The Violent Season, By Sara Waters ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Death of a parent, Mental Illness, Mystery, Romance, Sexual Assault, Suicide, Suspense, Toxic Relationships, Trauma, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an ARC In exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 5th, 2021

320 Pages

Synopsis: An unputdownable debut about a town marred by violence, a girl ruined by grief, and the harsh reality about what makes people decide to hurt each other. The Violent Season is a searing, unforgettable, and thrilling novel that belongs on shelf with Sadie and Girl in Pieces.

Every November, the people in Wolf Ridge are overwhelmed with a hunger for violence–at least that’s the town rumor. Last fall Wyatt Green’s mother was brutally murdered, convincing Wyatt that this yearning isn’t morbid urban legend. but rather a palpable force infecting her neighbors.

This year, Wyatt fears the call of violence has spread to her best friend Cash–who also happens to be the guy she can’t stop wanting no matter how much he hurts her. At the same time, she’s drawn to Cash’s nemesis Porter, now that they’re partners on an ambitious project for lit class. When Wyatt pulls away from Cash, and spends more time with Porter, she learns secrets about both of them she can’t forget.

And as the truth about her mother’s death begins to emerge from the shadows, Wyatt is faced with a series of hard realities about the people she trusts the most, rethinking everything she believes about what makes people decide to hurt each other. (Goodreads)

Sarah Walter’s debut, The Violent Season, isn’t perfect, but it is a compulsive and memorable read that will appeal to many YA fans.

Wyatt and her self-destructive behavior had me wanting to both hug her and slap her throughout the book. Her toxic relationship with Cash is cringeworthy at times, but despite being 56-years-old I do remember being a teenager and having a friend in somewhat similar circumstances. That said, some of her actions are over-the-top melodramatic and difficult to understand. Cash, as the “bad boy” of the story, I wish had been developed a little more. After finding out a little of his family history, I needed to know more about what made him tick, particularly as more of the mystery began to be revealed. Porter, the third in the love triangle, I actually liked the best. I was half expecting him to be the blandly popular jock persona you find so often in YA fiction, but he was surprisingly complex. 

The mystery itself is a little predictable in someways and I figured out the identity of the main villain fairly early on. However, the twisty path getting to the answers kept me turning the pages and I easily finished this in two sittings. The ending tied everything up neatly, but because I grew to care about Wyatt I found myself wishing for it to be fleshed out a little more.

Overall, The Violent Season, has much to recommend about it including the realistic way it tackles some of its darker themes such as: death of a parent, drug use, toxic relationships, sexual assault, self harm, mental illness, trauma, and suicide. If I were still a children’s/YA librarian, this would be a book I’d definitely be adding to our collection for those 14+.

These Deadly Games, By Diana Urban ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Gaming, Mystery, Thriller, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: February 1st, 2022

416 Pages

Synopsis: Let’s play a game.

You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies.

Are you ready?

When Crystal Donavan gets a message on a mysterious app with a video of her little sister gagged and bound, she agrees to play the kidnapper’s game. At first, they make her complete bizarre tasks: steal a test and stuff it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call.

But then Crystal realizes each task is meant to hurt—and kill—her friends, one by one. But if she refuses to play, the kidnapper will kill her sister. Is someone trying to take her team out of the running for a gaming tournament? Or have they uncovered a secret from their past, and wants them to pay for what they did…

As Crystal makes the impossible choices between her friends and her sister, she must uncover the truth and find a way to outplay the kidnapper… before it’s too late.

Author of All Your Twisted Secrets, Diana Urban’s explosive sophomore novel, These Deadly Games, will keep you riveted until the final twist is revealed. (Goodreads)

These Deadly Games is another buzzy upcoming book making the rounds, and while I had a couple of issues with it I sped through it in three hours.

