Tag Archives: Magic

Review: Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,
Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur

Hooky (Hooky #1)
Míriam Bonastre Tur
Clarion Books
Published September 7, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Hooky

Two twins, one prophecy, and a whole lot of hijinks. From WEBTOON, the #1 digital comic platform, comes a fantastical story about twin siblings Dani and Dorian who have missed the bus to magic school and scramble to find a mentor to teach them before their parents find out. Perfect for fans of THE OKAY WITCH and the 5 Worlds series. 

When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.

But they aren’t alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see the future on their side, they might just be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?

Based on the beloved webcomic from WEBTOON, Hooky is in stunning print format for the first time with exclusive new content sure to please fans new and old.

My Review

This is such a cute book! I felt like the original premise got a little lost at first. Dani and Dorian are technically playing hooky from school, but they keep looking for a mentor so they can still learn magic, so are they actually, truly playing hooky? I quickly gave up pondering this question in favor of following the twins through their goofy, fun adventures.

There’s a bright, quirky cast of characters, from the princess who used to be scared of witches and dreams of rescuing her true love to the troublemaking boy with abandonment issues. It’s definitely a wild ride.

Some chapters of the book felt more episodic than others. I’m not sure if that’s simply a function of its origin as a web cartoon, but I didn’t mind the transitions much at all. I didn’t realize when I read the book that there are two more in the series. I’d like to follow the story in the next book, but it might be a little bit before I get to it.

On the whole, this was just the silly, fun romp in a fantasy world that I was hoping it would turn out to be.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some hints at attraction between male and female characters.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic and are called witches.

Violent Content
It is now illegal to execute witches by burning them, but that wasn’t always so. A prophecy predicts a powerful witch will come to power and cause mayhem.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Salt Magic
Hope Larson
Illustrated by Rebecca Mock
Margaret Ferguson Books
Published October 12, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Salt Magic

When a jealous witch curses her family’s well, it’s up to Vonceil to set things right in an epic journey that will leave her changed forever.

When Vonceil’s older brother, Elber, comes home to their family’s Oklahoma farm after serving on the front lines of World War I, things aren’t what she expects. His experiences have changed him into a serious and responsible man who doesn’t have time for Vonceil anymore. He even marries the girl he had left behind.

Then, a mysterious and captivating woman shows up at the farm and confronts Elber for leaving her in France. When he refuses to leave his wife, she puts a curse on the family well, turning the entire town’s water supply into saltwater. Who is this lady dressed all in white, what has she done to the farm, and what does Vonceil’s old Uncle Dell know about her?

To find out, Vonceil will have to strike out on her own and delve deep into the world of witchcraft, confronting dangerous relatives, shapeshifting animals, a capricious Sugar Witch, and the Lady in White herself–the foreboding Salt Witch. The journey will change Vonceil, but along the way, she’ll learn a lot about love and what it means to grow up.

My Review

I’ve had this book on my radar for some time. The idea of a fantasy set in 1919 Oklahoma definitely intrigued me, and I couldn’t wait to get into the story to see what it was all about.

Honestly, I thought the setting and fantasy elements really complemented one another. I liked the way they were connected and how they impacted the characters’ stories. I loved Vonceil as a character, and especially enjoyed the author’s choice to tell the story from the perspective of a young girl rather than telling the story from Elber’s point-of-view, which might also have made sense.

The color palette in the book was really engaging, too. I liked the way different pages had very different color schemes, and how only a few pages pulled all the colors together to create these vibrant, impactful scenes. I thought that was really cool.

SALT MAGIC is another book that I’d looked into thinking about my nephew and niece, and I think it will be one I recommend to them. I have a feeling the fantasy elements and unique setting will appeal to at least one of them. If the words “western fantasy” excite you at all, definitely check out this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Major characters are white living in Oklahoma.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to romance between men and women as minor characters. Vonceil does not have a romantic arc to her story.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic.

Violent Content
References to domestic violence and abuse of an elderly person. Vonceil sees the scars her brother carries from when he was shot in Europe as a soldier in World War I. Vonceil hears about a weird situation in which animals attacked someone en masse.

Drug Content
Vonceil stumbles onto a moonshine still in a barn.

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

Review: Deadlands: Survival by Skye Melki-Wegner

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The Deadlands: Survival (The Deadlands #3)
Skye Melki-Wegner
Henry Holt & Co.
Published April 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Deadlands: Survival

Wings of Fire meets Jurassic Park in the thrilling finale of this action-adventure series about five outcasts ― and former enemies ― who are the only hope to save their warring dinosaur kingdoms from impending doom.

As bloody battle rages between the two surviving dinosaur kingdoms, Eleri and the other young exiles―including a peppy stegosaur, a stoic sauropod, a testy triceratops, and a mysterious spy―have temporarily thwarted the Carrion Kingdom, a conniving cabal of carnivores, and destroyed their secret stronghold.

