Tag: fantasy

Damsel by Evelyn Skye #bookreview #YA #fantasy #dragons and Nocturne by Alyssa Wees

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews16 Comments

For the next couple weeks I may double up on some reviews in an effort to get everything posted before vacation.

A damsel in distress takes on the dragon herself in this epic twist on classic fantasy—a groundbreaking collaboration between New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye and the team behind the upcoming Netflix film Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown.

Elodie never dreamed of a lavish palace or a handsome prince. Growing up in the famine-stricken realm of Inophe, her deepest wish was to help her people survive each winter. So when a representative from a rich, reclusive kingdom offers her family enough wealth to save Inophe in exchange for Elodie’s hand in marriage, she accepts without hesitation. Swept away to the glistening kingdom of Aurea, Elodie is quickly taken in by the beauty of the realm—and of her betrothed, Prince Henry.

But as Elodie undertakes the rituals to become an Aurean princess, doubts prick at her mind as cracks in the kingdom’s perfect veneer begin to show: A young woman who appears and vanishes from the castle tower. A parade of torches weaving through the mountains. Markings left behind in a mysterious “V.” Too late, she discovers that Aurea’s prosperity has been purchased at a heavy cost—each harvest season, the kingdom sacrifices its princesses to a hungry dragon. And Elodie is the next sacrifice.

This ancient arrangement has persisted for centuries, leading hundreds of women to their deaths. But the women who came before Elodie did not go quietly. Their blood pulses with power and memory, and their experiences hold the key to Elodie’s survival. Forced to fight for her life, this damsel must use her wits to defeat a dragon, uncover Aurea’s past, and save not only herself, but the future of her new kingdom as well. 

When I received the ARC of this book from NetGalley I somehow missed that it will soon be a Netflix movie starring Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things).

Elodie cares deeply for the people of her drought and famine stricken Inophe, so when her father arranges a marriage with a prince whose family wealth can save her realm, she’s happy to accept the proposal. Prince Henry’s home of Aurea is beautiful, and Elodie is surrounded by luxury. She soon learns that the beauty and luxury come with a price – princesses are sacrificed to a dragon to maintain the idyllic land. She certainly didn’t sign up for that.

Elodie is plucky and clever. She doesn’t curl up in a corner of the dragon’s lair and wait to die – she’s determined to fight until the end. Eight centuries of sacrifices equals the population of a small town, and I liked that previously deceived princesses left messages in the caves for those that came after them. Elodie’s relationship with her younger sister is also a positive. It’s nice to read a novel where women aren’t pitted against each other.

What I missed was getting to know Elodie before she was tossed into the dragon’s lair. I felt like I knew very little about her until the middle of the story, although I eventually grew to like her. Pacing slowed a bit in the initial cave scenes, but it soon got back on track.

I’m a dragon fan and thought the dragon language was pretty cool. Even more so when the author’s note revealed her thirteen-year-old daughter created it. And kudos to the designer for a gorgeous cover that perfectly complements the story.

I’m a fan of Millie Bobby Brown, and I’ll definitely be watching this when it drops on Netflix. I’d recommend it to fans of dragons and fairy tales with a twist.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In this haunting, lyrical fantasy set in 1930s Chicago, a talented ballerina finds herself torn between her dreams and her desires when she’s pursued by a secretive patron who may be more than he seems.

Growing up in Chicago’s Little Sicily in the years following the Great War, Grace Dragotta has always wanted to be a ballerina, ever since she first peered through the windows of the Near North Ballet Company. So when Grace is orphaned, she chooses the ballet as her home, imagining herself forever ensconced in a transcendent world of light and beauty so different from her poor, immigrant upbringing.

Years later, with the Great Depression in full swing, Grace has become the company’s new prima ballerina—though achieving her long-held dream is not the triumph she once envisioned. Time and familiarity have tarnished that shining vision, and her new position means the loss of her best friend in the world. Then she attracts the attention of the enigmatic Master La Rosa as her personal patron, and realizes the world is not as small or constricted as she had come to fear.

