Title: Red School (Part 1) Author: Victoria Aveyard, Soman Chainai, Joel Gennari (illustrator) Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Graphic Novel Publisher: N/A Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: October 27, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Fantasy titans Victoria Aveyard and Soman Chainani team up in a two-part graphic novel event! Featuring your favourite characters from ‘Red Queen’ and ‘The School for Good and Evil’ series.
Review:
The royalty from Norta, including Mare, Cal, and Maven, go to The School for Good and Evil for a special ball. While they are celebrating, the school is taken over by a red fog that infects people from both sides and posses them. The characters from Red Queen (Mare, Cal, and Maven) and the characters from The School for Good and Evil (Agatha, Sophie, and Tedros) have to work together to find the source of the fog.
This is such a fun graphic novel that combines the worlds of two of my favourite series. This story doesn’t give any spoilers to the series (all the characters are alive, even if they died at some point during either series) so this graphic novel could be read at any point during the series. However, it would be useful to have some knowledge of the characters and read at least one book from both series before reading this graphic novel because the characters aren’t really introduced.
I loved seeing these characters illustrated. There are images of the characters from The School for Good and Evil on those book covers, but I had never seen authentic illustrations of the characters from the Red Queen series. It was so much fun to see all of these characters work together.
This was such a fun graphic novel! I can’t wait to read the next one!
What to read next:
Red School (Part 2) by Victoria Aveyard, Soman Chainani, Joel Gennari (illustrator)
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
Other books in the series:
Red School (Part 2)
Have you read Red School (Part 1)? What did you think of it?
Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) Author: Sarah J. Maas Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance Publisher: Bloomsbury Source: Purchased Format: Hardcover Release Date: May 2, 2017 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
FEYRE WILL BRING VENGEANCE.
She has left the Night Court – and her High Lord – and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans. But to do so she must weave a web of lies, and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As mighty armies grapple for power, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords – and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
BUT WHILE WAR RAGES, IT IS HER HEART THAT WILL FACE THE GREATEST BATTLE.
THE THRILLING THIRD BOOK IN #1 NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLING FANTASY SERIES FROM SARAH J. MAAS.
Review:
Feyre has left the Night Court, Rhysand, and her newly fae sisters, and returned to Tamlin and the Spring Court. She’s pretending that the mating bond between her and Rhys has been broken so she can learn the war plans of Tamlin and Hybern. Feyre has to figure out how to defeat Hybern with his magical cauldron, while also uniting the High Lords in war.
This was an epic conclusion to Feyre’s story. The story continues in a novella and another novel, which will focus on another couple. However, this book ended Feyre’s main story arc, which had an exciting finale.
There were some heart-pounding moments at the end of the book. I really didn’t know how it was going to end and who was going to survive. Even though this story ended most of the main story, there were still some loose ends that can continue in the upcoming books.
Title: Dryad, Vol. 1 Author: Kurtis Wiebe, Justin Osterling (illustrator) Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy Publisher: Oni Press Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: January 5, 2021 Rating: ★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Best-selling writer Kurtis Wiebe (Rat Queens) and newcomer artist Justin Osterling launch a new fantasy saga!
The Glass family has spent thirteen years hiding peacefully in the sleepy forest settlement of Frostbrook where Morgan and Yale planted roots and raised their twins, Griffon and Rana. But secrets never stay hidden, and the entire Glass family find themselves the target of an unearthly attack on Frostbrook.
Now on the run from Muse Corp., they must flee to the massive city of Silver’s Bay to hide in plain sight. Rana and Griffon find themselves uprooted and answering for their parents’ mistakes. But, they’ll soon find that the past has a way of finding you, no matter where you run
Review:
Yale and Morgan have hidden their family in a small village for thirteen years. When their children find some hidden ruins in the forest, demons are unleashed. Yale and Morgan have to rescue their children and escape to the city where they came from to fight against the terrorist group Dryad.
This story started slow but sped up as the story progressed. I found it a little difficult to figure out who everyone was at first, especially since there was a thirteen year jump within the first few pages where their children grew up. Once I figured out who all the characters were, the story became more exciting.
The illustrations of this graphic novel were beautiful. The village and forest at the beginning had vibrant colours. When the story shifted to the city, the colours were darker and more monotone. These colours reflected the change in tone of the story.
