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Review: The Unicorn Legacy: Tangled Magic by Kamilla Benko

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The Unicorn Legacy: Tangled Magic by Kamilla Benko

The Unicorn Legacy
Kamilla Benko
Bloomsbury
Published February 27, 2024

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About The Unicorn Legacy: Tangled Magic

From the creator of The Unicorn Quest series, a wondrous new series set in the magical land of Arden, full of unicorns and mystery!

Magic pulses bright in Arden, a world where humans who craft magic have been at war and separated for hundreds of years. Now a new era has dawned, the unicorns have returned, and the prime minister has decreed that apprentices from all four guilds will learn in the newly formed Unicorn Academy. But peace is tenuous: As rumors spread of dark magic and of unicorns disappearing, twelve-year-old apprentice Olivia Hayes is caught between her joy at newfound magical abilities at the academy and proving to everyone that her older sister, Laurel, is NOT a unicorn poacher. She and her friends must untangle the truth and the secrets of the past to spin a stronger future-or else the unicorns of Arden may be lost forever. This sweeping middle grade fantasy is about friendship, choice, and the ties that truly matter.

My Review

If you know me at all, you know I absolutely love sister books, and that includes the books in the previous series by Kamilla Benko, The Unicorn Quest. Getting to visit the land of Arden again (and even getting a quick cameo by a character from the other series!) was such a treat.

In this book, Olivia, who worries she has no magic at all, accepts an invitation to a special school for magic users of all kinds. Her older sister is a magical prodigy, having completed her training in record time, and Olivia feels even more left behind by the way her sister has changed in the face of her new success.

So many pieces of the story were placed opposite one another in the perfect way to create tension. Lots of times, I thought I knew what was going on, and then new information made me see things in a different way. I love when a well-constructed story does that.

The end of the book leaves no doubt this will be a series I closely follow. This book reminded me all over again why I loved Kamilla Benko’s writing and the sweet, complex sister relationships she explores in her stories. Fantasy fans looking for a magical school or unicorn story will not want to miss this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
One of Olivia’s friends is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Very brief mentions of adults in romantic relationships. One line mentions a man married to a man. A woman blows a kiss to another woman.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to use magic. Unicorns and other magical creatures exist.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A monster tries to eat a girl and injures someone. An earthquake destroys a building.

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 UNICORN LEGACY: TANGLED MAGIC 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: The Song of the Swan by Karah Sutton

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The Song of the Swan
Karah Sutton
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published October 24, 2023

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About The Song of the Swan

A magical retelling of Swan Lake, featuring a clever orphan, a castle filled with enchanted swans, and a quest to unearth the secrets of the past.

Olga is an orphan and a thief, relying on trickery and sleight of hand to make her way in the world. But it’s magic, not thievery, that could get her into trouble.

When Olga and her partner-in-crime Pavel learn of a valuable jewel kept in a secluded castle, Olga sees an opportunity to change their lives: a prize so big, they’d never have to steal again. But the castle is not as it seems, ruled by an enchanter who hosts grand balls every night, only for the guests to disappear each morning, replaced by swans. Guided by cryptic clues from the palace spiders, Olga soon realizes she’s in over her head—torn between a bargain with the enchanter, loyalty to Pavel, and determination to understand how the enchanted swans are linked to her own fate.

One thing is certain: there is dark magic behind the castle’s mysteries, and Olga will stop at nothing to unmask it.

My Review

The cover copy lists this book as a retelling of SWAN LAKE, and I definitely see some of the elements from the ballet in the story, but I’m not sure it would really be classified as a straight-up retelling. It had some elements, but other elements are absent or very changed.

The biggest change is probably that there’s no prince in this story, and it doesn’t center around a romance. There’s a minor romance plot, and the main character does impersonate the love interest at one point to trick the boy into thinking she doesn’t love him, but it happens really quickly and is a minor point in the story, rather than the big, critical moment that it is in the ballet.

The other big difference is the addition of the spiders and the heartstring magic. I really liked those parts. I felt like it added a whole new layer to the story. The story is also broken into parts. Each part begins with a short tale told by a spider that reveals some important parts of the history of the story world. I really liked the way that structure set the pace of the story. It felt like a really quick read because there were only a few chapters per part.

