Tag Archives: Magic

Review: The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

The Deathly Grimm (The Forest Grimm #2)
Kathryn Purdie
Wednesday Books
Published March 25, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Deathly Grimm

The spellbinding sequel to Kathryn Purdie’s bestselling dark fairytale, where our main characters must return to the forest—and its monsters.

The story hasn’t ended yet.

After surviving the Forest Grimm and defeating the Wolf, Clara and Axel have made it back to their village, the one place they can be safe behind the forest’s borders. But when the forest itself begins luring in more villagers, it’s clear that Clara and Axel have only treated the symptoms of the forest’s curse, not the cause—and it’s getting worse.

Burdened with visions of the past and learning to navigate her fragile new relationship with Axel, Clara finds herself entering the forest with Axel yet again to discover the truth once and for all: the identity of the murderer who caused the curse. As they fight murderous woodsmen with incomprehensible riddles, ladies who will drag you into an eternal dance, and ghosts with the power to wield the forest against them, Clara and Axel realize the stakes are higher than ever. If they don’t survive the dark, deadly twists of the forest once more, not only will they never escape, they may also no longer have a home to escape to.

Romantic, eerie, and beautiful, The Deathly Grimm is the triumphant conclusion to Kathryn Purdie’s bestselling Forest Grimm duology.

My Review

More twisted fairytales! More Scary forest! And more romantic tension! This book delivered all of the things I wanted more of after reading the first one in the duology. One of my favorite things about the first book was the appearance of familiar fairytales twisted into something new and more like a curse rather than a sweet story that promises a happily-ever-after.

The only thing that I struggled with was the miscommunication between Axel and Clara. Like, I understood that his fixation with finding his dad didn’t mesh well with Clara’s mission to undo the curse on the village. I found it frustrating that the divergent goals went on for so much of the story. However, I can see how that tension worked to isolate Clara and make space for some of the story’s other elements.

I also appreciated the disability representation. Clara describes a spine issue that sounds a bit like scoliosis. She wears a lift in one shoe to make it easier to walk, and someone gives her a corset that operates like a back brace. I love Clara as a character, and I appreciate the representation even more after reading Disfigured: On Fairytales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda LeDuc, which examines how disabled characters appear in classic fairytales.

Even despite the miscommunication between Clara and Axel, I devoured this book. I think I read two-thirds of it in one evening. It’s a wild ride of a story that cleverly weaves together scenes featuring familiar fairytales. The satisfying conclusion made me want to go back and start the duology all over again.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. The characters discuss having sex, but decide to wait.

Spiritual Content
A curse draws people into a dangerous magical forest, where they may die or become Lost. The Lost forget their identities and become fairytale characters, acting out twisted stories in a loop. Clara’s grandmother can use magic to appear as a powerful wolf. A spell book offered each villager one wish until a page was stolen.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battle violence. Scenes include brief descriptions of poisoning, manipulation, and torture.

Drug Content
A potion puts others under a spell that makes them act out of character.

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: Wishbone by Justine Pucella Winans

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

Wishbone
Justine Pucella Winans
Publisher
Published September 17, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Wishbone

Coraline meets Ghost Squad in this terrifying story about what happens when you aren’t careful what you wish for.

Ollie wishes things could be different. He wishes his parents would stop fighting. He wishes his sister Mia didn’t have to worry about paying for college. He wishes people would accept him for who he is. Most of all, he wishes he wasn’t so angry about all of this.

When he and Mia find a two-tailed cat they name Wishbone, Ollie takes comfort in telling him everything he wishes would change—then, it does. Everything Ollie and Mia wish for comes true, and it’s like all of their problems are solved. But magic comes at a price. Their wishes have consequences, and a mysterious shadow man called The Mage is after Wishbone. Darkness is overtaking their world, and worst of all, it threatens to take over Ollie, too. Can he let go of everything he’s ever wanted, or will he let evil win?

