Review: Winterwood

Winterwood
by Shea Earnshaw

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: November 5th, 2019

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw, is an intoxicating, fantastical thriller and murder mystery. This book is an absolute page turner and will entice readers from beginning to end. For people who enjoyed books such as Wildwood, the Witch’s Boy, Summer & Bird and The Apothecary, this novel is perfect for you. 

The protagonist Nora, is a young woman struggling with her identity as “normal” in a family filled with witches. Nora’s situation is further complicated when she finds a boy named Oliver, half frozen, lying in the woods. With his help, Nora begins to unravel her own past, as well as the mystery to how Oliver ended up stranded in the forest. This book thrills the reader from beginning to end; not one page is uninteresting. I highly recommend this book to readers of all different ages, genres, and authors; Winterwood is enjoyable for all.

                                                                      

Review: Wicked Fox

Wicked Fox
by Kat Cho

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin
Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Written in a fresh voice, WICKED FOX by Kat Cho is a book unlike many others in the urban fantasy genre. By combining the lushness of ancient Korean mythology with the innovation of modern Seoul, Cho spins a tale of both romance and action through Miyoung’s and Jihoon’s stories.

Miyoung would be just like any other girl… except she is a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Taking Seoul as her hunting grounds, she survives by tracking down the worst men she can find to kill every full moon. This sets her apart from other characters because even though she can be considered a “bad person” for doing this, she specifically kills vile men she knows deserve death, and relishes in it. A quality like this sets her up to be the antihero of the story, something which not many recent urban fantasy books have. Yet Cho makes readers question this judgment through Miyoung’s actions that set her far apart from the typical YA antihero.

One full moon while feeding, Miyoung finds Jihoon being attacked by a goblin in the forest. Deciding to save him from a certain death, she exposes herself to him and loses her fox bead in the process. By saving him, she breaks every rule she knows, but does it regardless. Now with her fox bead missing, the very thing that holds her gumiho soul, Miyoung must team up with Jihoon before a generation-old feud is reignited. This will interest readers because Miyoung didn’t save Jihoon and risk her life out of love, like most other fantasy characters. Without spoiling why, I found this to be a fresh aspect to the urban fantasy genre, especially since Jihoon doesn’t start the book in the most favorable way. Characterized from the start as a cocky and idiotic school boy, he is not at all what readers would typically root for. And yet, Cho is able to build both him and Miyoung up into something more than the stereotypes that people often have about characters like them.

Cho continues with the tradition of fighting urban fantasy stereotypes until the end of the book. Reestablishing what it means to be an urban fantasy writer, she gives readers a story of two people who were never meant for greatness. Though Miyoung’s stakes do sound similar to many other characters' as she must choose between her immortal life and Jihoon’s, her story is much more than just that. If you are looking for a diverse modern-day urban fantasy that puts a spin on typical YA elements, WICKED FOX is the book for you.

Review: The Hound of Rowan

The Hound of Rowan
by Henry H. Neff

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 25, 2007

I’d highly recommend the HOUND OF ROWAN, the first in Henry H. Neff’s Tapestry series. The book follows Max McDaniels as magic suddenly invades his life, forcing him to go to Rowan Academy, where he and those like him learn to use their powers. However, don’t let the standard plot structure fool you, as even with my own nostalgia about the book notwithstanding, Neff intricately creates a one-of-a-kind world, unlike anything I’ve ever read. By weaving together myths and legends from all over the world with little bits of technology, Neff is sure to entertain any reader that picks up THE HOUND OF ROWAN.

Review: Through the White Wood

Through the White Wood
by Jessica Leake

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: April 9, 2019

THROUGH THE WHITE WOOD takes place in a world similar to our own recent past with a few key differences: superpowers and occasional magic. When Katya’s powers intensify beyond her control, she is outcast by her village and turned over to the Prince, who has an evil reputation. Katya befriends others with powers, and they help her try to gain control over her own. I really enjoyed this book. As one who loves reading about people with superpowers, the plot was not too shocking and was a bit predictable, but it was still a really enjoyable story. 

