All of Us Villains (All of Us Villains #1), By Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, LGBTQ, Light Romance, Mystery, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 9th, 2021

400 Pages

Synopsis: The blockbuster co-writing debut of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, All of Us Villains begins a dark tale of ambition and magick…

You Fell In Love With The Victors of The Hunger Games.
Now Prepare To Meet The Villains of The Blood Veil.

After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into worldwide spotlight. Tourists, protesters, and reporters flock to its spellshops and ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city’s high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.

In the past, the villainous Lowes have won nearly every tournament, and their champion is prepared to continue his family’s reign. But this year, thanks to the influence of their newfound notoriety, each of the champions has a means to win. Or better yet–a chance to rewrite their story.

But this is a story that must be penned in blood. (Goodreads)

If you’re on Goodreads or follow a lot of book bloggers, you’ve probably heard a ton of buzz regarding All of Us Villains, the first book in a planned duology by well known YA authors Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. After spending the weekend completely spellbound, I’m happy to say that it’s entirely worthy of all the hype.

While the book definitely gives off Hunger Games with magic vibes, it actually goes much further than that and is completely different from anything else I’ve read. I do want to say that as far as the competing champions go, none of them are truly villains. Flawed and tortured, perhaps, but evildoers, not really. While there are seven of these champions, the chapters alternate between just four of them, so naturally those are the ones I connected with the most. My personal favorite was Alastair Lowe whose family do deserve first prize in villainy. What they’ve done to him since childhood in order to “prepare” him is inhuman and had me both outraged and heartbroken. The one constant in his life has been his older brother Hendry, and their relationship was one of my favorite things about this book. The other main characters are very complex and intriguing, and I completely connected with them as well, even when they weren’t at their best. The world building and magic system is utterly fantastic and I’ve never come close to anything similar in the fantasy books that I’ve read. Everything in this story is flawlessly detailed and try as I might, I could not discern where one author left off and the other began.

For me, All of Us Villains is a picture perfect beginning to this duology and while the ending answered a few important questions, there are plenty more, and it perfectly sets the stage for the next book. One word of caution: there are a few graphically gory scenes particularly with some of the spells and curses being used. Therefore I recommend this for older teens.

Without bragging, after my many years of reading, I’ve gotten fairly good at predicting outcomes of stories, but this has left me at a loss as to what will come next for Alistair and the surviving champions. I have a feeling it will involve heartbreak, and I do know it’s going to be an interminable wait for the sequel.

The Last Graduate (The Scholomance #2), By Naomi Novik ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Diversity, Fantasy, Mystery, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 28, 2021

368 Pages

Synopsis: A budding dark sorceress determined not to use her formidable powers uncovers yet more secrets about the workings of her world in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education, the start of Naomi Novik’s groundbreaking crossover series.

At the Scholomance, El, Orion, and the other students are faced with their final year—and the looming specter of graduation, a deadly ritual that leaves few students alive in its wake. El is determined that her chosen group will survive, but it is a prospect that is looking harder by the day as the savagery of the school ramps up. Until El realizes that sometimes winning the game means throwing out all the rules … (Goodreads)

A Deadly Education, the first book in Naomi Novik’s The Scholomance series, was one of my favorite books of last year. If you missed my review here’s the link: https://cadburypom.wordpress.com/2020/08/13/a-deadly-education-scholomance-1-by-naomi-novik-5-stars/

As you can see I loved everything about it and I’m thrilled to say that The Last Graduate is just as good. Picking up exactly where the previous book left off, El is frustrated by the puzzling warning her mother had snuck into her with an incoming freshman. But good news, (or not), she doesn’t have much time to spend on this because El and her friends are now seniors which means they have less than a year to figure out how to make it out of the school alive on graduation day.