Fearing that their cunning enemies will soon regroup and seek vengeance, the exiles must risk their lives by returning home to unite and lead the war-torn herds that turned their backs on them into one final, all-out battle for the very future of the land of Cretacea. Will they convince their kingdoms to follow them into battle against the true enemy, or will Cretacea be overrun by an army of predators?

My Review

I can’t believe this series has come to an end! This has been one of the most enjoyable MG series I’ve read in quite a while. I love the characters and how much personality they have. Eleri, an oryctodromeus, is thoughtful and loves stories and the power of storytelling. Tortha, a triceratops, is a salt-of-the-earth warrior girl. She’s pragmatic and fierce. Sorielle, an ankylosaur, is endlessly curious, especially when it comes to math and science. She’s an inventor. Tiny, timid Zyre, an anurognathid, uses her abilities to fly and to hide easily to listen and gather information. She may be easily frightened, but attack one of her allies, and she will fight back.

The steady pacing kept me reading just one more chapter long past when I planned to quit. The chapters seemed pretty short, which makes it so easy to read one more. So much happens in this book that it felt like a new danger or uncertainty was always springing up. I loved seeing how much the characters have grown through the whole series.

Readers who enjoyed the Warrior series or Wings of Fire will definitely want to pick up this series. Do start at the beginning of the series, as the books build on each other. If you like books featuring animal characters at all, absolutely check these books out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are herbivore dinosaurs. One character is very scientifically and mathematically minded, which made her an outcast in her herd.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Consuming glowing shards give dinosaurs extra strength or stamina for a short period of time. Eleri has been exposed to a large amount of starmist, produced by a large shard, and he has some lasting impact from the exposure.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Mentions of warfare. In one scene, raptors tear another carnivore dinosaur apart.

Drug Content
Eleri collects thorns that can tranquilize dinosaurs.

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 my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

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

Review: Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

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

Hotel Magnifique
Emily J. Taylor
Razorbill
Published April 22, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Hotel Magnifique

For fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, this decadent and darkly enchanting YA fantasy, set against the backdrop of a Belle Époque-inspired hotel, follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique.

All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.

The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.

With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.

My Review

This is another book that’s been on my TBR because of the buzz I heard about it when it came out. The premise reminded me a lot of THE SPLENDOR by Breanna Shields, which I really liked, so I think it took me a while to try this one because I worried they would be too similar.

There are definitely some similarities. A magical hotel. Romance. Sisters whose relationship can only be restored by uncovering the secrets within the hotel.

But there are a lot of differences, too. The magic system is very different, and it has a huge impact on the story. In THE SPLENDOR, Juliette solves the mystery solo, hoping it will reunite her with her sister. In HOTEL MAGNIFIQUE, Jani pursues the hotel’s secrets in order to free herself and her sister. They work together to find a way out. I think Juliette is also the younger sister, whereas Jani is the older one, if I’m remembering right.

Reading the book, I definitely see the comparison to CARAVAL, too. It’s got the same capricious magical fair feel to it, where magic is both amazing and dangerous. I really liked the way the magic system was used in HOTEL MAGNIFIQUE.

I’m a huge fan of sister books, and I loved the relationship between Jani and Zosa in this one, too. Jani’s protectiveness, Zosa’s mischievousness, and the lessons they both learn that ultimately draw them closer together were some of my favorite moments in the book.

There’s also a romance subplot that I enjoyed. I didn’t see it coming right away, but as they got to know each other, I found it very easy to root for Jani and her romantic interest to get together.

On the whole, I feel like this one lived up to the hype. I loved the rich, magical setting. I appreciated the way the author described the skin tone of every character and included diverse representations of gender, relationships, and race.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Jani is described as having an olive skin tone. Bel is described as having a copper skin tone. The author describes the skin tone of each character. Same-gender couples appear in the background of several scenes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to use magic.

Violent Content
Magic can be unpredictable and harm others if not carefully managed. Some scenes show brief but graphic torture. In one, Jani witnesses someone gouging out a woman’s eye. In another, someone slams a toothed door on a girl’s fingers, severing them. Someone uses magic to kill an opponent in a couple of scenes.

Drug Content
Guests drink alcohol. Jani sips a drink she later learns had a truth serum in it.

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

Review: Compass and Blade by Rachel Greenlaw

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

Compass and Blade
Rachel Greenlaw
Inkyard Press
Published March 5, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Compass and Blade

This world of sea and storm runs deep with bargains and blood.

On the remote isle of Rosevear, Mira, like her mother before her, is a wrecker, one of the seven on the rope who swim out to shipwrecks to plunder them. Mira’s job is to rescue survivors, if there are any. After all, she never feels the cold of the frigid ocean waters and the waves seem to sing to her soul. But the people of Rosevear never admit the truth: that they set the beacons themselves to lure ships into the rocks.

When the Council watch lays a trap to put an end to the wrecking, they arrest Mira’s father. Desperate to save him from the noose, Mira strikes a deal with an enigmatic wreck survivor guarding layers of secrets behind his captivating eyes, and sets off to find something her mother has left her, a family secret buried deep in the sea.

