bloomsbury – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: YA Fantasy Retelling
Length: 352 pages
Author: Kalynn Bayron
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.

Only the truly desperate – and foolish – seek out the Knight, an ancient monster who twists wishes into curses. Eve knows this first-hand: one of her mothers was cursed by the Knight and trapped in the body of a songbird. With the unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve has trained all her life to defeat him.

With more and more villagers harmed by the Knight’s corrupt deals, Eve believes she’s finally ready to face him. But when Queen Regina begins acting strangely – talking to seemingly no one, isolating herself, and lashing out at the slightest provocation – Eve must question if her powers are enough to save her family and her kingdom.

I’M NOT QUITE SURE.

I don’t really know how to format this review. I never found myself upset with reading but now that I’m trying to write this out, I don’t think I really felt anything. When the Snow White aspects started coming into play in the second half, I liked those! I thought there were great allusions with a uniquely crafted version that left me wondering how things would finally come together without feeling like the original. There were a few good twists and changes that worked well for me.

The romance needed better pacing. This is a shorter fantasy and I think the development should have started sooner. The love confessions felt out of left field and while I DID think there was chemistry, I never got those swoony romantic feelings for them.

It is a standalone and from what I recall there weren’t any glaring plot holes. The story wraps up well, the antagonist has a satisfying end and you get that happy ever after.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Retelling
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: YA Fantasy + Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Gabi Burton
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Release Date: August 20th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the second book in this dark and seductive YA fantasy duology, a siren must decide if saving her kingdom is worth betraying the boy she loves.

Saoirse Sorkova is on the run. Accused of several murders, her siren identity compromised, even the newly crowned King Hayes can’t protect her if she’s caught. The only way to save her life is to send her on a dangerous mission across the magical barrier that surrounds the kingdom.

Forced to travel with Carrick – once her best friend, now her greatest betrayer – she begins to unravel multiple plots that threaten the safety of her family, the livelihood of the entire kingdom, and her future with Hayes. And the more time she spends with Carrick, the harder it is to keep hating him . . .

Soon, Saoirse is forced to what if Hayes isn’t the right ruler for the kingdom? And if he’s not, is she willing to betray her king – and her heart?

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy series is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and Bloomsbury YA for the gifted copy.

VARIED THOUGHTS.

I went up and down with this book y’all. I will put at the top of this review though that I would love to try another series by this author. I think there’s potential for some great reads, even if I was mixed on this conclusion.

I loved a lot about Saoirse. Her dedication to her sister and how much she LOVED her. I loved the protective nature and the strength and will to survive in a land that doesn’t want her. I wish Saoirse had shown a little more growth in being able to trust others and not to lean so heavily (for the entire book) on scheming and manipulation. At least with those close to her.

The romance lacked chemistry and aspects felt forced. I wanted to love the forbidden and heated interactions, yet, the sporadic nature of their proximity didn’t build up the fragile connection they started with. I was way more invested in Saoirse’s story line with Carrick.

I liked the side characters. They added complexity and turmoil, politicking and good betrayals throughout. I feel like that whole group held up the book for me. The book lacked some direction and pacing became an issue too.

Like this review entails, I was back and forth on things I loved/struggled with. It’s still a book I would recommend and now that it’s a completed duology an even better time to try this out!

Overall audience notes: