Mini Book Review: The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White

Title: The Camelot Betrayal (Camelot Rising #2)
Author: Kiersten White
Publication Date: November 10, 2020
Publisher: Delacorte
Pages: 400
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Review for book 1

Everything is as it should be in Camelot. King Arthur is expanding his kingdom’s influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.

Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde, Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen’s knight, and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere–the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn’t belong. She never will.

When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere’s younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving–Camelot, or herself?

The Guinevere Deception was one of my favorite books of 2019 and I couldn't wait to dive into The Camelot Betrayal!

This installment was so much fun and I loved seeing the relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot develop more. I know that a lot of people are hoping for a Guinevere and Lancelot romance, but I love their friendship at the moment. My mind could certainly still be changed, but I'm firmly team Mordred at the moment.

I really enjoyed that there was a quest in this book, which expanded the world and showed us more of Guinevere away from Arthur. I also appreciated getting more of Guinevere's backstory and can't wait to find out even more about who she really is and what her purpose is.

Although I loved this book, I did find myself enjoying it a bit less than the first one. It was a quicker read, but I loved the mystery of The Guinevere Deception a bit more. I was hoping for a bit more development with the main story, but the side quest was still a lot of fun. I will definitely be preordering the third one!  

Book Review: Recipe For Persuasion by Sonali Dev

Title: Recipe For Persuasion
Author: Sonali Dev
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pages: 464
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Chef Ashna Raje desperately needs a new strategy. How else can she save her beloved restaurant and prove to her estranged, overachieving mother that she isn’t a complete screw up? When she’s asked to join the cast of Cooking with the Stars, the latest hit reality show teaming chefs with celebrities, it seems like just the leap of faith she needs to put her restaurant back on the map. She’s a chef, what’s the worst that could happen? 

Rico Silva, that’s what.  

Being paired with a celebrity who was her first love, the man who ghosted her at the worst possible time in her life, only proves what Ashna has always believed: leaps of faith are a recipe for disaster. 

FIFA winning soccer star Rico Silva isn't too happy to be paired up with Ashna either. Losing Ashna years ago almost destroyed him. The only silver lining to this bizarre situation is that he can finally prove to Ashna that he's definitely over her. 

But when their catastrophic first meeting goes viral, social media becomes obsessed with their chemistry. The competition on the show is fierce…and so is the simmering desire between Ashna and Rico.  Every minute they spend together rekindles feelings that pull them toward their disastrous past. Will letting go again be another recipe for heartbreak—or a recipe for persuasion…? 

In Recipe for Persuasion, Sonali Dev once again takes readers on an unforgettable adventure in this fresh, fun, and enchanting romantic comedy.

I just finished Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev and I LOVED it! Part of Dev’s Raje series from her twist on Jane Austen novels, this book takes us through Ashna Raje’s life. I don’t like to have spoilers in my reviews so I won’t add any. However, I will say that the description of this book on Goodreads is misleading. This was not the lighthearted, romantic comedy I was expecting. This book explored some very hard and serious themes and that made me like it all the better.

Personally, I hated Ashna. She was childish, impulsive, and had A LOT of issues. She also lacked basic communication skills. I found myself wanting to rip my hair out sometimes because of her behavior. And yet, this was still a five star read for me. The story of Ashna’s mother, Shobi, was the star of this book for me. Shobi was a strong, powerful, and amazing woman and her story was impactful. Being an American woman, it can be hard to sometimes remember that women in other countries have it much harder than the women in my country ever will. I’ve found myself going down the rabbit hole on Google doing research on India and how women are treated there and if it hadn’t been for this book, I may not have ever researched it. In both Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors and Recipe for Persuasion, Dev intertwined important current events into her story, such as American healthcare issues and American immigration. Combined with Shobi’s entertaining and strong feminist backstory, I couldn’t put Recipe for Persuasion down.

I’ve never read Persuasion by Jane Austen so I can’t compare Dev’s twist to the original story. In July 2021, Incense and Sensibility, based off of Sense and Sensibility, will be released and it’s about Yash Raje and his run for governor in California. I just received Incense and Sensibility through NetGalley. If Yash’s story goes the way I think it will, I can’t wait to read it and write my review for it!

ARC Review: Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Title: Into the Heartless Wood
Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 368
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Epic, heartbreaking, and darkly atmospheric, Into the Heartless Wood is the story of impossible love between a monstrous tree siren and a boy who lives at the edge of her wood.

The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths. For centuries, a witch has harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow her domain.

When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch’s wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens. But a shift in the stars foretells a dangerous curse, and Seren’s quest to become human will lead them into an ancient war raging between the witch and the king who is trying to stop her.

Into the Heartless Wood is the fourth book by Joanna Ruth Meyer I have read and it has cemented her place on my all time favorite authors shelf. I did not realize going into it that this story was a bit of a genderbent Beauty and the Beast, but the connection is obvious after reading the author's note and it makes it even more perfect. To be frank, I will eagerly read anything this author writes.

This book begins with Owen, a boy who lives on the edge of a dangerous wood where no one else will venture. He loves his mother's music and his father's stars. Owen's father is the king's astrologist, which necessitates their living arrangements. His mother was lost to the witch's wood years before, led to her death by one of the witch's vicious tree sirens. Owen has never risked coming to the same fate until he comes face to face with one siren who is nothing like he expects.

Everything about this book was perfect. I loved Owen and Seren. Their relationship was incredible and heartbreaking and lovely. Joanna Ruth Meyer always layers her stories with so much atmosphere and emotion, and twists and turns, of course. Her books always follow a formula that I've come to anticipate and love. They begin with a story that seemingly wraps up about halfway through the book, but it always leads to something much more grand and unexpected. I love the scale and heart each of her books has.

This book was a bit darker than the author's others, but that's exactly what I expected from a story about brutal tree sirens and a dark wood witch. There is violence and death and blood, but also love and hope. The writing is lyrical and reminiscent of a fairy tale, albeit a very dark one.

I do not believe Joanna's books are for everyone, but they are tailor made for me and I cannot wait to see what she writes next. If you're looking for an atmospheric, lyrical, dark fairy tale with forbidden friendships and magic, do not miss this book! 

ARC Review: Bright Raven Skies by Kristina Pérez

Title: Bright Raven Skies (Sweet Black Waves #3)
Author: Kristina Pérez
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
Publisher: Imprint
Pages: 464
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Reviews for book 1 & book 2

To save the kingdom, Branwen embraced the darkest aspects of her magic. But she may have lost herself––and the two people she loves most.

Tristan and Eseult are missing. As Branwen searches for them, she must hide the truth surrounding their disappearance from both the king and her lover. Above all, she must find the Queen and her Champion first.

New and old enemies circle Branwen, clamoring for power and revenge, and threatening to destroy the fragile peace that she has sacrificed everything to secure. 

Sweet Black Waves and Wild Savage Stars are two of my favorite YA fantasy books of all time. Both were incredible reads for me, full of magic, romance, and heartbreak. I was very impatient to read Bright Raven Skies so I could find out the ending to Branwen's story and was SO grateful when I had the chance to read it early!

Bright Raven Skies picks up immediately after Wild Savage Stars, with Eseult and Tristan missing, and Branwen angry at them both. Despite her part in their betrayal, Branwen is unable to forgive. Still, she owes it to her aunt to keep Eseult and the alliance between the kingdoms in tact and, as usual, puts others above herself. Usually I get fed up with characters who constantly self-sacrifice, but my love for Branwen is undying. Her love for her family and country is hard not to root for and I read this wanting nothing more than a happy ending for her after so much heartbreak.

There was a lot to wrap up in this trilogy and I think Bright Raven Skies did a good job of it, although there were things I would have liked to end differently. Knowing the original tale of Tristan and Eseult, I knew some of what to expect, but this still managed to fall a little short. My main issue was that a lot of the book was overly drawn out. The political aspects of the story overtook the relationships and the plot went to several places I didn't care much about. There was an entire side plot that seemed to come out of nowhere and took up a huge chunk of the story.

Despite all that, I still enjoyed this finale! I loved the relationship between Branwen and Eseult and even found myself loving Tristan again by the end. There was so much done right about this trilogy, I just wish the final installment had packed a bit more punch. If you like tragic love stories and want a YA fantasy that's a little different, I still definitely recommend giving this series a try!

Book Review: Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Title: Echo North
Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer
Publication Date: January 15, 2019
Publisher: Page Street Publishing Co.
Pages: 389
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Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.

In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.

 Echo North has been on my shelf for awhile but I was always a bit scared to read it because it sounded TOO good. I didn't want all my expectations to be crushed because this book sounded seriously up my alley. I finally decided to give it a try and I am happy to say it fully lived up to everything expectation I had!

My only familiarity with East of the Sun and West of the Moon before Echo North was my brief interaction with East, a book I did not have much luck with. Because of that, the beginning of this book felt somewhat familiar but I was very excited to see where this author would take the story and how she would bring her own magic to it.

As a child, Echo had a dangerous brush with a wolf who left her scarred. Because of her appearance, the entire town treats her badly. Echo's father sets off for the city, leaving her with a new, horrible stepmother who hates her more than anyone. When Echo decides to find him, she instead comes face to face with the wolf again and ends up joining him in his enchanted house, where she'll live with him for one full year.

Yes, there are rules, but while she's stuck in his ever-changing house, she also has access to a magical library full of storybook mirrors. In the mirrors she meets others who can also walk their pages and they help Echo in her quest to understand the wolf and his strange house.

I'm not sure what I can say about this book other than I loved it! I loved Echo, even though her curiosity frustrated me. I loved the wolf even though I hated how evasive he had to be and I loved Hal! The mirrors were so unique and magical and the house itself was essentially another character in itself. I loved the magic of Echo's world and was constantly hoping to learn more. I sincerely hope the author writes more stories set in this world!

This retelling has everything I look for: fantasy, romance, mystery, and magic. Even though I had a good idea of how it would end, I loved every minute of the journey and can definitely see Echo North being a book I read more than once. If you're a lover of retellings, please don't wait another day before you give this a read!

DNF Review: The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Title: The Deathless Girls
Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Publication Date: September 19, 2019
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Pages: 304
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They say the thirst of blood is like a madness - they must sate it. Even with their own kin.

On the eve of her divining, the day she'll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community.

Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn't understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts.

They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate...