Review: The Red Scrolls of Magic

The Red Scrolls of Magic
by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: April 9, 2019

Set between the events of CITY OF GLASS and CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS, THE RED SCROLLS OF MAGIC follows the warlock Magnus Bane and his Shadowhunter boyfriend Alec Lightwood through their trip across Europe. Finally together despite the odds, all Magnus wants is to treat Alec to the vacation he deserves. But when rumors begin to circulate that Magnus founded the demon-worshipping cult the Crimson Hand, Magnus and Alec must leave their vacation behind to track down the cult before they can cause any damage. As demons follow their every step and deadly secrets are revealed, both Magnus and Alec must find a way to dismantle the cult before they destroy the world—and their relationship—for good.

I can’t think of a single thing that I did not like about this book. Starting with the obvious, this book was a welcome return to one of The Mortal Instruments’ power couples, Magnus and Alec. After the original series ended, many readers assumed that CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE would be the last we saw of the two of them together, but this book proves that wrong. Giving each of the boys their own point of view, the authors make sure to not only continue with what the original story has created, but to also reestablish their relationship and character traits in a way that doesn’t jolt readers who haven’t picked up the series for a while. One of the main ways the authors did this was by providing enough details to keep readers unconfused while recharacterizing both Magnus and Alec through various quirks in their internal dialogue, and by having them do/say certain things. I really appreciated this as I myself haven’t read any of the The Mortal Instruments books in a while and was afraid that I would be confused. But through the authors’ recharacterization and description, they avoided any confusion that a reader could possibly have.

THE RED SCROLLS OF MAGIC also marked the return of one of my favorite things about Clare’s writing: her plot. Paced not too fast and not too slow, I loved how Clare and Chu included just the right amount of fun and seriousness to make this book shine. What I mean by this is that books often contain a multitude of jokes to keep with the lightheadedness of some of their characters. But what often happens with this is the author can get too heavy-handed with the jokes and the book can lose its seriousness. I’ve seen this happen many times, and yet never has this happened in any of Clare’s work. Though she does have a lovable cast of always joking characters, the most obvious in this book being Magnus Bane, she still masterfully creates an atmosphere of tense joking throughout the book. Readers will be impressed with how she manages to maintain this through her serious plot to keep readers both invested in the action and mystery of the book, but not bored from lack of fun.

Overall, THE RED SCROLLS OF MAGIC is a book that no Shadowhunter Chronicles fan should miss out on. THE RED SCROLLS OF MAGIC will keep fans both old and new entertained for hours on end.

Review: The Devouring Gray

The Devouring Gray
by Christine Lynn Herman

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: April 2, 2019

While I was initially unsure due to the ridiculous name and the fairly standard cover of the book, THE DEVOURING GRAY by Christine Lynn Herman has impressed me beyond belief. Set in “Four Paths, New York,” the book follows three people from each of the town’s four founding families as they deal with “the Gray” 一a dimension that not only gives the founders their power but also imprisons a terrible monster一 and with a web of secrets and lies that will affect both their families and the entire town. Almost every aspect of the book is superb; the characters, with the exception being the terrifying presence of "the Beast" 一 the unseen creature trapped in the Gray一 all feel human, flawed yet unforgettable. The book's small town setting feels fully fleshed out, and in combination with the plot and the excellent writing, leaves you hungry for more. The writing does this the best of all, however, and the book never once left me bored. On the whole, I can’t recommend THE DEVOURING GRAY enough, and I’m eager to see not only a sequel, but also what Christine Lynn Herman writes after this amazing debut.

Review: Four Dead Queens

Four Dead Queens
by Astrid Scholte

Publisher: Putnam Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 26, 2019

The breathtaking standalone debut of Astrid Scholte, FOUR DEAD QUEENS, tells the story of Keralie Corrington, a thief (called a dipper), for Mackiel, an influential businessman who deals in all things black market. Tasked with stealing anything not found in their quadrant, Keralie flourishes in the job that was seemingly meant for her. But when Keralie intercepts a comm disk from another quadrant, things don’t go as perfectly as she hopes as she watches the deaths of Quadra’s four queens. Hoping to find the culprit as a way of leveraging the palace, she teams up with Varin, the messenger she stole from, to track them down. But with time against them, and Keralie’s old boss following their every move, victory may be harder than they thought.

Only one word could describe how I felt about this book: wow. I was completely blown away with the sheer beauty of this world Scholte has created. Told in immaculate detail, not one aspect of this story was left underdeveloped or without resolve, with everything wrapping up nicely. This is especially notable because FOUR DEAD QUEENS is a standalone (unfortunately), something we rarely see in fantasy. Not that FOUR DEAD QUEENS is exclusively fantasy, as it includes a murder-mystery spin filled with the air of a thriller and the technology of a sci-fi, making it truly genre-bending. But this is far from the only reason why FOUR DEAD QUEENS is a book that demands to be read. 

I was immediately sucked into Keralie’s story from page one as she hid in a corner conspiring with Mackiel. As her story continued, that level of engagement never ceased. I was truly experiencing the golden domes and dark corners of Quarda with Keralie. Whenever I had to put this book down, I instantly felt myself longing to pick it back up, its allure constant and undying. Everything seemed to be alive in Scholte’s world, with not a single thing coming off as flat or half-baked. 

But of course, no description would be good without the world it was based on. Scholte made sure to deliver this with ease. The world of Quadra was complete and filled to the brim with so much detail that it felt real. I loved how much effort the author put into making each of Quadra’s four quadrants, laws, and technology so real. Like wondering which Hogwarts house people belong too, readers will wonder which Quadrant they would hope to call their home. Some will fall in love with Toria, the trade quadrant filled with curiosity and exploration, or Archia, the agricultural quadrant that emphasizes simplicity and nature. Others will wish to be in Ludia amongst all the passion and entertainment their quadrant has to offer, or Eonia where futuristic technologies are integrated into every part of their stoic and harmonious lives. Either way, once someone is born into a quadrant, they have little opportunity to leave again. This is just one of the laws that dictate the way the queens must rule Quadra, separate but together. These are laws that rule almost as much as the queens do, strict but for the good of the people. Readers will be happy to know that these laws are not just one-off tidbits to help embellish the plot a bit, but important to the progression of the story and fully integrated. I never thought that I would find myself caring so much about a book’s law system until I read FOUR DEAD QUEENS. Combined with the absolutely amazing technology, readers will wonder just how many twists Scholte has planned. 

To navigate these twists, Scholte created a cast of utterly unique characters to run free. Her main character, Keralie, is a girl of bravery yet anxiousness, both trying to do her best to please those in her life, but also unsure if she even can. She is the type of girl who appears tough and faultless, but later reveals that she is full of depth and care. The reader would never expect to fall for her in the span of just one book, but they do without a second’s doubt. There was so much about Keralie that I loved. From her sass, to her badass-ness, to the fact that her backstory is not at all what you would typically find in a fantasy. Everything about her was amazing. And it wasn’t just her who was well thought out, with all the other characters receiving the same type of care. Readers will fall in love with Varin, with his slow-to-warm-up cuddliness and pure-of-heart attitude and Mackiel, who knows what he wants and goes for it. Each of these supporting characters have fears and drives and backstories as well-thought out as Keralie's. These were characters with many sides to them.

And of course, with all these aspects going for it, the plot was nothing less than hypnotizing. It was both fast-paced and filled with enough detail that you won’t get whiplash. Bursting with political intrigue, romance, and a murder mystery twist, it is not a book that will let readers down. Most of all, it contained something that every reader can enjoy. From good old-fashioned thievery and sneaking through a grand palace, to technological contraptions and badass fight scenes, to the intricate mystery that readers will struggle to piece together with Keralie and Varin, there isn’t a single thing that will bore a reader.

