Fantasy – Page 18 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: The Last Wish (The Witcher #0.5)

Title: The Last Wish (The Witcher #0.5)
Author: Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Fantasy, Short Stories
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: December 14, 2008 (originally January 31, 1993)
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Geralt the Witcher—revered and hated—is a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.
But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good… and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

Review:

Geralt is a Witcher, an assassin who targets monsters. Each story in this collection tells a tale of one monster he has tracked and defeated.

I haven’t read or watched anything in the Witcher series, so this story was completely new to me. I enjoyed the stories, but it was a little hard to get into them at first. I was completely new to the characters and the world, so it took a while to figure everything out. Once I figured out the way the stories were being told, I really enjoyed the stories.

I was surprised at the fairy tale aspects of the stories. There were references to Cinderella, Snow White, and Rumpelstiltskin, among others. I loved the references to these classic tales. Even the moral of the stories, that not everything that looks like a monster is evil and everything that looks good isn’t necessarily good, was reminiscent of fairy tale lessons.

I can’t wait to read more of the books in The Witcher series.

Other books in the series:

Blood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
The Tower of the Swallow

Have you read The Last Wish? What did you think of it?

Review: Once More Upon a Time

Title: Once More Upon a Time
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Novella
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 5, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Once upon a dream, there was a prince named Ambrose
and a princess named Imelda who loved each other…
But alas, no more.
“What a witch takes, a witch does not give back!”
their friends and family warn.
They resign themselves to this loveless fate…
A year and a day pass.
And then their story truly begins…
Embark on a perilous journey with Imelda and Ambrose as they brave magical landscapes and enchanted creatures on their quest to reclaim their heart’s desire… But first they must remember what that is…

Review:

Ambrose and Imelda were a Prince and Princess who married and were given their own kingdom to rule. However, when Imelda got sick, they made a deal with a witch to give up their love for each other but stay together for a year and a day. Once the time is up, the witch makes another deal with them to give them their freedom if they can get her a special potion from another kingdom. The couple agrees to pretend they are still together until they can get the potion. They have to eventually learn what their hearts truly desire.

This fairytale story was short and concise. Though it was a novella, there was great character development. Ambrose and Imelda weren’t the heroes of their families, but they became the heroes of their own story.

This story was also hilarious. The narrator made sarcastic comments on what was happening and the fairytale tropes in the story. This funny narrator made the story so enjoyable!

Once More Upon a Time is a fun fairytale story!

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing a copy of this book.

Review: Geis II: A Game Without Rules

Title: Geis II: A Game Without Rules
Author: Alexis Deacon
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Nobrow Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: December 12, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The second volume of Geis picks up right where the first graphic novel concluded: with the contenders divided against their will and thrown deeper into the mysterious game. Can the alliances of power be relied upon when so many rewards lay upon the line?
Deacons’ stunning illustrations carry forward the compelling and critically acclaimed narrative as the trilogy reaches its midpoint.

Review:

The competition continues in this second book in the Geis series. Everyone in the kingdom is competing to become the leader. However, only a couple of people know that they will fight to the death. Anyone who doesn’t win the competition will be killed. In this story, everyone is divided into two teams, either black or white. Alliances are broken as the stakes keep getting higher.

This is a fast paced and action packed story. There was more tension in this story because the stakes of the competition were raised. The fact that only some of the characters know that the competitors are destined to be killed also increased the tension.

I love how each character has a distinct appearance and style. Sometimes when a graphic novel has an extensive cast, it can be difficult to differentiate between the characters. It’s easy to tell these characters apart in this graphic novel.

Geis II is a great graphic novel! I hope the story will continue because it ended on a cliffhanger.

Thank you Nobrow for providing a copy of this book.

Other books in the series:

Geis: A Matter of Life and Death

Have you read Geis II:A Game Without Rules? What did you think of it?

Review: Among the Beasts and Briars

Title: Among the Beasts and Briars
Author: Ashley Poston
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Blazer + Bray
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 20, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cerys is safe in the kingdom of Aloriya.
Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.
As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.

Review:

The kingdom of Aloriya is a land of peace and free of disease since the King made a deal with the Lady who ruled the woods three hundred years ago. As the kingdom flourished, the woods became cursed, and no one is allowed to go into them. When Cerys was a child, the Prince, his steward, and her mother all disappeared into the woods. Cerys was the only one to survive that encounter. When the new Queen, and Cerys’s best friend, is about to be crowned, the curse from the woods is unleashed in the kingdom. Cerys must escape with her pet Fox and a powerful bear. They head into the woods to try to find the kingdom that is rumored to be hidden within. Cerys must uncover all of the secrets of the past to save her world.