The Deathless Girls caught my eye with its gorgeous cover and wonderfully gothic synopsis. I've only read a couple Dracula retellings and I was SUPER excited to get my hands on this one. I traded literally five books to get the Waterstones exclusive edition with the beautiful sprayed edges and jumped right in as soon as it arrived.

Lil is the main character of this story. She and her sister are Romani travelers, enslaved and forced to work for the cruel Boyar. Lil and Kizzy were fine but halfway into this book I found I wasn't really connected to either of them. Kizzy was the superior sister in my opinion, fighting at every turn, while Lil just kind of went along with her fate. There was a bit of an instalove romance between Lil and one of the other girls who literally start falling for each other without speaking.

There's actually just not a lot going on in this book. I made it to the fifty percent park before giving up and the Dragon had yet to make an appearance. Supposedly this is a story about the brides of Dracula, but I never made it that far. There were no vampires, although I suspect there must be later in the book, but by a hundred and fifty pages in I was bored to death of these girls gutting fish and Lil making heart eyes at someone she'd never spoken to.

I wanted to love this book so much but nothing EVER happened! At the very least I expected an atmosphere that would sweep me to another world, but I never saw that at all. The only locations explored were a few minutes in the sisters' camp and a kitchen. I may come back to this eventually to see how it plays out, but right now I'm just disappointed.

ARC Review: The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

Title: The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1)
Author: Kiersten White
Publication Date: November 5, 2019
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 352
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There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom's borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution--send in Guinevere to be Arthur's wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king's idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere's real name--and her true identity--is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old--including Arthur's own family--demand things continue as they have been, and the new--those drawn by the dream of Camelot--fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur's knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

As you may know if you have visited my blog in the past, I am obsessed with the And I Darken series by Kiersten White! When I saw she was writing a book based on the King Arthur legends I knew I had to have a copy! I didn't know much about this book going into it and I never could have prepared for what I got.

This story begins as Princess Guinevere is entering Camelot for the first time, only she isn't Guinevere at all. She has been placed in Camelot by Merlin to protect Arthur and his people, but from what she doesn't know. I loved Guinevere so much! If you're in search of a strong, empowered female lead, look no further! Much of the book is spent following her around as she navigates Camelot while having no idea how to be a princess, and trying to keep her magic under wraps while also keeping Arthur safe.

Speaking of Arthur, I really enjoyed him too, but he actually had a much smaller part in The Guinevere Deception than I expected. There was a bit of romance, but it certainly didn't overtake the plot. Lancelot was another character who I absolutely adored despite the fact that they were nothing like I expected! I loved how Kiersten White was able to take such familiar characters from a tale most of us already know and make them unique and exciting, as she did with the rest of this incredible book.

Like I said, a lot of The Guinevere Deception is focused on court life and Guinevere trying to keep her magic hidden, but there is still plenty of magic and mystery. I loved seeing Camelot through a new lens and the surrounding lore was fascinating. The Lady of the Lake was probably one of my favorite parts of the story. The mystery of who or what the threat to Camelot was also kept me guessing until the very last second. This might be the first time I've actually sat up in bed and audibly gasped at a twist.

If you're a fan of Arthurian legends or Kiersten White's other retellings, you'll definitely want to give this one a try. I cannot wait for the next book in this series! I have so many questions that I'm dying to know the answers to!

Audiobook Review: Lost Girl by Chanda Hahn

Title: Lost Girl
Author: Chanda Hahn
Publication Date: December 13, 2016
Publisher: Chanda Hahn
Pages: 328
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Wendy doesn't remember anything about Neverland—or the experiments done on her there as a child. Seven years later, all she wants is a normal life, but shape-shifting shadows plague her dreams and turn her life into a waking nightmare. When the shadows attack at a football game and a boy disappears right in front of her, she realizes these wraith-like shadows are real. They’re not just haunting—they’re hunting.

A mysterious boy named Peter, his foul-mouthed sidekick, and a band of misfit boys intervene before Wendy faces a similar fate. But can they trust Wendy enough to take her to Neverwood Academy and reveal all of their hidden secrets when she's hiding a secret of her own, or will the dreaded Red Skulls find her and drag her back to Neverland?

Lost Girl has been on my to-read list for years! I am a huge fan of Peter Pan retellings. Some of my favorite books are Pan retellings, in fact. I was so open to reading a new take on the story that I jumped at the chance when the audiobook popped up on my library app!

Wendy has been to Neverland and back and has been adopted by a loving family. She's plagued with nightmares and haunted by shadows and runs away when her parents try to send her to an inpatient clinic. Again. She ends up with the Lost Boys, trying to figure out if she belongs with them at all.

There are a lot of things I didn't love about Lost Girl, the first of which is that it really is not a Peter Pan retelling at all. This is a science fiction novel about a lab that experiments on children and what happens after they escape with characters named Peter, Wendy, Tink, etc. There are lots of nods to Peter Pan. For example, Peter plays Monopoly with the thimble piece, the kids have a "kiss" brand on their necks, and some of them have an ability called "Panning." But this isn't a retelling of Peter Pan in any way, shape, or form. It is a fun story, but I feel that calling it a Pan retelling is misleading.