With just nine days to find what she needs to rescue her father, all Mira knows for certain is this: The sea gives. The sea takes. And it’s up to her to do what she must to save the ones she loves.

My Review

This reminded me of another at-sea, oceanically gifted protagonist story that I enjoyed. It’s not the same story as the other. The characters and motives are really different than the other book. But it definitely delivered on the adventure-on-the-high-seas kind of vibe I hoped for.

It feels like a series opener. I’m not sure what will happen with it now, though, since Inkyard Press has closed down. I’ve heard that the authors have been transitioned to HarperCollins, so maybe the series will continue under a new publisher? I don’t know how all of that works. At any rate, I hope the story continues– I’d love to know what Mira does next.

Dangerous Romance

Only two things tripped me up a little bit, and one is absolutely a personal preference thing that I’m only now realizing is the case for me. You know those stories where there’s instant sexual attraction between two characters for no reason or even against good reason? I’m discovering that makes for a difficult protagonist for me to connect with. I find it really hard to buy in, especially when she’s in real danger from him, a stranger. Not saying that someone couldn’t have those feelings. But because I don’t react to danger that way, I find it pulls me out of the story or makes me question the narrator’s reliability.

Totally a personal preference. I enjoyed the book despite that element. It really only comes up a small number of times.

The other thing that challenged me was the magic system. I think the story moved so quickly that sometimes I wasn’t quite sure I understood how things fit together in the larger world. For instance, the blood of magical creatures can be harvested by witches and given to an apothecary to make a powerful potion that can, for example, heal a bad wound. Beyond that mention, we never learn anything about witches. Are they people who have a natural magical ability? Is Mira a water witch? Do they perform magic or are they magic hunters? This doesn’t really come into play in the story, so it doesn’t require a deep explanation, but I found myself wishing that some of the peripheral magical elements were better explained.

Conclusion

I truly enjoyed the chapters on the water, whether Mira was swimming out to a ship or joining a crew and sailing off somewhere. Despite our differences in how we approach romance, Mira’s loyalty to and love for her people made her an easy character to root for, and I’m invested enough to watch for the release of a sequel. I think readers who like stories at sea or characters with a strong connection to the ocean or readers who swoon at star-crossed love will enjoy COMPASS AND BLADE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The larger cast of characters includes characters of different skin tones and identities.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene, two characters have sex, but it isn’t graphically described.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have a special (magical?) ability in the water. They can swim better, hold their breaths longer, etc. Magical creatures, such as wyverns, exist in the story world. Blood from magical creatures can be harvested by witches and used to make powerful potions. (I’m a little fuzzy on the magic system, but I think that’s how it works.) One character can do some kind of shadow magic. A promise between two characters can have a magic binding to it, depending on who’s involved.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some descriptions of battles between two opposing sides with serious injuries, including gunshot wounds.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of COMPASS AND BLADE in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught

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The Baker and the Bard: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure
Fern Haught
Feiwel & Friends
Published March 5, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Baker and the Bard: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure

Author-artist Fern Haught weaves an enchanting, gentle fantasy tale of friendship, determination, and respecting nature in their debut graphic novel.

Juniper and Hadley have a good thing going in Larkspur, spending their respective days apprenticing at a little bakery and performing at the local inn. But when a stranger places an unusual order at the bakery, the two friends (and Hadley’s pet snake, Fern) set out on a journey to forage the magical mushrooms needed to make the requested galette pastries.

Along the way, Juniper and Hadley stumble across a mystery too compelling to ignore: Something has been coming out of the woods at night and eating the local farmers’ crops, leaving behind a trail of glowing goo. Intent on finally going on an adventure that could fuel their bardic craft, Hadley tows Juniper into the woods to investigate.

What started as a simple errand to pick mushrooms soon turns into a thrilling quest to save some furry new friends―and their caretaker, a soft-spoken little fey named Thistle―who are in danger of losing their home.

My Review

I feel like I’ve seen this book compared to or recommended for readers of the Tea Dragon series, and I can absolutely see that connection. The characters have a very fantasy-based appearance. One is a fawn, and others have the pointed ears of fae with a wide variety of skin tones.

I loved the main characters, Juniper and Hadley (and Fern, the snake!), and their comfortable relationship. It’s clear that Hadley is the impulsive, wilder one, while Juniper thinks things through more slowly and keeps them from doing anything too dangerous.

While the two face decisions and deadlines, the stakes never get anywhere close to life-threatening, and nothing frightening happens, keeping the story well within the cozy fantasy bounds it promises. I think it would make a great transitional book for readers who are aging out of middle grade books but not quite ready for some of the intense themes or situations more common in young adult fiction. The finished copy also includes a recipe for a mushroom galette. Yum!

Fans of THE MOTH KEEPER by K. O’Neill or THE LEGEND OF BRIGHTBLADE by Ethan Aldridge will enjoy the nature-themed storyline and strong fantasy elements.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
One character is nonbinary.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
In one image, the two main characters appear to be kissing. They might just be leaning their foreheads against one another.

Spiritual Content
Some characters can use magic.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.