Tag Archives: family

Review: Reign the Earth by A. C. Gaughen

Reign the Earth by A. C. GaughenReign the Earth
A. C. Gaughen
Bloomsbury
Published on January 30, 2018

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About Reign the Earth
Shalia is a proud daughter of the desert, but after years of devastating war with the adjoining kingdom, her people are desperate for peace. Willing to trade her freedom to ensure the safety of her family, Shalia becomes Queen of the Bonelands.

But she soon learns that her husband, Calix, is motivated only by his desire to exterminate the Elementae—mystical people who can control earth, wind, air, and fire. Even more unsettling are Shalia’s feelings for her husband’s brother, which unleash a power over the earth she never knew she possessed—a power that could get her killed. As rumors of a rebellion against Calix spread, Shalia must choose between the last chance for peace and her own future as an Elementae.

My Review
It might sound silly, but the first thing that struck me about this book is the fact that Shalia approached her arranged marriage with the attitude that she would try to fall in love with her husband and have a good life with him even though the match wasn’t driven by love. I liked that the story didn’t set up with the more typical approach where she’d be chafing under the arranged marriage and looking to escape it from the beginning.

Shalia and her family drew me into the story with their customs and love and loyalty to each other. One of my favorite characters was Shalia’s brother Kai with his hawk. I loved the way he both protected her and respected her.

I read Reign the Earth a few weeks past the birth of my daughter, so I haven’t been getting very much sleep—and when I do sleep, it’s usually just an hour or two at most. So when I say I found it hard to put this book down, and a couple of times even stayed up to keep on reading, that’s pretty serious! Already, I’m anxious for the sequel, even though I’m sure it won’t be out for a while.

If you liked The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi, you will probably like Reign the Earth with its clash of kingdoms, rich relationships and magical elements.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Shalia describes herself and her people as having brown skin, and her husband’s people as having pale skin. One character briefly mentions she’s a lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a man and woman. Sex is implied but not specifically described. One character tells Shalia she kissed a girl.

Spiritual Content
Calix and his brother and sister are said to literally be the three faces of their god. Shalia shares some of the customs of her family which have some spiritual origin. Her childhood friend, a priestess’s daughter, has traveled the world opening sacred sites so that powers can manifest in people across the world.

Violent Content
References and brief descriptions of torture. Battle scenes with some gore and fatality. An abusive relationship between a man and woman escalates from words to threats to physical violence.

Drug Content
None.

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

 

Review: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

A Snicker of Magic
Natalie Lloyd
Scholastic
Published February 25, 2014

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About A Snicker of Magic
Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.

But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck’s about to change. A “word collector,” Felicity sees words everywhere—shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog’s floppy ears—but Midnight Gulch is the first place she’s ever seen the word “home.” And then there’s Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity’s never seen before, words that make Felicity’s heart beat a little faster.

Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she’ll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that’s been cast over the town . . . and her mother’s broken heart.

My Review
A Snicker of Magic has been on my to-be-read list for a super long time, and I’m so glad I finally made time to read it. I loved the way the author used words and the description of how Felicity sees them to add to the story. Also loved her friendship with Jonah and the Beedle, who performs anonymous good deeds for others.

Felicity wrestles with her parents’ separation on her own, often feeling like her mom is too sad to approach about her dad’s absence. She worries about her mom a lot and feels torn between her loyalty to her family and her desire to put down roots and have a real friend someplace. Those feelings made it so easy to love her and root for her throughout the story.

Be warned—this story will probably leave you with a fierce craving for ice cream, especially for one of Dr. Zook’s famous ice cream flavors. Yum!

Some elements of A Snicker of Magic reminded me of Be Light Like a Bird in terms of a girl wrestling with family issues and mom with wanderlust who takes on a town crisis.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Characters appear to be white. Jonah is in a motorized wheelchair. The story takes place in a small Tennessee town.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A couple references to Felicity’s aunt saying some “unsavory words.”

Romance/Sexual Content
Felicity’s mom asks if she has a crush on a boy from school. A girl kisses a boy on the cheek.

Spiritual Content
In the story, some members of the town once had magic that could do amazing things. One woman could sing up a storm. Another could turn invisible. Some could play music that set the whole town dancing. Two brothers used their magic against each other and left the town cursed. The story follows Felicity’s research into understanding the curse (some characters believe there’s no such thing) and whether it can be broken.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Felicity’s aunt smokes cigarettes.