Tag Archives: Political Intrigue

Review: The Librarian’s Ruse by Thirzah

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,
The Librarian's Ruse by Thirzah

The Librarian’s Ruse
Thirzah
The Pearl
Published July 30, 2023

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About The Librarian’s Ruse

Amelia’s peaceful life as a librarian is cut short when she and her older brother Leon are sent on an errand to Eldnaire, the capital city of the vicious Vilnarian Empire. After witnessing a crime carried out in the woods, Amelia and Leon enter the capital only to be faced with an impossible choice: tell the truth and risk imprisonment, or lie and face far worse if they’re caught.

One deception leads to a dozen more, and before she can put an end to the lies, she and Leon are swept up into Vilnaria’s high society. Amelia finds an unlikely ally in Vilnaria’s handsome new ruler, Emperor Kyvir. But as the secrets and scandals continue to pile up and danger closes in on all sides, Amelia must decide once and for all what matters: the truth…or her life?

My Review

Apart from the gorgeous cover, I think my favorite thing about this book is the fact that it centers around a relationship between a brother and sister. I really don’t see that often enough in young adult fiction, and this book absolutely made me wish for more of it. I liked the banter between Amelia and her brother and the way they approached situations completely differently.

While I really appreciated how short this book is– it’s about 130 pages– I found myself wishing for a touch more world-building here and there. I felt like I had to fill in a lot of blanks as a reader, which mostly worked okay, since I’ve read a lot of fantasy. It did make the story feel a little more generic, though, when based on the other elements, I think it could have been really unique.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed the relationships between the characters. I also appreciated that the book’s protagonist is a librarian. That is always fun!

If you’re looking for a quick fantasy read, especially one that centers on sibling relationships, check out THE LIBRARIAN’S RUSE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Though there aren’t a lot of character descriptions listed, the story references several different cultures and the path toward rebuilding trust between them.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to thieves and people having been murdered. Amelia fears imprisonment or execution when she and her brother impersonate someone.

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 THE LIBRARIAN’S RUSE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

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Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1)
Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Balzer + Bray
Published May 17, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Twin Crowns

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

My Review

Catherine Doyle’s Storm Keeper series is one of my favorite middle grade series ever, so when I saw that she was co-authoring this new YA series, I knew I had to check it out. Bonus: it’s about sisters! My favorite kind of story.

To start, I really liked the premise, and both Wren and Rose as characters. I felt like they were both pretty believable in the roles they’d grown up in. They were also different yet similar enough that I had no problem believing they were sisters.

I liked the pace of the story, too. At first it looks like Wren’s challenge will be keeping up the charade that she’s Princess Rose for thirty whole days. Then, when she realizes the kingsbreath’s true plan, the pressure reverses, so that it feels like she’s right up against a deadline with so much to do to stop her enemy and take the throne.

I only stumbled over a couple of things. One is the balance of romance to the quest for the crown. I think I expected the romance to be more of a subplot and to have the girls and their adventure be more centerstage. There were moments when I felt like the romance kind of overshadowed what was happening in a way that pulled me away from the rest of the story.

The politics also tripped me up a little bit. The story really builds up the strong prejudice against witches. They’re executed if found. People pray to the Protector if they think they’ve seen one. People worry they’ve been cursed if they have a string of bad circumstances. Those bad feelings seemed to unravel really easily, though. I found that hard to believe after the initial setup.

Honestly, all it meant for me was that I turned up my suspension of disbelief, because I really enjoyed the sisterhood and the magic and adventure elements that made up the rest of the story. I’m definitely going to continue on with this series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. Shen is from a desert kingdom. Celeste has brown skin. She and a couple other minor characters are queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Brief reference to sexual arousal. In one scene, a boy takes off his shirt and a girl loosens her dress as they make out.