I loved the world of this novel. This kingdom had an extensive history going back hundreds of years. However, it’s always important to look at who is writing the history. Usually the ones writing it make themselves look like the winners in the events.

There were some heartbreaking moments throughout this story but the ending was worth it. I loved the way it ended. There was a possibility for a sequel at the end. This was such a fun world and I loved the characters so it would be great to see a sequel!

Among the Beasts and Briars is a great YA fantasy!

Review: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash #2)

Title: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Betrayal…
Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.
A Choice…
Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.
A Secret…
But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

Review:

Poppy has left her home, to find that everything she believed there was a lie. She’s traveling with Casteel, Prince of Atlantia also known as The Dark One, who has decided that she will be his wife. However, the people that Poppy left behind won’t be forgotten. The Ascended are prepared to start a war to get their Maiden back. Many people want her dead and the Atlantians are beginning to fear her new abilities. Poppy has to fight for her life, while discovering the secrets of her past.

This was a steamy fantasy romance. There was more romance than in the first book, since Poppy and Casteel were together for the entire book. Though there is a lot of romance, there is also incredible world building.

The world in this series is quite detailed, yet there is still so much I don’t know. Throughout this story details of their history or customs that were slowly revealed. Much of that history also applies directly to Poppy’s past, though everything isn’t explained in this story. Since there was so much left in mystery, I can’t wait to read the next book!

Kingdom of Flesh and Fire is a great steamy fantasy romance!

Other books in the series:

From Blood and Ash
The Crown of Gilded Bones
The War of Two Queens

Have you read Kingdom of Flesh and Fire? What did you think of it?

Review: The Sleepover

Title: The Sleepover
Author: Michael Regina
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 9, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, this middle grade graphic novel follows a group of kids trying to cheer up their friend after a recent loss with a fun-filled sleepover, but their plans soon take a dark turn when they discover his new nanny may literally be a monster.
When the Russo family returns home from vacation to discover their nanny, Ruby, has unexpectedly passed away, Matthew takes the news the hardest. After weeks of reeling, his three best friends decide to cheer him up with a night of junk food, prank calls, and scary movies. But their plans for a sleepover are jeopardized when Matt’s single mother–unable to take any more time off of work–is forced to hire a new nanny on the fly to watch over Matt and his younger sister, Judy.
Miss Swan, however, is all too happy to have the boys over. And although she seems like the perfect babysitter, letting the kids eat whatever they want and mostly leaving them alone, there’s something about her that Matt doesn’t trust. He thinks she may actually be the witch from local legend–the one who torments children into the night and then eats them. Is he just having a hard time dealing with Ruby’s replacement, as his friends suspect? Has he watched one too many scary movies, as his mom fears? Or are he and his horror-buff friends in for the fright of their lives as they come face-to-face with a real monster?

Review:

Ruby was the best babysitter for Matt and Judy. When Matt and Judy return home from vacation to find that Ruby has passed away suddenly, they need to find another babysitter. Their mom hires Miss Swan for the evening while Matt has his friends over for a sleepover. However, there’s something strange about Miss Swan. Matt suspects that she is actually the rumored witch who lives in the woods behind their house and supposedly eats children. His mom thinks that Matt is just missing Ruby, and that’s why he doesn’t like the new babysitter. Matt has to try to convince everyone else that Miss Swan is actually a witch.

This graphic novel reminded me of Stranger Things. It was set in 1993, and the children loved watching horror movies. Each of the four friends had their strengths and weaknesses when it came to figuring out the truth about the witch. Judy tried to join in with the boys, but since she was the little sister, she wasn’t always included. Though it is set almost 30 years in the past, this story still had relatable characters and relationships.

Fears were an important theme to this story. Ruby was scared of thunderstorms, so she always had to be close to Matt and Judy during a storm. This showed that even adults can have irrational fears that can affect their lives. A fear was the key to the ending of the novel, so it was an important part of the story.

The Sleepover is a spooky middle grade graphic novel!

