"You can have all of me for one night only. Say no, and I'll leave, but say yes and I'll give you a night you'll remember forever."
As one of the few remaining elven assassins, Eroan Ilanea doesn't have much time for pleasure. Until a messenger arrives from a nearby village and suddenly pleasure is all he can think about. The kind of pleasure he's never surrendered to before. The messenger is a tease, a vision of elicit delights, and he'll be gone in the morning.
This night, Eroan just might say yes...
Sealed with a Kiss is a short, sexy, m/m story that takes place several years before events in the novel Silk & Steel (to be published in 2019).
Author: Lena Coakley Illustrator: Jaime Zollars Publisher: Amulet Books (October 9, 2018)
Hardcover, 176 pages Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble Summary Mischievous woodland fairy Nix is up to no good. His beloved fairy queen has gone away, leaving him with a very important job: He must protect the forest from a most dangerous enemy—humans.
When a determined invader trespasses on his territory, Nix’s skills are put to the test as he invents several wicked tricks to chase the sorry fellow away. But when his efforts don’t go quite according to plan, it becomes clear that this intruder—and this sprite—may not be at all what they seem.
Author: Gail Carson Levine Series: Ella Enchanted, Book 0.5 Publisher: Harper Collins (October 16, 2018) Hardcover, 352 pages GoodreadsAmazon Summary In this prequel to Ella Enchanted, which can stand on its own, young healer Evie is transformed into an ogre by the meddling fairy Lucinda. She’ll turn back only if someone proposes and she accepts!
Returning to the land and many of the characters from her beloved Newbery Honor–winning Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine has written a delightful tale about a clever and endearing heroine who is determined to defy expectations.
Evie is happiest when she is healing people, diagnosing symptoms, and prescribing medications, with the help of her devoted friend (and test subject) Wormy. So when Wormy unexpectedly proposes to her, she kindly turns him down; she has far too much to do to be marrying anyone. And besides, she simply isn’t in love with him.
But a certain meddling fairy named Lucinda has been listening in, and she doesn’t approve of Evie’s rejection. Suddenly, Evie finds herself transformed from a girl into a hideous, hungry ogre. Evie now has only sixty-two days to accept another proposal—or else be stuck as an ogre forever.
Author: Sarah Henning Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (July 31, 2018)
Hardcover, 368 pages GoodreadsAmazon Summary Everyone knows what
happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before
that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one
royal, and one already dead.
Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.
A
girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though
the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually
survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the
two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie
believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever
after.
But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay
in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now
Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her
prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her
love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.
Rating: 5 stars
Review
I fell in love with Sea Witch,
and I fell hard. I'd kind of like my heart back please, and maybe some
tape or glue so I can try to piece it back together? Thanks.
I
kept thinking I knew what to expect next from this book, and then no. No
I did not. It's written in the first person present tense, which I
don't really love but Henning makes it work for her with a few minorly
awkward seeming areas. Interspersed through the main story being told in
Evie's (present tense) voice, there are flashback chapters told from an
omniscient view that alternates focus on various major players. Just
when I'd start to get comfortable and smug, thinking I knew what was in
play and what was coming next, there'd be one of these expository
chapters that would reveal the inner mind and motivations (and
machinations) of various characters. Then suddenly it was like my whole
world was tipped on its axis and I was like "Wait, what? WHAT?!?!" I
just... I can't... This book... *sigh*
Just amazing. Words can't
express the level of amazing this book is. Are we sure this is Sarah
Henning's debut novel? And, um, can she please have a whole dragon hoard
of almost-finished novels that will be ready to publish very soon that
are just as mind-blowingly amazing as Sea Witch? Because I have definitely added Sarah Henning to the top of my auto-buy list.
Evie
is a great character and, having heard that this is sort of an Ursula
(from Disney's The Little Mermaid) origin story, I kept trying to figure
out where she'd go to the bad. I have a soft spot for villains,
especially believable villains who are the hero of their own story, or
who fall while trying to do the right thing. I love the complexity of
the relationships between them all, and I had some major second-lead
syndrome going on too.
Author: Luke Chmilenko Series: Ascend Online, book 1 Publisher: Podium Publishing (July 18, 2017) Narrator: Luke Daniels Audiobook, 17h 55m GoodreadsAmazon Summary Diving into a
revolutionary new video game, Marcus and his friends escape a stagnant
society, entering into a world that defies their wildest imaginations.
