only in fairy tales.

Trolls, witches, kelpies, vampires, and more lurk in the shadows of Edinburgh, hiding from the most dangerous creature of all: sirens. These beautiful monsters use their persuasive voice to convince those around them to do their bidding–for better or worse. As the sirens rise in power, it’s up to Ramya to save the day–or the Hidden and mortal worlds might both be at risk.

My Review

For some reason, I expected this book to be a portal fantasy, and it isn’t. It’s more like the world of magic exists within the real world, and only Ramya is able to see beyond that veil into the magic around her. Sort of like Amari and the eye drops that allow her to see supernatural beings around her in AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS. Once Ramya recognizes what she’s seeing, it seems like there’s magic everywhere she goes.

It took me a few chapters to orient myself to understanding Ramya. At first, she seemed sort of chaotically willful. Like, I wasn’t sure I understood why she did what she did. As I got to know her and to understand the magical world, it made so much sense, though. I really enjoyed the moment things clicked into place.

I also really enjoyed the relationship between Ramya and her cousin. Marley is so different than Ramya, so they make a good pair. He’s also one of the first people to trust her and follow her lead. The story explores a family broken apart by estrangement and lots of unspoken history. I absolutely loved the way the family history was revealed and how it changed the way that I saw each of the family characters.

The book ends with a possible setup for a sequel, which would involve both Ramya and Marley. I hope there’s another adventure with both of them in the future, because, if so, I would definitely read it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Characters are from England and Scotland.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters are magical creatures. A few characters can perform magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to murder. A battle between Ramya and an adult.

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 LIKE A CHARM in exchange for my honest review.

Review: My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadow

Book Review and Content, Historical, Magical Realism, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

My Imaginary Mary (Mary #2)
Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
HarperTeen
Published August 2, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About My Imaginary Mary

It’s aliiiiiiiive! The bestselling authors of My Lady Jane are back with the electric, poetic, and (almost) historical tale of the one and only Mary Shelley.

Mary may have inherited the brilliant mind of her late mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, but she lives a drab life above her father’s bookstore, waiting for an extraordinary idea that’ll inspire a work worthy of her parentage—and impress her rakishly handsome (and super-secret) beau, Percy Shelley.

Ada Lovelace knows a thing or two about superstar parents, what with her dad being Lord Byron, the most famous poet on Earth. But her passions lie far beyond the arts—in mechanical engineering, to be exact. Alas, no matter how precise Ada’s calculations, there’s always a man willing to claim her ingenious ideas as his own.

Pan, a.k.a. Practical Automaton Number One, is Ada’s greatest idea yet: a machine that will change the world, if only she can figure out how to make him truly autonomous . . . or how to make him work at all.

When fate connects our two masterminds, Mary and Ada learn that they are fae—magical people with the ability to make whatever they imagine become real. But when their dream team results in a living, breathing, thinking PAN, Mary and Ada find themselves hunted by a mad scientist who won’t stop until he finds out how they made a real boy out of spare parts.

With comic genius and a truly electrifying sense of adventure, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows continue their campaign to turn history on its head in this YA fantasy that’s perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.

My Review

I really enjoyed both MY LADY JANE and MY CONTRARY MARY, so I was excited about getting into this book. The idea of a story about Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley also intrigued me, so this sounded like a sure win.

I did enjoy the book, but not as much as the other two that I read. The other books had me laughing out loud more and had a lot more straight up absurdity that really worked for me as a reader. Plus I loved the cameo appearances by characters from MY LADY JANE in MY CONTRARY MARY.

What I think did work really well in this book was the pairing of Ada Byron (Lovelace) and Mary Godwin (Shelley). The science and writing/magic combo fit together well, and I liked the friendship that they shared and how it changed both of their lives.

I also liked the way Pan, created by Ada and Mary, inspired Mary to write FRANKENSTEIN. I thought that was a clever way to layer both a historical fantasy with elements from Mary Shelley’s famous book.

All in all, I’m still really glad I read this one. If you like reimagined history or stories inspired by a classic, I think MY IMAGINARY MARY is a great book to add to your reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Ada has difficulty walking since being ill and uses a cane.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. At one point one character asks questions about the difference between men and women and Mary tries to discreetly tell him that they have different body parts.

Spiritual Content
Some people are Fae and can create things from their imaginations. This magic has a cost– matter cannot be created nor destroyed– so Fae are trained to create carefully.

Violent Content
A man uses chloroform to incapacitate others and kidnap them. He ties several people up and threatens them with being struck by lightning.

Drug Content
Ada’s father drinks wine and reveals secrets he shouldn’t when he is drunk.

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 MY IMAGINARY MARY in exchange for my honest review.