Let me get the negatives out of the way. I had a difficult time connecting to most of the characters, especially Crystal. Most of them were a bit obnoxious in one way or another, although I did warm up to a couple the further I got into the story and learned more about them. Crystal was especially difficult because adding to that was some poor decision making on her part. However, given that she’s sixteen, and put into an impossible situation I tried not to be too judgemental. And, as is usually the case with unsympathetic characters, they can make great suspects, which is what happens here. Up until the halfway point of the story I had pegged the role of the villain on everyone, including Crystal. Although I did deduce who it was well before the big reveal, it was still interesting because of all the unknown particulars. What makes me give this 4 stars though is the unique action-packed storyline and all the twists. All too often I’ve gone into a book that’s billed as a thriller only to find that it barely fits into the suspense genre. This story is a thriller in every sense, and I was absolutely glued to the pages as Crystal careened from one tormenting game to another, while at the same time desperately trying to unmask her tormentor. The ending when it came, unveiled a few last surprises that left me quite happy with the few hours I spent reading.

Overall, despite the mainly unlikable cast, I really enjoyed These Deadly Games. In her acknowledgments, Diana Urban mentions that her film agent is championing this in Hollywood, which isn’t surprising to me because I couldn’t help thinking what a fantastic movie or series this would make. If you love thrilling cat-and-mouse tales, I highly recommend this!

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.

Shattered Midnight (The Mirror #2), By Dhonielle Clayton ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

1920s, Historical Fantasy, LGBTQ, New Orleans, Racism, Romance, Segregation, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 5th, 2021

304 Pages

Synopsis: The Mirror: Shattered Midnight is the second novel in the innovative four-book fairy-tale series written by Julie C. Dao, Dhonielle Clayton, J.C. Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney, following one family over several generations, and the curse that plagues it.

Zora Broussard has arrived in New Orleans with not much more than a bag of clothes, a beautiful voice, and a pair of enchanted red shoes. Running from a tragic accident caused by her magic, Zora wants nothing more than to blend in, as well as to avoid her overbearing aunt and mean-spirited cousins. Music becomes Zora’s only means of escape, yet she wonders if she should give it all up to remove the powers that make her a target, especially as a Black woman in the South.

But when Zora gets the chance to perform in a prominent jazz club, she meets a sweet white pianist named Phillip with magic of his own, including a strange mirror that foretells their future together. Falling into a forbidden love, Zora and Phillip must keep their relationship a secret. And soon the two discover the complicated connection between their respective families, a connection that could lead to catastrophe for them both. In the era of segregation and speakeasies, Zora must change her destiny and fight for the one she loves . . . or risk losing everything. (Goodreads)

I loved the first book in The Mirror series: Broken Wish, by Julie C. Dao, so much that I have to admit I was a little nervous that Shattered Midnight wouldn’t be able to match it even though I’ve enjoyed Dhonielle Clayton’s previous books. After racing through this in under three hours I’m thrilled to say that my fears were entirely unfounded.

Here’s a quick recap: The Mirror series is to be compromised of four books by some of today’s most popular YA authors that follow a multigenerational family who possess a magical heirloom, but are also dogged by a devastating curse. Broken Wish beautifully kicked things off in 1865 Hanau, Germany. Shattered Midnight skips to 1928 New Orleans and while the previous tale was more fairytale in nature, this is more of a historical fantasy with a slight nod to Cinderella, and a dash of Romeo and Juliet.

I found everything in this book perfectly crafted, from the sultry setting of New Orleans in the Jazz Age, with its colorful speakeasies and darker side of racism, segregation, and mob-run bootlegging operations, to how magic has continued to be passed down through Zora’s family. And the characters are so well developed I half expected them to pop out from my tablet fully formed. I absolutely adored Zora and felt her pain and confusion over the power of her magic. Likewise, her feelings of fear and resentment regarding the racism that was such a prevalent part of society. Phillip is a wonderful partner for her in both music and romance and I found myself hoping against hope that their relationship would somehow defy expectations and prevail. The entire story is filled with suspense not only regarding the curse, but also the ever present danger looming over Zora and Phillip should their romance be discovered. When the ending came, well, let me just say that unsurprisingly it’s not your typical happy ending, but it does leave you with hope.