All the characters from the first book return, plus there are some new ones. And their backstories are fleshed out more, so you wind up invested in what happens to more than just El, Orion, and their small circle of friends. The school, which is sentient, also has more of its history revealed, and it really becomes a character in its own right. But the biggest character development concerns El and Orion. El’s powers grow exponentially here and you can understand why so many fear what she could become. And with Orion you discover more about his somewhat disturbing hero complex. The romance between the two of the, progresses, but not until the latter half of the book. I didn’t mind this however as with all the action unfolding there’s not much time for deep meaningful relationship building. When they do finally take the next step, it’s quite passionate albeit quick.

The world building is also kicked up a notch with much more of the outside world and the politics of the enclaves being revealed. Initially while you’re reading this you might question why you need to be given all this information, when after all, the setting is the school. All I’ll say is that I think these outside factors will figure predominantly in the third and final book, so I advise readers to pay attention even if you’re tempted to skim over the geopolitical passages. Despite the plethora of information and details, the story literally flies by, until the ending, which word of warning, is a shocking cliffhanger which will leave you swearing and if you’re like me, screaming “Nooooooo!”

I cannot recommend this series highly enough! If you haven’t read A Deadly Education yet, you definitely need to do so before diving into The Last Graduate as the book provides no recap. For those who haven’t but are looking for a great magic school series with some bite, you should definitely check this out!

A Spindle Splintered, By Alix E. Harrow ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Adventure, Diversity, Fairytale Retellings, Fantasy, Humor, LGBTQ, Science Fiction

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

Release Date: October 5th, 2021

128 Pages

Synopsis: USA Today bestselling author Alix E. Harrow’s A Spindle Splintered brings her patented charm to a new version of a classic story.

“A vivid, subversive and feminist reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, where implacable destiny is no match for courage, sisterhood, stubbornness and a good working knowledge of fairy tales.” ―Katherine Arden

It’s Zinnia Gray’s twenty-first birthday, which is extra-special because it’s the last birthday she’ll ever have. When she was young, an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition. Not much is known about her illness, just that no one has lived past twenty-one.

Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia’s last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience, complete with a tower and a spinning wheel. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, just as desperate to escape her fate. (Goodreads)

A Spindle Splintered may only be 128 pages, but it packs a heck of a lot of content in that brief span. When I read this was Sleeping Beauty meets Into the Spider-Verse I was initially skeptical, but I knew if anyone could pull this off it would be Alix Harrow. I don’t want to gush, but this just ticked all my boxes.

✨Strong, smart, and relatable female characters

✨Snarky humor

✨Witty dialogue

✨A unique and imaginative plot

✨A fairytale retelling that improves upon the original

✨Loads of diversity

✨A picture perfect ending.

Best of all it gives Sleeping Beauty a long overdue feminist slant that highlights the struggles that women everywhere have to contend with. It’s all about courage, sisterhood, and sassiness, so please take my advice and preorder this immediately or put in a request to purchase at your library. I do want to warn you it mentions rape. It’s something that happened in the past to one of the characters, and it’s not graphic, but I wanted to let you know.

In a year where I’ve been blessed with some truly stupendous reads, this novella will definitely be one of my top ten favorites. I highly recommend A Spindle Splintered to readers who love fairytale retellings and even those who don’t. I guarantee you’ll fall in love with both the plot and its characters, and you’ll easily finish it in one sitting and then be disappointed that it’s over.

Under the Whispering Door, By T.J. Klune ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Diversity, Fantasy, Grief, Humor, LGBTQ Relationships, Romance, Suicide

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 21st, 2021

384 Pages

Synopsis: Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy with TJ Klune’s signature “quirk and charm” (PW) about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love withWhen a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with TJ Klune’s signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy. (Goodreads)

Last year I saw numerous rave reviews for T.J. Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, and while I still haven’t had a chance to read it, I did finally purchase it. I’ve also enjoyed the first two books in his Extraordinaires series, so I was quite excited to be approved for an eARC of Under the Whispering Door. I’m writing this review after just finishing it and I am happy to say this ticked off all of my boxes.