Spiritual Content
Wren and other characters have the ability to perform magic and are called witches. Rose’s people worship the Great Protector, a historical figure they’re taught saved them from the witches. In her kingdom, witches are executed.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A boy battles a giant beetle. A girl tries to kill another by stealing her breath and using wind to shove her off a cliffside. A girl relives memories from a battle long ago and watches as witches are slain on the battlefield. References to the torture of witches. A man kills a woman by cutting her throat. A battle destroys a building and kills several people present. A leopard attacks a girl, severely wounding her.

Drug Content
Some characters drink alcohol until they’re drunk.

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

Review: This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson

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This Dark Descent
Kalyn Josephson
Roaring Brook Press
Published September 26, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This Dark Descent

THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US meets SIX OF CROWS in this spellbinding new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, and pulse-pounding action, where the eldest daughter of a renowned family on the verge of ruin joins forces with a mysterious, rogue enchanter and a handsome, ambitious heir to win a deadly race.

Mikira Rusel’s family has long been famous for breeding enchanted horses, but their prestige is no match for their rising debts. To save her ranch, Mikira has only one option: she must win the Illinir, a treacherous horserace whose riders either finish maimed or murdered. Yet each year, competitors return, tempted by its alluring prize money and unparalleled prestige.

Mikira’s mission soon unites her with Arielle Kadar, an impressive yet illicit enchanter just beginning to come into her true power, and Damien Adair, a dashing young lord in the midst of a fierce succession battle. Both have hidden reasons of their own to help Mikira — as well as their own blood feuds to avenge…

Steeped in Jewish folklore, THIS DARK DESCENT is a pulse-pounding new fantasy full of forbidden magic, sizzling romance, and epic stakes. In a world as dangerous as this, will the need for vengeance butcher Mikira’s chances of winning the Illinir … or will another rider’s dagger?

My Review

I definitely see the comparison from this book to SIX OF CROWS. Damian, the mysterious young nobleman, has that same calculating, cards close to the vest thing going that Kaz has in Bardugo’s duology. Unlike SIX OF CROWS, THIS DARK DESCENT follows only two points of view: Ariella and Mikira. I loved both of them pretty much right away. Ari is a self-taught enchanter, grasping for more of her own lost history and the magic of her people that’s since been forbidden. She teeters on the edge of an unnamed darkness as she pursues her magic, and I feel like I was on the edge of my seat, needing to know she would be okay.

Mikira is sparks and frenzy. She’s impulsive, fierce, and fiercely loyal. I wish we’d gotten a little more of her relationships with her sisters Nelda and Aileen. The scenes when she races are so intense. I couldn’t look away. Those moments and some of the behind-the-scenes politics reminded me a little bit of THE SCORPIO RACES.

This is a completely different story than that one, but it definitely has some similarities: strong, desperate heroine; powers that be trying to control the outcome of the race; unlikely alliances; and, of course, a high-stakes, highly dangerous race.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this book. It anchored me in its story world pretty quickly, giving me just the right amount of detail so that I felt oriented to what was going on but not bogged down in unnecessary trivia. The pacing kept me turning pages from one chapter to the next all the way until the end. There’s also a bit of romance. It doesn’t dominate the story, but I really enjoyed that, too. I also loved the references to Jewish folklore and the way faith and heritage or culture and the complex relationships they can be were celebrated in the story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Some characters are described as having tawny or brown skin. Inspired by Jewish folklore. Also– yay for Widget the cat-who-is-not-a-cat.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Mentions of attraction between same-sex couples. References to sex (happened off-scene).

Spiritual Content
Four Harbingers delivered magic to humans and are still revered and celebrated. Ari is Kinnish, but her family wasn’t devout. Now she longs to know more about the history, faith, and magic of her people, though it’s forbidden by the current rulers. Ari and another woman visit a temple. In intense moments, a couple of characters make reference to praying to gods or goddesses.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Two men attack Ari, intent on mugging her. A man puts on brass knuckles and prepares to beat two men who are restrained. Racers attack Mikira with weapons and magic. She and her horse fight back. A man tortures a young woman, trying to get information from her. A young woman tortures a man and kills him. A couple of scenes show knife or gun fights.