My Review

I read The Otherwoods by the same author in 2023, and I enjoyed the spine-tingly elements of the story and how they ultimately played out. I’ve been meaning to read more by Winans, but it has taken me too long to get back to another of their books.

One of the things I knew I’d love about Wishbone is that it has a cat-who-is-not-a-cat character. Wishbone is a cat with two tails that has the inexplicable magical ability to grant wishes. He is feisty and prone to biting people, which makes sense, considering the trauma that he’s been through. I like the unpredictable nature of him as a character. For a long time, I wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to be good or bad. Eventually, he makes his alliances known and says pretty loyal to his people.

The book has a nicely inclusive cast. Ollie is a trans boy, but the book isn’t at all about him explaining his identity or existence. We enter his story past all of that, and he simply is who he is. He has other LGBTQIA+ friends and allies, too. The story touches on the impact of bullying and anger issues, and takes readers through a Twilight Zone kind of experience.

If you like scary stories like The Darkdeep by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs, definitely check out Wishbone.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to a crush between Ollie and another character.

Spiritual Content
Another place/dimension Ollie calls The Backward Place contains magic and curses, including the ability to grant conditional wishes.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some characters try to kill other characters while under the influence of a curse. In one instance, a parent character tries to kill a child because of the curse. References to and a brief scene showing animal cruelty in an apparent science experiment.

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: Warrior of Legend by Kendare Blake

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

Warrior of Legend (Heromaker #2)
Kendare Blake
Quill Tree Books
Published October 29, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Warrior of Legend

Reed is officially a member of the immortal order of the Aristene. She even has a new name: Machianthe. It’s everything she’s ever dreamed of—so why isn’t she happy?

Maybe it’s because every hero she helps can only find glory at the cost of their life. Or maybe it’s because she can’t stop thinking about the prince she left behind.

Now Reed looks for any opportunity to help with low-risk hero’s trials. And a princess looking for a glorious marriage? Nothing could be less dangerous. But Hestion is one of the suitors, and while Reed is occupied trying to win him back, an old danger is gaining strength.

To battle the growing threat, the Aristene must band together, but the order has never been more divided. Will Reed be able to survive this war with her chosen family and her heart intact?

My Review

Is this still the conclusion of a duology? The author’s webpage and a question answered on Goodreads state that Warrior of Legend concludes the Heromaker duology, but it doesn’t feel like a series conclusion to me. To me it reads more like a middle book in a trilogy.

At any rate, this is the second book in the Heromaker series. I wasn’t sure where the story was heading at first. The cover copy is a little vague, and it took a while for the momentum of the story to build. Somewhere around the halfway point, I felt it pick up speed, and I started to see how all the threads of the plotlines connected.

Warrior of Legend follows several different points of view. I think it’s mainly Reed, Hestion, and Lyonene, with a few scenes from other perspectives sprinkled into the narrative. The cast of characters is large, and I occasionally got some of the Aristene characters mixed up. Two women are in a romantic relationship with one another, so there’s some queer rep. I like all the major characters, though. Hestion’s reentry into the story isn’t great. I guess his behavior makes sense, but it’s a low point, for sure.

If this is a series conclusion, I think it ends in a weird place. None of the main characters’ stories are completed. The closest is Lyonene’s. She has a moment where she sees the future unfold before her and accepts what will happen. Both Reed and Hestion end the book in very unfinished states.

The books have a Greek myth type of feel. The Aristenes are an order of women warriors who help heroes achieve glory in service to their goddess. If you enjoy fantasy in that vein, these books will be worth checking out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and references to sex. Scenes show characters in bed together but skip over the details of sexual encounters.

Spiritual Content
Reed and the other members of the Aristenes serve the goddess of glory. A prophet of all gods was murdered before the story begins. The prophet’s bones have been used to corrupt people and turn them into monsters. The Aristenes each have some magical ability. They can summon armor that appears on their bodies. They can see golden threads of glory that indicate their goddess at work. The glorious death of a hero brings strength and honor to the goddess.

