Tag Archives: Magic

Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George

Review: Dragon’s Flight by Jessica Day George

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Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George

Dragon Flight (Dragon Slippers #2)
Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published April 29, 2008

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About Dragon Flight

The second book in New York Times bestselling author Jessica Day George’s charming, light-hearted fantasy series.

With the Dragon Wars over, Creel finds herself bored with life as a seamstress. Then word comes that a bordering country has been breeding dragons in preparation for an invasion. Never one to miss out on the action, Creel throws herself headlong into an adventure that will reunite her with Shardas, the king of the dragons, pit her against a vicious new dragon, and perhaps rekindle a friendship with Prince Luka.

Funny, heartfelt, and action-packed, new readers and returning fans alike will dive headlong into this exhilarating follow-up to Dragon Slippers.

Dragon Flight on Goodreads

My Review

I recently reread Dragon Slippers (though it was like a fresh read, since I remembered almost nothing from my original reading), and discovered that Creel and Shardas’s adventures continue in this and another book. Since I have access to the audiobooks through my library, and I needed something lighter to read over the summer, I decided to finish the series.

A lot of the characters from the first book reappear here in the second one. (Including one goofy monkey seller.) We also get to know the dragon characters more, and see the progression of Creel and Luka’s relationship.

What’s really interesting to me is that the cover art and copy age Creel down quite a bit. In the story, she is running her own business and preparing for her business partner’s wedding. I can’t remember if the text specifies Creel’s age, but I’d guess she’s probably fifteen or sixteen.

The writing feels very middle grade, though, so I think the book is marketed appropriately, it’s just interesting that the book description and cover age the story itself down a bit. For example, Creel isn’t just friends with Prince Luka– there’s definitely some romance happening there, though it stays very sweet and a small component of the story.

Readers who enjoy dragon books will find a lot to love here. The dragons play a bigger role in this book than in the first one and appear in a majority of the scenes. This is a sweet, fun series for upper middle grade readers or middle grade readers interested in stories with a little romance.

Readers who enjoyed Goose Girl by Shannon Hale should check out this series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
One prominent character speaks through sign language.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Creel’s best friend is engaged to be married.

Spiritual Content
Some characters are dragons. A few characters use alchemy, which operates like magic through potions or special objects.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some brief references to and scenes showing battle. Creel wants to punch more than one person in the face, but she wisely resists.

Drug Content
None.

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: Masquerade of the Heart by Katy Rose Pool

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

Masquerade of the Heart
Katy Rose Pool
Henry Holt & Co.
Published June 18, 2024

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About Masquerade of the Heart

Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs must deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles in the illustrious—and deadly—Evergarden society , all while uncovering the mystery behind her mother’s disappearance. This edge-of-your-seat duology finale is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars , These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron .

Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos. Tensions rise between the Five Families, and trouble brews in the Marshes—and Marlow is at the center of it all. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Adrius refuses to speak to her, publicly vowing to find a wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his curse. To do so, she’ll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it. But the closer she gets to her father, the more she starts to question if he’s really the villain she’s made him out to be.

Marlow has learned by now that in a city steeped in secrets and lies, not everything is as it seems. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide who to trust—and how high a price she’s willing to pay for the truth.

“Nothing short of genius .” —Jennifer Lynn Barnes, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Inheritance Games series, on Garden of the Cursed

“A delicious read full of swoony romance .” —Tricia Levenseller, New York Times-bestselling author of Blade of Secrets, on Garden of the Cursed

My Review

I started reading this book immediately after finishing Garden of the Cursed. I really wanted to know how the duology would conclude, so I squeezed in a quick read of this book.

The tension between Marlow and Adrius continues in this book. The first book was only from Marlow’s perspective, but I was delighted when I started reading Masquerade of the Heart and realized it includes both Marlow and Adrius’s perspectives. Since Adrius won’t speak to Marlow in the early parts of the book, this keeps both of them at the center of the story and helps reveal information about the mystery as Adrius and Marlow each discover clues themselves.

There’s a side romance that’s barely hinted at in Garden of the Cursed that I loved seeing develop here. It added a lot to both of the characters involved and strengthened the community around Adrius and Marlow, too.

For the most part, I rocketed through reading this book as quickly as I did the first one. It’s fast-paced and romantic, so I found it easy to keep turning pages and reading more. There are a couple of moments, though, where things happen kind of out of the blue. At one point, Adrius knocks on Marlow’s door and reveals he’s been working on something for her that is never mentioned in any of the earlier scenes from his point of view. In a few pages, unannounced, he resolves a huge plot point in the whole duology.

