‘The Facefaker's Game’ by Chandler Birch

4 stars!

Debut author Chandler Birch has created a rich and imaginative alternative world with various types of magic.  Well thought out and easily understood, ‘The Facefaker’s Game’ is a delightful new world in which to slip away from reality for a while.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Facefaker's Game’ will be available on Amazon November 1, 2016.

‘Amber Frost’ by Suzi Davis

3.5 stars

‘Amber Frost’ begins with the perfect and beautiful 18-year-old Grace Lynn Stevenson.  Readers learn about her high profile and high society family, and the demands upon her to keep up appearances and manage a perfect image at all times.  The book’s opening is a wonderfully descriptive narrative of Grace’s private moment in Art class at a prestigious and private high school in Canada.  And then fellow student, Sebastian, draws Grace out of her private thoughts and her life begins to change forever.

Sebastian has lost his memory, but begins to remember bits and pieces as he gets closer to Grace.  All he knows, at the start of their friendship, is that he has a magic-like ability to get what he wants if he only wishes for it.  He can remain young and healthy if he continues to wish it.  As memories unfold, he remembers just how many hundreds of years he has been wishing to be young and healthy, and the two re-discover a shared ancient past.

While ‘Amber Frost’ was not the most well-written YA novel I’ve read this year, it was indeed a good read.  

‘Withering Rose’ (Once Upon a Curse #2) by Kaitlyn Davis

3.5 stars

Aptly named, ‘Withering Rose,’ is a tale about a girl named Omorose whose magic sometimes forces its way out of her, costing her a bit of time off her life expectancy with each outburst.  Set in the same universe as Kaitlyn Davis’ ‘Gathering Frost’ retelling of Sleeping Beauty, ‘Withering Rose’ tells the re-imagined tale of Beauty and the Beast. 

Omorose and her father are left stranded in the ‘real world’ as a result of the same earthquake that affected members of the Fairytale kingdom in ‘Gathering Frost.’  For ten years, she has carefully hidden her magic from those who would cause her harm if they knew, but when we meet Omorose, she has had enough.  She leaves the relative safety of a military base and flees to the Beast’s kingdom, seeking other magic wielders and freedom from hiding.

Beauty and her Beast, here named Cole, enjoy a slow building friendship which turns to romance.  Characters from ‘Gathering Frost’ appear in ‘Withering Rose’ and set us up for the third entry in this series, expected in 2017.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

‘Eerie’ by C.M. McCoy

4 stars!

Angels, Envoys, Demons, and magic…

‘Eerie’ begins as a charming tale of sisters Holly and Hailey, working in their Uncle’s Irish Pub and making plans to attend college together once Hailey graduates high school in a few months.  They work through everything together (missing their parents and Hailey’s awkward high school experiences) in a loving, sisterly way.

When their lives are turned completely upside-down, Hailey learns that the college in Alaska she planned to attend with Holly is for studying the paranormal.  The university has some Hogwarts-like aspects, but is a darker and more mature place.  Along with cute bookworms that swell up from drinking too much tea and professional-grade hairstyling ghosts in the mirror, Hailey also meets Asher, a 3,000-year-old Envoy who has fallen in love with her from time spent together in her dreams.  She discovers that Asher is not only real, but he and his fellow Envoys have been stuck on earth for centuries and her death might be the key to allow them to return home.

On the other side of the love triangle is a young man with all the answers, all the jokes, all the friends, and potentially all the girls.  Though the rational part of Hailey understands the difficulty in trusting either of these suitors, who sometimes treat her badly, her emotions usually override logic and she falls for them both.

‘Eerie’ is an interesting collection of angels, demons, soul-less, and other supernatural beings.  Some students have abilities, some characters seem to possess magic, though it is never labeled as such.  For a 400-page book with a dark setting and serious story, there sure are a lot of laughs to be had in this paranormal romance.

Thanks to author C.M. McCoy for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

'The Glittering Court' by Richelle Mead

5 glittering stars!

With 'The Glittering Court', author Richelle Mead skillfully transitions between several vastly different locations throughout her fictional world of Adoria, allowing readers to enjoy the main characters' thoughts and behaviors in varying settings.  Though the tale clearly begins with fancy dresses, finishing school, and competitive attempts to land a successful husband overseas, there is more to this gem than meets the eye.  Our main character travels from upper class mobility in long-established Elizabethan London-type Osfrid to its colonies overseas, reminiscent of the American frontier.  Plot twists abound!

We begin in the aristocratic Osfrid, at the home of Elizabeth Whitmore, Duchess of Rothford, whose family estate has lost money in recent years.  Desperate for a way out of a severely boring arranged marriage to a cousin, Elizabeth jumps at the chance to impersonate her maid, Adelaide Bailey, as a member of The Glittering Court's finishing school.  She has high hopes of landing a more successful and interesting husband across the sea, in the new colonies of Adoria.

Along the way, Adelaide makes friends with her roommates Mira and Tasmin.  Each girl is resourceful, independent, and interesting in their own way, just like Adelaide.  I look forward to reading their stories as Richelle continues the series.

Throughout most of this book, only the recruiter Cedric Thorn knows of her true identity and her motives.  They grow as close as their status and the situation allows, as Elizabeth-as-Adelaide secures the top position as the Diamond at the head of the Glittering Court, and attends the parties and social events that come with being courted.  Over time, they fight their passion for each other a little less.  Their slow-building romance proceeds at just the right pace and is quite enjoyable.

Would recommend ‘The Glittering Court' to any YA reader.

Snag your copy on Amazon, or check out your local library!