My second issue is that, when a book is set in the real world as this one is, it needs to follow real world rules. Early on Wendy runs away from home rather than be sent to a clinic. She proceeds to live in a park and then get a job. She even uses the phone at her workplace to call home and her mom picks up. I don't know what universe they live in that a seventeen year old couldn't be found in this scenario.

This story was fine even if it wasn't perfect. If I'd gone into it planning to read an X-Men style sci-fi, I probably would have really enjoyed it! I'd definitely still recommend this if that's what you're looking for. But I went into this expecting a Peter Pan retelling and came out pretty disappointed.

Audiobook Review: A Dance of Silver and Shadow by Melanie Cellier

Title: A Dance of Silver and Shadow (Beyond the Four Kingdoms #1)
Author: Melanie Cellier
Publication Date: September 4, 2017
Publisher: Luminant Publications
Pages: 346
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When Princess Liliana and her twin sister set sail for new lands, Lily hopes to find adventure and romance. But the people of Marin live under the shadow of a curse—one powerful enough to destroy entire kingdoms. To protect them all, Lily and eleven other princesses are forced to participate in a mysterious and secret tournament.

Lily spends her nights competing in a magical underground realm and her days unraveling the dangers of this new court. Although she needs the help of the Marinese prince, Lily knows she can't let herself grow too close to him. There's no time for romance when the duchy is about to fall to the encroaching darkness and the winner of the tournament faces a terrible fate.

But Lily and her twin have a secret advantage. And Lily grows increasingly determined to use their magical bond to defeat the tournament, save the princesses, and free Marin. Except she might have to sacrifice true love to do it.

In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, there's a lot more at stake than worn out dancing slippers. 

I find it amusing that I had never read a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses prior to this year and now I have read two. Thankfully, both were very different and A Dance of Silver and Shadow was wholly unique and I enjoyed it so much!

Princess Lily and her twin have sailed to Marin in hopes of forging alliances with other kingdoms and just happen to arrive on the day that a magical tournament is set to begin - a tournament that will end with the winner being married to a prince of a cursed kingdom. There's no way around competing, but they do have an advantage over the other girls. While no talking is allowed during their tasks, Lily and her sister Sophie are able to communicate telepathically. They make it their mission to protect the other girls from the horrors of the tournament as well as the prize.

I loved the bond between Lily and Sophie and the way they were both so determined to protect the other. Aside from the sisters, there was also a lot of emphasis put on the relationships between all the other girls. Obviously they didn't all get along wonderfully, but I always enjoy women empowering and looking out for each other and this book definitely had that.

Of course, this wouldn't be a proper fairy tale without romance and the romance in this book is adorable. While the tournament is going on, Lily continually fights her growing feelings for the prince of Marin. I loved their relationship! It was so cute and, in a shocking twist, I even liked the drama brought on by their miscommunications.

But the real MVP of this story is the setting and the twist on the tournament. The challenges take place in a magical underground world that was absolutely breathtaking. I adore underground settings and this one was both beautiful and chilling. I enjoyed the entire book, but I was living for any scene in which the girls would go back to the magical world under the castle. The tasks the girls had to complete were also fascinating and definitely not what I expected.

A Dance of Silver and Shadow is a very unique take on this classic tale with a lot going for it! I loved the relationships between the girls as well as the romance, and the world the author created was incredible! Keep in mind, this is a new series but set in a universe established in a previous series. I didn't read that one and don't feel like I missed out on much, but you may want to start with The Four Kingdoms series. Either way, if you're a lover of retellings, you can't go wrong with this book!

ARC Review: Wild Savage Stars by Kristina Pérez

Title: Wild Savage Stars (Sweet Black Waves #2)
Author: Kristina Pérez
Publication Date: August 27, 2019
Publisher: Imprint
Pages: 384
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//I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review//

Inspired by the legend of Tristan and Iseult, Wild Savage Stars is the spellbinding sequel to Sweet Black Waves.

Branwen has a secret powerful enough to destroy two kingdoms.

Her ancient magic led to a terrible betrayal by both her best friend, the princess Essy, and her first love, Tristan. Now this same magic is changing Branwen. Adrift in a rival court, Branwen must hide the truth from the enemy king by protecting the lovers who broke her heart―and finds herself considering a darker path.

Not everyone wants the alliance with Branwen’s kingdom to succeed―peace is balanced on a knife’s edge, and her only chance may be to embrace the darkness within…

Last year I read Sweet Black Waves and was immediately pulled into the amazing world Kristina Pérez created. The retelling of Tristan and Iseult was unique and heartbreaking and I could not wait to dive back in, so of course I was thrilled when I received an early copy of Wild Savage Stars!

This story picks up immediately after Sweet Black Waves leaves off, with Branwen, Tristan, and Essy arriving in an enemy kingdom. Everything and everyone is a mess after the shocking ending of the first book and Branwen, despite knowing her role in Tristan and Essy's betrayal, cannot bring herself to move on.

I loved all most of the characters so much in the first book and was so utterly surprised when Essy and Tristan betrayed Branwen that this book was extra hard to read. I hated seeing Branwen at odds with both her cousin and Tristan, but I could completely understand why she felt the way that she did. Her desperation and pain was tangible throughout the book and I was rooting for her so hard to find a solution! I did find that, while I also sympathized with Tristan, I did not love him this time around (but maybe that's to be expected).