The characters were wonderful, starting with Wallace. Before he died he was a cold-hearted, selfish man who didn’t appear to have an empathetic bone in his body. But after his death, when he meets sassy Mei, a reaper, and she brings him to Charon’s Crossing Tea and Treats, where he’s introduced to Hugo, a ferryman, his road to redemption begins. Also residing in this strange weigh station are Hugo’s deceased dog, Apollo, and his grandfather, Nelson. It’s a quirky little family and they take hold of your heart almost instantly. The Manager is a little more frightening, as he’s very much an unknown, although near the end even he undergoes a transformation of sorts. The setting of the tea shop and its quirkier attributes is very visual and I could easily picture it in my head. This isn’t what you’d call an action-packed story, but then it’s not meant to be. By turns it’s a whimsical, heartbreaking, and thoughtful exploration of death, grief, and letting go. It’s quite unlike anything I’ve read and I can honestly say I fell in love with both the characters and the story.

Under the Whispering Door is an absolute treasure of a book that by turns will have you laughing out loud, and sobbing into a tissue. Most of all, it will leave you sad when you’ve come to the end and will remain in your mind even after you’ve moved on to other books.

The King of Infinite Space, By Lyndsay Faye ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Addiction, Adult Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Shakespeare Retelling, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 10th, 2021

432 Pages

Synopsis: In this lush, magical, queer, and feminist take on Hamlet in modern-day New York City, a neuro-atypical physicist, along with his best friend Horatio and artist ex-fiancé Lia, are caught up in the otherworldly events surrounding the death of his father.

Meet Ben Dane: brilliant, devastating, devoted, honest to a fault (truly, a fault). His Broadway theatre baron father is dead—but by purpose or accident? The question rips him apart.

Unable to face alone his mother’s ghastly remarriage to his uncle, Ben turns to his dearest friend, Horatio Patel, whom he hasn’t seen since their relationship changed forever from platonic to something…other. Loyal to a fault (truly, a fault), Horatio is on the first flight to NYC when he finds himself next to a sly tailor who portends inevitable disaster. And who seems ominously like an architect of mayhem himself.

Meanwhile, Ben’s ex-fiancé Lia, sundered her from her loved ones thanks to her addiction recovery and torn from her art, has been drawn into the fold of three florists from New Orleans—seemingly ageless sisters who teach her the language of flowers, and whose magical bouquets hold both curses and cures. For a price.

On one explosive night these kinetic forces will collide, and the only possible outcome is death. But in the masterful hands of Lyndsay Faye, the story we all know has abundant surprises in store. Impish, captivating, and achingly romantic, this is Hamlet as you’ve never seen it before. (Goodreads) 

I loved Lyndsay Faye’s Jane Steele which is an imaginative reworking of Jane Eyre, so when I saw The King of Infinite Space, which tackles one of my favorite Shakespearean tragedies, Hamlet, I unhesitatingly requested it on NetGalley. I have to admit in the beginning I started to get a little nervous. There were multiple characters, a lot of information and background being relayed, and so much going on overall, I briefly floundered trying to grasp the myriad of threads and wondered what had I gotten myself into. Thankfully, by the time I was at the 10% mark, I had been completely pulled into this magical, queer and feminist spin on the classic tale.

This is definitely a strongly character driven novel. Everyone in it is flawed, complex, and compelling. The way they love and care about each other tugged at my heartstrings and had me hoping for a happy ending despite knowing the tragic outcome of the classic it’s based on. I wasn’t as fond of Lia’s chapters as she’s off working with three mystical florists and struggling to overcome her addiction. For me I was much more invested in Ben’s and Horiatio’s as they attempt to deal with their relationship as well as solve the central mystery. Lyndsay Faye’s writing style is breathtakingly beautiful and the contemporary setting of New York City adds a further surprisingly rich layer to a concoction that’s already full to the brim of varying elements. The ending, well, if you’re familiar with Hamlet, you won’t be shocked when I warn you to have a box of tissues nearby.