Drug Content
Characters drink wine and whiskey as part of social events. A character tells a story about getting accidentally drunk on whiskey once.

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 DARK DESCENT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Raven Throne by Stephanie Burgis

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

The Raven Throne (The Raven Crown #2)
Stephanie Burgis
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Published August 8, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Raven Throne

The unmissable sequel to The Raven Heir and conclusion to the epic middle-grade fantasy series perfect for fans of Abi Elphinstone and Piers Torday.

Cordelia has been crowned The Raven Queen. But with new power comes new danger.

Once their triplet Cordelia became The Raven Queen, Giles and Rosalind knew they would have to learn to behave at court. No more fighting for Rosalind and no more singing for Giles. What they didn’t foresee was having to foil a plot against their sister.

When Cordelia falls into an enchanted sleep and cannot be woken, Rosalind and Giles must quest across the kingdom to seek help from the ancient spirits of the land. But their family’s greatest enemies lurk at every turn, and it will take all of the triplets’ deepest strengths to fight against them.

A thrilling finale to the magical and mystical series.

My Review

I’m a huge fan of Stephanie Burgis’s middle grade novels (I know she has adult fiction, and I’ve bought a copy of one of her books, but I haven’t read it yet. It looks really fun, though!), and THE RAVEN HEIR, the first book in this duology was one of my favorite books from last year. So it was a pretty big no-brainer that this one was going to be on my reading list this year.

When I think about this book and the story it tells, the first word that comes to mind is “ambitious.” I feel like this was a hard story to tell because it’s got a lot of political intrigue and a pretty large cast of named characters, and there’s a lot of action to wrap up in a single less-than-300-page novel.

For the most part, I think it’s a success. I got chills as Ros and Giles confronted the forces they needed to in order to save the day (I’m getting chills again writing about it), and I cried when Cordy named her sister a knight. There were some really great moments like that throughout the book. I loved the theme of the messages people speak about us versus what we believe about ourselves. Powerful stuff.

That said, I did find the opening to be a little confusing because of the number of named characters participating. There are six family members plus various lords and ladies at court, attendants, and relatives. I had a hard time keeping those more minor characters straight, though as I got deeper into the story, it got easier.

Conclusion

THE RAVEN THRONE is the second book in The Raven Crown duology. If you haven’t read THE RAVEN HEIR, which is the first book, I recommend you start with that one before reading this one.

On the whole, I still enjoyed a lot of elements of this book. It’s one of the few about triplets that I’ve ever read, and the relationships between the siblings are still one of my favorite parts. I think fans of UNICORN QUEST by Kamilla Benko or THE FIREBIRD SONG by Arnée Flores should check out this duology.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Cordelia, the Raven Queen, has made a pact with the spirits of the land that she’ll listen to them and protect them. She and her triplets have magic abilities.

Violent Content
Situations of peril and brief moments leading up to battle. One scene describes a battle with nature. In one scene, a woman disappears into a crack in the ground. A man is surrounded by tree growth.

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 THE RAVEN THRONE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton

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

Sing Me to Sleep
Gabi Burton
Bloomsbury YA
Published June 27, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Sing Me to Sleep

In this dark and seductive YA fantasy debut, a siren must choose between protecting her family and following her heart in a prejudiced kingdom where her existence is illegal.

Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn’t struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren’t for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom’s brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they’re forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who’s plaguing the city. There’s only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy is perfect for fans of A SONG BELOW WATER and TO KILL A KINGDOM.

My Review

I have mixed feelings about siren stories. DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE QUEEN made me uncomfortable with its casual description of sexual assault by sirens. But I loved the way sirens were included in A SONG BELOW WATER. The opening scenes of SING ME TO SLEEP only made me more nervous because right away, it started with a description of a man touching Saoirse without her consent and then progressed to her using her ability to control him and force him to do things without his consent.

Once the story developed more, and I got to know Saoirse outside the context of her role as an assassin, especially as I got to see her relationships with Jeune and Hayes, I started to enjoy the story a lot more. I especially thought it was interesting when Saoirse began to want or need things that stood in opposition to what her siren nature wanted or needed her to do.

