Tag Archives: Magic

Review: Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

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

Gilded Wolves by Roshani ChokshiThe Gilded Wolves
Roshani Chokshi
Wednesday Books
Published on January 15, 2019

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About The Gilded Wolves
Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.

Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can’t yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they’ll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

My Review
If you’ve read other books written by Roshani Chokshi, you remember the lush magical settings and rich, Indian culture. The unforgettable characters main characters with quirky companions and delicious banter between them.

Gilded Wolves is a whole different kind of story. From the setting in late nineteenth century France to the complex alternate history and magic system, Gilded Wolves took some getting used to for me.

I really enjoyed the characters. There’s something incredible about creating a cast of six with relationships as close and complex and realistic as this group had. I loved the Ocean’s Eleven style heist the group sets up. It created a lot of tension and danger, which kept me turning page after page.

The magic system and politics between the houses of power were a little hard for me to keep track of at first. The prologue and opening chapter felt a bit heavy with history and setting details, but once the real story begins and we meet Séverin and his crew, I found it really easy to connect with them. If you loved the close character relationships and the high stakes of the heist in Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, you want to check out Gilded Wolves.

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Cultural Elements
Séverin and Hypnos have one white parent and one black parent. (They aren’t related.) Laila is from India. Enrique is Spanish and Filipino. Zofia is Jewish and probably on the Autism spectrum, though Gilded Wolves doesn’t label her. The cast includes openly gay and bisexual characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to sex. Descriptions of kissing between two boys and a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Gilded Wolves includes some references to the biblical story of the tower of Babel. It’s not a strict biblical interpretation of the story, though. In Gilded Wolves, when the tower falls, pieces of it remain which contain powerful, civilization-ending magic.

Additionally, four families rule houses of power. Some people have abilities to change the characteristics of objects with magic. Like creating a desk which traps the hands of anyone who touches it besides the owner. One character has the ability to sense the history of an item which hasn’t been magically altered.

One character states that his goal is to become a god and remake the world. He believes that if we are made in God’s image, that makes us gods also.

Another character has an unusual origin and was created using bits of bone and the spirit of a child who’d died.

Violent Content
Séverin describes experiences with his foster parents. One tormented him and his foster brother, even torturing them by using a magic helmet to replay their nightmares. One of his foster fathers died by suicide. One died during a robbery.

Drug Content
Séverin’s foster father drinks wine. Characters drink wine and champagne at parties. Hypnos drinks wine while the team tries to solve a puzzle. He jokes about needing it to help him think.

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

Review: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

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

Strange the Dreamer
Laini Taylor
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published on March 28, 2017

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About Strange the Dreamer
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

My Review
It took me a long time to read Strange the Dreamer because I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone so much that I worried Strange wouldn’t measure up or would make me miss the other series too much. I know. I always do this to myself! And then usually, it’s all good, and I enjoy the new book or series anyway. And, surprise! I enjoyed this book, too.

I love the way Taylor creates broad, deep story worlds and draws readers into cultural conflicts and explores values where they come from. Both Lazlo and Sarai pretty much had me at hello. I loved them both, but especially Lazlo for his enthusiasm and his desire to help others. Of course the tragic Godslayer had me at his first appearance, too.
The only thing that really made me stumble is the omniscient point-of-view in which the story is told. It’s consistent and adds a lot to the novel, so I totally get why Strange the Dreamer is written this way, but omniscient isn’t my favorite. So whenever there would be those zoom-out moments where we get a god’s-eye view of what’s happening in all the heads of all the people, I kind of had to blink a few times and re-settle into the story. Totally worth it, though.

Strange the Dreamer is a bit more of an adult story than I remember Daughter of Smoke and Bone being. It feels heavier and definitely more adult in the way the characters romantic relationships progress. I guess I felt like Karou in Daughter of Smoke and Bone really feels young, and that anchored the story in the young adult genre for me. Again, not sorry I read the book, but thought that needed brief noting.

So that’s it! Check the content below and happy reading!

