Title: Your Throne, Vol. 1 Author: Sam Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy Publisher: Webtoon Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: October 1, 2024 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A powerful noblewoman has to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival. Your Throne Vol. 1 collects the first 12 episodes of the stunning fantasy WEBTOON comic by SAM, which has over 830 million reads worldwide.
Tensions are brewing under the seemingly calm surface of the Vasilios Empire, a kingdom ruled by the Imperial Family and the Temple. Lady Medea Solon has lost her place next to Crown Prince Eros but resolves to do whatever it takes to win back what’s rightfully hers. However, she’ll have to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival.
Review:
Lady Medea lost the Crown Prince’s hand in marriage to Lady Psyche. Medea vows to get her revenge, but after a chance encounter, she wakes up in Psyche’s body. They have traded bodies, but that becomes a challenge since they have such different personalities and lifestyles. Lady Medea sees this as her chance to marry the Crown Prince, as long as she can keep her real identity a secret.
I loved the premise of this story. Stories about people swapping bodies and lives are so interesting. The story was a little confusing at times, since Medea and Psyche were in each other’s bodies and some people had figured it out but were keeping it a secret. I really enjoyed this story!
Your Throne is a great fantasy graphic novel!
Thank you Wattpad Books for sending me a copy of this book!
Content warnings: death, parental neglect
Have you read Your Throne? What did you think of it?
Title: Draw Down the Moon (Moonstruck #1) Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Publisher: Wednesday Books Source: Publisher Format: Paperback arc Release Date: April 2, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
New York Times bestsellers P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast return with a new duology set in a dark and magickal world filled with incredible danger and irresistible romance.
Wren Nightingale isn’t supposed to have any powers. Born of magickal parents but not under a moon sign, she was destined for life as a Mundane—right up until she starts glowing on her eighteenth birthday. In a heartbeat, Wren’s life is turned upside down, and she’s suddenly leaving her home for the mystical Academia de la Luna—a secret magickal school on a hidden island off the Seattle coast.
Lee Young has always known about his future at the Academia. He has one goal: pass the trials, impress the Moon Council, and uphold his family’s reputation. But he wasn’t expecting to be attending alongside the girl he’s been secretly in love with for as long as he can remember.
As Wren and Lee are thrown into the Academie’s gruelling trials, they quickly learn there’s something different–and dangerous–about the school this year. Wren will have to navigate a web of secrets, prophecies–and murder. And Lee will have to decide who to protect–his family’s legacy, or the girl he loves.
Review:
Even though eighteen-year-old Wren Nightingale was born to magical parents, she has never shown signs of magic powers. However, on the night of her eighteenth birthday she starts glowing and is whisked away to Academia de la Luna with her best friend, Lee Young. Lee has always known he was going to the academy and he has big ambitions to join the Moon Council. He’s reminded of the death of his sister years before at the academy while he’s there. He wants to restore his family’s reputation since he’s the only child left. However, the school is more dangerous than it ever has been before. Wren and Lee must learn how to control their magic while also fighting to survive the summer.
This is such a thrilling magical story! Though Wren had magical parents, she thought she was a Mundane without powers, like her uncle who has raised her since her parents died. There was a lot about the magical world that she learned through the story, since she didn’t think she needed to learn it before she gained powers. There were some intense scenes involving tragic deaths, which I wasn’t expecting. I enjoyed the twists that were unpredictable!
Draw Down the Moon is a great YA fantasy!
Thank you Wednesday Books for sending me a copy of this book!
Content warnings: death of parents (off page), death of sibling (off page), drowning, death
Have you read Draw Down the Moon? What did you think of it?
Title: Lady Macbeth Author: Ava Reid Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Del Rey Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: August 13, 2024 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.
The Lady knows the stories: how her eyes induce madness in men.
The Lady knows she will be wed to the Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed.
The Lady knows his hostile, suspicious court will be a game of strategy, requiring all of her wiles and hidden witchcraft to survive.