I would recommend this book to fans of SIX OF CROWS who were enamored with its trickery and setting, and also fans of WARCROSS, as its plot wouldn’t be the same without the awe-inspiring technology. Of course, it is very hard to describe this book in relation to others, as it contains so many different aspects, but readers of classic mystery authors such as Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will also enjoy this book. FOUR DEAD QUEENS is a genre-bending debut that readers will be unable to put down as they sail through it like they are watching a movie.

Review: The Girl King

The Girl King
by Mimi Yu

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Publication Date: January 8, 2019

I highly recommend THE GIRL KING. The book draws you in with its fascinating and intriguing worldbuilding, which is perfectly complemented by the gritty and realistic nature of the book’s own characters. You really feel like you’re with the characters as they navigate through a world of magic and political intrigue. Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough!

Review: Strange Days

Strange Days
by Constantine Singer

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: October 4, 2018

STRANGE DAYS is about Alex Mata, a teen from Los Angeles, who possesses the talent to be capable of saving the human race from invading aliens. He is able to “Witness” a certain future, setting it in stone. This talent is used to help formulate a future where the Earth is not invaded. STRANGE DAYS is a book featuring time travel and aliens. As with many stories revolving around time manipulation, this book uses the theory that one cannot manipulate the past, only influence the future. Once a future is “seen” by a Witness, that future is destined to happen. However, I found it confusing later on in the book, where if a Witness dies, their foreseen future is no longer guaranteed. The ending is also very abrupt. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Review: A Winter's Promise

A Winter's Promise
by Christelle Dabos
Translated by Hildegarde Serle

Publisher: Europa Editions
Publication Date: September 25, 2018

A WINTER'S PROMISE by Christelle Dabos is a wildly complex and intriguing fantasy novel that follows the arranged engagement of young Ophelia to a broody and mysterious foreigner named Thorn. Ophelia is accustomed to her average life using her powers of “reading," the ability to view an object’s past, and running a museum in her homeland of Anima. When her family promises her hand to Thorn, she is forced to move to his homeland, the Pole, which is wildly different from the land where she grew up. Upon arriving at her new home, Ophelia is forced to hide her true identity as Thorn’s fiance to protect herself from his many enemies. The inhabitants of the Pole have the ability to manipulate perception and cause pain, and Ophelia must work hard to distinguish fact from fiction and form alliances with the brutal and unpredictable people she encounters.

Dabos draws her fantasy world and cast of characters in life-like, vivid detail without ever leaving the reader struggling for explanation. Dabos also never lets her heroine betray her morals or her personality. From her disinterest in romantic attachment to her practical but fearless nature, Ophelia is able to grow as a character without betraying her values. I would absolutely recommend this book to readers who enjoy well-built fantasy worlds and family and political dramas.

Review: These Rebel Waves

These Rebel Waves
by Sara Raasch

Publisher: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Publication Date: August 7, 2018

THESE REBEL WAVES tells the interwoven tale of three people whose lives are dependent on the rulings of two countries, Grace Loray and Agrid. Adeluna fought as a soldier for the magic-filled island of Grace Loray during the war that ended five years ago. She thought she was able to save the people from Agrid’s oppression, but when a Agridian delegate vanishes during peace talks, everything she worked for may soon be erased. Devereux is one of Grace Loray’s stream raiders, a pirate who deals in the island’s magical plants. But when Agrid accuses him and the rest of the stream raiders of kidnapping the delegate, he agrees to help Adeluna find him. Benat is the crown prince of Agrid. But unlike his magic-fearing people, he believes it could be used to heal. So when his father gives him the job of reversing Agrid’s fear, he must decide if changing his people’s lives is worth potentially losing his. But as new information is revealed and more players join the game, the three of them must decide how much they are willing to pay for peace.

