‘So This Is Ever After’ by F.T. Lukens

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

“Carry On meets Arthurian legend in this funny, subversive young adult fantasy about what happens after the chosen one wins the kingdom and has to get married to keep it…and to stay alive.

Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he’s finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don’t come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next.

As a temporary safeguard, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she’s dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.

With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong…until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.” 

My Review:

I really enjoyed this hilarious fantasy novel as we follow Arek in the months after he and his group (a mage, thief, bard, warrior, and fighter) fulfilled their prophecy and saved a kingdom from an evil sorcerer. These accidental heroes, with no background or training for ruling, stumble through the process of winning the loyalty of their local peasants and the nearby kingdoms, in spectacularly comical fashion. Driving the plot forward is the irreversible magical law that requires the person wearing the crown to be soul-bound by their eighteenth birthday. It's quite funny to watch Arek try to woo his friends, and his narration style is the height of comedy.

Excellent LGBTQIAP+ inclusive YA Fantasy read!  Grab a copy on March 29th!

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'I Kissed Shara Wheeler' by Casey McQuiston

 5 stars!

Book Blurb:
 
“From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need...

Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny.

But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.

On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair-and-square.

Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe—probably not, but maybe—more to Shara, too.

Fierce, funny, and frank, Casey McQuiston's I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy, and finding love in unexpected places.”


My Review:

This is a fantastic sapphic YA Thriller/Mystery! Author Casey McQuiston kept me guessing through quite a bit of this novel. There are some truly heart-warming moments and a wonderful LGBTQIAP+ cast.
 
Don't miss this one! – Grab a copy on May 3^rd.

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.