But the Lady does not know her husband has occult secrets of his own. She does not know that prophecy girds him like armor. She does not know that her magic is greater and more dangerous, and that it will threaten the order of the world.
She does not know this yet. But she will.
Review:
Roscille is a seventeen-year-old French girl who was sent to Scotland to marry Macbeth, the Thane of Glammis. Her life in Scotland is very different from what she’s used to. She doesn’t get any help from a handmaiden, and she is married to a bloodthirsty man. Roscille wears a veil over her eyes at all times because her eyes can cause madness in men. Roscille must do whatever she must do to survive in her new role as Lady Macbeth.
This was a tragic story. It wasn’t a retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It follows the true history that inspired the play, while also having fantasy elements. Women were treated badly, but Roscille had to find ways to stand up for herself and survive this brutal world.
Lady Macbeth is an intense tragedy.
Thank you Del Rey for providing a digital copy of this book!
Content warnings: death, death of parent, stabbing, rape
Have you read Lady Macbeth? What did you think of it?
Title: A Torch Against the Night Author: Sabaa Tahir Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: August 29, 2017 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Set in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir’s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES told the story of Laia, a slave fighting for her family, and Elias, a young soldier fighting for his freedom.
Now, in A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT, Elias and Laia are running for their lives.
After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.
Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.
But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.
Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.
Review:
After the events of the Trials, Elias and Laia are on the run to Kauf, a high security prison, to rescue Laia’s brother, Darin. Meanwhile, Helene has become Blood Shrike to the new Emperor Marcus, and her first job is to hunt down Elias and bring him back to be executed. If she can’t do it, her family will killed. Elias and Laia have to fight against many enemies on their dangerous journey to save Darin before it’s too late, while Helene grapples with her love for Elias and the safety of her family.
This was such a thrilling sequel to An Ember in the Ashes. The stakes were so high for Elias, Laia, and Helene. They all faced life and death decisions. There were twists that were so unexpected, including deaths I wasn’t prepared for. I’m so excited to continue this series!
A Torch Against the Night is a thrilling YA fantasy!
Title: Morgana and Oz, Vol. 1 Author: Miyuli Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy Publisher: Webtoon Unscrolled Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: September 3, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
What happens when a struggling witch meets an angsty vampire? Either love or war.
Morgana belongs to a long line of witches, and Oz to the rival vampire clan. After a chance encounter . . . and maybe a few stray spells . . . these two need to find a way to work together, or risk all-out war between coven and clan.
It’s a Romeo and Juliet story where a boy and a girl from two rival clans, one a vampire and one a witch, meet cute, like each other, but then the girl makes a serious mistake and turns the boy into a cute kitty.
Collecting episodes 1-19 of the hit fantasy WEBTOON series.
Review:
Morgana is a teenage witch who is struggling to control her powers. Her spells always seem to go wrong. Her family wants to make peace with their rival vampire clan, but after a dinner party leaves the vampires ill, they’re ready to go to war. While everyone else was at the dinner, Morgana finds a vampire named Oz behind her house. She accidentally turns Oz into a white cat. Morgana needs to find the way to reverse the spell, but she doesn’t want to admit her mistake to her family, so she sneaks around with her new vampire cat friend.
This was such a fun graphic novel! It’s the perfect paranormal read for this fall. It was so fast paced and exciting. This book ended on a huge cliffhanger, so I can’t wait until volume 2 comes out!
Morgana and Oz, Vol. 1 is a great graphic novel for spooky season!
Thank you Webtoon for providing a digital copy of this book!
Have you read Morgana and Oz, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?
Title: An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) Author: Sabaa Tahir Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: Razorbill Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: April 28, 2015 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
Review:
Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. When their house is raided one night, her grandparents are murdered, her brother is taken to jail, and Laia escapes. She finds the Resistance who say they will help save her brother if she infiltrates the military school as a slave to the leader, the Commandant. Elias is a soldier at the school, and the estranged son of the Commandant. He plans his escape from their prison-like school, but instead he is put in the Trials to find the person who will inherit the Emperor’s position. Both Laia’s and Elias’s goals become intertwined as they try to destroy the empire that created them.