But from the moment that he logs in, Marcus finds himself separated from
his friends and thrown into remote village under attack by a horde of
goblins.
Forced into battle, Marcus rallies the beleaguered
villagers and with their help, manages to drive off the invading
creatures. With the village in ruins and their supplies spoiled, the
survivors desperately turn to Marcus for help in rebuilding the village.
Realizing
that this game is nothing like he's ever played before, Marcus is swept
up into a whirlwind of adventure as he struggles to defend his new
home, quickly finding that marauding goblins are the least of his
problems.
From New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack comes her debut young adult fantasy, ROAR! Now available in paperback, ROAR takes readers on an adventure filled with charismatic characters in an enthralling world sure to keep them turning the pages. Grab your copy today!
About ROAR (Stormheart #1):
New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack's young adult debut: Roar.
In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.
Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora's been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.
To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.
Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.
She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.
Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.
“This life is not glamorous,” Duke told her. “We travel
constantly. We sleep on the ground most nights. When we’re not in danger from
storms, we’re in danger in cities where we are considered criminals. This life
is not for the faint of heart.”
“There are things I do not know, things I will have to
learn. But I am capable. I am familiar with sacrifice. I know what it is to make
hard choices.”
“Tell me you’re not considering this,” Locke said to Duke.
The old man was silent for a long moment, both Locke and
Roar looking to him for support. Duke rubbed at his mustache, a habit of his
when he was thinking deeply. “Let’s think about this, Locke. She’s smart. And
determined.”
“She’s a child.”
Roar’s shoulders hunched in Locke’s peripheral vision, and
he swallowed back the guilt. He could apologize later. For now, it was
imperative that he won this argument.
“You were a child
when I brought you into the fold,” Duke said. “She’s a young woman with a good
head on her shoulders. And if this is what she wants, I’m inclined to at least
hear her out.”
Just like that, Roar’s shoulders straightened, and Locke
turned to watch a devastating smile bloom across her mouth. His weakness when
it came to her only made him more cross.
“What skills do you have?” he snapped at Roar.
“Skills?”
“Yes, skills. What can you do? Or do you just plan to tag along for the ride?”
A flush spread over her cheeks, and her voice was tentative
when she answered, “I’m good on a horse. Very good.”
Where in the world would she have learned to ride? He
quickly hardened his expression. “Horses are fine for travel, but they don’t do
well in storms. They, unlike you, have good survival instincts.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Locke could have
sworn he felt an updraft—the first sign that bad weather could occur—and he
knew that this time he had pushed too far.
Roar marched toward him, spearing a finger into his chest
and said, “I can read and write. I can speak Taraanese, Finlaghi, and
Odilarian. I can read maps. I know enough about grassland vegetation and
wildlife to survive without a market to buy food and drink. I’m good with
knives and a bow. I learn quickly, and I’m not afraid of hard work. And I’ve
spent my entire life reading as much about storms as I could get my hands on.”
For a moment, her voice cracked under the weight of her anger, but she took a
huffing breath and continued: “I’m good with numbers. It’s been a while, but I
think I can probably still draw the constellations from memory, which should
make me decent at navigation. I can—“
“Enough.” Locke’s voice came out in a deep rasp. He captured
her long, delicate finger in his fist before she could continue poking him. He
felt short of breath at the sight of her—livid and lovely. “Enough.”
The old Locke might have kept arguing, and Roar would have
met him toe-to-toe. But if becoming a storm hunter had taught him anything, it
was that fighting head-on wasn’t always the way to win. Sometimes strategy was
required. He met Duke’s eyes over her shoulder, and if he had thought Roar
looked smug before, she had nothing on his mentor. The man raised his eyebrows
in a challenge and asked, “You?”
He hated the idea of bringing someone into this dangerous
life, but if it was going to happen regardless, he sure as hell wouldn’t hand
her safety over to anyone else, not even Ransom. And at the very least, it
would give him the opportunity to change her mind. He gritted his teeth and
nodded his acceptance.
REVIEW
I actually listened to this on audiobook, and I enjoyed it so much that it got me back into reading YA Fantasy again after having not read the genre in a while. Aurora/Roar is a princess but still is relatable to anyone who's ever felt like a fish out of water, because she doesn't share the same storm magic that the royal line is supposed to have. I love the way Carmack writes about Roar's struggles with finding herself and discovering her own type of magic. Aurora is brave, smart, fierce, and never gives up, and is really a strong female lead to admire and look up to. The troup of storm- hunters she falls in with are also really intriguing, and there are some mysteries as to their pasts that aren't solved in this first book, which makes me excited to keep reading the series to find some answers.