This book has all the elements of a blockbuster novel, and it delivers excellently. Starting with the setting itself, the author clearly put a lot of research into it. From the lush plants that could be found around the island to the extremist church group that controls Agrid, readers are quickly immersed in how well developed everything is. While reading, I always found myself being sucked in to the author’s descriptive prose that makes you feel like what she was describing was actual history. Things like extreme and cultish religion can be hard to portray in books, but the author still found a way to do it excellently. This includes a multitude of magical experimentation which Raasch describes in a way that makes it sound like she was conducting them herself. The author also did an amazing job making sure that Grace Loray’s side of things wasn’t too biased, so their government didn’t seem like they were the absolutely good guys and that they could do no harm. I found that balancing and providing two sides to the coin like that enhanced the book beautifully and made it feel so much more real.

Another part of this book that I absolutely adored were the characters. None of them felt fake and overdone. None of them felt incomplete and undeveloped. A problem that frequently arises with books like this, is that the author often makes the characters tragic and overload them with dark and depressing backstory. And though these characters did have that, none of them used it to overload their personalities. It never felt like the only things that made up the characters were where they came from. Rather, these backstories helped guide the characters to where they might be, giving us insight to what they might do later on.

Adeluna, for example, was a character who was everything a typical badass female lead could be: smart, strong, and beautiful. She also plays the role of the sheltered-princess type despite fighting in a disastrous war. But what made her so different than other characters is that she not only showed that she is beyond and better than that, but she also showed that even ‘perfect’ girls can be wrong, and have faults. An example of something I found that made her different than other characters was something that occurred early on in the book. Adeluna is in an intense fighting scene (that I won’t describe even though it happens very early on) during which she does some complex moves. Typically when an ex-soldier-warrior-princess-like character does this, they do it perfectly. But though Adeluna did execute the move with finesse, she did think at one point "Oh, I wonder if I still remember how to do this. It’s been a while after all." I’m paraphrasing of course, but I found this thought to be interesting because it is so rare to see doubt in fighting ability from a character type like hers. This was just one example of many of how the author truly went beyond the standards of characters in typical fantasy novels to make hers unique.

Of course, no good cast of characters would be complete without an equally excellent plot. And the author delivered this perfectly, taking readers on a thrill ride which combined adventure, political intrigue, a slow building romance, and just a dash of magic to make the perfect novel for fantasy lovers. Readers will fall in love with the subplots of this book and the terrifying flashbacks that will integrate an element of surprise into the book that readers won’t see coming.

I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers, but also to people who enjoy reading books that feel like they were inspired by history. Also, if you love seeing LGBT characters and romance featured in fantasy, you will be happy to know that THESE REBEL WAVES features this (which isn’t typical in pirate fantasy like this). THESE REBEL WAVES is a book that won’t let you down if you are looking for a breathtaking adventure that will leave you begging for more.

Review: Furyborn

Furyborn
by Claire Legrand

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: May 22, 2018

While I was initially confused, I actually enjoyed Claire Legrand’s FURYBORN quite a lot. Switching between the stories of two young women, Rielle Dardenne and bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora, creates an interesting dynamic between the two connecting stories although they are centuries apart. Simultaneously, seeing the sheer difference between the elemental magic-centered world of Rielle, from the civil war-filled world of Eliana is very well done. Overall, it’s a very interesting and captivating read. However, while I highly recommend this book, it is definitely for young adults and older due to some of the book’s darker themes and some scenes in particular.

Review: The Smoke Thieves

The Smoke Thieves
by Sally Green

Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: May 1, 2018

What do a princess, soldier, demon hunter, thief, and servant all have in common? They all live in a world where four nations, soaked in the barest bit of magic, are at the brink of war. In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a marriage arranged by her scheming father. In Calidor, March seeks revenge on the prince he serves for betraying his people. In Pitoria, Edyon steals for the fun of it, as he travels from town to town. And in the far north, Tash runs for her life as bait for the demon hunter Gravell. But as alliances shift and old feuds are dug up, each of their lives will be affected as they eventually come together because of a single jar of the illustrious drug, demon smoke.  