I’ve had this series on my TBR and I’m so glad I finally started it. It had descriptive world building that hooked me right away. The chapters alternated between Laia’s and Elias’s POVs. It was fast paced, and I had to keep reading to find out what happened next! I’m so glad I can read the rest of the series right away.
An Ember in the Ashes is a great YA fantasy!
Content warnings: death of parents, death of grandparents, kidnapping, stabbing, slavery, abuse
Other books in the series:
A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2)
A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3)
A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4)
Have you read An Ember in the Ashes? What did you think of it?
Title: HoverGirls Author: Geneva Bowers Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult Publisher: Bloomsbury YA Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: August 6, 2024 Rating: ★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
The web comic sensation about magical girls by acclaimed illustrator Geneva Bowers, now in a beautiful print edition, featuring an expanded storyline and revised art!
Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins who move to the city of Los Aguaceros together. Kim dreams of becoming a famous model and fashion designer, while Jalissa is just trying to hold herself together after a breakdown the year before.
When a curious incident on the beach leaves them with supernatural powers and monsters start attacking the city, Kim decides that using their powers to stop them is the perfect way for them to become famous. But being heroes isn’t as easy as it seems–and Los Aquaceros is in more danger than they imagine.
This beautifully illustrated and hilarious YA graphic novel began as a web comic and quickly became a WEBTOON sensation. This print edition features an expanded story and updated art, offering something for new and old fans alike!
Review:
Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins who move to the city of Los Aguaceros together to start new lives. Kim wants to be a famous fashion designer and model, while Jalissa wants to escape her problems at home. An incident on the beach leaves them with magic powers and strange fish-like monsters in the city. Kim decides the way to get famous is to defeat these monsters and save the city. However, there is something out of this world behind the cause of their powers and the monsters, which they must defeat to survive.
This story had a lot of potential. I loved the vibrant illustrations. Kim and Jalissa had opposite personalities. Kim was excited and eager but forgetful. Jalissa kept to herself and seemed angry most of the time. I didn’t feel a connection to either of the characters because they both had unlikeable traits.
Unfortunately HoverGirls wasn’t for me.
Thank you Bloomsbury for providing a digital copy of this book!
Have you read HoverGirls? What did you think of it?
Title: The Night Librarian Author: Christopher Lincoln Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Fantasy Publisher: Dial Books Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: July 30, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A graphic novel adventure in which two siblings, a mysterious Night Librarian, and a motley cast of book characters try to save the New York Public Library
Twins Page and Turner know about the magic a library holds—they’ve been going to their beloved New York City public library for years, especially since their parents are always traveling for work. But a secret mission involving their dad’s rare and valuable edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula uncovers a world they’ve never known, featuring a mysterious Night Librarian, famous heroes (and villains) that have broken free from classic books, and an epic battle to save the library from total destruction.
Review:
Twins Page and Turner Reed feel neglected by their parents who are always traveling for work. Their father’s most prized possession is a first edition of Dracula. When their parents are away, they take the book to the New York Public Library to try to find out what it’s worth, but the book disappears while they’re there. They meet the Night Librarian, who looks after the library during the night when the books come to life. Page and Turner must work with some of their favourite book characters to find Dracula and save the library from being destroyed.
This was such a fun graphic novel! I think many kids dream of entering their favourite stories or becoming friends with their favourite characters. Page and Turner met Alice in Wonderland, Tinkerbell, and Jack from Jack in the Beanstalk. Meeting these characters in this contemporary story is a great way to introduce young readers to classic stories.
The Night Librarian is a fun middle grade graphic novel!
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing a copy of this book!
Have you read The Night Librarian? What did you think of it?
Title: Sunderworld, Vol. 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry Author: Ransom Riggs Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: Penguin Teen Canada Source: Publisher Format: Hardcover Release Date: August 27, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
The much-anticipated new fantasy series from Ransom Riggs, his first since introducing the #1 global phenomenon Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series.