In the end, The King of Infinite Space isn’t perfect, but it’s a uniquely imaginative revision that succeeds on almost every level, and will undoubtedly please a great many fans of Hamlet as well as those who haven’t read it. Best of all it’s proof that in the right hands, a retelling of even a well known classic, can bring it to life in a fresh new way.

Bright Ruined Things, By Samantha Cohoe ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Shakespeare Retelling, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 26th, 2021

352 Pages

Synopsis: ‘A deftly-plotted tale about ambition and belonging, Bright Ruined Things takes Shakespeare’s The Tempest and brilliantly reimagines its themes of family and love. Cohoe writes with a magic that dazzles and cuts right to the core.’ – Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

Forbidden magic, a family secret, and a night to reveal it all…

The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the magic on the island and the spirits who inhabit it. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal, and her crush, Miles, will finally see her. Now that she’s eighteen, Mae knows her time with the Prospers may soon come to an end.

But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends return to the island to celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether – a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what she’s always wanted.

When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae starts to realize that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers – including a secret about Mae’s past that she doesn’t remember. As Mae and her friends begin to unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospers’ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on.

In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe wonderfully mixes magic and an atmospheric historical setting into a fantastically immersive world, with characters you won’t be able to forget.

Bright Ruined Things is an imaginative retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, cleverly combined with a page-turning mystery/thriller, that had me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time I was reading. Although it’s set in the 1920s, you don’t really see much of the time period except for one party that could have been taken from The Great Gatsby, so I was slightly disappointed about that. I also didn’t exactly like Mae, but I did find her extremely interesting. She’s flawed and very complicated as are most of the characters, and it was entertaining to find out their backstories and watch how they interact with each other. If you think you’ll know what happens because you’ve read The Tempest, think again, because Cohoe includes plenty of twists in here to keep readers guessing. Bright Ruined Things is a unique, action-packed retelling full of Shakespeare-esque drama, double-dealing, and mysterious intrigue that I believe will hold a wide audience of readers spellbound.

Questland, By Carrie Vaughn ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Mystery, School Shootings, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 22nd, 2021

304 Pages

Synopsis: YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A MAZE FULL OF TWISTY PASSAGES…

Literature professor Dr. Addie Cox is living a happy, if sheltered life, in her ivory tower when Harris Lang, the famously eccentric billionaire tech genius, offers her an unusual  job. He wants her to guide a military strike team sent to infiltrate his island retreat off the northwest coast of the United States. Addie is puzzled by her role on the mission until she understands what Lang has built: Insula Mirabilis, an isolated resort where tourists will pay big bucks for a high-tech-powered, fantasy-world experience, complete with dragons, unicorns, and yes, magic.

Unfortunately, one of the island’s employees has gone rogue and activated an invisible force shield that has cut off all outside communications. A Coast Guard cutter attempting to pass through the shield has been destroyed. Suspicion falls on Dominic Brand, the project’s head designer—and Addie Cox’s ex-boyfriend. Lang has tasked Addie and the mercenary team with taking back control of the island at any cost.

But Addie is wrestling with demons of her own—and not the fantastical kind. Now she must navigate the deadly traps of Insula Mirabilis as well as her own past trauma. And no d20, however lucky, can help Addie make this saving throw. (Goodreads)

Questland is one of those books that’s a little off-the-wall, and imperfect, but is an entertaining escape from the real world. I’m not into Literary Role Playing Games or LitRPGs as they’re known, but I do LOVE fantasy, especially Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and Harry Potter, and Carrie Vaughn includes plenty of references to those. Plus, this has dragons AND unicorns in it! Need I say more?