I found the ending a little confusing. Some new characters were introduced, setting up the story for the next graphic novel. This left me wondering what was happening, since it wasn’t really an ending for the main characters.
This was a good graphic novel, but I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the next one.
Thank you Oni Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples
Have you read Dryad, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?
Title: Glimpsed Author: G.F. Miller Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy Publisher: Simon and Schuster Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook, Paperback ARC Release Date: January 5, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Perfect for fans of Geekerella and Jenn Bennett, this charming, sparkly rom-com follows a wish-granting teen forced to question if she’s really doing good—and if she has the power to make her own dreams come true.
Charity is a fairy godmother. She doesn’t wear a poofy dress or go around waving a wand, but she does make sure the deepest desires of the student population at Jack London High School come true. And she knows what they want even better than they do because she can glimpse their perfect futures.
But when Charity fulfills a glimpse that gets Vibha crowned homecoming queen, it ends in disaster. Suddenly, every wish Charity has ever granted is called into question. Has she really been helping people? Where do these glimpses come from, anyway? What if she’s not getting the whole picture?
Making this existential crisis way worse is Noah—the adorkable and (in Charity’s opinion) diabolical ex of one of her past clients—who blames her for sabotaging his prom plans and claims her interventions are doing more harm than good. He demands that she stop granting wishes and help him get his girl back. At first, Charity has no choice but to play along. But soon, Noah becomes an unexpected ally in getting to the bottom of the glimpses. Before long, Charity dares to call him her friend…and even starts to wish he were something more. But can the fairy godmother ever get the happily ever after?
Review:
Charity is a fairy godmother. She’s also a teenager at Jack London High School. Charity gets “glimpses” of people’s dreams coming true, so she has to figure out how to make it happen for them. But when one of her granted wishes ends in disaster, she has to wonder if she’s doing the right thing. Then she gets an anonymous message threatening to expose that she’s a fairy godmother who is manipulating students. Noah, her blackmailer, agrees not to expose her identity, if she grants his wish. After spending time with Noah, Charity has to question if she deserves her own happily ever after.
This story is a cute play on the traditional fairy tale. Usually the fairy godmother is a side character who doesn’t get a happily ever after. Charity comes from a family of fairy godmothers. Her grandmother is also a fairy godmother, and she acts as her mentor. The fairy godmothers who manipulated their “Cindys”, the people they get glimpses of, and didn’t give them a happy ending, are known as witches in fairy tales. I liked this comparison of fairy godmothers and witches, since they are both usually characters who guide the heroes to either succeed or fail.
Charity believes that since she’s the fairy godmother, she doesn’t get to have a happily ever after. She gives her “Cindys” their happily ever after, which she thinks is her entire purpose. However, even when she grants the wishes, it doesn’t always turn out the way it was destined to end. Charity has to fix the wishes she’s already granted as well as figure out her own happily ever after.
This is an adorable modern fairy tale.
Thank you Simon and Schuster for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer
About the author:
G.F. Miller can write 80,000-word novels, but ask her to sit down and write 250 true and meaningful words about herself and she is likely to have an existential crisis. Who am I, really? She ponders. What do I want to be known for? Does anyone even read the back flap or visit author websites?
But eventually she will pull herself together and tell you that…She married her college sweetheart and is mom to three littles who routinely make her heart burst and her head explode (it’s a messy business, love). There are puppies big and small residing at her house (you’ll be seeing a lot of them if you follow her on Instagram). She’s been to a dozen countries, but not nearly as many as she would like. She loves learning all the things. She cries at all the wrong times. She makes faces at herself in the mirror. She believes in the Oxford comma. And she’s always here for a dance party.
While the stories she has brewing in her soul vary wildly from one another, there are three things they will always have in common: love, snappy dialogue, and happy endings.
Title: Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) Author: Kristin Cashore Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: Dial Books Source: Library Format: Ebook Release Date: October 1, 2008 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.
She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.
Review:
Katsa is a Graceling, a person with two different colored eyes who has a special ability. Katsa can kill any man with her bare hands. Since she has this special skill, she is sent on missions by the king, her uncle. On one of her missions, she meets Prince Po, another Graceling. This meeting changes her life and sends her on a journey to find the reason behind Po’s grandfather’s kidnapping.
