Tag: young adult fantasy

ARC Book Review: A Song Among the Silence (The Rhythmist Cycle #1) by Julie Janis

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy
Length: 450 pages
Author: Julie Janis
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: December 7th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Life has never been easy for Derrick. Having been raised among the Nixormans—a species with quick reflexes who pride themselves on being great soldiers—all Derrick wants is to join the human world and finally belong. When Derrick meets a human girl in the forest, he finally takes a stand against his guardian and leaves for the human kingdom. But what he expected is far from what he finds. The human kingdom is suffering from the winter and is bathed in more Darkness than what he imagined.

Being the princess of a suffering kingdom cursed with an eternal winter didn’t make Kota Holland’s life as grand as it could be. Especially after her mother dies and her father marries a Dark mage. But when her father becomes ill and her stepmother takes control, Kota will do anything to heal him—even if it means dabbling with Dark magic for a cure.

When a cunning Dark mage enters their lives and offers to fix everything, Derrick and Kota find themselves making an unbreakable deal to get their answers. Failure to uphold their end of the deal and a curse will take their lives.

As Derrick’s and Kota’s lives intertwine, they find the winter growing stronger and the kingdom’s resources depleting. Without the answers they seek, more is at stake than just their lives. They risk the entire kingdom’s survival.

One wrong step and everything they’ve worked for will crumble.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

A GOOD DEBUT.

An enjoyable read! I liked this for an author debut. It was well written and had a good cast.

I liked the main characters and thought they had solid depth and intentions. Kota and Derrick were easy to follow and cheer for. The magic system could have used some more boundary explanation but it was unique. The concept was there and I understood most of the parameters.

There were quite a few plot holes I noticed. A mix of wondering why someone had made that choice or needing more on a side character to further explain the situation. Even though the story moves well with action and slower moments there’s room for the pieces that were missing.

It was unfortunate that most of the antagonists were POC. The evil stepmother and stepsister vibes were alive and well. As were many, many other tropes. It took away from the surprising twists because you could see them from a mile away.

Derrick and Kota have a sweet burgeoning relationship. Personally, I’d love some angst, but it’s tender and I like it well enough. Killian is a great morally grey character. I’m curious how he further fits into the series.

A mixed bag, but a positive debut. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: flirting
  • Violence: physical and magical altercations, torture, near death experiences

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ARC Book Review: The Righteous (The Beautiful #3) by Renée Ahdieh

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 456 pages
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s
Release Date: December 7th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The third book in the instant New York Times bestselling series that began with The Beautiful.

Pippa Montrose is tired of losing everything she loves. When her best friend Celine disappears under mysterious circumstances, Pippa resolves to find her, even if the journey takes her into the dangerous world of the fae, where she might find more than she bargained for in the charismatic Arjun Desai.

Renée is back with her rich, atmospheric fantasy world that will continue to enthrall readers, new romance and mystery, and lush, pacey writing.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

BEST OF THE BUNCH [SO FAR].

I’m still in shock over that ending y’all. SHOOKETH. And I can’t wait for more people to read this so we can chat about it because my mind is whirling with possibilities. Where does it go from here?! Way to set-up for an action packed finale.

I loved that this focused on Pippa and Arjun (and HELLO some of my favorite tropes!!). This turned into one of the few cases of more insta-ish love that I was all in for. Those two just worked. Fantastic chemistry, swoony kisses, and dire situations. The majority of the POV’s were from them and I liked the dynamic shift.

There’s points-of-view from some of the other characters in the series too. They’re many angles to the plot and seeing the shifting sides from werewolves, vampires, and fae are creating a thickly woven story.

I am very excited for the last book in this series. What started out as a meh series for me is turning into another highly enjoyable one.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses to closed door
  • Violence: physical altercations, weaponry, war themes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: domestic and child abuse recounted

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Book Review: Namesake (Fable #2) by Adrienne Young

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: March 16th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Trader. Fighter. Survivor.

With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and its crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when she becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order to get to her intended destination she must help him to secure a partnership with Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems.

As Fable descends deeper into a world of betrayal and deception she learns that her mother was keeping secrets, and those secrets are now putting the people Fable cares about in danger. If Fable is going to save them then she must risk everything, including the boy she loves and the home she has finally found.

Filled with action, emotion, and lyrical writing, New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with Namesake, the final book in the captivating Fable duology.

ENJOYABLE.

SAINT. The first thing this book makes me remember is Saint. Wow, he was the real gem here and oh my goodness I loved him. I would do many things to get another book involving him. His relationship with Fable is complicated and beautiful. An undeniable parental protection that made my heart swell.

Okay he’s a side character, but a worthy side character. Back to Fable. I loved her too. She’s a strong presence with some true deep moments. I like the way she formulated plans to save herself and those she loved. I’m especially happy there was a HEA here or I would have been broken.

WEST. Really into his morally gray self. I wish he was on page a lot more because I wanted more of his story too. I love the relationship he has with Fable. This magnetic connection that draws them to one another at any given time. I wanted even more romance since it felt left off until about near the end.

My main issue with this one was the pacing. It was slowwww going for the first half. I wasn’t sure what the point of the current plot was, and how it was going to solve the original plot from Fable. It wrapped up everything pretty dang quickly so yes, I think things were sealed off, but leaking a bit.

I have enjoyed reading all of Adrienne Young’s books and can’t wait to see what’s in the works next. Gorgeous writing and amazing settings always leave me with a pleasurable read.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult fantasy
  • Language: some
  • Romance: kisses and a closed door scene
  • Violence: murder, swords, near drownings, rough seas, physical altercations

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Book Review: Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan

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Rating: ☆☆1/2
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 464 pages
Author: June C.L. Tan
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: October 12th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In an empire on the brink of war…

Ahn is no one, with no past and no family.

Altan is a lost heir, his future stolen away as a child.

When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaiming the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her arcane magical abilities.

But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined.

Ferocious action, shadowy intrigue, and a captivating romance collide in June CL Tan’s debut, a stunning homage to the Xianxia novel with a tender, beating heart, perfect for fans of The Bone Witch and We Hunt the Flame.

TYPICAL.

I hate to say it but that’s how I felt for this one. Which means a lot of people will probably really enjoy this. I’ve just read one too many young adult fantasies that played out exactly the same and there was no nuanced new things to change my tune.

I had the hardest time with the main characters. Things weren’t clicking and I wanted more depth and understanding of them both. Then the romance came into play and I felt like things were happening too quickly all over the place. The plot was super fast and things needed more time to settle.

By halfway I was in speed read mode and looking very much forward to being through with this one. This is a dash of my thoughts so take them for what you will. It truly wasn’t a bad book. The writing is fine and the potential for others to love it is there. Most of it didn’t work for me personally.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: physical and magical altercations, murder, loss of loved ones
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: self harm, blood/gore depiction, grief/loss, torture

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