There are elements of romance between Aurora and Cassius as well as between Roar and Locke, and I'm honestly not sure who I'm rooting for in the romance department. (That's not true - I'm rooting for Roar. She don't need a man to make her happy!) Then there are layers upon layers of intrigue, as well as phenomenal world-building. This book is just enchanting, and I cannot wait for the next installment.
About Cora Carmack Cora Carmack is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Since she was a teenager, her favorite genre to read has been fantasy, and now she’s thrilled to bring her usual compelling characters and swoon-worthy romance into worlds of magic and intrigue with her debut YA fantasy, Roar. Her previous adult romance titles include the Losing It, Rusk University, and Muse series. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages around the world. Cora splits her time between Austin, TX and New York City, and on any given day you might find her typing away at her computer, flying to various cities around the world, or just watching Netflix with her kitty Katniss. But she can always be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and her website www.coracarmack.com.
Summary:"Lies aren't her only weapons against the fae..."
In the Halow system, one of Earth’s three sister star systems, tek and magic—humans and the fae—are at war.
Kesh Lasota is a ghost in the machine. Invisible to tek, she’s hired by the criminal underworld to carry illegal messages through the Halow system. But when one of those messages kills its recipient, Kesh finds herself on the run with a bounty on her head and a quick-witted marshal on her tail.
Proving her innocence should be straightforward—until a warfae steals the evidence she needs. The fae haven’t been seen in Halow in over a thousand years. And this one—a brutally efficient killer able to wield tek—should not exist. But neither should Kesh.
As Kesh’s carefully crafted lie of a life crumbles around her, she knows remaining invisible is no longer an option. To hunt the fae, to stop him from destroying a thousand-year-long fragile peace, she must resurrect the horrors of her past.
Kesh Lasota was a ghost. Now she’s back, and there’s only one thing she knows for certain. Nobody shoots the messenger and gets away with it.
A new space fantasy reverse harem series where the guys are hot, the perils are many, and one rebel messenger holds the key to the survival of the human race.
REVERSE HAREM INFO: The Messenger Series is a slow burn reverse harem space-fantasy adventure. This series contains sexual encounters with multiple partners. The harem develops during the series.
Review: Upon finishing a book, I like to rate and shelve it on Goodreads, and my usual placeholder review is something alone the lines of "Review coming soon." I think it says a lot about this book that my placeholder review was "My heart. I can’t... words... Review to come later... once I can see again through this sheen of tears. Ack."
I'm still not even sure how to begin reviewing this book. I can't even peg the genre. The blurb touts it as being "a slow-burn reverse harem space fantasy adventure" romance. Apparently the reverse harem develops over the course of the series, as there isn't actually much romance in the book. It's set in this future society where we've advanced our society to space, but also has a sort of alternate reality where the fae are a part of the human history, so it's sci-fi, but it's also fantasy? But also romance. Oh, and with a sort of mystery element too. And adventure. But also paranormal/paranormal romance? But with a sort of steampunk, sort of western feel, sort of urban fantasy. ...Genre party! ALL THE GENRES!
This was my first book by Pippa DaCosta, but now I need to go check out her back catalog. And I also need the next book in this series, preferably injected directly into my veins RIGHT NOW. There is so much to recommend this book. The world building is amazing, the dialogue is witty and sharp, and Kesh is bad ass who doesn't take crap from anybody while walking around in a sweet pocket-filled techno duster that can disguise her and carrying a chain whip charged with magic. Add to that the bad ass warfae out to frame her for murder who has kidnapped her best-friend-slash-droid, a hot marshal (read: old west cop but in space, also with a sexy duster) who is more than he appears, and a caged and exiled (also sexy) fae, and you can see the beginnings of this reverse harem starting to build up. Oh, also, holy plot twists, Batman. I got so emotionally invested in this book and in Kesh and the other characters, and then right at the end it was like Pippa DaCosta reached her hand inside my chest and ripped out my cracked and broken heart. (...Which is fitting, actually). I felt like I needed to go find some tape and try to put my heart back together after finishing this book. That's after resisting the mighty urge to fling my kindle across the room and sob broken heartedly into a pillow.
So yes! Read this book and be forever ruined, like me! I make it sound kind of awful, but it's that really good kind of pain, where you're like "Oh God, I can't take it! ...Give me the next book right now so you can continue sticking pins into my heart, Pippa DaCosta!"