'The Neverland Wars' by Audrey Greathouse

2.5 stars, B+ for effort

Author Audrey Greathouse hits upon all the classic 'Peter Pan' points; fairies, flying children, shadows, pirates, Indians, mermaids, and a secret hideout involving a tree stump. Though the addition of real-world magic and an interesting back-story for the teenage main character, Gwen, brings a uniqueness to this retelling; its effect wares off after the first few chapters. The majority of this tale doesn't flow as well as the beginning, and it seems the author checked off a box concerning pirates and moved onto the crocodile. Once the crocodile portion was complete, it was checked off, and the story moved onto Indians. All in all, not a bad retelling, but I was hopeful for a better story, considering the additional plot points.

Be warned: 'Neverland Wars' ends on a cliffhanger and absolutely nothing is wrapped up.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

'The Last Necromancer' (The Ministry of Curiosities, #1) by C.J. Archer

5 stars!

Captivating and full of surprises, 'The Last Necromancer' is a wonderful spin on Frankenstein set in Victorian London, containing conspiracy, romance, and supernatural ability.

‘Princess of Tyrone’ (The Fairytale Galaxy Chronicles #1) by Katie Hamstead

5 magical stars!

This is a clever and futuristic re-telling of Sleeping Beauty, with minor Cinderella and Snow White aspects.  More Cinderella and Snow White plot lines coming later in The Fairytale Galaxy Chronicles series!

In order to preserve peace and connect the two royal lines; a prince and princess were betrothed as babies, much to the dismay of the evil faerie, Bryanna.

Apolline, our Sleeping Beauty, grew up in secret in the enchanted woods of a planet on the outer boarder of the joint ruling kingdoms in the galaxy.  She was raised by three fairies, affected by magic and has excelled in the unladylike skill of hunting magical creatures.  She is a spirited heroine and can handle herself in a tough crowd.

Prince Allard, on the other hand, was raised in the palace by his father and groomed to become King himself one day.  In an effort to keep the betrothal secure and intact, no images of either the prince or princess have been allowed to reach the public’s eye.  As Apolline and Allard have no idea what each other look like, their interactions are feisty and a joy to read.

Perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer’s ‘The Lunar Chronicles’!

Thanks to Curiosity Quills Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Currently available as part of the Kindle Unlimited program!

‘Water’s Wrath’ by Elise Kova

(Spoilers for the first three books in the ‘Air Awakens’ series.  See previous reviews.)

Air Awakens            Fire Falling             Earth's End

Water’s Wrath Synopsis:

Librarian turned sorcerer. Sorcerer turned hero. Hero turned puppet.

The Solaris Empire found victory in the North and, at the cost of her heart and her innocence, Vhalla Yarl has earned her freedom. But the true fight is only beginning as the secret forces that have been lurking in the shadows, tugging at the strings of Vhalla’s fate, finally come to light. Nowhere is safe, and Vhalla must tread carefully or else she’ll fall into the waiting arms of her greatest foe. Or former lover.

Water’s Wrath Review:

5 flowing stars!

Brilliant addition to the 'Air Awakens' series! ‘Water’s Wrath’ picks up where ‘Earth’s End’ left off; Vhalla has gone into hiding.  She has settled into a new routine of learning from books and recording her dreams of Prince Aldrik’s memories, created by the Bond they share.  However, she does not remain hidden for long as troops return to The Crossroads and the South, now that the war has ended.  Lady Vhalla Yarl’s entry into Court is spectacular, and it seems more than just her friends have missed her.

This fourth entry to author Elise Kova’s elemental magic series focuses more on crystal magic and Crown Prince Aldrik and his family’s past.  All our favorite characters have returned to play a role, Aldrik, Baldair, Jax, Elicia, Frtiz, and Grahm.  Due to the amount of personal history uncovered, this might be the most emotionally wrenching in the series.

The last 25% of this book is full of nail-biting page-turning action and the surprise ending may just knock your socks off.  Looking forward to ‘Crystal Crowned’ later this year!

‘Water’s Wrath’ will be available on April 26, 2016.  #AirAwakensApril

A big thanks to author Elise Kova for providing an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review!

Follow Elise Kova on the Web:

Website

Social Media:

Twitter: @EliseKova

Instagram: @Elise.Kova

Tumblr: EliseKova

Facebook: Elise Kova

Goodreads

‘Air Awakens’ Series by Elise Kova

5 earth shattering stars!

Magic, castles, and feisty interactions with moody princes.  All my absolute favorites.

Vhalla Yarl’s story is compelling; a servant-level palace Library Apprentice with a strong mind and a passion for learning.  Her loyalty to her friends is unquestionable and moving.  The fierce friendships and bonds that form throughout the series is realistic and thoroughly enjoyable, and Vhalla’s interactions with the supporting characters and both the Crown Prince and the Golden Prince is what keeps the story moving at an amazing pace.

The ‘Air Awakens’ series is a joy to read, beautifully written with well-developed characters and vivid descriptions of elemental magic and the various rooms within the castle and of the scenery and temporary camps along Vhalla’s journey.

Author Elise Kova made the excellent choice to have Vhalla narrate in the first-person, as readers are privy to her private thoughts, memories, and reactions.  As the story is centered around Vhalla, these are important insights.

I devoured ‘Air Awakens,’ ‘Fire Falling,’ ‘Tales from the Front’ (novella) and ‘Earth’s End’ within one week, begrudgingly taking breaks only when ‘real life’ insisted.  Cannot wait to find out what happens next in ‘Water’s Wrath,’ releasing on April 26, 2016.

This YA fantasy series is perfect for fans of Rachel E. Carter’s ‘The Black Mage’ series.