So there are a few awfully convenient reveals like that, but I was so invested in the story by that point that they didn’t slow me down. Things like that might require a more deliberate suspension of disbelief in other readers, though.

On the whole, I enjoyed the duology, and I’m really glad I was able to read both books back to back. The second really depends on readers having read the first, so definitely read Garden of the Cursed first.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
A couple of the side characters are queer. Race for some characters is ambiguous.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs. Other profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. In one scene, a character walks in on two people who appear to be in the middle of making out. In another scene, a character walks in on two characters in bed together.

Spiritual Content
References to gods. Cards contain spells or curses and can be activated by saying a magic word.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Characters fight each other with fists and magic. A character uses magic to torture someone, clearly planning to kill them.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol.

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: The Serpent Rider by Yxavel Magno Diño

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

The Serpent Rider
Yxavel Magno Diño
Bloomsbury
Published September 10, 2024

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About The Serpent Rider

In this middle grade debut inspired by Filipino folklore, a spunky, determined warrior must claim her destiny in order to save her sister, perfect for fans of Witchlings and The Owl House.

Tani dreams of fulfilling her destiny as a Serpent Rider, fighting alongside an elemental serpent to defend her village against monsters. More than anything, she wants to protect her little sister Ligaya, the village princess who’s tasked with memorizing their community’s history, including the tale of Great Bakunawa, the most powerful and feared sea serpent that swallowed six of the world’s seven moons.

After a devastating monster attack, Tani can no longer wait patiently for her bakunawa egg to hatch. She makes a desperate deal with a stranger who promises her a serpent of her own. But when her gamble puts her sister in major danger, Tani must find a way to save Ligaya before she’s lost forever. All the while, in the depths of the sea, Great Bakunawa is stirring, threatening to devour the last moon and plunge the night sky into eternal darkness . . .

This accessible, standalone novel is a perfect gateway for new fantasy readers to dive into enchanting worlds and embark on heart-pounding adventures.

My Review

It took me a couple of chapters to feel fully oriented to the story world and voice in the story, but that tiny investment was so worth it. One of the things that makes the story so accessible is Tani’s straightforward way of saying things. She gives succinct information that helps readers keep tabs on the story elements without slowing down the action.

The writing style feels very contemporary, but the story takes place in a fantasy setting. Some characters share a bond with a bakunawa, whose elemental magic aids them in battle. They encounter other mythological creatures on the journey to rescue Tani’s sister, but the voice remains direct and clear.

I liked that so many different mythological creatures appeared in the book. Some appeared to be enemies but were helpful, while others looked like allies and sabotaged the quest. That added mystery kept me on my toes as I read through the book.

I can definitely see readers who enjoy Witchlings or Katie Zhao’s Dragon Warrior series liking this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Inspired by Filipino folklore.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Contains mythical creatures with magical abilities.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief (cartoonish) battle violence. No graphic gore or anything.

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: Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning

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Lies We Conjure
Sarah Henning
Tor Teen
Published September 17, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Lies We Conjure

Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games with magic in this standalone supernatural thriller by Sarah Henning: thirteen witches, a locked-room murder, and two non-magical sisters trapped in a deadly game of Clue

Ruby and her sister, Wren, are normal, middle-class Colorado high school students working a summer job at the local Renaissance Fest to supplement their meager college savings.

So when an eccentric old lady asks them to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy dinner party at the jaw-dropping rate of two grand―each―for a single night… Wren insists it’s a no-brainer. Make some cash, have some fun, do a good deed.

But less than an hour into the evening at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, Ruby is sure she must have lost her mind to have agreed to this.

My Review

I’ve really enjoyed everything by Sarah Henning that I’ve read, and Lies We Conjure is no exception. I think it’s the darkest of her books so far, and I’d say ‘Knives Out plus magic’ is a pretty fair description of this one in a nutshell.

I loved the sisters, Wren and Ruby. Wren is impulsive and chipper while Ruby is the more methodical, quieter one. The story alternates between the perspectives of Ruby and Auden, one of the Hegemony cousins and grandson of the magical matriarch. I liked the tension of Ruby and Wren being imposters locked into the estate once the murder takes place.

I kind of expected there to be some hidden magical connection between their family and the other magical families, but that didn’t play out in the way I anticipated, which was fine. They do have a nostalgic connection to the estate.

The story has some great moments between characters and some scenes I didn’t predict at all. I loved the way things were pieced together and how the mystery resolved in the end.

I think reader who enjoy a murder mystery dripping with threatening magic will not be able to put this one down. If you like books by Mary Watson or Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson, definitely check out Lies We Conjure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Wren and Ruby are white. One of the magical families is BIPOC. One character is nonbinary.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs and profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic and are called witches. There are four main types of magic: elemental, blood, star, and death. Death magic is pretty grisly. Blood magic allows someone to control others.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Apparent murder. Descriptions of fatal injuries.

