Tag: young adult

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 Reviews16 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.

I Like Me Better by Robby Weber #bookreview #YA #romcom #LGBTQ #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews13 Comments

This is not how soccer-star Zack Martin thought his summer would go. When the captain’s prank means trouble for the whole squad, Zack’s left with no choice but to take one for the team and cover for him.

Now he’s trading parties and beach days for community service at a seaside conservation center—fair enough. But thanks to his new reputation, the cute intern, Chip, won’t even give him a shot. Still, Zack finds himself falling for Chip between dolphin encounters and shark costume disasters, which means he suddenly has way more on the line than he ever expected.

Zack may be good at winning on the field, but can he keep up the lie without losing himself? 

I’d just finished reading a couple of lengthy, heavy fantasies when I came across this book. It was the perfect light-hearted, romcom book I needed.

Zack is a soccer player ending his junior year and is up for captain of the team. Things are looking good for him until he takes the blame for a prank he didn’t commit and is assigned community service over the summer. But his punishment turns out to have a silver lining. When he’s assigned to a seaside conservation center, he discovers interests he never realized he had. He also meets Chip, a cute intern who supervises the volunteers. It turns into a summer of learned lessons from bad choices, taking responsibility for mistakes, pining over Chip, and epiphanies about the future.

I loved the focus on the environment in this novel – always a good thing in my opinion. I also enjoyed the setting of the aquarium and marine institute. Zack’s scenes with the young students and his unfortunate experience in a shark costume gave me plenty of laughs. His strong friendships with Beckett and Meyers are also a high point, and I liked how no one blinked twice that Zack was crushing on another guy. His relationships with his divorced parents and how they still remained a family unit is also a plus and written well. Shout out to Zack’s dog Odin – he’s a perfect wing man.

This is partially a coming of age story, and Zack certainly undergoes some character growth. If you’re looking for a summer read with a charming cast of characters and a little romance, add I Like Me Better to your list.

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.

Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah #bookreview #YA #supernatural #thriller

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews23 Comments

Andrea Hannah’s Where Darkness Blooms is a supernatural thriller about an eerie town where the sunflowers whisper secrets and the land hungers for blood.

The town of Bishop is known for exactly two things: recurring windstorms and an endless field of sunflowers that stretches farther than the eye can see. And women—missing women. So when three more women disappear one stormy night, no one in Bishop is surprised. The case is closed and their daughters are left in their dusty shared house with the shattered pieces of their lives. Until the wind kicks up a terrible secret at their mothers’ much-delayed memorial.

With secrets come the lies each of the girls is forced to confront. After caring for the other girls, Delilah would like to move on with her boyfriend, Bennett, but she can’t bear his touch. Whitney has already lost both her mother and her girlfriend, Eleanor, and now her only solace is an old weathervane that seems to whisper to her. Jude, Whitney’s twin sister, would rather ignore it all, but the wind kicks up her secret too: the summer fling she had with Delilah’s boyfriend. And more than anything, Bo wants answers and she wants them now. Something happened to their mothers and the townsfolk know what it was. She’s sure of it.

Bishop has always been a strange town. But what the girls don’t know iIs that Bishop was founded on blood—and now it craves theirs. 

I’m all for settings with small towns harboring secrets and curses, and this eerie cover is perfect for the story.

To think I only considered sunflowers good for their seeds and looking pretty. After reading this novel, I’ll never look at them in the same way again. In a mid west town where the land thirsts for blood, sunflowers bloom where blood has been spilled. Let’s just say there are fields of sunflowers in the town of Bishop. The four MCs and POVs are Delilah, Bo, and twins Jude and Whitney. Their three mothers (who were best friends) disappeared two years ago and are presumed dead. The four teens still reside in the house they all lived in as a family. Their mothers’ disappearances don’t sit well with the girls and after clues and discrepancies come to light, they’re determined to uncover the truth. I admired their tenacity and perseverance – but wondered why it took them two years to begin their search. The novel certainly isn’t lacking in atmosphere (those sunflowers are freaky) or characters you love to hate.

I was curious about several things such as how the men benefited from feeding the land, why other citizens didn’t question why so many women went missing/died/ran away, why there was no hospital in town (and no one thought that was strange), and why there was apparently no outside communication with other cities or people. Part of the ending was what I’d hoped, but I was also confused about the other half. I’m still not sure what happened.

While this is a creepy, atmospheric read, I’d hoped several questions would be answered before the conclusion. Reviews are split, so if you don’t dig too deeply, this might be a suspenseful read you’d enjoy.

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

Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin #bookreview #YA #contemporary

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews15 Comments

The next gut-punching, compulsively readable Kate McLaughlin novel, about a girl finding strength in not being alone.

When eighteen-year-old Dylan wakes up, she’s in an apartment she doesn’t recognize. The other people there seem to know her, but she doesn’t know them – not even the pretty, chiseled boy who tells her his name is Connor. A voice inside her head keeps saying that everything is okay, but Dylan can’t help but freak out. Especially when she borrows Connor’s phone to call home and realizes she’s been missing for three days.

Dylan has lost time before, but never like this.

Soon after, Dylan is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and must grapple not only with the many people currently crammed inside her head, but that a secret from her past so terrible she’s blocked it out has put them there. Her only distraction is a budding new relationship with Connor. But as she gets closer to finding out the truth, Dylan wonders: will it heal her or fracture her further? 

This book was absolutely riveting – I’m talking cranked up to an eleven. When I had to put it down for real life stuff, I couldn’t wait to get back to the story.

Dylan is experiencing puzzling and disturbing events – she wakes up in an apartment she doesn’t recognize, runs into people who seem to know her but call her by a different name, finds drawings in her sketch book she didn’t create, and she loses time. But she’s never lost three days before. Being diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder is a shock, but she’s relieved to finally have a diagnosis and an explanation for what’s been happening. Now she can get the help she needs to cope with it.

She has an incredible support system with her family, best friend, and Connor. He’s such a treasure, and I adored him. Dylan expected him to run once he knew about her disorder. He not only stayed, but researched DID on his own and was there every step of the way for her.

The alters are well-developed and feel like distinct people. Each has their purpose, and they’re very protective of Dylan in their own ways. Their journal entries allow the reader to get to know them, and it’s a clever technique. I don’t know much about DID, but from what I’ve read the author handled it respectfully and clearly did her research. She also gives resources at the end of the novel for anyone wanting to learn more about it.

This novel is very dark at times, and trigger warnings are listed so take note before reading. It’s an absolutely compelling and moving read that shines a light on mental health and identity.

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

In Nightfall by Suzanne Young #bookreview #YA #paranormal #vampires

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews32 Comments

In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn’t the dark you should be afraid of—it’s the girls. The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Treatment.

Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon—population 846 souls.

The small town is cute, when it’s not raining, but their grandmother is superstitious and strangely antisocial. Upon their arrival she lays out the one house rule: always be home before dark. But Theo and Marco are determined to make the most of their summer, and on their first day they meet the enigmatic Minnow and her friends. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that Theo and her brother can’t resist.

But Minnow and her friends are far from what they appear. And that one rule? Theo quickly realizes she should have listened to her grandmother. Because after dark, something emerges in Nightfall. And it doesn’t plan to let her leave. 

Comp titles of The Lost Boys and Buffy the Vampire Slayer? A thousand times yes I wanted to read this book!

If you’re a fan of The Lost Boys, this is a must read. Some reviewers even classify it as a gender-swapped version. Theo and her brother, Marco, travel to Nightfall, Oregon with their newly divorced father to spend the summer. He grew up there, and they’ll be staying with his mother, the grandmother Theo and Marco have never met. Neither are happy to be spending the summer away from their friends, but it’s not long before they meet other teens their age in town.

But strange things are afoot in the town of Nightfall. Their new friends are unusually attractive and charismatic. Streets are abandoned by sundown. Disappearances are common occurences. Theo feels unsettled, but meets Parrish, a cute guy who distracts her from those feelings. Marco is immediately infatuated with Minnow and falls in with her group.

The sibling relationship between Theo and Marco feels very genuine with the way they take jabs at each other. But they’re also very close and protective of each other. With her creepy doll collection, unusual plants in the garden, and tiny, smelly stick dolls she continually places in their rooms, they think grandmother Nonna is a little weird. But don’t mess with her – she’s a badass, and I loved her. If the author wrote a prequel about Nonna, I’d totally read it.