A new character, Ruan, is also introduced in this book. I had a lot of reservations about him at first, but really came to love him. It does create a bit of a love triangle situation, but it's one that absolutely works and I am here for it. King Marc was also a surprisingly great character!

Wild Savage Stars is full of political intrigue in addition to the fantasy and romance elements and I loved it! Politics can be hit or miss for me, but Kristina Pérez did a wonderful job of keeping my attention. I was constantly on the edge of my seat trying to guess what Branwen would do or what solutions she would come up with. She's the real queen here!

The ending of this book absolutely broke my soul! I don't know how I'm expected to make it another year until book three, but I guess I'll find a way. I can't say much more without spoilers, but if you enjoyed Sweet Black Waves you'll definitely want to get your hands on Wild Savage Stars immediately!

ARC Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Title: House of Salt and Sorrows
Author: Erin A. Craig
Publication Date: August 6, 2019
Publisher: Delacorte
Pages: 416
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In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

My absolute favorite kind of book to read is a weird, spooky fantasy retelling and let me tell you, this book was right up my alley! I really didn't know much about the fairytale this book is based on, but the cover and description immediately caught my attention.

Annaleigh's family has terrible luck. In fact, many people believe their family is cursed by the gods. Her mother died years ago followed by four of her older sisters who have died one by one and left her family in a state of perpetual mourning. After the latest tragic death, Annaleigh worries that they haven't been as accidental as previously believed and decides to take matters into her own hands.

I. Loved. Annaleigh. It isn't often that I find a main character that I absolutely adore, but Annaleigh is amazing! She is smart and brave and resilient and loves her sisters with a passion. Speaking of her sisters, there are a ton of them. Eight sisters is a lot to keep up with and I will definitely admit that I still couldn't name more than a few of them, even after finishing the book, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

This wouldn't be a good YA retelling without a fantastic romance! At first there is a hint of a love triangle between Annaleigh, her childhood friend, and a boy she meets in town, but thankfully it is quickly resolved. And it's a good thing because the romance is so wonderfully swoon-worthy, I couldn't get enough! There was a moment when I thought that things had happened a bit too quickly, but when I realized how much time had passed in the story, I quickly changed my tune. Everything about the romance is perfect and I would love more of these characters!

Of course, this story is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, so there has to be dancing and there is a ton of it. House of Salt and Sorrows has no shortage of magic and gods, ball gowns and dancing, but Erin A. Craig has put a whole new creepy spin on it and I loved it! The villain is not who you'd guess and the reveals are incredibly well written. This book will seriously have you second guessing everything you've read by the end. There are so many twists and turns I'm surprised I didn't end up with whiplash!

And speaking of creepiness, let's talk about the atmosphere! This author knows how to take a reader and plant them right in the middle of a new world. I felt like I could see the cliffs and feel the salt on my skin while reading this book. The world was so easy to picture, I felt like I could see myself in it without even trying. I cannot wait to see what beautiful, gothic world Emily A. Craig comes up with next!

In case it wasn't obvious, this was an amazing read! I was so invested in this mystery and the characters I couldn't put this book down. House of Salt and Sorrows is a unique, spooky YA retelling that I can see myself reading multiple times. If you're a fan of dark fantasy or retellings, definitely give this a try!

Book Review: The Cold is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale

Title: The Cold is in Her Bones
Author: Peternelle van Arsdale
Publication Date: January 22, 2019
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 288
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One girl must uncover secrets of the past to save her friend from a terrible curse in this dark and mesmerizing story of love, revenge, and redemption inspired by the myth of Medusa.

Milla knows two things to be true: Demons are real, and fear will keep her safe.

Milla's whole world is her family's farm. She is never allowed to travel to the village and her only friend is her beloved older brother, Niklas. When a bright-eyed girl named Iris comes to stay, Milla hopes her loneliness might finally be coming to an end. But Iris has a secret she's forbidden to share: The village is cursed by a demon who possesses girls at random, and the townspeople live in terror of who it will come for next.

Now, it seems, the demon has come for Iris. When Iris is captured and imprisoned with other possessed girls, Milla leaves home to rescue her and break the curse forever. Her only company on the journey is a terrible new secret of her own: Milla is changing, too, and may soon be a demon herself.

The Cold Is in Her Bones is a novel about the dark, reverberating power of pain, the yearning to be seen and understood, and the fragile optimism of love.

Last year I read The Beast is an Animal and found it to be an incredibly unique and refreshing take on YA fantasy retellings. It was a little bit weird and pretty dark and definitely should NOT be on a "romantic Beauty and the Beast retellings" display, although I saw it on far too many. When I saw that this author was writing a new book I knew that I had to get it!

This time around the story retold is Medusa, although I'll admit I didn't realize that until way too late in the book. Although there were snakes in Milla's hair in the book and on the cover, it never occurred to me that this was a retelling - it's just that unique. Milla is a girl who doesn't fit into the life laid out for her. Her family sees her as rebellious and odd and beg her to just fit into the mold to save herself from the curse that has plagued the nearby village, a curse that takes daughters and possesses them.

Milla is such a wonderful character! Although she did try very hard to stay within the boundaries set for her, she just couldn't be kept there and I loved her strength and resilience. Things are pushed over the edge when Iris comes to stay with Milla's neighbors and ends up being taken by the demon. Milla goes after her and the journey and revelations are dark and creepy and amazing.