Violent Content
Lots of battle scenes and descriptions of battle. In one scene, a boy kisses a girl against her will.

Drug Content
Several scenes show celebratory drinking. A few characters get drunk and say or do things they regret later. One character has a drinking problem at the start of the story.

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: Cousins in the Time of Magic by Emma Otheguy

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Cousins in the Time of Magic
Emma Otheguy
Aladdin
Published February 25, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Cousins in the Time of Magic

Three cousins get transported back to 1862 to play an important role in the Battle of Puebla, the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo today, in this enchanting middle grade fantasy adventure.

History is alive with magic. That’s what zany Tía Xia is always telling cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy. Daredevil Jorge couldn’t be more different than his cousins: Camila is a dreamer who adores animals and Siggy is an aspiring influencer who has an exclusive party to attend. And their aunt has many secrets, including a mysterious diamond-encrusted sword that Jorge definitely wasn’t supposed to see.

But when the three stumble upon a time portal in their aunt’s yard, they are transported back to 1862, a past filled with wonders—and dangers. To return to the present, they must race to deliver the sword to General Ignacio Zaragoza in time for the historic Battle of Puebla in Mexico: the foundation of the holiday Cinco de Mayo.

As their journey to Mexico takes them through the Civil War–era United States, the cousins see just how much US history has been shaped by Latine communities. They must find the power within themselves to make sure things happen as they’re supposed to, without altering the past.

My Review

This is a fun, engaging way to introduce facts from Mexican history to young readers via cousins on a time-travel adventure. (Actually, I think two characters are brother and sister and cousin to the third character.)

I liked that the time-travel element was pretty simple, even if it was never really explained. It could have slowed the story down, but keeping it minimized worked here, I think. The characters were fun, and their differences made it easy to tell whose point of view we were following. The viewpoint shifts mid-scene, so sometimes one chapter has multiple points of view, but I thought it was still easy to follow.

One thing that I appreciated is the backmatter. First, a note from the author explains her intent. Next, a list of notes about characters and places shows readers the line between history and fiction. A glossary explains some other terms used in the book. Even with those resources, the book is about 200 pages long, so it’s a pretty quick read.

The ending leaves room for a sequel or series. I would love to see more books exploring Mexican or Latin American history through time travel.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Characters encounter magic and travel through time. One character believes Mexico should be governed by a monarch who will impose Catholicism on everyone.

Violent Content
A bully dares a boy to do a handstand on a rooftop.

Drug Content
References to an adult drinking alcohol and beginning to slur his words.

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.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

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

Review: The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

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

The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart #2)
Stephanie Garber
Flatiron Books
Published September 13, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Ballad of Never After

Not every love is meant to be.

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she’ll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can…

My Review

Evangeline embarks on another wild adventure, determined to break the curse over her husband, Prince Apollo. I couldn’t decide if I liked Apollo or not. I think we just don’t get enough time with him on scene and without the interference of a spell of some kind for me to figure out what kind of person he is.

Jacks, however, gets a lot of time on scene, and he’s definitely got the brooding, tortured soul thing going. I like that he and Evangeline play off one another and work well together.

This book builds a lot of sexual tension between those two. I liked that the story doesn’t stay too long in the land of miscommunication or depend too entirely on Jacks and Evangeline not saying what they mean. There are other forces at play that impact what she feels for Jacks and what she thinks he feels as well. There’s also a fair amount of back and forth between Evangeline and Apollo. She feels guilty for the bad things that have happened to him and wants to break the curses binding them together. But the longer time goes on, the more confused she is about her feelings for him.

The Ballad of Never After offers more details and lore from the lush fantasy landscape introduced in the first book in the series. We start to see how the different pieces of fairytale stories that Evangeline grew up with fit together and the connections between the people around her, all of whom need her for something. As soon as I finished this book, I started reading the series finale.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and some strong sexual tension between two characters. At one point, a girl has injuries to her back, and someone bandages her while she is topless.