Though this book started out slow, it certainly did not stay like that for long! In fact, this was the book that brought me out of my reading slump! As the story progressed, I could feel myself fall quickly in love with the plot of each chapter. The author did this by writing tons of mini high stakes situations that make the reader unable to put the book down from chapter to chapter. Another thing Green did with the plot that really interested me personally, was how she hinted about connecting all of the point of views at some point of the book. Because of this, I was constantly searching for what could be hints of connection. This sort of active reading made me super absorbed into the plot because I really felt like I was there with the characters, trying to figure out the political plots and twists with them.

Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was the characters. Each had a very distinct “role” but the book made sure to stay away from falling into the stereotypes that came with them. One thing that I found to be very interesting was how the author had a character that felt very similar to a character in her previous book. I enjoyed how she added this in because I loved that character, but at the same time I thought it was interesting how she made sure the character was still unique in his own right.

If you love books full of amazing world building and a bit of magic, this book is for you! You will not be bored with all the amazing subplots and excellent writing. 

Review: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
by Julie C. Dao

Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publication Date: October 10, 2017

Xifeng is a peasant girl who’s been told all her life that she would one day be Empress of Feng Lu. Yet, to sit on the throne, she will have to give up her friends, her family, and possibly even herself.

FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS by Julie C. Dao is, without a doubt, one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read! Though a retelling of The Evil Queen legend, Dao manages to make every aspect of the story her own. The world of Feng Lu that Dao paints is masterful -- every page bristles with culture and history -- and the complex characters within it ooze life and passion. Xifeng is both someone you root for and fear for her success. If you’re looking for a book with strong historical influences, a protagonist you’ll hate to love, and a gripping plot that, simply put, will make it nearly impossible to stop reading, FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS is the book for you!

Review: Ace of Shades

Ace of Shades
by Amanda Foody

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: April 10, 2018

Arriving in the city of New Reynes, the so-called city of sin, prim and proper Enne Salta only cares for one thing: finding her missing mother before it’s too late. Alone and unprepared for the city’s dark corners, she searches for the only clue given to her, the name of Levi Glaisyer. But Levi is as far from a gentleman as you can get as he is a notorious street lord and con man. But being only one payment away from the end of an unraveling scam, he agrees to help Enne in the promise of a payout of his dreams. Yet the search for Enne’s mother is not how she expected, bringing her through the darkest depths of the city of sin. And as traps snare around them and secrets are unveiled, it becomes clear that neither of them will be able to make it out without losing something, or someone, dear to them. With lives as the prize and souls the betting tokens, the game of death is one that they must play until the end.

From the very first words, I was addicted to this book. Written in a descriptive style that seems to bring the words off of the page, I was in love with every word. Foody has a way of writing each and every detail in such a way that the words seem to come alive. Every detail in the book seemed purposely placed, every word adding to the meaning, and every gesture one of hidden meanings. In a book such of this with a smoky city of mystery and suspense, this only made me question what I thought would happen next. This type of writing goes greatly with another aspect of ACE OF SHADES, the world building.

Even within the first few pages of this book, I can already tell that the author is a queen of building new worlds. When I first read through her opening scene of Enne entering through the city and being asked about her family, I was confused. But then the author quickly explained the reason for it: each family has a particular inherited talent and while it is sometimes something like dance (like the main character) or math, it could also be something like fire or electricity, it could be magic. When I first discovered this I literally mumbled to myself ‘oh my god she’s doing this’. It’s safe to say that I was incredible impressed with this. I know that this is something often done in fantasy books and an element like this should not be something so unexpected for me; but I still found it so incredibly unique that it almost felt like the perfect fantasy element for me, if authors could create things for specific readers. Besides this, the author created this great universe with an amazing backdrop and history that went well with the setting. Foody clearly knows how to outline a story.

The next aspect of the book that I really liked was the character development. So many books nowadays have books with plain beginning to end character arcs where minimal character development is achieved. But in ACE OF SHADES, Foody clearly put in time and effort to make each character perfect. One example of this is Enne, who started out as a prim and proper young lady who I just could not stop despising. It wasn’t just who she was that bugged me, but her personality. But throughout the book, I actually began to like her and I felt like she truly was a main character that I can enjoy. While her personality did not change so much that she felt like a different person, it did change enough that it was clear that she grew with the story. Another character who did this was Levi whose entire moral standard changed through the book. This type of character growth is hard to come by in books and even though it is often attempted, it frequently comes off half-baked. 