I also liked Olga, the main character, a lot. She’s flawed and scrappy. But she learns and grows so much. I guessed some of the relationship connections between characters before they were revealed, and I thought they were cleverly done.

All in all, I had a great time reading this book. I loved the fairytale feel of the narrative and Olga’s emotional journey. I think readers who enjoy fairytales will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white. Some characters are spiders. Readers with a strong aversion to spiders might struggle with some scenes that describe the way spiders move and in which spiders sometimes climb on other characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A boy and girl are in love.

Spiritual Content
Long ago, a spider gifted a piece of silk to a person, and it became their heartstring, a magical string that a person can pull magic from. Some characters have the ability to perform magic which can be used for good or evil.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. In one scene, a soldier shoots a swan with an arrow. In another, a soldier shoots a person with an arrow.

Drug Content
Brief mentions of party attendees drinking alcoholic drinks.

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 SONG OF THE SWAN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Between Monsters and Marvels by Alysa Wishingrad

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Between Monsters and Marvels
Alysa Wishingrad
HarperCollins
Published September 12, 2023

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About Monsters and Marvels

In the next standalone high-stakes middle-grade fantasy by Alysa Wishingrad, the author of the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection The Verdigris Pawn, a misunderstood young girl named Dare is shipped to the mainland from her tiny island and uncovers startling secrets behind her father’s death, the island itself, and the monsters that lend its lore.

Monsters are still lurking on Barrow’s Bay.

Dare Coates is sure of it. No drifter or ruffian could have killed her father, the Captain of the Guard, while he was on patrol. But everyone insists that monsters have been gone for years now. Dare’s mother. Her classmates. Even the governor, who swiftly marries her mother just months after her father’s death.
Dare’s suspicions grow even stronger when the governor suddenly ships her off to the mainland, away from any hope of uncovering the truth about her father’s death.

Or so she thinks. But when Dare finds solid proof that monsters still exist she starts to question everything she’s always known. Was her father who she thought he was? Who can she trust? Where is the line between good and evil?

The truth hides behind danger and deception.

But with the help of an unlikely crew of cohorts and a stray beastie, nothing can stop Dare from finding out what happened to her father and exposing who the real monsters are.

My Review

This is the first book by Alysa Wishingrad that I’ve read. I’d heard of THE VERDIGRIS PAWN, and I think it was one of those books that I kept seeing other reviewers talking about, but I haven’t read it yet. The themes in this story about truth and deception and puzzling out who to trust in an unpredictable world drew me straight into this book.

I loved the way Dare wrestles with distrust and loneliness. Sometimes her loneliness pushes her to be open with someone, even if it’s simply to keep the conversation going and keep her loneliness at bay a little longer. She quickly learns that not everyone who appears friendly actually is, and some have dark motives hidden under layers of lies.

I liked the way the fantasy world of Barrows Bay and City-on-the-Pike came together. It’s a world of monsters, secrets, and illusions. Every time Dare thinks she has things figured out, she peels back a new layer and has to reevaluate based on what’s underneath.

I found her loneliness to be really easy to connect with. She is odd and something of an outcast, and that’s captured so well in the story. Anyone who has ever felt excluded by peers or as though they’re out of place in their own family will be able to connect with Dare. That loneliness also makes it a real celebration when Dare forges true friendships and sees the fruit of those connections in the story.

All in all, this is one I want for my family library. It’s whimsical and fun but also packed with a lot of heart. It’s an authentic story of friendship.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white or white-passing.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Dare believes monsters with strange abilities still exist.

Violent Content
Reference to animal abuse (not shown on scene). Situations of peril. Some brief battle scenes. A brief description of Dare’s father’s death. She learns he was beheaded.

Drug Content
List.

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 BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: That’s Debatable

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

That’s Debatable
Jenn Doll
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published August 30, 2022

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About That’s Debatable

That’s Debatable is a witty, smart, and feminist romantic comedy, author Jen Doll explores what it means to set boundaries while breaking down barriers.

Millicent Chalmers isn’t here to make friends.

She’s here to win, and she’s on track to set a record if–no, when–she wins the state debate tournament for the fourth year in a row. Calm, cool, and always in control, Millie doesn’t care what anyone else thinks of her, least of all the sexist bullies bent on destroying her reputation.