Spiritual Content
Lots of curses and a bit of fairytale magic. A few characters are vampires.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Vampires feed on or threaten to feed on humans in a few scenes. Someone continually hunts another person, intending to kill them. Two people are cursed with a mirror curse, meaning that when one is injured, the same injury appears on the other person. In one scene, someone scratches a message on their skin with a knife tip. Someone answers the message in a similar fashion. Someone stabs a girl in the chest, killing her.

Drug Content
Evangeline drinks champagne at an evening party.

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

Review: Carving Shadows into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer

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

Carving Shadows into Gold (Forging Silver into Stars #2)
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published January 28, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Carving Shadows into Gold

Dangerous magic. Fateful choices. Broken promises.

The King’s Courier Tycho has made a treacherous bargain. Now beholden to the magical scraver who saved King Gray’s life, one false move could end everything.

Jax escaped his life in Briarlock and traveled with Tycho to Emberfall. But life outside his small village brings unexpected challenges–and unlikely adversaries.

After years of hating the royal family and their magic, Callyn never expected to be at the Queen’s side, with magic on her fingertips. But at the royal court, she can’t trust anyone–including the man she thought she loved.

Cast apart, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn must learn to wield the magic that is dividing their kingdom. As the magical scravers attack from the north and the king’s rivals gain strength, time is running out.

War is looming. Love is tested. And magic could be the only answer. . .

My Review

The second book in the Cursebreakers series spinoff continues with the story of Tycho (King Grey’s courier), Jax (a blacksmith), and Callyn (one of Grey’s daughter’s ladies-in-waiting). I think it picks up pretty soon after Forging Silver Into Stars, the first book in the series, leaves off, with Tycho and Jax heading to Emberfall and Callyn settling into her new life as a lady’s maid.

I think all the characters are supposed to be eighteen or nineteen, so this reads more like a crossover book (adult fiction with crossover appeal to teen readers) than a young adult novel. All three characters have full-time work roles and are responsible for themselves as adults.

I like all three point-of-view characters, and I enjoy that this story is Cursebreakers adjacent, with scenes involving Grey, Lia Mara, Rhen, and Harper. Some of the events in the books have soured me a bit on Grey as a character, so at times, it was hard for me to feel the admiration that I thought I was supposed to feel for him.

The romance between Jax and Tycho develops more, and the plot leaves room for them to pine for one another. I like that the story allows Tycho to examine how he avoids connection with people and why he makes those choices. Callyn also experiences some romance. I appreciated how that part of the plot revealed that things aren’t always what they seem.

This book made me want to reread A Curse So Dark and Lonely. The structure of retelling a fairytale in that book felt so compelling when I read it. I think I want to revisit that feeling again– the fantasy landscape and romance with the added fairytale elements.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. A couple of scenes include explicit sexual contact.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. In certain circumstances, magic can be used to control others, which causes a lot of fear. Scravers are humanlike with wings, sharp claws, and long fangs. They have their own magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes in which people sustain serious or fatal injuries. Soldiers spar with one another. One higher-ranking soldier repeatedly injures someone who is trying to learn to defend herself. While a couple of characters appear shocked or dismayed by this behavior, nobody calls it out as abusive. For a while, the solution seems to be to magically heal the character’s wounds, and then she returns to get beat up the next day.

There are a couple of vague references to sexual assault that happened to one character long before the story began. If this is the only book you read, you might not even know what they were discussing because it’s pretty vague. If you remember conversations from earlier books about this character, you would know what they were referring to.

A character kisses someone without consent, and there’s a moment when the character worries that the kisser won’t stop. It doesn’t go further, and the person apologizes for misreading the situation and for not asking for consent before kissing.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol. Some get drunk and do regrettable things.

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.