Tag Archives: Magic

Review: Fire in the Star by Kamilla Benko

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,
Fire in the Star by Kamilla Benko

Fire in the Star (The Unicorn Quest #3)
Kamilla Benko
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published February 18, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

About Fire in the Star

After a lifetime of being the younger sister–of letting Sophie fight her battles, of following her on countless Experiences and through a fireplace into a magical land–it’s finally Claire Martinson’s turn to lead. And she’ll do anything to keep her big sister safe: resist the wraiths’ cold shadows, experiment with new and dangerous magic, become a thief in disguise.

When Claire discovers that “only a queen can defeat a queen,” she knows she must steal and reforge the ancient Crown of Arden to stand a chance against the darkness that threatens the world and her family. Because Queen Estelle d’Astora, desperate to reclaim her power, will stop at nothing to gain the support of the four guilds–even if it means killing the last unicorn. Claire will need every friend she’s made to help her as the fate of Arden hangs in the balance . . . But the secrets of the unicorns are deeper than anyone could have ever imagined. Does Claire have what it takes to ignite the long-buried magic of this world and wake the fire in the stars? Or will the true salvation of Arden rest on one final and heartbreaking sacrifice?

My Review

What a finale! I love sister books, so this series has been lots of fun to read. I love that it’s the little sister who’s the star of the books, too. I really enjoyed watching Claire find her gifts and her confidence and her place in the world.

FIRE IN THE STAR brings together a lot of characters from the earlier books, but it’s pretty easy to keep track of everyone as the story kind of refreshes you on who’s who as you read.

I also really loved that in the story, Claire and her allies all need each other, need to work together to save Arden. It meant learning to value one another, trust each other, put aside past grievances, and find a way to work together. Definitely a feel-good story in that sense.

This has been one of my favorite middle grade series, and I really can’t wait to see what Kamilla Benko writes next. She’s an author I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to any middle or late elementary school-aged readers.

If you like books by Jessica Day George, you really need to check out The Unicorn Quest series.

Here is my review of the first book in the series, THE UNICORN QUEST.

Here’s my review of the second book in the series, THE SECRET IN THE STONE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 up.

Representation
Claire and her family are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. The characters sometimes use made up curses like “slug soot”.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a boy and girl and references to a crush between them.

Spiritual Content
A unicorn healed Sophie and saved her life with its magic in the first book in this series, and that moment is referenced in this one, too. Other characters have magical abilities as well. Claire learns to make gems glow with her magic. Other characters can manipulate plants or metals. Deep shadows called wraiths chase the girls and their allies, trying to stop them. Sensitive readers may be frightened by descriptions of the wraiths… they’re a little bit like the Dementors in Harry Potter maybe? Not quite as scary as that.

Violent Content
Some brief descriptions of battle violence and situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of FIRE IN THE STAR in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Lost Tide Warriors by Catherine Doyle

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

The Lose Tide Warrior (The Storm Keeper’s Island #2)
Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published January 14, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

About The Lost Tide Warriors

In the brilliant sequel to The Storm Keeper’s Island, winner of the Books are My Bag Readers Award, Fionn Boyle finds himself at the heart of the fight for the island’s survival.

Fionn Boyle has been Storm Keeper of Arranmore for less than six months when thousands of terrifying Soulstalkers arrive on the island. The empty-eyed followers of the dreaded sorceress, Morrigan have come to raise their leader and Fionn is powerless to stop them. The Storm Keeper’s magic has deserted him and with his grandfather’s memory waning, Fionn must rely on his friends Shelby and Sam to help him summon Dagda’s army of merrows.

But nobody else believes the ferocious sea creatures even exist. And how can he prove he’s right without any magic? As Fionn begins his search for the lost army, the other islanders prepare for invasion. The battle to save Arranmore has begun.

My Review

Oh. My. Gosh. Reading this book, I laughed out loud. I ugly cried. It was a wild ride all the way through, and I loved every minute of it.

While Fionn wrestles with his unresponsive magic and his fears about failing the island, he’s surrounded by spunky, quirky characters. So there’s this constant balance between serious and silly that I thought really worked.