The relationships in The Cold is in Her Bones were really well written, mostly friendships between girls and girls looking up to girls and girls saving girls! There aren't nearly enough really great female friendships in YA literature, at least not in fantasy, so I really appreciated this aspect. I also really loved the moral of the story! Again, not something super common (or at least not super blatant) in YA fantasy, but I enjoyed the way it was written. The Medusa character, Hulda, was fascinating and complex. Even the characters I hated were wonderful. I loved everything!

It's really hard for me to review this book because a lot of what makes it so great is the atmosphere created by Peternelle van Arsdale. She has a style of writing that makes you feel as if you've been placed right in the middle of a dangerous, dark folktale. I loved the feeling of this book and was eager to jump back into it every night that I was reading it. The story grabbed me from the very first line of the prologue and when it was over I didn't want to leave. I will admit that there were times when things just meandered along, but I felt that it added to the atmosphere so I didn't mind it.

The Cold is in Her Bones is a book for people who don't mind stories that are a little weird and dark (and especially for people who love them). Again, this author has given us a very unique and atmospheric retelling of a classic that I absolutely devoured. She has most definitely found her way onto my favorites shelf!

ARC Review: Last of Her Name by Jessica Khoury

Title: Last of Her Name
Author: Jessica Khoury
Publication Date: February 26, 2019
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 400
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Sixteen years ago, rebellion swept the galaxy known as the Belt of Jewels. Every member of the royal family was murdered--down to their youngest child, Princess Anya--and the Union government rose in its place. But Stacia doesn't think much about politics. She spends her days half-wild, rambling her father's vineyard with her closest friends, Clio and Pol.

That all changes the day a Union ship appears in town, carrying the leader of the Belt himself, the Direktor Eminent. The Direktor claims that Princess Anya is alive, and that Stacia's sleepy village is a den of empire loyalists, intent on hiding her. When Stacia is identified as the lost princess, her provincial home explodes into a nightmare.

Pol smuggles her away to a hidden escape ship in the chaos, leaving Clio in the hands of the Union. With everything she knows threading away into stars, Stacia sets her heart on a single mission. She will find and rescue Clio, even with the whole galaxy on her trail. 

Last of Her Name is a YA science fiction retelling of Anastasia and is so far up my alley that I HAD to get my hands on it! Luckily I did and I dived in as soon as I possibly could. This was my first ever Anastasia retelling, although there do seem to be a lot of them being published lately. I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but I can definitely say it surprised me.

Stacia has lived in a small town on a small planet for her entire life with her parents and best friends Clio and Pol. Stacia loves spaceships and she's good at fixing them. When she and her friends spot a particularly impressive ship coming toward their town, they run at the chance to see it, but quickly find themselves in a very dangerous situation. This leads to Stacia finding out she's really Anya, the princess, which prompts her and Pol to go on the run. That's when things get really wild.

This book is non-stop action from the first chapter and, for maybe the first time, I don't think that's always a great thing. Last of Her Name is just a lot. There's a lot of world building, a lot of characters, and a lot of information thrown into a relatively short book. I'm not usually one for dragging things out, but I truly believe this could have worked better as a duology. Despite there being SO much going on, there's never much time to process, to get to know new characters or situations. Because of that, I never really felt able to fully connect with much in the story. New characters would be introduced and we're immediately expected to care about what happens to them without knowing them at all.

When it comes to characters, they were fine, for the most part. Stacia was fine. She was a pretty typical YA heroine who learned the truth about her past and was forced to deal with it. I did enjoy her growth as she came to accept her true nature. Pol, the Dimitri character in this retelling, was just... not it. I can't really put into words what I didn't like about him, but the romance didn't work for me. Probably my favorite part of this book was Riyan, a character who's introduced fairly early on and becomes a huge part of the plot. His abilities and the world he's from were so fascinating to me! He reminded me a bit of Spock, who I also love. Honestly, I'd read a book all about him and his sister.

As with Riyan's world, the rest of the world building was really fascinating! There were multiple unique planets and systems, and the prisms that powered the technology were a really interesting concept. That did get a little too weird for me as the book went on, but I can't say much more about it without spoilers. I thought the struggle between the Union and the Resistance was interesting, although the Big Bad was a little too over the top in his motivations.

Overall, this book was just okay. I expected a really fun sci-fi retelling and, while I did get it, it was just too much in too little space. I think I'd have loved this story a lot more if there had been more time to get to know the world and the people in it.

DNF Mini Review: East by Edith Pattou

Title: East (East #1) 
Author: Edith Pattou
Publication Date: September 1, 2003
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pages: 507
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Rose has always been different.

Since the day she was born, it was clear she had a special fate. Her superstitious mother keeps the unusual circumstances of Rose's birth a secret, hoping to prevent her adventurous daughter from leaving home... but she can't suppress Rose's true nature forever.

So when an enormous white bear shows up one cold autumn evening and asks teenage Rose to come away with it--in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family--she readily agrees.

Rose travels on the bear's broad back to a distant and empty castle, where she is nightly joined by a mysterious stranger. In discovering his identity, she loses her heart-- and finds her purpose--and realizes her journey has only just begun.