There are a couple of things that prevent this from being a perfect read. In my opinion, the majority of characters are not well written and come across as stereotypical and in some cases, not very believable. The only two to deviate from this one-dimensional mold are a secondary character named Rucker who I disliked in the beginning, before he sneakily changed my mind, and the protagonist of the story, literature professor, Dr. Addie Cox, who fifteen years previously survived a school shooting, but helplessly watched two of her friends die. I absolutely loved her, both for her strength and vulnerability, and also for her humorous reactions to what she sees on the island. Throughout much of the book, she gets herself into situations where she has to be saved, but given that she’s suffering from PTSD, I was willing to cut her some slack. And during the second half of the book, she starts gaining more confidence in herself which was nice to watch. The story itself with its magic-mimicking technology is fascinating, and I found myself wistfully wishing to be able to go visit Insula Mirabilis. Thanks to the fast pace that leads to an ending which wraps everything up nice and neatly, I finished this in one sitting.

I’ll be honest and say that I don’t think Questland is one of Vaughn’s best books, but it’s fun nonetheless and I’m happy I read it. I think my fellow fantasy geeks would enjoy this as well. As for me, now I really, REALLY want a dragon!

Lost In the Never Woods, By Aiden Thomas ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Alcoholism, Anxiety, Death of a child, Dysfunctional Families, Fantasy, Gun Violence, Mystery, PTSD, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Swoon Reads for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 23rd, 2021

384 Pages

Synopsis: When children go missing, people want answers. When children go missing in the small coastal town is Astoria, people look to Wendy for answers.

It’s been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy in the middle of the road, and gets pulled into the mystery haunting the town.

Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, claims that if they don’t do something, the missing children will meet the same fate as her brothers. In order to find them and rescue the missing kids, Wendy must confront what’s waiting for her in the woods. (Goodreads)

For someone who didn’t particularly care for the original Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie, I’ve read my fair share of retellings, some good, others not so much. Lost In the Never Woods gives the oft-told fantasy an entirely imaginative albeit extremely dark spin, that completely captured my attention from beginning to end. As always, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I have to warn you that there are themes here that some readers may find difficult, including: PTSD, anxiety, death of children, and gun violence.

This is one of the very few times I actually liked the character of Peter Pan. He has that cavalier nonchalance at times, that I’ve found in previous stories, but I wasn’t annoyed by it like I usually am, because underneath that facade is a much deeper and complex personality. Indeed, this is a Peter who really does take his responsibilities to both Neverland and the Lost Children, seriously. And, once he realizes what has put everything in danger, he’s willing to sacrifice himself. I also loved Wendy, who’s written much differently here then how she’s been depicted in other retellings. While she struggles with memory loss and PTSD from her ordeal, she’s a fierce fighter, yet also retains that maternal side the classic Wendy displayed. When Peter drops back into Wendy’s life, he appears to be a few years younger than Wendy, which gave me a moment’s pause, as their relationship obviously is heading for romance. Thankfully, for readers’ sensibilities, the darkness that is behind the children’s disappearance, is also in part, responsible for the draining of Peter’s magic, and results in him aging, so by the time his and Wendy’s relationship reaches the kissing stage, he’s about eighteen-years-old as she is. Their relationship is the driving force behind everything that happens, so it was important that the author made Peter and Wendy believable and relatable, and I’m happy to say Aiden Thomas delivered in spades. As for the story itself, it’s different than any other retelling I’ve read. You don’t see much of Neverland, except through Wendy’s memories. There’s no Tinkerbell, and no Captain Hook. In fact, the villain is someone who innocuously appears in the original classic, but here, takes on epic evil proportions. Thomas also skillfully blends in other original characters and elements from the original, such as the Darling’s Saint Bernard Nana, and Wendy’s talent with sewing. If you’re familiar with Peter Pan, you won’t find it surprising that this doesn’t have a perfect happily-ever-after, yet the bittersweet finale is really the only way the story could end, and leaves the characters as well as the reader with a satisfying sense of peace and closure.