Thank you Razorbill for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour Review: The Crystal Palace Chronicles: Star of Nimrod

Title: The Crystal Palace Chronicles: Star of Nimrod
Author: Graham Whitlock
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Grass Roots Productions
Source: Literally PR
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 14, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Join teenager Joe on a rollercoaster adventure travelling back in time to the heyday of Victorian Crystal Palace.
Joe’s world is turned upside down when he discovers a shattered compass among the brambles where the Crystal Palace once stood and travels through time back to 1888.
With help from the teenage H. G. Wells and Samuel Coleridge Taylor, daredevil Iris Blondin, Arthur Conan Doyle the creator of Sherlock Holmes and the Queen of the Gypsies, Joe must foil dangerous diamond thieves to uncover dark secrets about the ‘People’s Palace’. Standing on boundaries between worlds, its mysterious secrets are tied to the fate of his family.
Will Joe be trapped in the past with his new friends, find a way to return to his family or can he somehow have both?

Review:

Joe Cook lives with his father and sister near the Crystal Palace Park in London. When Joe finds a broken compass one day, he is transported back to the real Crystal Palace in 1888. Joe stumbles upon a plan to steal the diamond brooch, The Star of Nimrod. Along with historical figures such as H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Joe must prevent the theft so that he can return to his own time.

This was such a fun time traveling mystery. I love it when historical stories have real figures from history. The future historical figures in this story were not yet famous, so they had no idea what they would be known for centuries later. H.G. Wells and Samuel Coleridge Taylor were children, and Arthur Conan Doyle was a doctor who had just written the first Sherlock Holmes story. I always find it a fun way to learn about history when real historical figures are woven into a fictional story.

There were a few moments in the story that weren’t finished, but may be cleared up in a later novel. There was one scene where Joe supposedly travelled back to a different future from the one he left behind. There was also the Alone Child, who made some brief appearances but I wasn’t really sure who that was supposed to be or his role in the story. Maybe these parts will be cleared up in the next story, but I was left wondering what those parts meant.

The Crystal Chronicles: Star of Nimrod was a fun middle grade historical fiction mystery.

Thank you Literally PR for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:

Graham Whitlock is a writer, walker, local instigator, dad and born-and-bred Norwood boy who is hopelessly in love with London. He helped found and run award-winning charity DreamArts which transforms young lives fusing arts and therapy. Graham edited the Dev and Olli children’s books by Shweta Aggarwal and his professional writing credits include a stage adaptation of the Shane Meadows film 24/7 and the UK’s first immersive musical based on the classic Ealing Studio comedy Passport to Pimlico.

Have you read The Crystal Palace Chronicles: Star of Nimrod? What did you think of it?

Review: All Our Hidden Gifts (All Our Hidden Gifts #1)

Title: All Our Hidden Gifts (All Our Hidden Gifts #1)
Author: Caroline O’Donoghue
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 8, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Maeve’s strangely astute tarot readings make her the talk of the school, until a classmate draws a chilling and unfamiliar card—and then disappears.
After Maeve finds a pack of tarot cards while cleaning out a closet during her in-school suspension, she quickly becomes the most sought-after diviner at St. Bernadette’s Catholic school. But when Maeve’s ex–best friend, Lily, draws an unsettling card called The Housekeeper that Maeve has never seen before, the session devolves into a heated argument that ends with Maeve wishing aloud that Lily would disappear. When Lily isn’t at school the next Monday, Maeve learns her ex-friend has vanished without a trace.
Shunned by her classmates and struggling to preserve a fledgling romance with Lily’s gender-fluid sibling, Roe, Maeve must dig deep into her connection with the cards to search for clues the police cannot find—even if they lead to the terrifying Housekeeper herself. Set in an Irish town where the church’s tight hold has loosened and new freedoms are trying to take root, this sharply contemporary story is witty, gripping, and tinged with mysticism.

Review:

While cleaning out a closet in her school during detention, Maeve Chambers finds an old deck of tarot cards. Fiona, another student, insists that Maeve start reading tarot cards for everyone. One day Maeve reads the cards for her ex-best friend, Lily. Lily draws a card called “The Housekeeper,” that Maeve has never seen before, but that she knows is bad news. Then, Lily disappears without a trace. Maeve knows the secret to Lily’s disappearance lies with the Housekeeper card, and she is the only one who can save Lily. Along with Fiona and Lily’s gender-fluid sibling, Roe, Maeve has to explore her magic to find Lily.