East only came to my attention last year when people started actively searching for ARCs of West by the same author. I'd never heard of this book, despite my love of retellings, and new I had to read it as soon as possible for the retellings challenge I'm hosting this year!

This is a retelling of East of the Sun West of the Moon, a fairy tale I'd honestly never heard of before even though (I guess??) I've read a few retellings already. Rose is the main character, born to a large family and a very superstitious mother. One day she leaves with a white bear to help her family and then her adventure begins.

I... didn't care for Rose. This book is written with a definite fairy tale flair, but it ended up making me feel extremely detached from the characters. The author also chose to use multiple viewpoints, so there were multiple characters I couldn't care less for and I never really felt like I knew any of them. The white bear was very strange, along with all the other characters in his home. One plot point involving a strange person sleeping in Rose's bed without her consent was just creepy.

East also happens to be incredibly long, much longer than it has any need to be. There was a lot of walking and talking and swimming and eating and sleeping and I was just so bored. The author does a lot of showing rather than telling, which made me feel like I couldn't truly see or appreciate the world that should definitely have been magical.

I toughed it out for 250 pages, which is probably about how long this book should have been. It seemed that if, after 250 pages I couldn't care less if the characters died, it was time to give up and move onto something else. I wanted to enjoy this retelling so much, but it just wasn't for me.

ARC Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publication Date: January 29, 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Pages: 496
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Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a Beauty and the Beast retelling in a bookish world crammed full of Beauty and the Beast retellings. I was a little hesitant, despite my love of both this fairytale as my favorite and retellings as a genre, but I decided to give it a try when I saw a few people talk about its unique take.

Our Belle in this retelling is Harper, a girl from DC whose family doesn't have it easy - from loan sharks, to her mom's terminal cancer, to Harper's cerebral palsy, she has faced a lot and has been made stronger because of it. When she's kidnapped from the streets of DC and whisked away into an enchanted castle in a fantasy world called Emberfall, ruled by a cursed prince, Harper finds herself questioning where her loyalties lie.

I loved Harper! For me as a reader, there is a fine line between a character being strong and being annoying. I'm glad to say that Harper was on the side of the line that I love to root for! She was tough and inspiring and, although I sometimes found myself frustrated with her hesitation, it was understandable and I never found myself disliking her. I liked that this book showed Harper's cerebral palsy as a part of her and not her defining trait.

Rhen is the cursed prince, and the curse is a bit different in this story than in others you've read. This curse turns Rhen into a beast once per season, while he remains his normal princely self the rest of the time. I wasn't quite sure about him at the beginning, but he grew on me throughout the book and I found myself loving him halfway through. It's always interesting to see how authors try to justify their Beast character kidnapping women to make them break the curse. In some, like Hunted by Meagan Spooner, it just comes off as creepy and not at all romantic. In A Curse So Dark and Lonely, though, Rhen and his curse is written in a way that makes his actions, while not completely morally white, at least understandable and his choices are presented as the lesser evil, the best thing he can do for his people. I loved him and I loved the slow burn romance.

Of course, I have to mention Grey, the Captain of the Royal Guard, and an absolutely fantastic character. He is loyal to a fault and is a wonderfully complex character who I couldn't get enough of. I loved his dynamic with Harper and the little glimpses we got to see of him outside of his strict military persona. I also enjoyed the other female characters, Freya and Zo, and their very different friendships with Harper.

As I've said, this is a very unique take on Beauty and the Beast. It was interesting to see Harper struggle with knowing her family needed her back home, while the people of Emberfall needed her there. I thought that Emberfall was well written and I enjoyed that we got a glimpse into the wider world outside of the castle grounds. While it wasn't always fast-paced, I was never bored and enjoyed the times the characters spent getting to know each other. There were a couple things I did have mixed feelings about, however.

The villain Lilith (honestly, Lilith?) was a bit too cartoon-level evil for my taste. While she was amazingly brutal and I did appreciate how vicious she was, I never felt like there was a good explanation for why she cursed Rhen in the first place. I would have liked to have had a better understanding of who she was and why she hated Rhen so much. My other issue is with the ending. I loved the romance and how it progressed to that point, but the ending really didn't sit well with me. Grey also had an epilogue that I could have done without, which left the series open ended. This book has all the makings of a fantastic standalone, but I have the feeling it's going to get dragged out into a series.

I loved the characters in this book and I loved their journey together! My heart was broken so many times for them both and I love when a story can make me feel emotions like this one did. A Curse So Dark and Lonely did so many things right that I hate to even discuss what it did wrong, but alas. This isn't a perfect book, with its over the top villain and not-quite-satisfying ending, but I still loved it and would definitely recommend it to other fantasy lovers!

ARC Review & Giveaway: Stain by A.G. Howard

Title: Stain
Author: A.G. Howard
Publication Date: January 15, 2019
Publisher: Amulet Books
Pages: 512
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//I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review//

A high-fantasy gothic fairytale inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea.

Once upon a nightmare, her fairy tale begins...

After Lyra—a princess incapable of speech or sound—is cast out of her kingdom of daylight by her wicked aunt, a witch saves her life, steals her memories, and raises her in an enchanted forest ... disguised as a boy known only as Stain. Meanwhile, in Lyra's rival kingdom, the prince of thorns and night is dying, and the only way for him to break his curse is to wed the princess of daylight, for she is his true equal. As Lyra rediscovers her identity, an impostor princess prepares to steal her betrothed prince and her crown. To win back her kingdom, save the prince, and make peace with the land of the night, Lyra must be loud enough to be heard without a voice, and strong enough to pass a series of tests—ultimately proving she’s everything a traditional princess is not. 