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Cultural Elements
Since this is a fantasy, there are made up races and ethnicities. The story begins in a more temperate climate with a brown-skinned people and progresses to a desert climate of brown-skinned people. A separate race of gods have blue skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some very sensual scenes showing kissing between girl and boy. Two female characters also have a relationship and share sleeping space. There are some references to sex but no descriptions of it directly.
The gods took human slaves and used them to bear their children. No descriptions of this, but obviously the survivors bear some trauma from the experience.

Spiritual Content
A blue race of humans have magical abilities (one specific ability each) and call themselves gods.

Violent Content
The story begins and ends with a young woman’s death. She falls and is impaled on a gate. Before the story begins, a man brutally kills the gods, even their small children and babies. No descriptions other than that they babies screamed and suddenly went silent.
See romance content about the gods and their treatment of human slaves.
In one scene, ghosts attack a group of humans.

Drug Content
Some references to drinking alcohol.


Review: Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty

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Willa of the Wood
Robert Beatty
Disney Hyperion
Published on July 10, 2018

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About Willa of the Wood
Move without a sound. Steal without a trace.

Willa, a young night-spirit, is her clan’s best thief. She creeps into the cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and takes what they won’t miss. It’s dangerous work–the day-folk kill whatever they don’t understand–but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people.

When Willa’s curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day-folk world, she calls upon the old powers of her beloved grandmother, and the unbreakable bonds of her forest allies, to escape. Only then does she begin to discover the shocking truth: that not all of her day-folk enemies are the same, and that the foundations of her own Faeran society are crumbling. What do you do when you realize that the society you were born and raised in is rife with evil? Do you raise your voice? Do you stand up against it?

As forces of unfathomable destruction encroach on her forest home, Willa must decide who she truly is, facing deadly force with warmest compassion, sinister corruption with trusted alliance, and finding a home for her longing heart.

My Review
Willa of the Wood is the first book by Robert Beatty that I’ve read, though I think I own two of his other books. Judging from the writing style, I really want to read more. I liked the way the scenery seemed to come alive and the deep emotions Willa feels through the story—her longing for companions and her internal wrestling over the wrongness of what her tribe has asked her to do.

One of the most powerful characters is Willa’s grandmother. Even though she can’t walk, she has this powerful presence and a fierce love for Willa and the goodness of the old Faeran ways. It’s this love and wisdom that Willa carries which gets pitted against the fears of her people, and Willa has to decide which way is right—being governed by that fear and allowing it to rule her actions, or daring to love not only her tribe members, but those very different from her, too.

I loved the theme of family and adoption in the story, too. Willa feels like an outsider among her Faeran tribe members, and she desperately wants to have meaningful, lasting connections with others. Her journey to find a community where she belongs totally resonated with me.

The story as a whole is a bit dark, to be honest. I’d say it’s probably better suited to older elementary school readers and middle school readers might also enjoy it, too, even though the writing style and characters’ ages feel geared a little more toward the eight to twelve range but definitely worth a read.

Recommended for Ages 10 to 12

Cultural Elements
Willa’s appearance changes depending on her surroundings as a sort of camouflage. She befriends a Cherokee boy and a white man.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Willa and her people are night-spirits and have magic that comes from life (plants and animals). Sometimes the magic protects or heals, and other times it causes harm, even death.

Violent Content
Willa and her peers are tasked with stealing from local humans. A man shoots Willa while she’s prowling through his house. A couple scenes show children kept in cages. Willa learns they’ve been starved, and in some instances, tortured or allowed to die. Willa uses magic to help allies and stop enemies. Sometimes the magic appears like black worms or roots attacking people. The imagery tends toward dark rather than gory.

Drug Content
None.

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

 

Review: The Story Peddler by Lindsay A. Franklin

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

The Story Peddler
Lindsay A. Franklin
Enclave Publishing
Published on May 1st, 2018

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About The Story Peddler
Selling stories is a deadly business.

Tanwen doesn’t just tell stories—she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.