This was a fascinating magic story. There’s so much mystery behind tarot cards, that are able to determine a situation, but especially when an unknown card suddenly appears in the deck. The Housekeeper card was creepy and strange, holding powers in itself. It was at the center of the mystery of Lily’s disappearance.

The magic in the story was one layer of a deeper theme of injustice. There was an extremist group in the town, who were terrorizing people who didn’t share their beliefs. They committed hate attacks, particularly against the LGBTQ community. This part of the story added some realistic social justice elements to a magical and mystical story.

All Our Hidden Gifts is a powerful magic story. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Thank you Walker Books and Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow
Author: Mariko Tamaki, Natacha Bustos, Eleonora Bruni
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 11, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Now, truly alone for the first time in her life, Willow must rely only on her instincts – and her magic – to save herself from a different kind of threat than Buffy ever prepared her to face in her first ever comic book series!
NO MORE SUNNYDALE. NO MORE SCOOBY GANG. NO MORE…WILLOW?
After everything – and everyone – she lost to the Hellmouth, Willow is leaving Sunnydale behind for a new school that promises “to help you prioritize your true self.” But Willow soon learns that all is not as it seems, and if your true self isn’t what the school thinks it should be…well, don’t worry, they’ll help you get there. By any means necessary. Now, truly alone for the first time in her life, Willow must rely only on her instincts – and her magic – to save herself from a different kind of threat than Buffy ever prepared her to face!
Award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki (She-Hulk) and superstar artist Natacha Bustos (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur) bring Willow face to face with the truth of her past… and plant the seeds for a future no one could’ve predicted. Collects Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow #1-5.

Review:

Willow left everything behind in Sunnydale and moved to a new school in England. When the school wasn’t what she expected it to be, she got a one way bus ticket out of town. She ended up in Abhainn a mysterious witchy town. Willow has found her people, but she has to figure out the mystery of the town.

I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer occasionally when I was a kid, but I haven’t seen the show in years. When I saw that this was a witchy graphic novel, I had to read it. Since this book was about Willow leaving Sunnydale, it could be read as a stand-alone without knowing the background of Buffy.

I loved the beautiful art in this graphic novel. The alternate covers were particularly beautiful. Some of them had realistic images of the characters, which I always love to see. This graphic novel had lots of beautiful illustrations.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow is a fun graphic novel!

Review: Sawkill Girls

Title: Sawkill Girls
Author: Claire Legrand
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Beware of the woods and the dark, dank deep. He’ll follow you home, and he won’t let you sleep.
Who are the Sawkill Girls?
Marion: the new girl. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.
Zoey: the pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.
Val: the queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives, a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.
Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires.
Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now.

Review:

Zoey has lived in Sawkill with her father, the police chief, for a couple of years. Marion has just moved there, when she has an accident and falls off a horse. Val, a popular girl who Zoey has never trusted, helps Marion recover. Girls have disappeared from Sawkill for decades, without a trace. Zoey’s best friend disappeared after becoming friends with Val, so Zoey thinks that Val is involved in the disappearances. When more girls disappear, and Zoey starts finding strange things around her house, she decides that she must end this cycle of missing girls.

This story followed the points of view of Zoey, Val, and Marion. Zoey was fairly new to the town, only moving there a couple of years before. Marion was a newcomer to the town, but Val’s family had lived there for generations. The town itself was a character as well, with an extensive history.

The story started out as a horror/thriller, with girls going missing. The last half of the story turned more science fiction and fantasy. I didn’t like this twist in the story, because it didn’t seem realistic. At first, it was creepy because it seemed like something that could happen in a small town. I was disappointed in this second half and the ending of the story, because it wasn’t what I expected.

Unfortunately, Sawkill Girls didn’t live up to my expectations.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

Other books in the series:

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Review:

What to read next:

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Goodreads Synopsis:

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What to read next:

How to Survive in the North by Luke Healy

Other books in the series:

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Review:

What to read next:

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Luminous by Mara Rutherford

Goodreads Synopsis:

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What to read next:

The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Other books in the series:

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Review:

What to read next:

The Hiddenseek by Nate Cernosek

Stranger Things: The Other Side by Jody Houser

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What to read next:

The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn

The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray by E. Latimer

About the author:

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What to read next:

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain

Edie in Between by Laura Sibson

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What to read next:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: Hellmouth by Jordie Bellaire, Jeremy Lambert

Slayer by Kiersten White

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What to read next:

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain