Review: The Cold Is In Her Bones

The Cold Is in Her Bones
by Peternelle van Arsdale

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: January 22, 2019

Her whole life, Milla has lived in constant fear of demons who are very much real. Confined to her family’s farm and only ever seeing her parents and brother, Milla is surprised when a girl named Iris arrives on her doorstep. At first, Milla believes that this is her chance to live a new life. But when Iris shares the secret that the village is cursed by a demon who possesses girls at random, and that the demon has now come for Iris, her chances are ripped away. When Iris is captured and imprisoned with other possessed girls, Milla must rescue her and break the curse forever. But Milla now has a secret of her own: she is changing, and may soon become a demon too.

Uniquely written and bursting with beautiful prose, THE COLD IS IN HER BONES is unlike most young adult books that I have read. Right from the beginning of the book, the author’s unique writing style is apparent. This is seen most clearly in the atmosphere that van Arsdale has established throughout the book. Dark and brooding, it astonishes me that an author could write in a way that so obviously carries a book’s mood. In most young adult books, a dark atmosphere can only be seen at pivotal moments. But in THE COLD IS IN HER BONES, van Arsdale tries her best to keep it constant, making sure that her tone isn’t annoying or overdone, but careful and well thought out.

One of the things that contributed the most to this is the mythology behind the story. Quickly established within the first sixteen pages, it begins with the tale of a plucky girl who doesn’t seem to live by anyone’s rules but her own. But as things go when demons are involved, her world is shattered in a way that ruins her, establishing the Medusa retelling that the author continues with throughout the book. Readers will find this little prologue to be the perfect foreshadowing as it establishes the ways of the village people and their values right off the bat without seeming forced. But what it also does is introduce the book’s sense of evil while giving another side to it. From one perspective, the demons are evil, and from another they are wondrous. This is a theme that van Arsdale continues with throughout Milla’s story, something which I enjoyed because most books are written in black and white while this one is written in a multitude of colors.

Another thing that I enjoyed about this book were the characters. Unlike the characters that YA fantasy books typically feature, the characters in THE COLD IS IN HER BONES seem very realistic both in their behavior and characteristics. The clearest example of this are the knots that both Milla and the girl in the prologue have in their hair. Most female characters don’t have knots in their hair and if they do it isn’t as big of a deal as it is in THE COLD IS IN HER BONES. And though this might just seem like a simple quirk that the author wanted to include, readers will come to realize the symbolism behind the knots, and the value the community places in smooth hair. And yet Milla doesn’t mind them. Continuously throughout the book we get to explore more of the tomboyish Milla and her unique ways. What is so special about this is that van Arsdale utilizes parts of her characters that might have been forgotten or ignored in another book, and packs them with hidden symbolism and meaning. I thought that this made her book that much more distinct from other YA.

But van Arsdale doesn’t only limit her abilities to the main character. Side characters are one-of-a-kind like this too. One example is Milla’s brother Niklas. Both caring and devious at the same time, Niklas perfectly captures what it means to be a brother. The author was able to communicate all the true and utterly accurate mannerisms of a brother. From changing from teasing to supportive in a matter of minutes to being a friend unlike any other, I was taken aback by how the author wrote his character. I also thought it was interesting how the author captured what it means to be a sister through Milla’s character. In her family she is both loved and held at second rank to her brother. She both loves him and hates him. In many YA books this isn’t the case, as characters usually make up their mind about someone and stick with their original judgment throughout the book. But it is clear that van Arsdale didn’t want THE COLD IS IN HER BONES to be just another YA book.

If you’re looking to read a fresh take on a classic myth while desiring to discover a new side of YA, THE COLD IS IN HER BONES is the book for you. Filled with lush storytelling, nuanced characters and deep meaning, THE COLD IS IN HER BONES is a book that demands to be read.