Another thing that I enjoyed about the characters was that Foody made sure to stay away from the stereotypes that they could easily be associated with. Levi was not your typical street lord baddy whose only thirst is for guts and gold. Enne is not your typical graceful dancer who seeks grace and cleanliness over survival. Foody paid special attention to her characters to make sure that they don’t become their stereotypes and instead stay as their own personalities. And just because Foody spent so much effort on her main characters, does not mean that she spent any less on her side ones. I truly cannot imagine better written side characters. She clearly did not waste any effort with them as each grew into their own spots in the book and left it feeling like the book would be incomplete without them. Each of them were well written and incredibly entertaining leaving me to laugh, smile, and cry beside them.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the plot. With hidden agendas and unexpected betrayal at every turn, Foody keeps the reader constantly entertained throughout the book. I was so entertained that I even stayed up all night to finish it. The author also made sure not to only have one main plot as she created numerous subplots that all intertwined at some point. Reading ACE OF SHADES felt like I was in a giant maze and with each page, I got closer to the middle. Though one aspect of the book was a bit obvious, it was still minor and so much of the book still shocked me with each chapter.

I would recommend this book for fans of SIX OF CROWS because ACE OF SHADES has a familiar atmosphere to it. This book is best suited for readers thirteen and up. If you a seeking a book that will grip you tight and won’t let you go until the last page, this one is for you. 

Review: The Diminished

The Diminished
by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: April 10, 2018

After the Gods destroyed the Earth and split the moon, everyone is born with a twin, save a few every generation. Those who are unfortunate enough to have their twin die become Diminished, doomed to have their grief overtake them in a violent rage. The few who are Singleborn are destined to rise to the Throne and rule Alskad. Vi, a diminished, is just trying to survive unnoticed, despite the fact that she has been without her twin since birth and has never succumbed to her grief. Bo is Singleborn, heir to the throne of Alskad. 

I really liked THE DIMINISHED. It is interesting to see how the mythology of the world has shaped, and it seems intentionally unclear whether the myths are true (like in Percy Jackson), or if they are just religious beliefs that almost everyone believes. While a good story, the plot twist was extremely predictable, but this does not make the book unenjoyable. The created world is rich with mythology, lore, and conspiracy, both politically and religiously!

Review: MUNMUN

MUNMUN
by Jesse Andrews

Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: April 3, 2018

Jesse Andrews’ latest novel, MUNMUN, delves into a dystopian world where a person’s height directly corresponds to their wealth, or “munmun.” The richest in the world stand at skyscraper height while the poorest are the size of mere rats. Warner and his sister, Prayer, are littlepoors, the very smallest of the citizens. After the accidental murder of their father, Warner and Prayer set off to try and find Prayer a wealthy husband who will share his wealth and “scale up” Warner’s family. And so begins an epic adventure of hope, humor, and important motifs that are far more serious than how they are presented.

Personally, I enjoyed MUNMUN. Andrews describes this made up world with such precision that I began to believe that it really existed. The roller-coaster ride of Warner and Prayer kept me on the edge of my seat--well, bed--and kept me happily turning the page. The syntax of this book is unique in that many words are pushed together, all acronyms are spelled out phonetically, and more. While it is hard to get used to at first, this style of writing perfectly encapsulates the narrator, Warner. Despite having an ending that left much to be desired, MUNMUN is a well-written, passionate book about the struggles of the poor that I recommend to any interested readers.