I love the way the whole community was involved in the battle to save the island. This isn’t one of those books where the hero has to go solo despite everyone telling him to go to bed or stop pestering them with prophesies of certain doom. Fionn definitely fights his own battles, but the community rallies around him. I found that really refreshing and awesome.

Altogether, this is a totally worthy sequel to THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND, which was one of my favorite books last year. I can tell this is a series I’m going to be talking about and recommending far and wide.

If you liked A SNICKER OF MAGIC by Natalie Lloyd or THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage, or you are breathing and love a good story, please add this series to your reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 up.

Representation
Characters are Irish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two instances of mild profanity, but used more in a classical sense? Like “such and such will damn the island forever.”

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Fionn has been chosen as the island’s new Storm Keeper, which means he should have a kind of elemental magic. He’s also having nightmares in which an evil sorceress visits him. She is awake and gathering followers to her so that they can perform a ritual to raise her. Her followers, called Soul Stalkers are sort of like zombies that gather on the island. Fierce mermaid-like creatures called Merrows are supposed to answer to the Storm Keeper’s call and defeat the Soul Stalkers.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some graphic descriptions of shark-toothed Merrows and Soul Stalkers battling.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE LOST TIDE WARRIORS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Wickerlight by Mary Watson

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

The Wickerlight (The Wren Hunt #2)
Mary Watson
Bloomsbury YA
Published November 26, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

About The Wickerlight

It’s been two months since Laila was found lifeless on Kilshamble village green, not a mark on her. Rumour says she died of an overdose. Or maybe it was suicide? The autopsy found nothing, but somebody must know what happened.

Now Laila’s sister Zara is ready to pick up the trail. But retracing her sister’s footsteps takes her to David, a Judge at the dangerous heart of an ancient magical feud. All too unwittingly, she begins to tread the same path that led her sister to the village green .

Mary Watson’s sequel to THE WREN HUNT is an eerie, magical thriller about a dead girl, her sister and the boy who can unlock the truth of what happened the night she died. Perfect for fans of Frances Hardinge and Emily Bain Murphy’s THE DISAPPEARANCES.

My Review

In the book THE WREN HUNT, the story follows Wren, a young Augur who’s caught in the middle of the war between her people and the Judges, her enemies. THE WICKERLIGHT is told by two people: one of the Judges who hunted Wren named David (and get ready, because there’s so much more to this guy than you thought there was in the first book!) and an outsider named Zara who simply wants to know what happened to her sister.

I had a much easier time connecting with the story this time through– I think maybe because I was already a bit familiar with the story world. I also LOVED getting to see a whole different side of David, who was in the first book. And seeing the community from an outsider’s perspective also gave the story a lot more intrigue, too. Right off the bat, the reader knows so much more than Zara does, and it added a lot of tension to many of the things she did, because we knew the danger she was placing herself in, even when she didn’t.

Some of the other characters from THE WREN HUNT appear in THE WICKERLIGHT, too. Cassa Harkness, Wren, and Tariq all appear on the page here and there. It was cool to read about them again and find out what had happened to them since the end of the first book.

Would I read a third book in this series? Um. YEAH. Especially after the way THE WICKERLIGHT ends, yes, yes, YES! Please tell me more. I can’t wait to dive back into this really delicious, dark Irish storyworld.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Zara and her family are Indian and from Australia. Other characters are Irish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently by one character.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Use of magic and curses.

Violent Content
Some graphic violence and brief scenes of torture.

Drug Content
Some reference to experimentation with drugs.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE WICKERLIGHT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Power of a Princess by E. D. Baker

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

Power of a Princess (More Than a Princess #2)
E. D. Baker
Bloomsbury USA Kids
Published November 19, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

About Power of a Princess

From beloved author E.D. Baker, an adventurous tale about a princess who is more than what she seems — and a kingdom whose fate rests in her hands.