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: The Black Bull of Norroway

The Black Bull of Norroway (Norroway, Book 1)
by Cat Seaton & Kit Seaton

Publisher: Image Comics
Publication Date: November 13, 2018

THE BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY is about Sibylla, an adventurous, bold girl who isn’t fazed by anything. And her husband. Who happens to be a 2-ton (I’m guessing) black bull with a horn-span as wide as a full-grown man’s arm-span. The bull isn’t very kind, or very interested in her, but she follows him to the ends of the earth anyways, and meets his dysfunctional family, for the sake of...adventure? That, and to undo a curse that has haunted the land for years.

NORROWAY was supremely chaotic -- I couldn’t tell what was going on half the time, and Sibylla is unfazed to the point of unbelievability, which I feel was due to rushed writing –- but fun. The art was amazing, the character interactions and dialogue were golden, and the plot was really interesting –- based off a classic Scottish fairy tale -- and could’ve been more complete had the writer slowed down and smelled the roses, as it were. Somewhat ironically, the main thing keeping this book together is the illustration. Maire, keeping an eye on Sibylla and her bull-husband Brom from the very beginning, makes for a very unique frenemy. She clearly cares a lot about the well-being of the two other lead characters, but her mission is to separate them and send them through trial after trial. At first, Sibylla is unaware that her older witch friend is the orchestrator of it all, but when she finds out -- again, with very little digesting time –- she immediately starts asking questions without needing more than a few minutes to digest what could’ve been a big twist. Sibylla prefers to get angry about things she doesn’t understand, and immediately desires more information, rather than get flustered for even a second. All in all, I have mixed feelings about this book, but I do think it’s worth reading, for the fantasy of it.

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: The Glass Spare

The Glass Spare
by Lauren DeStefano

Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Publication Date: October 24, 2017

THE GLASS SPARE tells the story of Wil, a princess of Arrod with a dark secret. Kept hidden from the public eye to serve as a spy for her father, Wil is attacked and almost killed when she discovers that her touch turns living things to stone. And not regular stone, but gemstone. First, she finds it amazing and tests her limits but then tragedy strikes, sending her on the run. Her search for a cure now puts her in the path of a cursed prince who hopes to use her for his own goals. Now she must decide: help a kingdom at the brink of war save itself, or betray her family forever?

Paired with an entertaining steampunk-like world and great storytelling, this book was amazing. I love that the author found a way to make the book really feel alive. The dynamic between Wil and her three brothers was so entertaining and each one was unique; by the end of the book you will wish that you had brothers like them. The side characters all felt fully fleshed out with their wants and little quirks shown proud to the reader. The author does a great job at showing the different sides of the world, from rich castles to impoverished cities--you can really travel the world with this book. Honestly, my only complaint with this book is the length and how I wish it could have been longer. But, this does mean that there was not a dull moment throughout the whole novel.

If you are interested in reading a fantasy novel reminiscent of King Midas, you won’t be let down with this book. And of course, if you love strong friendship and romance, you won’t put down this novel!

Review: The Edge of Everything

The Edge of Everything
by Jeff Giles

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: January 31, 2017

In THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING by Jeff Giles, Zoe, a 17 year old who just lost her father, meets X, who comes from the Lowlands, a hellish afterlife. X is a super-powered bounty hunter who is assigned to capture Stan. Stan is attacking Zoe and her brother when X intervenes. Zoe and X fall in love but are separated when X has to return to the Lowlands, although he tries to escape and does what he can to reunite with her. The whole story is based off of the relationship of Zoe and X, but there are a few subplots that diverge the story and make it much more interesting.

While I really liked the book, it is written in the 3rd person, which causes some of the conversations to be a bit confusing, but it makes some parts seem more ominous. It also helps see things from an objective view, although sometimes I found it distracting me from the story. This book has a good mix of action, love, adventure, and fantasy: the supernatural boyfriend is a bounty hunter from hell and tries to escape into the real world. This book is very gripping and suspenseful. It has a satisfying ending which leaves room for a sequel, but also could be an ending to the story. There is a cliffhanger at the end, but not one big enough to suggest a sequel is definitely coming. I really liked this book and would want to read the sequel if there will be one.

Review: Fate of Flames

Fate of Flames
by Sarah Raughley

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: November 22, 2016

When I first started reading FATE OF FLAMES, I was skeptical. When looking at it, the cover and (to be perfectly honest) the name just screamed, “HEY! YOU! THIS IS ONE OF THOSE NOT VERY GOOD PERCY JACKSON-ESQUE BOOKS.” But when I started reading the book, I found that I couldn’t stop.

With its great characters, amazing concept, and excellent writing, the author, Sarah Raughley, creates a whole new (but scarily realistic) world filled to the brim with monsters, magic, and just the right amount of butt-kicking action.

Another thing that I found so attractive about the book is its realism, because it truly brings to light how transitioning from a normal life to killing monsters with magical powers would not only not be instant, but also in some aspects psychologically difficult.

This can be seen in all the “Effigies” in the book, with (to not mention any names) one running from the action, to others who have been alluded to have become alcoholics. Others like the main character, Maia, are at first terrified of fighting against Phantoms, the monsters that leave trails of destruction, wherever they appear.

In summary, this book left me hungering for more, which luckily seems to be coming with FATE OF FLAMES being only the first book in the Effigies series. So without further ado, I wholeheartedly recommend you read FATE OF FLAMES by Sarah Raughley.

Review: Level Grind

Level Grind
by Annie Bellet

Publisher: Saga Press
Publication Date: October 4, 2016

In the fantasy book, Level Grind, by Annie Bellet, Jade Crow, a 50 year old sorceress, is running from her ex boyfriend, Samir, who is trying to eat her heart to gain her power. Jade runs a comic book shop with her friend Harper, a shifter who can turn into an animal. She and two other shifters help out Jade throughout the book, and they also have the assistance of Alek, another shifter who works for what shifters consider to be gods. This book is comprised of four novellas (Justice Calling, Murder of Crows, Pack of Lies, and Hunting Season), which form a chronological story. In each of the four stories, there is a main antagonist who is trying to accomplish something evil, while the threat of Samir lurks in the background. Even in the last story, Samir is not the bad guy that Jade and her friends are trying to stop.

I felt that more should have been added to some of the stories. Something bad happens, they find out why, they try to stop it and end eventually succeed, all while Jade is trying to strengthen her magic . The stories are fairly straightforward, and I think it would have been better if there was more of a plot twist per story.  At the end of each story, many of its key points are concluded, leaving not very much room for an effective cliffhanger. I think that the romance in this book does not contribute much to the story, or the development of the characters. I like that this book is fast paced at each climax and that there are small bits of detective work done to figure out what is going on for both the characters and the reader. The reader can try to figure out what is happening before the story reveals it. There are also many references to TV shows, games, comics, movies, and video games that you will only understand if you know about the specific content.

While I enjoyed reading this book, I am not sure if I would read the sequels. Nothing happens in the book that makes me want to instantly have and read the next book. I did not love nor hate this book, but I think it would have been more enjoyable if it was targeted to a more specific age.

Review: Riverkeep

Riverkeep

by Martin Stewart 

Publisher: Viking

Publication Date: July 26, 2016

  

RIVERKEEP by Martin Stewart is an adventurous and thrilling book about a boy named Wulliam, who is attempting to cure his father after he was possessed by a dark spirit. Wull is almost 16, and is set to become Riverkeep, where he tends to a magical and treacherous river. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and its adventurous nature. Furthermore, I really liked the character development and the diversity amongst the characters as a whole. I liked the book largely due to its action and the way the book is written: keeping accents for each and every character really helped me to keep a good idea of the characters’ traits in my head. I would recommend the book to people who enjoy action and adventure. However, the book had some gore in it, so people who don't enjoy that kind of description may not like it as much.

Review: The Girl From Everywhere

The Girl From Everywhere 

by Heidi Heilig

Publication Date: February 16th, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books 

THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE is a fantastical novel about a girl, Nix, her father, and a crew who navigates to different places in different time periods, with a mix of mythological stories. Nix and her father have a very complex relationship because of her father's obsession with going back to the time when his wife was alive, risking Nix's existence. It was interesting to see their dynamic and how they both try to solve their problems. Adventurous, mythical, and with a hint of romance, THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE is a book for readers looking for a diverse, refreshing new read.