Expected publication: March 27th 2018 by St Martins Press Summary: Gwennore has a talent. An Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it, she’s a valuable asset to her people. But when the kidnapping of a young girl thrusts Gwennore into the very heart of the realm of the dragons, she discovers not only a place of power and magic, but also a haunted land, plagued by an ancient curse that all but ensures extinction to the royal family. But when she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko, they strike a bargain—save the country from its cursed illness, and he will return the kidnapped girl. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon, but never did making a deal with the devil feel so good…
Silas has no way of curing the family he’s loyally served for years. But when a beautiful elf, long considered the enemy of the dragons, comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to passion and desire in a way he’s never felt before. But can he trust a sworn enemy to save the very existence he holds dear? And can their love survive those that threaten to tear them apart?
(from Goodreads)
Review:This is outside my normal romance genres I typically read, and I had a hard time figuring out which tags to use. Paranormal romance? Supernatural powers? Usually when I use these tags they're in more of a contemporary fiction kind of setting, not a medieval-ish fantasy, but at the same time they sort of fit? The tags I am sure of are romance, fantasy, and dragons!
The world building is really interesting, with people born on one of the two lunar eclipses each year being granted special powers. It makes for a very eclectic cast of characters, as everyone has a different sort of power. It's also got shifters and dragons and a war with the elves. What's not to love?
Gwennore, our leading lady, has the ability to touch a person on one of their pulse points and get a reading for their state of health, and is able to know what, if anything, is wrong with them. It bugs me that the blurb for this book describes her as "An Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it, she’s a valuable asset to her people." Her power is sensing the illness, and she's learned about herbs and things to heal but she doesn't have healing powers.
I really enjoyed Silas, aka General Gorgeous. Some of the things he said had me laughing out loud, especially in his banter with Gwen. ("Rejected again.") I love me a tall, dark and handsome man who is strong with a sense of humor.
This is the third book in The Embraced series and it can be read as a stand alone... sort of. Let me clarify: There are five adopted/foster sisters, and each book focuses on one of the sisters and her love interest. The romantic plot as well as the plot involving the sister in question's love interest is resolved within the book, but there is also a larger overarching plot that reaching across the books. I read this book without reading the first two in the series and enjoyed it, but I think I'd have enjoyed it more if I'd read books one and two first. There is enough backstory given that you can put it together and the story works, but it would be better with all the pieces. There are also DEFINITELY spoilers for the first two books. I'm going to suggest you read this series in order if you can (and if the plots for the first two books look interesting to you!) If for some reason you only read romances about dragons, you can sure read this as a stand alone and skip the first two books.
Published January 31st 2017 by Flatiron Books Summary:Remember, it’s only a game…
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away. (from Goodreads)
Review:
I really loved the
narration by Rebecca Soler, so much so that after finishing this book I
immediately went to Audible's website to look up what else they have that she
has narrated that I might be interested. I think that's about the highest
compliment you can pay a narrator! I especially loved the way she did Julian's
voice, his accent and the way he calls Scarlett "Crimson" made me
just melt. I think a large part of my love for Julian was due to Rebecca
Soler's narrative prowess. Sadly, I was not as
enamored of the book itself as I was of its narration. Part of my problem is
probably that I went into reading this book with very high hopes. I adore the
idea of a magical circus where the audience participates in the show and anything
can happen. There were elements of world building that I really loved, and some
of the language was very beautiful. Example: a description of the sky as being
"made of melting lemons and burning peaches". It did venture into
some serious purple prose territory a few times, but for the most part the
ornate and somewhat overblown descriptions were enjoyable, and matched the
overall feel of the book. There was definitely a very Alice's Adventures in Wonderland sort of feel, with hatters and
roses and whimsy aplenty. The plot got kind of convoluted at times, and there
were several twists that, rather than being titillating, left me sitting here
like "wait… what?"
I also hated Scarlett. It's hard to love a book when
the main character annoys the crap out of you! Scarlett's main personality
points are (1) she loves her sister, (2) she's annoyingly cautious/fearful
while also being stubbornly bullish about her fear being the right way, (3) she
apparently experiences emotions in colors, and (4) did I mention she really
loves her sister? Like, who ARE you, Scarlett? Why do I care about you? I
appreciate that you love your little sister and want to protect her from your
completely horrible father, but you need some more facets of your personality
than this unrelenting, single-minded focus on your sister. Also, it was really
annoying the way she kept jumping to conclusions about things (for a such a
cautious person she sure doesn't have a great process of reasoning things out…)
and thinking everyone mysterious or good looking or wearing a top hat MUST be
Legend. Julian I liked a
good sight better. He's full of secrets and mysteries and half-revealed truths,
and I felt like I got to know him better despite all of his plot twists and
reveals, than ever I did Scarlett (who is the main character and the main focus
of the story!) I love the little glimpses you get into Julian's inner struggle.