Aislin is more than just a princess. Born to a fairy king and pedrasi queen, she’s strong, smart, and brave, with magical gifts she’s only beginning to discover. Aislin has spent her whole life keeping her family’s gifts hidden from the non-magic folk who surround her kingdom, and is shocked to find out the humans knew about these enchantments all along. But when the fairies decide to move back onto human territory, it soon becomes clear that some will not be happy about this change.

As she sets out to restore the balance, Aislin chooses a surprising group of young women to join her – girls she knows are brave and loyal, but who don’t have the qualities of typical guards or princess confidantes. Things only get more complicated when an old foe appears, surely up to no good. The princess knows she has the power and ingenuity to stand up for herself and her kingdom, especially with her friends by her side – will that be enough to set things right?

E. D. Baker is the author of many beloved books for young readers, including THE FROG PRINCESS, which was the inspiration for Disney’s THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG. A classic and original fairy tale that celebrates goodness in all shapes and sizes, MORE THAN A PRINCESS will resonate with readers who love magic, suspense, girl power, and adventure.

My Review

Right before I read POWER OF A PRINCESS , I read THE GIRL WHO FLEW WITH DRAGONS, which has a lot of adventure and action in it. By contrast, POWER OF A PRINCESS is a lot more of an internal story. There’s still action, but a lot of things happen through Aislin puzzling them out in her mind or through dialogue with others, so the pacing is very gentle.

The story is also very family-oriented. Aislin spends time with her parents and grandparents, and it’s clear she has close relationships with all of them and that they’re all a positive influence in her life.

POWER OF A PRINCESS also explores some ideas about isolationism and how it can cause harm by increasing fear of an outside group. Aislin and her family must decide how to respond to the fears of their people and rumors that circulate based on those fears.

I think this book would be a great pick for a more sensitive reader or someone looking for a thoughtful read. Also check out my review of THE FROG PRINCESS RETURNS by E. D. Baker.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12

Representation
Aislin is elf and pedrasi (a cave-dwelling group with stone-based magic).

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Use of magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. No graphic violence.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of POWER OF A PRINCESS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Changeling King by Ethan Aldridge

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

The Changeling King (Estranged #2)
Ethan Aldridge
HarperCollins
Published October 1, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

About The Changeling King

Enter a world of faerie magic and epic adventure in this spellbinding sequel to Estranged—a rich fantasy graphic novel perfect for fans of Amulet.

After years of pretending to be human, the changeling Edmund Carter has assumed his rightful role as Cinder, king of the World Below. But not everyone at the royal palace is happy about his return.

Meanwhile, Ed is adjusting to human life in the World Above. His birth family treats him with a kindness he never knew growing up in the Fay court, but Ed misses the sense of purpose he had as a knight.

When a mysterious new threat emerges in the World Below, Cinder must call on Ed and their older sister, Alexis, for help. But nothing can prepare them for the family secret that awaits at the end of their perilous quest.

With over two hundred pages of gorgeous watercolor paintings, The Changeling King invites readers on an epic journey through a magical world—one they will not soon forget.

My Review

THE CHANGELING KING is the first graphic novel that I think I’ve ever read. I’m not 100% sure, but I think so. I’d been meaning to try out graphic novels but always talked myself out of them because I hadn’t seen one that looked irresistably good.

Until now, apparently. Ha! Actually, what happened was that I got a finished copy in the mail from Wunderkind PR, and I figured the time had come for me to actually give graphic novels a try.

And I’m so glad I did. I had so much fun reading THE CHANGELING KING. Like, giggling and gasping out loud and turning pages like eating candy. I love how much personality each character has simply through the artwork and dialogue.

The story moved quickly, but paused at all the right moments. I enjoyed the balance between the dangerous adventure and the positive elements of family and friends. Also the blushing. Ha! So much cute blushing. Definitely a win for me. I’m not giggling– you’re giggling.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Cinder and another boy are gay. Some races of Fay discriminate against other races.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some hugging and blushing and interest between two boys.

Spiritual Content
Magic can only be restored with a price.

Violent Content
Some battle situations – no graphic gore or anything.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE CHANGELING KING in exchange for my honest review.