I think having a female character (as a siren) who can take back power in a sexual space is awesome. It does make me uncomfortable to have that happen in a way that ignores consent, though. I think I wish Saoirse had at least considered whether she was doing the same thing to the men who treated her so wrongly. There are some moments where she comes right up to the edge of considering it but then retreats to justifying herself.

On the whole, I think the strength of the book is in the relationships between characters and in Saoirse’s quest to protect her identity while figuring out who is trying to harm the people she loves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Most characters are described as having brown or dark brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Saoirse uses her siren abilities to excite lust in her victims and then controls them before killing them or forcing them to kill themselves. Sometimes before she begins using her abilities, they touch her without her consent. Sometimes she feels justified in killing them because they violated her this way.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Saoirse works as an assassin for an unnamed employer. In several scenes, she murders men her employer hires her to kill. A couple of scenes show sparring or battles. In one scene, an official executes a prisoner. In another scene, a man kills someone with a knife. Several people drown or nearly drown.

Drug Content
Some scenes show social drinking. Hayes takes two guards with him to a pub with the intent of getting drunk. Saoirse refuses to drink alcohol.

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 SING ME TO SLEEP in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

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Cursed Crowns (Twin Crowns #2)
Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Balzer + Bray
Published May 9, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Cursed Crowns

Bestselling authors and real-life sisters-in-law Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber join forces on a compelling YA fantasy bursting with high-stakes adventure, romance and humour. Two queens, one throne. What can possibly go wrong . . .?

Twin queens Wren and Rose have claimed their crowns . . . but not everyone is happy about witches sitting on Eana’s throne.

Cool-headed Rose sets off on a Royal Tour to win over the doubters, but soon finds herself drawn to the Sunless Kingdom. Here secrets are revealed about those closest to her, and Rose finds her loyalties divided.

Meanwhile rebellious Wren steals away to the icy north to rescue their beloved grandmother, Banba. But when she accepts King Alarik’s deadly magical bargain in exchange for Banba’s freedom, the spell has unexpected – and far-reaching – consequences . . .

As an ancient curse begins to arise from the darkness, the sisters must come together and unite the crown. Their lives – and the future of Eana – depend on it.

Break the ice to free the curse,
Kill one twin to save another . . .

My Review

I started this series because Catherine Doyle wrote one of my favorite middle grade series. In addition, it’s about two sisters– one of my favorite kinds of stories.

I like the pacing of CURSED CROWNS. Things happen quickly, and that kept me feeling like I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next, even long past time for me to go to bed. I also like the two sisters and their different personalities. Rose is so proper, but she uses that knowledge to wield respect and power, which is really cool. Wren has no patience for the long game of diplomacy. She acts impulsively, guided by her gut and her heart. I love that about her.

Though it’s a longer book– 499 pages– the writing is easy to read, and the chapters are pretty short. I read it pretty fast, and had a lot of fun reading it. The story doesn’t take itself overly seriously, either. Sometimes odd, even ridiculous things happen that kind of give a break from the stakes and intensity of the situation the queens find themselves in.

The first book, TWIN CROWNS introduces a romance for each sister. I felt like there was more emphasis on the romance in that book than I expected there to be. It left me wondering if the balance between the romance and the other plot elements was off.

I think CURSED CROWNS has a great balance between these two components, and it even introduces some complications to the romance that I’m really interested in following into the next book in the series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main characters are white. Shen and some other minor characters are described as having dark eyes and golden-brown skin and coming from a desert kingdom.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Some vague references to wanting more than kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some characters are witches and have the ability to perform magic. One character learns of a forbidden magic that is performed using blood, but it comes at a high cost.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes. A faction of people with deep anti-witch sentiment threaten Rose and her party. A group of animals try to attack Wren.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol. One character repeatedly pines for whiskey.

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 CURSED CROWN in exchange for my honest review.