Who is her mysterious patron, and what does he want from her? As Grace begins to unlock the Master’s secrets, she discovers that there is beauty in darkness as well as light, finds that true friendship cannot be broken by time or distance, and realizes there may be another way entirely to achieve the transcendence she has always sought. 

With mixed reviews for this novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I did go into this fully aware of the slower pace.

Most reviewers compare this story to Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera, and Hades and Persephone. I agree with those comparisons. It’s dark and atmospheric, and 1930s Chicago is a perfect setting. Grace is no stranger to loss after her brother is gunned down in the streets and her mother passes away, leaving Grace an orphan when she’s barely a teenager. After raising enough money for ballet shoes by playing violin on the streets, she shows up unannounced at a ballet company. With help from fellow ballerina Emilia (their friendship is a strong point), Grace works hard and pushes herself to catch up with her peers. Years later she finally achieves her dream after landing the prima spot.

Soon after Grace moves into the home of her mysterious patron, Master La Rosa, things became muddled for me. The lyrical and haunting prose is beautiful, and many lines are meant to be savored. But when I closed the book, I still wasn’t exactly sure what happened. Looking at other reviews, most fell into three camps – some readers were enchanted by the story, others didn’t get it at all, and then there are the rest of us who appreciated the writing, but were left confused. A few reviewers used the term “fever dream”, and I’d say that’s an apt description.

If you’re a fan of any of the comp titles, appreciate a slower pace, and savor lyrical writing, this may be the book for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Song of Wrath (Bones of Ruin #2) by Sarah Raughley #bookreview #fantasy

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews17 Comments

Penny Dreadful meets The Gilded Wolves in this captivating sequel to young adult historical fantasy The Bones of Ruin that follows immortal Iris as she desperately tries to thwart her destructive destiny.

Iris Marlow can’t die. For years, she was tormented by her missing memories and desperate to learn her real identity. So when the mysterious Adam Temple offered to reveal the truth of who she was in exchange for her joining his team in the Tournament of Freaks, a gruesome magical competition, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse. But the truth would have been better left buried.

Because Adam is a member of the Enlightenment Committee, an elite secret society built upon one fundamental idea: that the apocalypse known as Hiva had destroyed the world before and would do it again, and soon. But what the Committee—and Iris—never guessed is that Hiva is not an event. Hiva is a person—Iris.

Now, no matter how hard Iris fights for a normal life, the newly awakened power inside her keeps drawing her toward the path of global annihilation. Adam, perversely obsessed with Iris, will stop at nothing to force her to unlock her true potential, while a terrifying newcomer with ties to Hiva’s past is on the hunt for Iris.

All Iris wants is the freedom to choose her own future, but the cost might be everything Iris holds dear—including the world itself. 

The first book in this series featured a deadly competition (think Hunger Games). In this sequel Iris struggles to deal with her true identity. She’s Hiva, an immortal who destroyed the world before and is meant to do it again.

I struggled to keep up with such a large cast of characters in the first book, but since not all of them made it out of the tournament the list has been trimmed. As Hiva, Iris doesn’t want to repeat history and destroy the world again. She has the power to kill someone with just a look, but she wants to make good choices and not be a murderer. That’s easier said than done, and her instincts take over in certain situations. She fights her urges, but I didn’t like the direction she was headed.

Adam was full of secrets in the first book, but now that they’re revealed – he’s just a greedy and power hungry guy. He’s still obsessed with Iris and wants her to realize the full potential of her powers. But he’s not the only one trying to find her. Someone else is tracking her, and this person is a game changer.

With plenty of action and deaths, X-Men-like powers, and the fate of the world at stake, The Song of Wrath is tension-filled. The huge cliffhanger ending sets up book three perfectly.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

He Who Breaks the Earth (Gods-Touched #2) by Caitlin Sangster #bookreview #YA #darkfantasy

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews19 Comments

Wicked Saints meets There Will Come a Darkness in this sequel to the atmospheric, “tightly woven”(Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author) She Who Rides the Storm that follows the four thieves turned unlikely allies as one of their own decides where their loyalties lie.

Mateo spent years believing he suffered from a strange wasting sickness, but he’s finally learned the much darker truth. Now he will do whatever it takes to save himself, even if it means betraying Lia, the one girl who’s ever made him care about something more than his research.

It doesn’t help that his father kidnapped the last living member of Lia’s family, and though it means Mateo will get to see her again, it’s only because Lia is already hunting them.

Anwei’s rage can’t be contained after the disaster at the tomb that ended with Knox almost dying. Worse, she learned that the brother she’d been desperate to avenge has been living a life of luxury, raised by the monster of her nightmares. With the power of an ancient, nameless god running in her veins, Anwei vows to end the shapeshifter once and for all.

But the members of her crew each have their own motivations—and their own gods whispering in their ears. Anwei has never put much stock in the divine, but as she gets closer to the shapeshifter she’s chased for so long, she realizes that the gods’ plan and her own might diverge. But Anwei has only one goal: revenge, and she’ll destroy anyone standing in her way.

This is the second book in a duology. The first book, She Who Rides the Storm, is basically a heist story with unlikely allies (I’m a sucker for those) that goes horribly awry.

It’s been about a year and a half since I read the first book, but it didn’t take long to become reacquainted with these characters I enjoyed so much (especially Mateo). Each is struggling with the cards they were dealt at the end of book one – Anwei is still on a revenge quest after shocking revelations, Mateo has a new voice in his head, Knox is slowly recovering and a little fuzzy on what happened in the tomb, and Lia is determined to find her kidnapped sister. I was eager to see how each characters’ story played out – especially when Mateo and Lia meet up – but Anwei frustrated me. Yes, she’s dealing with a lot, but I wanted her to quit complaining and do something about it.

The tone of this sequel is darker, and the theology of this world is delved into more so than in the first book. But it’s not all gloom and doom – humorous moments are still sprinkled throughout, and there’s no shortage of twists and surprises. The ending is fast-paced, but also very satisfying, and I think readers will be pleased.

At nearly one thousand pages this duology requires a time investment, but with complex world-building, high stakes, and strong characterization, it’s an engaging read I’d recommend to fantasy fans.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune #bookreview #fantasy #LGBTQ #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews22 Comments

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots–fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio-a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?

Author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

Found family is my favorite trope, and I have yet to come across anyone who does it better than Klune. He put me through the whole gamut of emotions – again – and I don’t know if I should punch him or hug him for it.

Most of these characters are robots and machines, but the primary theme of the book is humanity and having the free will to choose who you want to be. I loved all of them, but Rambo (he’s a Roomba vacuum whose markings were faded and unclear, but they’re pretty sure they got the letters in the right order) and Nurse Ratched, a nursing machine that is a Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill, will always be with me. Nurse Ratched’s snark and eagerness to drill people who threaten her family immediately won me over. Rambo may be small, but he’s full of unconditional love and bravery. They, Gio, and Victor are composed of more metal than blood, but make no mistake – they’re a family with the strongest of bonds.

They’ve lived hidden and safe in the woods for many years until Vic salvages and repairs HAP (hysterically angry puppet). Hap unknowingly alerts the City of Electric Dreams to their whereabouts, and Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory. His family won’t stand for losing one of their own, and what follows is an adventure filled with danger, new experiences, and a world they never knew existed. Before embarking on this journey or entering any dangerous situation, the rules are always recited: Stick together. Run if we have to. No dallying. No drilling (unless Nurse Ratched decides it’s necessary). Above all else, be brave.

This book touched my heart in so many ways, and I can’t recommend it enough. You’ll laugh and maybe even cry a little, but you’ll be so glad you read it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Door in the Dark (Waxways #1) by Scott Reintgen #YA #fantasy #survival #bookreview #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews24 Comments

One of Us is Lying meets A Deadly Education in this fantasy thriller that follows six teenage wizards as they fight to make it home alive after a malfunctioning spell leaves them stranded in the wilderness.

Ren Monroe has spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses. Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell. After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays—Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids. Which doesn’t sit well with any of them.

A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival.

If anyone can get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves it’s Ren. She’s been in survival mode her entire life. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the rest of the group is harboring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods… 

I loved the way the prologue opens with the consequences of a spell gone wrong. That style of writing always makes me want to know how the characters got from point A to point B.

This story is many things – and I like that. It begins with students who are on the verge of graduation and are interviewing for jobs. Soon it turns into a kind of locked room murder, then a survival story, all set against a background of magic. Ren is a scholarship student at Balmerick University. She’s worked hard over the past four years and is now at the top of her class with exemplary grades – but she watches on the sidelines as mediocre students in her graduating class are placed in top houses while she still waits for her first interview. Ren may have the intelligence and talent, but when it comes to social interactions she tends to come across as superior – kind of a “know-it-all”.

On the last day of school before break, Ren, her best friend, two other scholarship students, and two students from wealthy houses board a travel portal. When a spell malfunctions, five of them are left stranded in the wilderness – and one of them is already dead. The remaining five distinctive characters then struggle to survive as they make their way home while trying to keep ahead of what’s chasing them. Not all of them make it. They’re not equipped with many supplies but can rely on their magic. I liked the magic system – each character has a limited amount. It’s very clear that it’s distributed unevenly between the upper and lower classes.

Ren wasn’t my favorite person throughout most of the story. She’s the kind of person you might roll your eyes at during class when she corrects other students. Throughout the story, she hints several times at a secret she carries. When the twist at the end reveals it, Ren immediately became a more intriguing character to me. I’m interested to see how this plays out in the sequel.

This is an exciting, tense read with an unusual blend of fantasy, a murder mystery, and survival story, and I’d recommend it to fans of those genres. The sequel is absolutely going on my list of anticipated reads.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#BookTour: Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken #YA #fantasy #TBRBeyondTours

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews5 Comments

Book Info:

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publishing Date: April 4, 2023

Synopsis:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken cements her status as one of the top fantasy authors writing today in this stunning series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

Tamsin Lark didn’t ask to be a Hollower. As a mortal with no magical talent, she was never meant to break into ancient crypts, or compete with sorceresses and Cunningfolk for the treasures inside. But after her thieving foster father disappeared without so much as a goodbye, it was the only way to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.

Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian vanished with a powerful ring from Arthurian legend. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring.

As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitors in the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipers’ nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother. . . .

Content Warning: foster family dynamic, childhood abuse, mention of suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and gore/blood

My Review: 4 stars

I’m intrigued by anything related to Camelot, and when I saw this book was inspired by Arthurian legend and written by Bracken (I’ve read several of her other books) I knew I wanted to read it.

Tamsin didn’t start out as a likeable character. I wasn’t even sure we were going to get along. Yes, she’s suffered losses in her life, is overprotective of her brother, and understandably has strong abandonment issues considering her history. I think it came down to the way she puts up a barrier between herself and everyone else that rubbed me the wrong way. She says hurtful things to others before they can wound her first – which stems from everything she’s experienced in her life. Along the course of the story she undergoes changes which make her more palatable and a little less prickly, but I still preferred a couple of supporting characters over her.

The description hints at an enemies to lovers trope between Tamsin and Emrys. He loves a good game, puts up with Tamsin’s moodiness, and is brave, kind, and knowledgeable about plants – but he’s also dealing with more than it seems on the surface. Tamsin’s brother Cabell (there’s a lot to unpack there) and sorceress Neve are also strong supporting characters.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but once the characters arrive at Avalon pacing really picks up. The world-building is complex and a little overwhelming at first, but the author does a good job at weaving explanations into the plot as reminders. And that ending – wow. So. Much. Happens. Twists, betrayals, heavy guilt – readers will be clamoring for the next book. I know I am.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62031346-silver-in-the-bone

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Bone-Alexandra-Bracken/dp/0593481658

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/silver-in-the-bone-alexandra-bracken/1142035912

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Silver-Bone-Alexandra-Bracken/9780593481653