The Mirror series is shaping up to be one of my favorites in my many, many years of reading YA fiction. Shattered Midnight is a picture perfect example of exquisite storytelling that I guarantee will pull you in and not let go until you’ve reached the very end. Even if you don’t usually read YA, I HIGHLY recommend these books if you love fairytales and fantasy with exciting storylines and characters who tug at your heartstrings. The next book, Fractured Path, by J.C. Cervantes, is to be set in 1965 San Francisco. Unfortunately it’s not coming out until July 2022. It’s going to be extremely difficult to wait that long!

The Witch Haven, By Sasha Peyton Smith ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Attempted Sexual Assault, Diversity, Historical Fantasy, LGBTQ, Mystery, New York City, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 31st, 2021

448 Pages

The Last Magician meets The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy in this thrilling and atmospheric historical fantasy following a young woman who discovers she has magical powers and is thrust into a battle between witches and wizards.

In 1911 New York City, seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress, mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior. Everything changes when she’s attacked and a man ends up dead at her feet—her scissors in his neck, and she can’t explain how they got there.

Before she can be condemned as a murderess, two cape-wearing nurses arrive to inform her she is deathly ill and ordered to report to Haxahaven Sanitarium. But Frances finds Haxahaven isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a school for witches. Within Haxahaven’s glittering walls, Frances finds the sisterhood she craves, but the headmistress warns Frances that magic is dangerous. Frances has no interest in the small, safe magic of her school, and is instead enchanted by Finn, a boy with magic himself who appears in her dreams and tells her he can teach her all she’s been craving to learn, lessons that may bring her closer to discovering what truly happened to her brother.

Frances’s newfound power attracts the attention of the leader of an ancient order who yearns for magical control of Manhattan. And who will stop at nothing to have Frances by his side. Frances must ultimately choose what matters more, justice for her murdered brother and her growing feelings for Finn, or the safety of her city and fellow witches. What price would she pay for power, and what if the truth is more terrible than she ever imagined? (Goodreads)

The Witch Haven is the first book in a planned duology, and what a grand debut it is. If you’re thinking this is another tale relying on the same old ubiquitous magical boarding school trope, let me disabuse you that notion quickly. While Haxahaven is a school of sorts for female and non-binary witches of all ages, including adults, it’s less about teaching girls and women to embrace their power, and more about hiding and controlling it to fit in with the misogynistic New York of 1911. 

Frances is a headstrong seventeen-year-old who suddenly comes into her power when the owner of the shop she works in attempts to sexually assault her. After killing him by accident she thinks she’s landed in a sanctuary when she’s brought to Haxahaven, but while she and her new friends and classmates are being bored to their wits ends with lessons teaching them how to use magic for ordinary household chores, the school and its headmistress are hiding dark and dangerous secrets. In addition, Frances is desperate to discover who murdered her brother William and why, and although she’s a highly intelligent young woman, her emotions tend to get the better of her and she makes some rather foolish decisions that not only put her life in danger, but others as well. Despite this, I wound up liking and connecting with her, even when a few of her actions had me groaning. The other integral characters are interesting and each have unique qualities which add to the story. I especially liked Lena, who as a Native American child was forcibly separated from her family and put in a government-run school. Her plight is timely in light of the recent news stories regarding boarding schools for indigenous children in Canada, which has caused the U.S. to again re-examine its own shameful past. There is a love triangle but if you’re like me and can’t stand this particular plot device, rest assured that there’s not a lot of time spent on it.

The setting is very atmospheric and 1911 New York City is vividly brought to life in all its dark grittiness through Smith’s detailing of the rampant misogyny, abhorrent child labor, sweatshops and suffragette movement. Even the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is brought up. 

There are several twists, and while I correctly guessed a couple, the answer to the central mystery: who killed William and what was their motive, eluded me until shortly before the reveal. The ending is quite shocking and sets the stage perfectly for the next book.

The Witch Haven truly is a fascinating read, and if you choose to try it I believe you’ll find it a challenge to put down once you’ve begun reading. If you enjoy historical fantasies with flawed yet strong female characters, and like authors such as Libba Bray, I enthusiastically encourage you to pick this up.

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!