Seventeen-year-old Leopold Berry is seeing weird things around Los Angeles. A man who pops a tooth into a parking meter. A glowing trapdoor in a parking lot. A half-mechanical raccoon with its tail on fire that just won’t leave him alone. Every hallucinatory moment seems plucked from a cheesy 1990s fantasy TV show called Max’s Adventures in Sunderworld—and that’s because they are.
Not a good sign.
In the blurry weeks after his mother’s death, a young Leopold discovered VHS tapes of its one and only season in a box headed for the trash—and soon became obsessed. Losing himself in Sunder was the best way to avoid two things: grieving his mother and being a chronic disappointment to his overbearing father. But when the strange visions return—at the worst possible time on the worst possible day—Leopold turns to his best friend Emmet for help. Together they discover that Sunder is much more than just an old TV show, and that Los Angeles is far stranger than they ever imagined. And soon, he’ll realize that not only is Sunderworld real, but it’s in grave danger.
Certain he’s finally been chosen for greatness, Leopold risks everything to claim his destiny, save the world of his childhood dreams, and prove once and for all that he’s not the disappointment his father believes him to be. But when everything goes terribly, horribly, excruciatingly wrong, Leopold’s disappointments prove to be more extraordinary than he ever could have imagined.
How do you battle darkness when no one believes in you—not even yourself?
Visionary storyteller Ransom Riggs weaves the familiar with the peculiar in a stunning loss, triumph, friendship and magic, reminding readers everywhere that true heroes are made, not born—and that when you’re never the chosen one, sometimes you have to choose yourself.
Welcome to Sunderworld.
Review:
Seventeen-year-old Leopold Berry keeps seeing strange things around Los Angeles. He saw a raccoon on fire and a man who opened a portal from a parking meter. All of these strange sights come from Sunderworld, a 90s TV show. Leopold became obsessed with Sunderworld after finding the VHS tapes in his mother’s belongings after she died. When Leopold asks his friend Emmet for help with these visions, they discover that Sunderworld is a real place. They travel there together, which seems like a dream come true for Leopold, but everything goes wrong. It isn’t the place that Leopold expected, and he ends up running for his life and discovering secrets about his past.
I was so excited when I heard about this book! It lived up to my expectations. It was fast paced and exciting. The story reminded me of the Miss Peregrine series, but it was a different story. There were some great mysteries set up that I’m sure will be explored in future books.
Sunderworld, Vol. 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry is a great start to a new series!
Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for sending me a copy of this book!
Content warnings: death of parent (off page)
Have you read Sunderworld, Vol. 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry? What did you think of it?
Title: Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy #1) Author: Lauren Roberts Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada Source: Publisher Format: Paperback arc Release Date: January 31, 2023 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting. He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.
Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.
The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.
Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.
When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.
Review:
In Ilya, the Elite have been granted extraordinary powers. Those who don’t have those powers are called Ordinary, and they have been banished by the King. Paedyn Gray is an Ordinary, but she’s a clever thief who is able to pose as an Elite with psychic powers. After saving Prince Kai in the city, Paedyn is taken to the palace and sent to the Purging Trials. The trials is a competition that is meant to showcase the powers of the Elite, which Paedyn doesn’t actually have. Paedyn is joined in these trials by Prince Kai who has been trained to enforce the laws for the King and can’t resist being close to Paedyn. She must try to convince everyone she has powers and survive the trial so that her secret isn’t discovered.
This was a great fantasy competition story. There were nods to some classic YA fantasy stories including a love triangle with two princes and a magical hedge maze. I liked that the narrative skipped over transition scenes and showed the important events. Fantasy stories can become tedious if they focus on every small detail but this one kept up a steady pace. I’m excited to read the sequel!
Powerless is a great YA fantasy!
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book.
Content warnings: death, stabbing, death of parent
Other books in the series:
Powerful (The Powerless Trilogy #1.5)
Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy #2)
Have you read Powerless? What did you think of it?
Jill's Book Blog 