This is an atmospheric, fun story I read in a couple sittings. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was made into a movie. My advice is to cue up The Lost Boys soundtrack, then dive into this book and enjoy.

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

A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis #bookreview #YA #mystery #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews31 Comments

Lydia Chass doesn’t mind living in a small town; she just doesn’t want to die in one. A lifetime of hard work has put her on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind—until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating. Undeterred, Lydia has a plan to earn that credit: transform her listener-friendly local history podcast into a truth-telling exposé. She’ll investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days: a week when Henley was hit by a tornado and a flash flood as well as its first—and only—murder, which remains unsolved.

But Lydia needs help to bring grit to the show. Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs a credit to graduate. The unexpected partnership brings together the Chass family—a pillar of the community—and the rough-and-tumble Jamisons, with Bristal hoping to be the first in her family to graduate. Together, they dig into the town’s worst week, determined to solve the murder.

Their investigation unearths buried secrets: a hidden town brothel, lost family treasure, and a teen girl who disappeared. But the past is never far, and some don’t want it to see the light. As threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them.

This gripping mystery from award-winning author Mindy McGinnis shows the power of a name and one lie and how two girls can use their voices to change a town forever.

Another win for McGinnis. I’m convinced she’s incapable of writing a bad book.

From childhood, Lydia had her life planned – a prestigious journalism program, preferably at an Ivy League school – and she’s been building her application for years. After learning she’s a credit short of graduating (drunken school counselor error), she’s allowed to use her local history podcast to fill the requirement. Bristal Jamison, from the other side of the tracks, is also short a credit, and Lydia invites Bristal to join her in the podcast. Lydia leads a privileged life and is profoundly unaware not everyone’s consists of sunshine and roses. Bristal’s family reputation is less than stellar, and she’s used to people assuming the worst about her (okay, some things might be true, but no, she’s not pregnant). Lydia’s blinders falling off makes for a fantastic character arc.

As the girls research and investigate the week their town was hit by a tornado, flash flood, and the discovery of the first ever murder victim, inconsistencies are uncovered. Then the threats begin – comments on their podcast, a brick thrown through a window, and a fire on the front lawn. Small towns always seem to have deeply buried secrets – and the surprising twist at the end confirms it.

This is a compelling mystery, but it’s also filled with humor and snark. Bristal steals every scene she’s in, and her podcasts are hilarious. As the story unfolds, Lydia’s layers are revealed – and she may not be the perfect student everyone believes.

If you enjoy cold cases, small town secrets, and mysteries combined with snark and humor, add this one to your list.

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

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker #bookreview #YA #urbanfantasy

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews22 Comments

Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.

On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau—the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family—are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick—she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.

Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with.

Cristina and Clement used to be each other’s most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other and their family’s magic, all while solving the decades-old murder that sparked the still-rising tensions between the city’s magical and non-magical communities. And if they don’t succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse.

The intriguing title and that stunning cover first caught my attention. I was completely sold with an atmospheric New Orleans setting.

Speaking of that stunning cover – from its design I expected a historical fantasy. That’s not the case. The setting is modern day New Orleans thirty years after a magical massacre. With the anniversary of that massacre coming up, tensions are on the rise again between the magical and non-magical communities, with the latter group calling for regulations.

Clem and Cris are the twin heir grandchildren of the deceased queen whose throne was stolen. Rightfully, it should still belong to their family, and they believe their grandmother was falsely accused of murder and intend to set things right. Their numerous family members – their mother, her four sisters, and several cousins – are hiding secrets and holding onto grudges. Although warned to stay out of it and leave the adults to handle things, the twins nose around (we’re talking serious invasions of privacy) until they discover the truth.

The ups and downs of family dynamics are on display here – old grievances, secrets, misunderstandings, misplaced guilt. They may dislike each other, but the love is there. You just have to dig deep for it sometimes. The guilty party behind all this isn’t really a mystery. The plot is more of the reader watching the characters find the proof that’s been there all those years. With a family this large, the character roster is extensive, and several POVs are included.

The concept of generational magic is intriguing, and the cast of characters diverse. Some plot points are wrapped up by the end, but a few threads remain to carry into the sequel. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy, magic and hexes, and dysfunctional (but loving in their own way) family dynamics, this may be the novel for you.

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.