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche (Enola Holmes #7), By Nancy Springer ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Historical Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Suspense, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: August 31st, 2021

272 Pages

Synopsis: Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of her more famous brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. But she has all the wits, skills, and sleuthing inclinations of them both. At fifteen, she’s an independent young woman–after all, her name spelled backwards reads ‘alone’–and living on her own in London. When a young professional woman, Miss Letitia Glover, shows up on Sherlock’s doorstep, desperate to learn more about the fate of her twin sister, it is Enola who steps up. It seems her sister, the former Felicity Glover, married the Earl of Dunhench and per a curt note from the Earl, has died. But Letitia Glover is convinced this isn’t the truth, that she’d know–she’d feel–if her twin had died.

The Earl’s note is suspiciously vague and the death certificate is even more dubious, signed it seems by a John H. Watson, M.D. (who denies any knowledge of such). The only way forward is for Enola to go undercover–or so Enola decides at the vehement objection of her brother. And she soon finds out that this is not the first of the Earl’s wives to die suddenly and vaguely–and that the secret to the fate of the missing Felicity is tied to a mysterious black barouche that arrived at the Earl’s home in the middle of the night. To uncover the secrets held tightly within the Earl’s hall, Enola is going to require help–from Sherlock, from the twin sister of the missing woman, and from an old friend, the young Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether. (Goodreads)

After eleven long years, the indomitable Enola Eudoria Heddassa Holmes returns in Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, and oh my goodness, what a glorious, spectacular return it is! Whereas in the previous books the feisty younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft was at odds with her brothers, in this go around the fifteen-year-old and Sherlock team up to solve this latest mystery. If you haven’t read the previous six books, never fear, Sherlock’s prologue sums everything up quite succinctly. As for longtime fans of the series, you will be happy to see that Enola continues to grow both as a person and as a detective who, if this series continues, may just wind up outshining her older brothers. While she still is inclined toward getting herself into trouble due to her impulsive nature, she manages to outdo Sherlock more than once, and you can see that future promise there.

Nancy Springer brings 1889 London and Surrey vividly to life with the prose, clothing, settings, and social norms, all which seemed to me quite accurate. There are also some darker, disturbing scenes involving the mental institutions of the period and how easy it was to have women locked up on the most absurd of pretexts. There aren’t many twists to this mystery, but that doesn’t matter because the story and characters are so entertaining. Further livening up the plot are the numerous instances of humor which more than once had me chuckling out loud. The ending sums everything up perfectly and Sherlock’s epilogue leaves the door open for an eighth entry.

While Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, like the previous books in this series is technically written for tweens and young teens, if you’re an adult who loves rollicking, well-written historical mysteries with strong female characters, witty banter, and fast, entertaining plots, I honestly can’t sing this book’s praises highly enough! While I thoroughly enjoyed the Netflix adaptation of Enola Holmes, and I’m looking forward to the sequel, I hope Springer’s upcoming book heralds a continuation of this brilliant series.

The Monarchs (The Ravens #2), By Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: January 11th, 2022

448 Pages

Synopsis: In this thrilling conclusion to New York Times best-selling authors Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige’s The Ravens, the sorority witches are tested when a rival threatens to usurp their place on campus and the forces of hell come knocking on their door.

The sorority girls at Kappa Rho Nu—the Ravens—are determined to restore balance to the world. After destroying an ancient talisman and barely saving their sorority in the process, they’ll go to any lengths to keep their secret as Westerly’s most powerful coven of witches.

Scarlett Winter, a legacy Raven, has finally gotten what she’s always wanted: the Kappa Rho Nu presidency. After the disaster that killed the sorority’s last president, Scarlett is determined that no sister will fall under the sway of wicked magic ever again. But the powers of the presidency have their own pitfalls—and Scarlett has big shoes to fill.

Vivi Devereaux, a freshman, finally knows what it feels like to belong. For the first time ever, she’s got it all: her Kappa Rho Nu sisters and a sweet (and hot) boyfriend. When Scarlett assigns Vivi the coveted role of social chair, Vivi is determined to live up to her Big’s expectations—even if that means dabbling in a new form of magic.

Unbeknownst to the Ravens, new rivals and ancient evils lurk on Westerly’s campus. With Kappa Rho Nu’s future on their shoulders and their pasts still haunting them, will Scarlett and Vivi be able to save their sisterhood once again? (Goodreads)

The Monarchs has a couple of minor hiccups, but is an ultimately entertaining and satisfying conclusion to The Ravens duology.