Drug Content
A few characters drink alcohol.

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 Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

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

The Hazel Wood (The Hazel Wood #1)
Melissa Albert
Flatiron Books
Published January 30, 2018

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Hazel Wood

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away-by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

My Review

A friend gave me a copy of this book years ago, and I’ve been on the fence about reading it since then. I knew it was a popular title, but never really read a lot of reviews or saw specific coverage of it. I can’t believe it’s been six years since The Hazel Wood was published. That doesn’t feel possible. At any rate, my library has an audiobook version available, so I decided to listen to it while I was waiting for a book I had on hold.

For some reason, I expected the book to have more of an Irish or English folklore feel to it? More like Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson or The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson. (It doesn’t.)

Some of the fairytales from Alice’s grandmother’s book are recorded in full in the text of the book. The narrative will introduce the story and then the next chapter tells the full tale. These fairytales are dark, grim tales of girls locked in a room to starve, or promised in marriage to men who plan to abuse them. They have a horror-esque feel to them.

The pacing of the book surprised me, too. I expected Alice to spend the majority of the book in the Hazel Wood, but she really only reaches it around the halfway point, I think.

One of the things I liked a lot is that this isn’t a romance. This story focuses on Alice, her identity, her connection with her grandmother’s stories, and her mission to rescue her mother from whoever has taken her. I loved that the author put together such a compelling tale that stands on those things.

As I read the book, I wasn’t sure how much I truly liked it, but as I think back on reading it, I think I like and appreciate it more each time I reflect. I looked up the second book, The Night Country, and based on the book description, I think I would read it. It’s hard for me to fit audiobooks in during the summer, but I’ll probably try to listen to it in the fall when school begins again.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
Alice is white. Her friend Finch is biracial.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to sex.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to do a kind of magic. The magic in the book is very dangerous, usually used to harm someone. Some characters live in an alternate world.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some brief but gory descriptions of harm and death. References to suicide. Some chapters tell the fairytales included in Alice’s grandmother’s book. They have a horror-esque quality to them, with dark, dangerous magic and often brief graphic violence.

Someone pulls a gun on Alice. She remembers being kidnapped as a child. Someone demands that Alice take her own life. Alice witnesses someone cut the throat of another person.

Drug Content
Some characters drink alcohol. Some characters smoke cigarettes.

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: Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic by Jamar J. Perry

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

Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic
Jamar J. Perry
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published August 27, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic

In this magical middle grade fantasy perfect for fans of The Marvellers and Amari and the Night Brothers, a shy boy must step up and become his own hero after his best friend disappears at a magical school. 

Jaden and Elijah have been best friends since they were born. They’re so close that Jaden doesn’t even mind that he’s constantly living in talented, high-achieving Elijah’s shadow-well, he doesn’t mind much.

But then Elijah disappears, leaving behind nothing but a cryptic note asking for Jaden’s help. The next day, Jaden is invited to attend Elijah’s fancy private boarding school. Only, it turns out it’s not a boarding school at all. It’s a school for magic! Somehow, before Elijah vanished, he used his note to transfer part of his own magic into Jaden, a feat that is supposed to be impossible.

Determined to find his friend, Jaden agrees to attend the school and learn to control his new powers. But a sinister force is threatening to destroy the whole magical world. And if Jaden doesn’t stop it, he’ll be the next to disappear.

My Review

The pacing of this story went differently than I expected. In some ways, that is a strength for the book because it’s a strong difference from books like Amari and the Night Brothers and other magic school stories. There were a couple of moments where the story started to feel too similar to another boy-with-magic story, so I appreciated the ways in which it diverged from other books.

I loved the friendship between Jaden and Elijah, which is at the center of the novel. Perry celebrates that deep friendship bond and brotherhood between the two boys without any qualifiers, and I found that refreshing and, frankly, beautiful.

The cast is heavily male. I would have enjoyed seeing a little more diversity here, though there’s some value in a story that leans heavily into exploring different kinds of relationships between boys or men. I think having at least one of the critical characters be female would have added a little more balance, though.

On the whole, I am glad to see this book added to the collection of magic school middle grade literature. Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic is a fun story that celebrates the power of friendship and trusting your heart.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Jaden and several other key characters are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. Some magic can be harmful and threaten the stability of the world.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Jaden hears his best friend has drowned and must attend his funeral. Someone asks permission to view Jaden’s thoughts. The spell is painful to him, but he is willing to endure it if it will help him find his best friend.

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.