Taggart Strong couldn’t care less about winning debate, much to the consternation of his teammates, school and parents. In fact, he might even enjoy losing, as long as the side he believes in wins.

But when a tournament takes a scary turn, Millie and Tag find themselves unexpectedly working together. Maybe Millie can teach Tag a thing or two about using his head, and Tag can teach Millie a little bit about following her heart.

My Review

I think the format of this book is going to be one of its underrated virtues. It’s got short chapters that alternate between Millie and Tag’s points of view. The book is divided into parts that begin with a famous quote and then a resolution statement. I liked the way both of those things set the stage for the chapters in that part of the book. Pretty clever, if you ask me!

I also liked both Tag and Millie’s characters. Tag is quirky and intense, but he’s guided by pretty easily understood beliefs, so he doesn’t have the chaos of a manic pixie dream boy type character, which I appreciated.

Millie is driven and smart. She picks her battles carefully, and her focus remains laser-sharp. I liked the dynamics between her and Tag– the way he challenged her to think about things differently not on purpose, but just kind of by being himself. And I liked that she was the one in the teacher/mentor role. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of books where even though there’s a feminist theme running through the story, if you look at the character roles, a boy still stands in the role as teacher or mentor. So I liked the way THAT’S DEBATABLE changed that up a bit!

The romance is sweet, and I loved the progression of their relationship and the way it impacted their relationships with other characters in the book. I loved that, and the way that those other relationships then played a role in how the story concluded.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. I think fans of rivals to lovers rom-com like THIS MAY END BADLY by Samantha Markum and THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU by Lily Anderson will love this one.

Content Notes for That’s Debatable

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
References to prayer and God.

Violent Content
Millie and Tag hide in a storage closet during what at first appears to be a shooting. They later learn that there was no shooter, just a motorcycle backfiring. A male judge makes inappropriate comments about Millie’s body and dress. Millie endures rumors about her sex life. Previously, one of her competitors shared nude images claiming they were of Millie and that he “let her win” because she sent him the photos. Someone posts a video of one of her competitions and dubs sound over it with sexual comments.

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 THAT’S DEBATABLE in exchange for my honest review.

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

Their Vicious Games
Joelle Wellington
Simon & Schuster
Published July 25, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Their Vicious Games

A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor .

You must work twice as hard to get half as much.

Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything.

And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.

But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her competition, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break…they’re life and death.

Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.

My Review

This book reads something like an upper-class LORD OF THE FLIES. At first, the girls committed to the game called the Finish believe it’s a week of puzzles and games. At the end, a powerful, well-connected, wealthy family grants the winner’s wish. Once the game begins, they learn they’ll be expected to play hard, sabotage one another, and even kill the other competitors.

At first, they seem reluctant. But as the game progresses and the stakes ratchet higher, it seems that Adina, who is determined to survive without killing anyone, maybe the only one unwilling to shed blood.

The pacing is quick, with challenges and social games often happening in back-to-back scenes. At times, the characters seemed a bit caricature-like. However, that exaggerated style lent itself well to the kind of twisted, psychologically on-edge story told here.

I liked Adina’s character and her determination to stay true to herself despite the chaos and danger around her. I also liked the way the romantic elements were handled in the book. If things had wrapped up neatly, I think it would have been unbelievable or too easy.

On the whole, I think readers looking for a dark, twisty game with a commentary on classism will find a lot to like in this book. Readers who enjoyed THE MARVELOUS by Claire Kann or TO BEST THE BOYS by Mary Weber will also want to check out THEIR VICIOUS GAMES.

Content Notes for Their Vicious Games

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Adina is Black. Her best friend is biracial. Another friend is Chinese and lives in Europe. Two minor characters (girls) are maybe in a secret relationship.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene, a boy and girl sleep in the same bed.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Several scenes show characters violently attacking one another. In one scene, a game of Simon Says turns torturous. The caller asks the players to slap each other and stab themselves with a fork.

Drug Content
Some characters (including Adina) drink alcohol. One character is rumored to drink too much and use recreational drugs. Adina finds a bag of weed on someone’s dresser.

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 THEIR VICIOUS GAMES 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.