Picking up where The Ravens left off, both Scarlett and Vivi are still dealing with the aftershocks of the shocking betrayal by one of their friends which resulted in two deaths. Adding to the trauma of this are the self-doubts that continue to plague them. Scarlett is desperately trying to live up to her family’s legacy, and Vivi is trying to prove that she is a powerful witch in her own right. Unfortunately, it’s both girls’ insecurities that almost bring down their entire sisterhood.

In The Ravens, it was Scarlett who I initially had trouble connecting with due to her cold and stand-offish personality. In the end that turned out to be a mask she wore in public in order to hide her vulnerability. In this sequel I liked her much more as she struggles to prove herself worthy as the president and protector of Kappa Rho Nu. Her romance with Jackson definitely hits a rough patch due to actions she took at the end of the first book, as well as from circumstances beyond her control, but in the end, while they don’t exactly walk off into the sunset together, there’s a rapprochement between the two of them which leads one to hope that they will stay together.

Vivi, for me, was the biggest disappointment. I loved her in the opening book, but here she just annoyed me terribly as she repeatedly made immature and frankly, idiotic decisions. I tried to have sympathy for her as she was dealing with multiple issues, but by the time I had reached the halfway point, I was ready to wash my hands of her. The romance between her and Mason, while initially strong, winds up fizzling into the background here as Vivi pushes him aside in her quest to prove herself. Thankfully she does redeem herself in the end, but overall she’s the weakest link in the story.

The plot itself does an excellent job at further developing this magical world, and introduces a new although somewhat predictable villain. Once again, there are no easy way outs, and sacrifices have to be made in order to defeat this new evil. The story unfolds at a brisk pace from the very beginning to the conclusion that happily leaves no loose ends.

There’s no doubt in my mind that The Monarchs will please readers who enjoyed The Ravens. It’s definitely not a standalone though, so if you’re interested in reading this, I advise you pick up its predecessor first. Otherwise, after reading and enjoying both books in this duology, I’m hoping this isn’t the last collaboration between Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige as I feel they make a formidable writing team.

 

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.

I Am Margaret Moore, By Hannah Capin ~ 2.0 Stars

Tags

LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

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

Release: October 12th, 2021

320 Pages

Synopsis: Lyrical and haunting, Hannah Capin’s I Am Margaret Moore is a paranormal thriller that tests the hold of sisterhood and truth.

I am a girl. I am a monster, too.

Each summer the girls of Deck Five come back to Marshall Naval School. They sail on jewel-blue waters; they march on green drill-fields; they earn sunburns and honors. They push until they break apart and heal again, stronger.

Each summer Margaret and Rose and Flor and Nisreen come back to the place where they are girls, safe away from the world: sisters bound by something more than blood.

But this summer everything has changed. Girls are missing and a boy is dead. It’s because of Margaret Moore, the boys say. It’s because of what happened that night in the storm.

Margaret’s friends vanish one by one, swallowed up into the lies she has told about what happened between her and a boy with the world at his feet. Can she unravel the secrets of this summer and last, or will she be pulled under by the place she once called home?

I really enjoyed Hannah Capin’s Foul is Fair, which is a clever modernization of Macbeth, so I was quite excited when I saw I Am Margaret Moore offered on NetGalley. Unfortunately, this didn’t work quite as well for me.

First, this was written in almost a prose style, and while I have liked that form of writing in various books, including in Foul is Fair, here the chapters are short and uneven instead of flowing and lyrical. I also found the symbolism vague and confusing which didn’t help. The multiple timelines were difficult to follow and made me scratch my head even more, and, as much as I tried I found it impossible to connect with any of the characters. None of them had backstories which were developed in any meaningful way, and because of this wound up completely unmemorable. The twist was predictable, but I did like the ending and it wrapped everything up neatly, however that wasn’t enough to save the story for me.

Although I Am Margaret Moore didn’t live up to my expectations, I’ll still give Capin’s next book a try. As always, I’d advise anyone whose intrigued by the premise, to check out other reviewers’ thoughts and not just mine.