I’m so glad I discovered this series. This was a whirlwind adventure with danger, suspense, and romance. Katsa was a strong character, physically and mentally. She knew exactly what she wanted, so she was surprised when she learned new things about herself, such as when she found herself falling in love.
This story had so many shocking scenes. The characters suffered a lot, but they grew stronger because of it. There were a few times when I thought the characters had painted themselves into a corner, and I couldn’t think of a way they could possibly get past their challenges. This made the story very exciting.
I’m so excited to read the next book in this series!
What to read next:
Fire by Kristin Cashore
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Other books in the series:
Fire
Bitterblue
Winterkeep
Have you read Graceling? What did you think of it?
Title: A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) Author: V.E. Schwab Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Tor Books Source: Purchased Format: Hardcover Release Date: February 23, 2016 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift–back into Black London.
Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games–an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries–a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.
And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.
Review:
It’s been four months since Kell and Lila defeated the stone from Black London. They have both moved on. Lila is fulfilling her dream of sailing. Kell is pining after her, without knowing where she’s disappeared. They’re both brought back to London again for a tournament called the Essen Tasch, or the Element Games. However, the shadow that they thought was gone forever begins to come back.
This was a thrilling story from beginning to end. The two main characters, Kell and Lila, were actually apart for most of the story, but they were thinking about each other. Their paths almost crossed a few times, which made the tension between them build. I don’t usually like stories that keep the characters separated like that, but it worked in this story.
There were a couple of short scenes of a particular character in another London. The scenes were just snapshots of what that character was doing. Though there wasn’t that much action in those scenes, the way that the scenes kept appearing built the tension until that part of the storyline could join the main plot. This was a clever way to weave multiple plots together until they could all join at the end.
This story ended on a great cliffhanger, so I’ll have to read the next one soon! I loved this sequel.
What to read next:
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince by V.E. Schwab, Andrea Olimpieri
Title: How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air #3.5) Author: Holly Black Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Source: Purchased from Owlcrate Format: Hardcover Release Date: November 24, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
An illustrated addition to the New York Times bestselling Folk of Air trilogy, that started with The Cruel Prince, from award-winning author Holly Black.
An irresistible return to the captivating world of Elfhame.
Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.
Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone. #1 New York Times bestselling author, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan. This tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.
This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.
Review:
Cardan was a child with a heart of stone. He heard that story many times when he was a child from a troll woman named Aslog. He began to believe the story was true, until he learned to master it.
This story gives a glimpse into the world of The Folk of the Air before the series began and after it finished. There were a couple of chapters from when Cardan was a child, which showed how he was treated by his family. The story also took place in the present, when he visits the human world with Jude. I liked how this story expanded The Folk of the Air series by showing events before and after the series.
The folklore of fae also played an important role in this story. Faeries cannot tell lies, which can be complicated for sneaky fae like Cardan. However, they can tell stories if there is some truth to them. This is a clever way that some fae get away with telling stories that have some truth but are actually lies.
This is a beautiful book, with gorgeous illustrations! It’s a must have for fans of The Folk of the Air!
Title: Calling All Witches! The Girls Who Left Their Mark on the Wizarding World Author: Laurie Calkhoven, Violet Tobacco (illustrator) Genre: Fantasy, Children’s Publisher: Scholastic Source: Library Format: Ebook Release Date: May 28, 2019 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
For all the girls as clever as Hermione Granger, as dedicated as Tina Goldstein, and as fierce as Minerva McGonagall, this incredible compendium is packed with the stories of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts’ most amazing heroines! Complete with gorgeous, full-color illustrations on every spread, fans can relive their favorite movie moments featuring the most empowering witches of our age. Explore the many ways these women built, enriched, and saved the wizarding world, and get inspired by their stories in this compelling handbook–a must-have for fans!
Review:
This book is about all the powerful witches in the Wizarding World. The featured witches were from both the Harry Potter series and the Fantastic Beasts movies. Some were obviously powerful, like Hermione and Molly Weasley. Others were very minor characters who played an important role in the Wizarding World, like Arabella Figg and Pansy Parkinson.
Unfortunately, the wizarding fandom was let down this year with the hate speech that has been spread by the author. However, this series and world has played such an important role in my life, including inspiring my career as a writer. I was so excited to read this book, which is written by another author, because I love reading studies of my favourite books. This book showed the variety of women in the series as well as their important roles in the story.
One warning before picking up this book is that it gives away all the spoilers. Most of the major plot points in the series were used as examples throughout the book, so you shouldn’t read this if you haven’t read all the books or watched the movies. This book also focused more on the stories from the movies, rather than the books. There aren’t books to go along with the Fantastic Beasts movies, so those characters had to come from the screen. However, there were some parts that were different in the Harry Potter books and movies. For example, in the book Padma Patil was sorted into Ravenclaw but in the movies, she is in Gryffindor. For parts like this, the movie version was used.
This is a great book for fans of the Wizarding World.
What to read next:
Harry Potter’s Bookshelf by John Granger
The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook by Media Lab Books
Have you read Calling All Witches? What did you think of it?
Title: Stepsister Author: Jennifer Donnelly Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: Scholastic Press Source: Purchased Format: Hardcover Release Date: May 14, 2019 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Isabelle should be blissfully happy – she’s about to win the handsome prince. Except Isabelle isn’t the beautiful girl who lost the glass slipper and captured the prince’s heart. She’s the ugly stepsister who’s cut off her toes to fit into Cinderella’s shoe … which is now filling with blood.
When the prince discovers Isabelle’s deception, she is turned away in shame. It’s no more than she deserves: she is a plain girl in a world that values beauty; a feisty girl in a world that wants her to be pliant.
Isabelle has tried to fit in. To live up to her mother’s expectations. To be like her stepsister. To be sweet. To be pretty. One by one, she has cut away pieces of herself in order to survive a world that doesn’t appreciate a girl like her. And that has made her mean, jealous, and hollow.
Until she gets a chance to alter her destiny and prove what ugly stepsisters have always known: it takes more than heartache to break a girl.
Review:
Isabelle has a beautiful sister named Ella, whose foot fits into the glass slipper that the Prince sent around town. Isabelle tried to cut her food to pieces to make it fit, but Ella’s foot was a perfect fit. While Ella goes to live in the palace, Isabelle has been left behind to be jealous of her stepsister’s new life. Her life slowly crumbles around her, making her more bitter, until one day she’s given a chance to find her destiny.
This story gave a different perspective of Cinderella’s fairy tale. It began where Cinderella’s tale ends, after she is discovered to be the girl that the Prince loves. Usually, that’s where the stepsisters are left behind and forgotten, however in this story, that is just where Isabelle’s story begins.
Isabelle’s story was being plotted by Chance and Fate. They were side characters who were trying to map out her destiny. Fate, chance and destiny are important elements of fairy tales. These elements were brought to life in this story and played an active role in Isabelle’s life.
This is a great, original fairy tale retelling.
What to read next:
Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Have you read Stepsister? What did you think of it?
Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Author: V.E. Schwab Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Tor Books Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: October 6, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
Review:
In France in 1714, Addie LaRue made a deal with the god, Luc. She will live forever, but she will be forgotten by everyone she meets. Addie quickly realizes that this curse will be difficult to live with. She cannot create anything or leave her mark anywhere. She must steal to survive. Everything changes in 2014 when she walks into a bookstore in New York. She meets Henry, who remembers her when she returns the next day. With Henry’s help, Addie can leave her mark on the world.
Any review cannot do this book justice. It was so beautiful from beginning to end. I read this book slowly, over a couple of weeks, because I didn’t want to rush through it. I needed to savour the beautiful prose and the heartbreaking story of Addie LaRue.
Addie’s life was heartbreaking from the beginning. There were many instances of people forgetting her over the course of 300 years. Some of her close friends who knew her from before her curse didn’t recognize her after she made her deal. I kept hoping that someone would remember her after they had left, and eventually she found Henry, who remembered.
The time period jumped between chapters. I sometimes find that kind of jump in narrative disorienting because the setting is constantly changing. However, the alternating time periods in this story made sense to the story. Each chapter answered questions or demonstrated the meaning of an event from the previous chapter.
Addie’s story was so moving and heartbreaking, but also filled with love. This is one of my favourite reads of 2020!
Thank you Tor Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Have you read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue? What did you think of it?
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