Tag: young adult fantasy

Book Review: Legendborn (Legendborn #1) by Tracy Deonn

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Urban Fantasy
Length: 501 pages
Author: Tracy Deonn
Publisher: McElderry Books
Release Date: September 15th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

AMAZING.

Wow am I so glad I read this! It was fantastic. An incredible debut.

For someone who’s not a general fan of urban fantasies, this didn’t make me worried for a second if I was going to enjoy it. I loved the combination of the college campus with the Arthurian legends. It was SO COOL. A bit confusing at times and I didn’t quite understand until the end how everything worked in the organizations, but once I got there, watching everything click into place was beautiful.

Bree is flawed character with an intense amount of strength. I love solid character growth over a book and it was perfect here. Bree went through an acute amount of grief, growing up, and the racism and microagressions she experienced throughout her life (and more specifically in this book while she’s in a college program). It was powerful to take in this story.

This magic system is complex and very well crafted. Add in some demons and rogue parents and this was a mash-up I could get on board with. It was high action and was paced well. I loved all of the adventures with a dash of a preciously sweet romance brewing.

Legendborn has an incredibly powerful voice. It’s a book hard to put down. It’s a book that makes you think and be exposed to conversations you might not have been. I loved this and can’t wait for the sequel!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Urban Fantasy
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: demon attacks, physical altercations, see trigger section for more
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: depcitions of intense grief, slavery, abuse, PTSD, PCBD (persistant complex bereavement disorder), intergenerational trauma, loss of a parent, racism and micro-agressions

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Book Review: Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2) by Cassandra Clare

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Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: YA Urban / Historical Fantasy
Length: 592 pages
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Release Date: March 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The Shadowhunters must catch a killer in Edwardian London in this dangerous and romantic sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Chain of Gold, from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Iron is a Shadowhunters novel.

Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.

But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.

Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.

BUT WHY.

I kept hearing about this *emotional ending*. I imaginged something catastrophic happening, tears being shed, etc. All I actually felt was RAGE. I know and expect a cliffhanger in Shadowhunter books. It’s fine, but sometimes they don’t match up well for me. This one seemed like it’s going to cause a lot more damage and I am not okay.

COI took a long time to pick up. It was hundreds of pages before I felt really connected to the story. Even with loving a character driven novel, I guess with some many switches between POVs I wasn’t feeling attached to anyone until later down the line.

Granted, once things got going, they got moving quickly. I really liked the second half. And I especially appreciate that this feels like more of a fresh take in the Shadowhunter world. It’s no secret that I’m slowly fading out of wanting to read this series. It’s a lot of books in one world, ya know?

For now, I’m continuing on. Definitely invested enough to read book three and see what happens next. There’s many ships I’m hoping set sail (or for that matter, REMAIN SAILING). I do adore this cast and the whole group of Merry Thieves.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Urban / Historical fiction Fantasy
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses to closed door scenes
  • Violence: battles, demonic attacks, weaponry
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: alcohlism

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Book Review: Red Tigress (Blood Heir Trilogy #2) by Amélie Wen Zhao

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Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 464 pages
Author: Amélie Wen Zhao
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: March 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ana Mikhailov is the only surviving member of the royal family of Cyrilia. She has no army, no title, and no allies, and now she must find a way to take back the throne or risk the brutal retribution of the empress. Morganya is determined to establish a new world order on the spilled blood of non-Affinites. Ana is certain that Morganya won’t stop until she kills them all.

Ana’s only chance at navigating the dangerous world of her homeland means partnering with Ramson Quicktongue again. But the cunning crime lord has schemes of his own. For Ana to find an army, they must cross the Whitewaves to the impenetrable stone forts of Bregon. Only, no one can be certain what they will find there.

A dark power has risen. Will revolution bring peace–or will it only paint the streets in more blood.

BUT WHY THO.

I take serious annoying issue with obvious lack of communication. Or plot decisions THAT JUST DON’T MAKE SENSE. This book was pretty good, some stumbling at the end made me throw my hands up.

I’ll start there. Ramson and Ana could have both been much more open at the end of this book. I’m tired of something claiming to be romance, but there actually isn’t anything happening in their relationship. I got a kiss. No admissions or anything else and then the end. Ughhhhhh.

Otherwise, y’all, not too bad of a middle book for a fantasy series. Dragged a bit here and there, but I’m still highly invested. I loved the addition of some new POVs and how they played into the story. I think I was more hooked on them then Ana/Ransom by the end.

This was more plot driven than character driven. I’m personally a fan of character driven novels, so this is a statement that may be good (or bad) for you. I think I was hoping for some more connections and understandings, and I mostly got change of location and here’s some more bad guys. A note to the villains though, there’s multiple, they are wild, and I love it. I do. I like a good villain that doesn’t make me roll my eyes because they’re ridiculous. These villains have enough background to amplify themselves within the story.

I’ll definitely be reading the last book. I need a great finale to see where this overall series will sit for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kiss
  • Violence: battles, weaponry, magical, loss of loved ones, explosions; fairly bloody/gory

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Book Review: The Bronzed Beasts (The Gilded Wolves #3) by Roshani Chokshi

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 400 pages
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: September 21st, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In love they breathed. In destiny they believed. In the end, will divinity be their demise?

After Séverin’s seeming betrayal, the crew is fractured. Armed with only a handful of hints, Enrique, Laila, Hypnos and Zofia must find their way through the snarled, haunted waterways of Venice, Italy to locate Séverin.

Meanwhile, Séverin must balance the deranged whims of the Patriarch of the Fallen House and discover the location of a temple beneath a plague island where the Divine Lyre can be played and all that he desires will come to pass.

With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself… but at a price they may not be willing to pay.

Returning to the dark and glamorous 19th century world of her New York Times instant bestseller, The Gilded Wolves, Roshani Chokshi dazzles us with the final riveting tale as full of mystery and danger as ever. 

NOT ALL I HOPED FOR.

Do you ever sit on a review because you’re not sure what to write?

That’s how I feel here.

I wanted to love this desperately because I’ve enjoyed the whole series, but something ultimately did not click for me here. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters, the story seemed repetitive and very slow moving, and the ending? *sigh*

I missed this groups usual nature around each other. I know things have changed. So much changed though that I felt like I was looking at a new cast at times. I wanted more puzzle solving and quiet antics. I needed more of them together and working together too.

The ending left me really shrugging my shoulders. Since my emotional connection had dissipated I found I was more vexed than anything about what happened. It left a few things open and another thought or two that I think would spoil if I said. The epilogue was incredibly generic and I’m still in a twist about it.

It was nice being back in this world and getting to read the last tale of The Gilded Wolves. The interesting historical fiction + fantasy combo worked for me (even if it didn’t always make sense). I’m hopeful to read whatever Chokshi writes next.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Historical Fiction + Fantasy
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: physical and magical altercations, murder, explosions, some blood depiction

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