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/silver-in-the-bone/9780593481653-item.html

IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/silver-in-the-bone-alexandra-bracken/18774237

About the Author:

Alexandra Bracken was born in Phoenix, Arizona. The daughter of a Star Wars collector, she grew up going to an endless string of Star Wars conventions and toy fairs, which helped spark her imagination and a deep love of reading. After graduating high school, she attended The College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she double majored in English and History. She sold her first book, Brightly Woven, as a senior in college, and later moved to New York City to work in children’s book publishing, first as an editorial assistant, then in marketing. After six years, she took the plunge and decided to write full time. She now lives in Arizona with her tiny pup, Tennyson, in a house that’s constantly overflowing with books. 

Alex is a #1 New York Times bestselling and USA TODAY bestselling author. Her work is available across the world in over 15 languages. 

Author Links:

Website: http://www.alexandrabracken.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexbracken

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbracken/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2973783.Alexandra_Bracken

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAlexandraBracken/

Tour Schedule:

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/02/22/tour-schedule-silver-in-the-bone-by-alexandra-bracken/

Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens #bookreview #YA #fantasy #LGBTQ #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews16 Comments

Two rival apprentice sorcerers must team up to save their teachers and protect their own magic in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After.

Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.

Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.

But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.

I read So This Is Ever After by this author last year and laughed my way through it – I adored those characters. When I saw their new title on NetGalley, I immediately requested it.

My heart went out to Rook. Declared nonmagical, he lost access to the magical world when his grandmother passed away, and he was cast out of the only home he’d ever known by the Consortium. With no other family or friends to speak of, he’s lived alone for the past year and is desperately lonely. The day after he graduates high school, he pleads with powerful sorceress Antonia Hex to give him a job. At least he’ll be on the fringes of the magical world he misses so dreadfully. Antonia may be intimidating, but underneath – way deep down – lies a squishy heart, and she hires him.

Both main characters are polar opposites – which made them perfect for each other. Rook is full of sunshine, friendly, and wears his heart on his sleeve. Sun prefers all black clothing, shuns people in general, and is kind of prickly. Watching the two of them awkwardly stumble into a relationship brings moments of amusement, sadness, and hope – all kinds of cinnamon roll goodness. I also enjoyed the occasionally combative, mutually respectful, and sometimes friendly relationship between Antonia and Fable. They make a good team.

At its core, Spell Bound is about finding your family and your place in this world. It’s full of endearing characters, hexes and curses, a frenemies-to-lovers trope, rival sorcerers (but maybe really friends), a spelled coat rack named Herb, and battles against inequality. A feel good read I highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood #bookreview #YA #darkfantasy Such Pretty Flowers by K.L. Cerra #psychologicalthriller #suspense

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews19 Comments

Eighteen-year-old Victoria is a Wildblood. Kidnapped at the age of six and manipulated by the Exotic Lands Touring Company, she’s worked as a tour guide ever since with a team of fellow Wildbloods who take turns using their magic to protect travelers in a Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters.

When the boss denies Victoria an earned promotion to team leader in favor of Dean, her backstabbing ex, she’s determined to prove herself. Her magic may be the most powerful on the team, but she’s not the image the boss wants to send their new client, Thorn, a renowned goldminer determined to reach an untouched gold supply deep in the jungle.

Thorn is everything Victoria isn’t – confident, impossibly kind, and so handsome he leaves her speechless. And when he entrusts the mission to her, kindness turns to mutual respect, turns to affection, turns to love. But the jungle is treacherous, and between hypnotic river spirits, soul-devouring women that shed their skin like snakes, and her ex out for revenge, Victoria has to decide – is promotion at a corrupt company really what she wants? 

A jungle tour guide, magic used to protect travelers, ghostly monsters – I was ready for an adventurous read.

Victoria is an easy character to like. She’s dealt with a lot of trauma in her life, more than anyone her age should have to face, but she’s strong. She’s very protective of Bunny, a fourteen-year-old fellow guide who she loves like a brother, as well as Sam, another close guide friend. As much as I liked Victoria, it was the jungle and everything within it that engaged me. It’s atmospheric, dangerous, haunted – really more like a character than a setting. It also protects Victoria and exacts revenge on interlopers who don’t show respect for their surroundings.

Wildbloods can use their own blood or that of someone else to craft their magic to create weapons or kill their enemies. It’s a fascinating concept, but I didn’t completely understand it or why Victoria is the most powerful Wildblood. I’d hoped for more of an adventure tale, but after Thorn is introduced this story focuses primarily on the romance/insta-love between him and Victoria. It overshadows everything else. But I did feel like the ending was the right choice for the characters.

I’m a fan of this author’s writing style, but her first book, Within These Wicked Walls, is still my favorite of the two. Blackwood remains on my authors to watch list, and I’m excited to see what she does next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It was the last message Holly received from her brother, Dane, before he was found cleaved open in his fiancée’s lavish Savannah townhouse. Police ruled his death a suicide sparked by psychosis, but Holly can’t shake the idea that something else must have happened… Something involving another message he sent that night, the one that mentioned a “game” his fiancée, Maura, wanted to play…

Determined to discover the truth, Holly begins to stalk Maura—a magnetic, black-eyed florist with a penchant for carnivorous plants. But what begins as an investigation quickly veers into a darker fixation, one that lures Holly into the depths of Maura’s world: Savannah high society, eerie black roses, and a whisper of something more sinister. Soon, Holly is feeling a dark attraction to the one woman she shouldn’t trust. As Holly falls deeper for Maura and her secrets, she’s left with only one choice: find out what happened to Dane… before she meets the same fate.

A woman investigating her brother’s apparent suicide finds herself falling for her prime suspect—his darkly mysterious girlfriend—in this edgy Southern gothic thriller.

This book is …. bizarre. I like dark psychological thrillers, and this certainly falls into that category. It’s unlike anything I’ve come across.

Holly’s brother Dane moved in with his girlfriend after only knowing her a couple months. When he commits suicide after struggling with mental health issues, Holly is convinced there’s more to the story based on text messages her brother sent, and she’s determined to discover what really happened.

She may have good intentions, but when Holly is in a position to uncover information about Dane’s death, it quickly becomes evident she doesn’t have a plan. Numerous opportunities are wasted, and she ambles about and spends more time fawning and obsessing over Maura, Dane’s fiance. I also didn’t get a good feel for Holly’s character other than her occupation, information about her family, and her living arrangements.

Savannah is arguably the most haunted city in America, and I’d hoped it would figure more prominently in the story. A couple areas are mentioned, but that’s as deep as it goes. With Maura being a florist, it’s clear the author did extensive research on flowers and toxins. I was fascinated by it.

This novel ventures into some dark, disturbing places, so I’d advise checking trigger warnings before reading it. Although I wasn’t the biggest fan of the MC, I wouldn’t hesitate to read future novels by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ring of Solomon by Aden Polydoros #bookreview #MG #fantasy #LGBTQ #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews20 Comments

This exciting and adventurous start to a middle-grade trilogy follows a queer boy and his family as they try to halt the chaotic effects of a mysterious ring, drawing upon Jewish mythology to navigate magic, mayhem and the search for pride in one’s identity.

The little beachside town of San Pancras is not known for anything exciting, but when Zach Darlington buys a mysterious ring at the local flea market, his quiet little hometown is turned topsy-turvy by monsters straight from Jewish folklore and a nefarious secret society focused on upholding an apocalyptic prophecy.

Zach discovers that the ring grants him strange powers, and he’s intrigued; maybe he can use the ring’s strengths to halt the slew of anti-Semitic and homophobic bullying he’s experiencing at school. But soon the ring brings unexpected visitors—Ashmedai, King of Demons, in the guise of a preteen boy named Ash, and the local chapter of the Knights of the Apocalypse, a secret society intent on completing a creepy prophecy that will bring three monsters to Earth to start the events of the end of times.

Now responsible for the ring and its consequences, will Zach and his friends, with the help of Ash, be able to stop the Apocalypse and save the world?