Which made me like Scarlett even less, because she keeps throwing up these road
blocks of fear and indecision, basically shooting herself in the foot over and
over again, but next to Julian Scarlett's struggle and growth just made her
look stupid. Some of the side
characters were cute, I liked the descriptions of the fantastical things in
Caraval. However, I found myself putting the audiobook on 1.3X speed so the
book would just be over already, mostly because I was so sick of listening to
Scarlett screw things up, worry, be indecisive, and describe things as being
the color of various emotions. My dislike for Scarlett and her whining was so
strong that I almost DNF'd this at about the 25% mark, but Julian kept me
going. The ending was a big wah-wah for me, and there's an epilogue that is
supposed to entice you and tease you for the next book. Ehhhh, I probably won't
read that. Apparently Fox 2000
has already purchased the rights to turn this into a movie, and I can see Tim
Burton doing it. I'll probably see the movie, but I don't really have any
interest in reading the next book in the series.
Book Review: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
Rating: 5 Stars
Published September 26th 2017 by Margaret K. McElderry Books Summary: Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.
Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There's only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.
Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.
(from Goodreads)
Review:Wow. Just… wow. I loved this book. I can't believe this is Margaret Rogerson's debut novel, either. As soon as I finished reading An Enchantment of Ravens, I immediately went to see if I could find more books by her and followed her author profile on Goodreads.
Julia Whelan did a phenomenal job narrating this book. The second thing I did after finishing this book (after desperately searching for more to read by Margaret Rogerson) is to go on Audible and look up other books Julia Whelan has narrated. She is just amazing to listen to. Julia reads with a depth of feeling that really embellishes the text, without overdoing it and sending it into absurdity. This is impressive as she voices several non-human characters with somewhat mercurial ranges of emotion. I now want to read this book again in print, rather than listening to it, to see how much of my love was the book itself and how much can be contributed to Julia's reading of it.
This books has so many classic elements of faeries, and I love Rogerson's fantasy and almost-horror interpretation of the fae folk. I've been on a romance kick for a while now, but this stirred up a thirst in me and sent me searching for more fantasy with a focus on the fae. I love Isobel's relationship with her fae patrons, especially with Gadfly and Rook. I found myself with tears welling in my eyes on more than one occasion, and this book resonated with me, touching something in my heart that is filled with a yearning, keening longing. Isobel is challenged throughout to book to question her preconceived notions and what she knows to be true, as well as being placed in a situation which seems to basically be up against a rock and a hard place, with no real good solution. I admire her resourcefulness, her strength, and her courage of conviction. And, oh Lord, Rook… *dreamy sigh* My poor, sweet, confused Rook. I just want to hug him and squish him and call him mine.
You know you've stumbled across a real jewel when you're ready to read it again immediately upon finishing it. I even listened to all the audible credits and nonsense at the end because I wasn't ready for it to end!
Published May 19th 2015 by Del Rey Summary:“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
(Goodreads)
Review:This may well be my new favorite book. It has the wonderful feel of a Russian wonder tale, the world-building is exquisite, and the main characters are wondrous enough to make them exciting while remaining human enough to make me love them. I have a soft spot for Russian fairy tales, and Uprooted made me hungry for more. The system of magic Novik has created is believable and fleshed out without becoming overwhelming with details. Agnieska does have some of the typical YA Mary-Sue elements with being an "ordinary" girl who turns out to be extraordinary, but franky - who wants to read about boring people?! I love that both Agnieska and the Dragon have flaws and foibles that make them feel real, while still being super-amazing-kick-ass characters who will SAVE THE WOOOORLD! So I love the setting, I love the characters, what's left? The plot. OH MY GOSH, the plot. This is a multi-layered adventure with elements of romance, revelations about friendship and what it means to be special, insight into what "evil" is (or is not), how events can shape a lift in drastic ways... Uprooted can be read on a number of levels, from enjoying the shade from the trees of the obvious plot to digging into the moist, nutritious mast of the forest floor.