Review: The Traitor's Game

The Traitor's Game
by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: February 26, 2018

In the newest fantasy novel by Jennifer A. Nielsen, Kestra Dallisor has been in exile for three years from the kingdom where her father serves as the king’s second in command. But as she is on the journey to come home, she is stopped by a band of rebels who blackmail her into finding the Olden Blade, the one thing that could kill the seemingly immortal king and change the kingdom forever. As she goes on this mission, filled with ulterior motives and mysterious secrets, Kestra now must decide if the regime she once protected is really worth it, and if she can do what it takes to save her kingdom.

I really enjoyed this book! Filled with magic and warring families, the author was able to build up a wonderful world for the reader to be immersed in. For one thing, this book had some of the best character development I have ever read! Starting as a strict loyalist, then becoming an amazing heroine, the character of Kestra changed so much as the book went on, making her feel real and fleshed out. The side characters as well were like this as the author did not miss a single chance to make each character shine.

Another aspect of this book that was enjoyable was the world itself. Filled with just the right amount of magic, it never felt like it was too crazy. I could easily see myself reading more of this series because it is just so immersive and makes you constantly want to further explore the world.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves royal intrigue mixed with magic. Despite the novel sometimes doing things that seem stereotypical at the start, the author keeps you hooked with secrets and plot twists that you will never see coming.

Review: The Queen's Rising

The Queen's Rising
by Rebecca Ross

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 6, 2018

In this fantastic debut by author Rebecca Ross, Brienna is a girl whose only wish is to master her passion of knowledge and to be chosen by a patron. But after years of studying her passion--just one of five including art, music, dramatics, wit and knowledge--she is left without one. But when strange memories begin to appear and a secretive man offers her patronage, she knows that nothing good could come of it, especially when he takes her along to overthrow the king of a rival kingdom and restore the queen.

Wow, was the writing in this book amazing! Filled with eloquent sentences and immersive scenes, it was a constant struggle to put the book down. Everything that the author wrote felt fleshed out and real, making me truly feel like I was in the book with the characters. Her amazing world building went along great with this as she created neighboring kingdoms with one at the brink of civil war. Despite this being a fairly common setting, Ross found a way to breathe new life into it with hints of magic and great history that felt complete and very much real.

Another aspect of this novel that I really enjoyed was the plot. Despite it being one that is often replicated (a girl with faint ties to royalty finds out that she is key to taking down the corrupted government) the author still finds a way to put in several twists that will take readers by surprise. For example, her unique idea of passions brought a new dimension to the book as the main character struggles to master something that comes easily to most, a thing not often seen in books about royalty where the main characters are often naturally gifted at everything. 

Not only that, but Ross also finds a way to differentiate the characters of her story from those in similar books! Going along with her familiar plot with a new twist, her characters were a new take on the typical cast of fantasy characters. The menacing second-in-command to the king is no longer one-minded, the passionate tutor is no longer the absent-minded teacher, the main character who doesn’t fit in doesn’t brood all day about her life and the rising queen is not obsessed with her looks more than her people. I loved each of these twists on the typical characters because it made the story feel so much more real as the characters no longer had flat and basic ambitions and goals. Instead, it made the reader constantly question what the characters might do next as they were  unpredictable yet easy to follow through the tale.

I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers looking for a new twist on a familiar tale. For those looking for amazing world building and royal deceit, you will not be disappointed with this book. Fans of immersive writing like Sarah J. Maas' will be instantly in love with Rebecca Ross’s storytelling abilities as she spins a tale that you will not be able to put down.

Review: The Belles

The Belles
by Dhonielle Clayton

Publisher: Freeform Books
Publication Date: February 6, 2018

This book is set in a cursed society where beauty is of the utmost importance; social status is expressed by who has the latest trends on everything from skin tone to waist size. Clayton’s THE BELLES tells the story of Camellia, a Belle with the power to turn the people of New Orleans beautiful. After Camellia is chosen as the royal Belle, she slowly discovers the dark secrets of the Belle world and the royal family. This book was full of plot twists and exciting surprises that had me thoroughly engaged in Camellia’s world.

Overall, I quite enjoyed reading this and I thought the undertones of social commentary on the impossible beauty standards of today’s society are especially impactful for young adult readers.