I think I’ve read everything Aden Polydoros has written (I also have an ARC of his next release – woohoo!), and when he decided to play in the middle grade sandbox, I was excited to see what he came up with.

In the author’s note before the story begins, he mentions that he comes from an interfaith family and discovered his love of horror movies at a young age. Other than a few passing references in a popular MG series, he never came across books with Jewish main characters and struggled to see himself in stories. A few of his novels contain queer Jewish main characters, and it’s wonderful to see that representation available to YA and MG readers today.

The book begins with Zach and his younger sister buying a mysterious ring for their mother’s birthday at a flea market. Little does he know the adventure that awaits him because of that simple transaction. First, he can hear animals talk and converse with them – which is pretty cool. Then the King of Demons (who discovers a strong passion for pizza) appears in Zach’s bedroom, and soon he’s in over his head dealing with a nutty kind of cult and three monsters predicted to start the end times.

Knowing little to nothing about Jewish mythology, I enjoyed learning more about it, and it’s one of my favorite things about this book. The author does a wonderful job of portraying tweens – their interactions, the bottomless stomachs of tween boys (which gave me several laughs), and relationships with their parents and siblings. Zach is also the target of bullying by one student in particular in his class, which sadly is still a reality in our schools, and it’s handled well in the story.

Ring of Solomon is full of action with plenty of humor, and several reviewers have recommended it to fans of Percy Jackson. I was delighted to learn this will be a trilogy, and I’m excited to spend more time with these characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron #YA #retelling #classics

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews20 Comments

In this gothic YA remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, a teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend’s disappearance—and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic stranger—in misty Victorian London.

London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life— and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll—was derailed by a scandal that led to his and Henry’s expulsion from the London Medical School. Whispers about the true nature of Gabriel and Henry’s relationship have followed the boys for two years, and now Gabriel has a chance to start again.

But Gabriel doesn’t want to move on, not without Henry. His friend has become distant and cold since the disastrous events of the prior spring, and now his letters have stopped altogether. Desperate to discover what’s become of him, Gabriel takes to watching the Jekyll house.

In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. He claims to be friends with Henry, and Gabriel can’t help but begin to grow jealous at their apparent closeness, especially as Henry continues to act like Gabriel means nothing to him.

But the secret behind Henry’s apathy is only the first part of a deeper mystery that has begun to coalesce. Monsters of all kinds prowl within the London fog—and not all of them are out for blood…

I’ve read the original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, so I was curious about this retelling. I’m a fan of Bayron’s, so that made me even more eager to read it.

Dark alleys, an ominous science lab, foggy streets – atmosphere certainly isn’t lacking in this novel. Henry and Gabriel are young, gay Black men studying to become doctors, a goal not easily accomplished in Victorian England. Homophobia and racism are prevalent, but considering the setting is 1885 that’s not surprising. I liked that the author didn’t shy away from those issues, and her MCs had to deal with them on an ongoing basis throughout the story. They way they’re treated angered me, but is consistent with the times.

When Henry suddenly becomes distant and cold and practically a recluse inside his home, Gabriel is desperate to learn the reason. He’s even more perplexed and jealous when Hyde shows up and has unlimited access to the Jekyll household. There’s something familiar about him Gabriel can’t put his finger on, and he cares too much about Henry to let the situation rest.

For me, Henry and Gabriel’s relationship seemed to develop over the span of a few pages. Another reviewer mentioned a year passes between chapters, but I listened to the audiobook and didn’t immediately pick up on that. My impression was they meet in one chapter, write several letters to each other, and are in a serious relationship by the next chapter. Don’t get me wrong, they’re adorable and take a chance even being together, but it was initially difficult to be invested. It’s a short novel, the primary focus of the story is on Henry’s transformation to Hyde and the monsters (literal and figurative) he’s forced to deal with, and that’s what I’d hoped.

This is the second remix I’ve read in this series, and I’ve enjoyed both retellings (the endings are better than the originals!). I’m looking forward to reading more.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.