Tags

, , , ,

7313A8C2-6FF2-48F9-97B7-5F10D756BDA4

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 3rd, 2020

432 Pages

Synopsis: Tarla Warnock has little use for magic—as a descendant of Maria Makiling, the legendary Filipina, she negates spells, often by accident. But her family’s old ties to the country of Avalon (frozen, bespelled, and unreachable for almost 12 years) soon finds them guarding its last prince from those who would use his kingdom’s magic for insidious ends.

And with the rise of dangerous spelltech in the Royal States of America; the appearance of the firebird, Avolon’s deadliest weapon, at her doorstep; and the re-emergence of the Snow Queen, powerful but long thought dead, who wants nothing more than to take the firebird’s magic for her own—Tala’s life is about to get even more complicated.

I have to be honest and say that the first 100 pages of Wicked As You Wish, is somewhat of an info dump and at one point I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to keep reading. There are numerous characters that are introduced and a LOT of world building, which had me confused and frustrated. But I persevered because I’ve enjoyed Rin Chupeco’s previous books and I really loved the premise behind this story, and as it turns out, I’m really happy I did. The cast of characters are lovable and diverse, and they left me hard-pressed to choose a favorite. The world building, while confusing at first, wound up utterly entrancing after that awkward start. The story evolves into an artistic tapestry woven from shimmering threads of diversity, alternate history, fantasy, and fairytale magic, and I dare say only Rin Chupeco could pull this off. I highly recommend this to fans of hers as well as readers who are looking for a thoroughly unique and engrossing read filled with endearing characters. Despite the rocky beginning, I encourage you to push past it, because the rest of the book is sheer perfection!