It's no secret around my blog that A.G. Howard is one of my absolute favorite authors. I fell in love with the Splintered series in 2014 and have loved everything she has written since. I also adore fairytale retellings! When I heard about Stain, I knew there was a good chance it would be one of my top reads of 2019, and I'm pretty sure I was right.

This haunting story is about Lyra, princess of the kingdom of daylight, and Vesper, prince of the kingdom of night. Each is a misfit in their own land, but are promised to each other in order to bring peace between the kingdoms. Lyra cannot speak, but has the voice of a songbird, and cannot go in the sun without being burned, while Vesper has daylight in his blood. After Lyra's father dies, her aunt schemes to take back the throne and casts Lyra into the Ashen Ravine, the place between the day and night kingdoms, where she's raised with no memory of her true identity.

I loved Lyra so incredibly much! Contrary to what you might think, Lyra is not a character who would feel a pea beneath a pile of mattresses. She is strong and scarred and powerful. This book begins with Lyra's childhood and I loved every minute spent with her, watching her grow into a strong woman willing to do anything to protect those she loved. Then there's Vesper, the handsome, mysterious, swoon-worthy prince of night and Lyra's betrothed. Their romance is extremely slow burn, but oh so worth it in the end! It easily could have fallen into instalove territory, but A.G. Howard did an incredible job of making it work without that terrible trope.

Of course there was a whole host of other fantastic characters. Two of these are Crony and Luce, a witch and wingless, shape-shifting sylph who raised Lyra for most of her childhood in the Ashen Ravine. I enjoyed them both, especially Luce, who had such an interesting backstory and a sly, snarky personality. But my favorite was Scorch, a fiery Pegasus and Lyra's unlikely friend in the Ashen Ravine! Their friendship was possibly one of my all-time favorites. The villainous evil queen and her daughters were delightfully evil - the exact kind that you cannot wait to see meet their demise!

While I absolutely fell in love with the characters, my favorite part of Stain was the world building. This book is long and I can definitely understand why after encountering such an intricate, well-written world. The mythology was thoroughly fleshed out and made everything feel that much more real. I felt like I could picture it all in my head! There were so many different creatures and magical details that all came together in a way that really worked. The kingdom of night was definitely my favorite. I would love to see some fanart of that stunning land of night and ice and thorns.

A.G. Howard really did an incredible job at creating a beautiful, gothic retelling that's an entirely new take on a classic. The writing was lush and felt like a fairytale. There were twists that I never saw coming and, although the beginning is a bit slow while detailing Lyra's childhood, I never became bored. And, like any good fantasy book, this one has a wonderful, detailed map that I'd love to have as a poster!

Stain was everything I was hoping it would be and more! The world and characters were incredible, and very quickly fell in love with the beautiful writing. Although this book does have a nicely wrapped up ending, I would definitely love to see more stories written in this fantasy world! If you're a fan of retellings or YA fantasy in general, you don't want to miss this book!

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Audiobook Review: Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin

Title: Snow & Rose 
Author: Emily Winfield Martin
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 224
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Snow and Rose didn't know they were in a fairy tale. People never do....

Once, they lived in a big house with spectacular gardens and an army of servants.

Once, they had a father and mother who loved them more than the sun and moon.

But that was before their father disappeared into the woods and their mother disappeared into sorrow.

This is the story of two sisters and the enchanted woods that have been waiting for them to break a set of terrible spells.

Bestselling author-illustrator Emily Winfield Martin has created a world that sits on the border of enchantment, with characters who are grounded in real emotions that readers will recognize in themselves.

Snow & Rose caught my eye the first time I saw it at Barnes and Noble. The cover was gorgeous and when I flipped through it I was hooked! Emily Winfield Martin's illustrations are beautiful and I could not wait to dive into this fairytale retelling.

Somehow, I ended up picking up the audiobook of Snow & Rose, despite being in love with the art, but the story still had my attention immediately. Snow & Rose are sisters who have lost their father to the woods. They live with their mother, who has never gotten over his disappearance. They come across an enchanted library of objects in the woods one day and suddenly find that magical things are happening all around them.

Snow and Rose are both wonderful, enchanting characters. Although they were both grieving their father in their own ways, I loved following them around the woods as they discovered new things and people. The two come across a boy named Ivo, who lives underground, and he is a fantastic character as well! I loved the mystery surrounding him and how the three worked together and formed an unlikely friendship.

There are so many things to love about this children's book. The characters are lovely, there's magic everywhere, and the writing is beautiful! I read a lot of fairy tale retellings, but not all of them are able to capture the magic of the original. This one definitely did. The plot does meander a bit, but I think that's okay in this kind of story. I never got bored and was constantly finding reasons to keep listening.

I can't say much more without spoiling the plot, but trust me when I say that you will love Snow & Rose if you're a lover of fairy tales. While I did love the audiobook and found it to be magical on its own, I definitely recommend picking up the physical copy to follow along with the artwork. They should definitely be enjoyed together!