During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king’s guard hunts her down . . . and they’re not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers she’s not the only outlaw in the empire. There’s a rebel group of weavers . . . and they’re after her too.

My Review
I’d heard a lot of hype about this book, so I was excited to get to read it. The Story Peddler was a neat tale about how art reveals truth. It balanced allegory with action, and reminded me a lot of writers such as Serena Chase and Nicole Sager.

While I didn’t find The Story Peddler quite as enthralling as I’d hoped, it was a pretty good read. The plot had a good bit of action, and tied up neatly enough at the end (no horrible cliffhangers here!) while still leaving room for a sequel. Plus, Tanwen was such a fun character to read about! She had so much spunk and personality, and it was fun to see most of the story play out through her eyes. The one quibble I have with characters is about the love triangle—I didn’t feel like it was realistic, and it seemed to spring out of nowhere. One other thing: while the author was very creative in describing plants and animals (“fluff-hoppers” for rabbits, and “bitter-bean brew” for coffee), it did get kinda confusing at times. I didn’t care for it as much, but that might just have been personal preference.

Overall, I’d rate this book 3 and a half stars. I liked it, but it didn’t enthrall me like I’d hoped. Fans of allegories and characters with plenty of spunk will definitely want to pick this one up.

Recommended for Ages 14 and up

Cultural Elements
The enslaved Meridioni people are described as having dark skin. A legend explains this as being caused by their pride. The Tirian people are described as being fair.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None

Romance/Sexual Content
Mentions of mistresses, sleeping around. A forced kiss between a young lady and an older man, who also is hinted at taking advantage of women. Hints at prostitutes.

Spiritual Content
The Tirian people have three goddesses, though the story says that only the most uneducated peasant believes in them. A Creator is mentioned, and a dark force is hinted at.

Violent Content
Injuries and attacks from both men and beasts, non-graphic.

Drug Content
Characters drink ale, and use herbs for medicinal purposes.Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Memory of Fire by Callie Bates

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

The Memory of Fire
Callie Bates
Del Rey Books
Published on June 5, 2018

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About The Memory of Fire
Magic. Romance. Revolution. The sequel to the bold and gorgeous The Waking Land.

Jahan Korakides is the hero who saved the life of the crown prince in battle, helped win the revolution in Eren and earned the heart of Elanna, the legendary Wildegarde reborn.

But Jahan Korakides is also broken; haunted by memories of the woman who experimented on him and his brothers as children. So when the empire threatens war in retribution for Elanna’s illegal sorcery, Jahan leaves Eren to negotiate with the emperor on Queen Sophy’s behalf. But the world he left has changed – riots rock the city of Ida, his brother is missing and the crown prince refuses to speak to him.

Jahan’s only hope of success seems to lie with the rebels in Ida. Yet, if he joins them, he will merely spur on the war he’s desperate to avoid, and risk revealing himself as a sorcerer.

And then the witch hunters arrive at court, bringing Elanna in chains.

My Review
After loving The Waking Land, the first book in this series, I knew I had to read The Memory of Fire. It was awesome to get to see what happened after the first story concluded. Elanna remains my favorite character even though Jahan narrates this book. I like Jahan, but I felt more connected to Elanna.

I thought it was interesting that the author touched on opiate addiction, especially considering the fact that it’s such a big issue right now in our country. Jahan remembers being addicted and some of the physical agony of withdrawal (which he experiences at different points in the story) but also the shame of having been an addict. It’s a minor point—this isn’t a tale about addiction or recovery. I just thought it was interesting that it plays a role in the book.

I also found it cool that even though this story is told from the perspective of a young man, it contains a LOT of strong women. Obviously there’s Elanna, the Caveadear who uses powerful magic connected to her land. But there’s also Jahan’s aunt, who sheltered him as a child and never shies away from protecting him, even if it might cost her life. The empress, who seeks to use her position to turn the political tide toward accepting sorcery. Queen Sophy who works tirelessly to unite her people and fend off enemies.