I absolutely loved Thomas’s debut, Cemetery Boys so Lost In the Never Woods has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2021, and I was not disappointed. I will even go so far as to predict  this will most likely be one of my favorite reads of this year. I highly and enthusiastically recommend this for older teens and adults who love imaginative fantasy retellings!

Dark Whispers (Brightstorm #2), By Vashti Hardy ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Fantasy, Middle School Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 16th, 2021

416 Pages

Synopsis: The ragtag crew of Captain Harriet Culpepper, is off on another adventure! Ermitage Wrigglesworth, the notable explorer and author, has been reported missing in Stella Oceanus to the east. Twins Arthur and Maudie are eager to answer the call of adventure to find him, but their old nemesis and newly discovered aunt, Eudora Vane, is also on the hunt. As Lontown’s most famous explorer families set sail aboard their sky-ships, it soon becomes clear that Eudora’s not just after the missing explorer. There’s a secret she’s chasing, something Wrigglesworth had discovered before he vanished, something that definitely shouldn’t be in Eudora Vane’s hands. The Aurora’s crew will have to journey to uncover Wrigglesworth’s secret first, and will discover new lands and new friends along the way… (Goodreads)

Darkwhispers is the sequel to last year’s Brightstorm, and in my humble opinion, an equally brilliant middle school fantasy/science fiction novel, that’s perfect for fans of authors like Philip Pullman. It’s filled with exciting adventure just as the previous book was, with familiar characters and intriguing new ones.

In this entry, the twins each begin to set forth on their own paths and you can just begin to glimpse the remarkable adults they’ll develop into. The mystery itself is a fun and twisty one, especially when the villainous Eudora Vane gets involved. I especially appreciated the additional insight provided, through the memories of her relationship with the twins mother. It made me somewhat sympathetic toward her, although that was temporary. A beloved character meets their demise, but even that was handled imaginatively.

I grew fearful near the end that perhaps this was going to finish as a duology, which had me deeply disappointed, because I’ve grown quite attached to Maudie, Arthur, Harriet, and the rest of the crew of the Aurora, but something occured in the last couple of pages that has me thinking there will be another book. I cannot recommend Brightstorm and Darkwhispers enough. They’re creative, unique, and although technically written for upper elementary through middle school readers, are bound to appeal to adult readers who enjoy these genres as well. They truly are a perfect escape that you will find yourself easily lost in!

The Iron Raven (The Iron Fey: Evenfall #1), Julie Kagawa ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 9th, 2021

336 Pages

Synopsis: You may have heard of me…

Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool…King Oberon’s right-hand jester from a Midsummer’s Night Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat to the lands of Faery and the human world unlike any before.

With the Iron Queen, Meghan Chase, and her prince consort, Puck’s longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or forgotten.

I really enjoyed Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, so I’ve been eagerly looking forward to The Iron Raven, the first book in this new trilogy. I do advise that anyone who hasn’t read the previous series do so before reading this, because although you won’t be lost, I think you’ll still find something missing if you’re not already familiar with the world and characters Kagawa has created.

I’ve been fascinated with Robin Goodfellow/Puck since I read Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in high school, and I liked Kagawa’s take on him in the Iron Fey series. Unsurprisingly, he is my favorite part in this book. Finally granting center stage to the clever mischief maker is marvelous, and getting a glimpse of his beginnings adds an insightful layer to his background. As of right now, I’m missing a certain amount of chemistry between Puck and his new love interest, Nyx, but their relationship is just developing so I’m withholding judgement.

As Iron Raven picks up from the first series, it’s delightful to see familiar figures return as well as the introduction of new ones. Kagawa’s writing is as always, beautifully descriptive and immediately swept me back in the world of the Fey. I do feel there are a few sections that are slightly repetitive and slow, but overall this is a solid beginning to to this new trilogy and I believe longtime fans of Kagawa will be quite pleased.