I only wish I hadn't read this book so I could experience reading it for the first time all over again. I hope to find even more to love on my next re-read.
I'm going to post a few reviews really rapid-fire for a few days because there are several I read ARCs for recently that have just released or are releasing with the next week, and I want to be sure to share about them while they're still top of mind for me!!
My Rating: 4 Stars
Expected publication November 14th 2017 by Tachyon Publications
Summary:An odd couple patrols a county full of mythological beasts and ornery locals. A familiar youngster from the world of The Last Unicorn is gifted in magic but terrible at spell-casting. A seemingly incorruptible judge meets his match in a mysterious thief who steals his heart. Two old friends discover that the Overneath goes anywhere, including locations better left unvisited.
Lyrical, witty, and insightful, The Overneath is Peter S. Beagle's much-anticipated return to the short form. In these uniquely beautiful and wholly original tales, with new and uncollected work, Beagle once again proves himself a master of the imagination.
(from Goodreads)
Review:J'adore. An incredible collection of short stories with viewpoints and flavors from all over the globe. I don't normally care very much for short story collections, and this one had its share of stories I absolutely loved and other that I slogged through waiting for them to be over (like most short story collections inevitably do.)
• "The Green-Eyed Boy" It's funny because I had just recently been talking to someone about examples of the second person narrative. This is a lovely story about Schmendrick the Magician (whom you may remember from The Last Unicorn) and his origins. As a child, I loved Schmendrick in the movie of The Last Unicorn, and I'm a little ashamed to say I haven't actually read the book. Reading about Schmendrick in this short story made me resolve to read The Last Unicorn, and soon. 5 bright, shiny stars full of childhood wonder. • "The Story of Kao Yu" Set in China and featuring the Chinese unicorn, the chi-lin. This short story read like some of my favorite fairy tales, and makes me wonder if this is entirely out of Beagle's head, or based on a Chinese fable? I give this story 4 imperial stars. • "My Son Heydari and the Karkadann" Set in Persia, this story features the Karkadann, the Arabian unicorn that is "powerful, pitilessly aggressive, and ugly as fried sin" (or so writes Peter S. Beagle). Another second person narrative, this story is told from the point of view of the father of the (for lack of a better term) hero of the story, Heydari. I didn't care much for this story, 2 stinky Karkadann stars. • "The Queen Who Could Not Walk" Loved this story, it touched my heart in a number of ways. What the heck is up with their system of governance though?! Reads like a traditional, classic fairy tale with characters known only as the beggar woman, the queen, the king, and the servant. The ending was one of those bitter sweet ones that just hit you right in the feels. 5 sweetly sad stars. • "Trinity County, CA: You'll Want to Come Again and We'll Be Glad to See You!" Set in an alternate modern-day California where drug traffickers use dragons to protect their labs, as well as trafficking illegally in dragons themselves. Gruber works as a county D Patrol (dragon patrol) officer and Connie is intern on her first day on the job. I loved this story, and would happily read a full novel set in this world; preferably about Connie and Gruber, but about another set of characters as well. 5 fire-proof stars. • "The Way It Works Out and All" Didn't care for this one as much, it was jumbly and confusing - Which, to be fair, I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be. 2 stars. • "Kaskia" …Not sure what I just read, but I think I liked it?? 4-ish stars? • "Schmendrick Alone" YAY SCHMENDRICK! All the Schmendrick, all the time! I just want to hug him up and tell him it will all be okay. 5 stars with tears in their eyes. • "Great-Grandmother in the Cellar" Amazing story. That's all I can say. 5 bones… I mean stars. • "Underbridge" As a lover of children's books, I loved this story. Super uncomfortable, but loved it. Because trolls, man. TROLLS. 5 stone stars. • "The Very Nasty Aquarium" I love the note in the preface that "This one began as an intriguing title, with absolutely no story to go with it." Way to come up with a killer story, Mr. Beagle. Just wow. Loved this, and I want to be Mrs. Bascomb when I grow up, but I will probably end up being Mrs. Lopsided. 5 sinister stars. • "Music, When Soft Voices Die" Found myself skimming this one just to get to the end. Not sure if the story itself wasn't for me, of if I'm just growing tired of short stories. Angelos did remind me the teensiest bit of Schmendrick in his bumbling, well-meaning way, but I can still only give this story 1 skimming star. • "Olfert Dapper's Day" Read the first couple pages of this and didn't even skim the rest. It just did not capture my attention.
*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