I’m pretty sure I noted this in my review of The Waking Land, but I think this is really more adult fantasy than young adult fantasy. Jahan deals with political issues in his role as ambassador, and while he spends some time sorting out trauma from his childhood, ultimately, the story focuses on him finding his place as an adult in a changing kingdom. I guess you could argue that he revises his childhood relationships (with his aunt, with a childhood friend, etc.) into adult ones, which falls under the YA umbrella. Fantasy seems to be the most flexible in terms of where YA crosses into adult fiction.

At any rate, The Memory of Fire struck me with its strong story world and interesting political dynamics. Fans of Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope or The Great Library series by Rachel Caine should add this one to their reading lists.

Recommended for Ages 18 up.

Cultural Elements
One minor character is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent use of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a man and woman. References to them sleeping together and some scenes that give slight descriptions of sex. (More like we know they’re doing it, but the act itself isn’t much described.) The gay character discusses his desire for a real future with his lover, which seems impossible due to some political circumstances.

Spiritual Content
The story world is polytheistic. Some characters have magic. Others consider this blasphemy and seek to kill magic bearers.

Violent Content
Jahan’s power comes from living things. He takes power from them and they die. He tries to restrict this to only killing plants. A brief battle between soldiers and sorcerers. References to torture, some brief descriptions of torture. A prison collapses, killing those inside it. One sorcerer learns to kill by taking life energy from other humans, and kills them without remorse. Jahan remembers some violent situations from his childhood. In one instance, a woman stabs him and his brother.

Drug Content
References to drinking wine (as a cultural thing). Jahan remembers an abusive situation from his childhood which involved him being given an opiate.

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

 

Review: Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, New Adult 18up, , , , , , , ,

Song of Blood and Stone
L. Penelope
St. Martin’s Press
Published on May 1, 2018

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About Song of Blood and Stone
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive–an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack’s mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it’s people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda’s Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.

The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.

My Review
Song of Blood and Stone has a lot of interesting elements woven together as far as its story world. I liked that it had a sort of turn-of-the-century feel to it—with cars and telephones—but also felt very much like a world different than ours with its harsh landscape, magic elements and legends.

The storytelling reminded me a little bit of The Blue Sword, in the way military and magic play interesting roles in the story. It also reminded me a little bit of Children of Blood and Bone in the way race and racial tension are featured.

I liked both Jasminda and Jack’s characters. You know me—totally a sucker for a good guy who has to make hard choices and is willing to give up everything to do the right thing. Jasminda is a strong woman who is desperately trying to balance independence with pragmatism, and she appealed to me very much as well.

I didn’t expect the amount of sexual content in Song of Blood and Stone. It’s very explicit and takes up several pages of the story. More on that in the content section of my review.

The racial tension in the story feels extremely well-developed and relevant to some of the things we face in the world today. Those themes were well-balanced with the plot of the story, and because the characters are so easy to empathize with, they had some real power to them. If you liked The Waking Land by Callie Bates, you would probably enjoy Song of Blood and Stone. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but the amount of sexual content is really more than I enjoy reading.

Recommended for Ages 18 up.

Cultural Elements
Two races dominate this story. One has darker skin and magic. The other is pale-skinned and has no magic. A female minor character is in a secret relationship with a woman– something her family would cast her off for if they knew.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Explicit scenes showing sex between a man and woman. One scene lasts several pages. Another is shorter but still very explicit. Some sexual comments in other scenes about arousal or lust. At one point a guard threatens to rape a woman, and when that doesn’t seem possible, he plans to sexually assault a man.

Spiritual Content
Characters worship/pray to a legendary woman called the Queen Who Sleeps. She remains in an enchanted sleep, but legend says she’ll awaken at need and can speak to her people through their dreams. Worship of another god is mentioned.

Some characters also possess magic referred to as a Song.

Violent Content
A few violent comments in which a man threatens to and tries to rape a woman. Some descriptions of battle scenes. Some racist epithets directed at the darker-skinned and refugee characters.

Drug Content
Alcohol served at the palace.

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