ARC Review: My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

My Salty Mary
by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Publication Date: August 20th 2024
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find This Book: My Salty Mary
Source: NetGalley eARC
Rating: 5/5

Mary is in love with the so-called prince of Charles Town, except he doesn't love her back. Which is inconvenient. Since she's a mermaid, being brokenhearted means she'll—poof!—turn into sea-foam.

But instead, Mary finds herself pulled out of the sea and up onto a pirate ship. To survive, she joins them. But Mary isn't willing to just sing the yo-ho-hos. She wants the pirate life, all of it, and she's ready to make a splash . . . by becoming captain. But when Blackbeard dies suddenly, Mary has a chance to become so much more: Pirate King . . . or Queen. She won't let anyone stop her—not Blackbeard's cute son, not her best friend from back under the sea who's having a bit too much fun with his new legs, and certainly not everyone who says she can't be a pirate just because she's a girl.

She may not be the best man for the job, but she'll definitely prove that she's worth her salt.

It’s no secret that I love a good retelling and Hand, Ashton, and Meadows are masters of marrying alternative history with comedy. Mixing The Little Mermaid with the life and times of the infamous lady pirate Mary Read means the reader is in for quite a tail er… tale. The strength of this series is the witty, sassy narration and dialogue, and My Salty Mary does not disappoint. This book is hilarious!

The POV’s rotate between Mary Read aka “Littlest,” her partner in crime Tobias Teach, and her cousin Calico Jack. With lots of “ahoys” and “yo-hos” Mary and her crew try navigating pirate life in the Caribbean.

Unfortunately for them, they must escape the perils of the high seas (aka notorious pirates and pirate hunters) if they want to succeed in their quest to make Mary the new pirate king, or queen in her case. The captain who returns with the most treasure will claim Blackbeard’s title and define the future of piracy. If Mary where to win, she could stop hiding her gender and declare that women are allowed to be pirates, The narrative is whimsical and adventurous, while still driving at themes of feminism and equality. This book is an instant new favorite!

ARC Review: The Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

Medici Heist
by Caitlin Schneiderhan
Publication Date: August 6th 2024
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Find This Book: Medici Heist
Source: NetGalley eARC
Rating: 4/5

Welcome to Florence, 1517, a world of intrigue, opulence, secrets, and murder. The Medici family rules the city from their seat of wealth, but the people of Florence remember the few decades they spent as a Republic, free from the Medicis and their puppet Pope, Leo X.

Sharp-witted seventeen-year-old con-woman Rosa Cellini has plans for the Pope and the Medicis - and, more specifically, the mountain of indulgence money they've been extorting from the people of Tuscany. To pull off the Renaissance's greatest robbery, she'll recruit a team of capable Sarra the tinkerer, Khalid the fighter, and Giacomo, the irrepressible master of disguise. To top it all off, and to smooth their entrance into the fortress-like Palazzo Medici, Rosa even enlists the reluctant help of famed artist and local misanthrope, Michelangelo.

Old secrets resurface and tensions in the gang flare as the authorities draw closer and the Medicis' noose pulls tighter around Tuscany itself. What began as a robbery becomes a bid to save Florence from certain destruction - if Rosa and company don't destroy each other first.

Get ready for an absolute swashbuckling riot, beginning with a 'mud' pie to the Pope's face, and ending with a climatic heist that would give Danny Ocean a run for his money. Bursting with snark, innuendo and action, Medici Heist is your next un-put-downable obsession.

The scene is renaissance Florence, 1517, and the Medici family rules the city with a puppet Pope at their side. Extorting the people of Tuscany, the Medici’s sit upon an exorbitant pile of indulgence money. Con-woman Rosa Cellini hopes to steal it right from under their noses, *if* she can pull off the greatest heist of all time.

Medici Heist introduces us to a diverse cast of characters, each getting their individual times to shine. Rosa will need to rope the best of the best into her crew if she wants to steal a mountain of money and live to tell the tale. Her team consists of Sarra the tinkerer, Agata the apothecary, Khalid the fighter, and Giacomo the master of disguise. To top it all off, Rosa even enlists the reluctant help of Michelangelo (yes, THAT Michelangelo).

This was a super fun read that solidly sets the scene in historic Italy. It does a fantastic job of incorporating the setting into the story and has beautiful descriptions, great scheming, and entertaining action scenes. This was truly the foundation of a terrific book. What knocks this down a star is the lack of dimension. I’d liken the experience to reading a play. The play loses something in the written form without actors adding in the depth and emotion. Actors bring a lifeless script to life by adding emotions and tone to the text. My favorite authors craft characters that jump off the page and while Medici Heist was descriptive, cinematic even, the characters fell flat. I was not surprised to find out after reading that Schneiderhan is a script writer.

Let’s dive into the character work more specifically. The characters were funny, they had their roles to play, and I enjoyed the story they had to tell. Yet, they were all just too shallow and underdeveloped. Some further revision of the novel could have massaged a bit more life and personality into them. While I could suspend my disbelief and still enjoy the ride (it is a great heist), the POV’s were just too weak for me to give this book five stars.

If you love a good setting with a great atmosphere, I’d still recommend this read! It has great vibes but could have benefitted from deeper character work.

ARC Review: All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters

All That Consumes Us
by Erica Waters
Publication Date: October 17th 2023
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find This Book: All That Consumes Us
Source: NetGalley eARC
Rating: 5/5

The students in Corbin College’s elite academic society, Magni Viri, have it all—free tuition, inspirational professors, and dream jobs once they graduate. When first-gen college student Tara is offered a chance to enroll, she doesn’t hesitate.

Except once she’s settled into the gorgeous Victorian dormitory, something strange starts to happen. She’s finally writing, but her stories are dark and twisted. Her dreams feel as if they could bury her alive. An unseen presence seems to stalk her through the halls.

And a chilling secret awaits Tara at the heart of Magni Viri—one that just might turn her nightmares into reality; one that might destroy her before she has a chance to escape.

Tara’s adventure at Corbin College should be on everyone’s TBR this fall! Get ready for queer gothic spooks set in the Appalachian Mountains. This dark academia novel follows Tara’s freshman year of college. When the elite organization of Magni Viri loses a member, Tara is offered the dead girl’s place and her scholarship. An offer impossible to refuse, Tara starts living the life that Meredith used to have. But is Meredith really gone? With time to finally write and become the author she’s always dreamed of; Tara wakes up to work she can’t remember scribbling down.

Erica Waters’ prose will suck you in, her setting will charm you, and her atmosphere will captivate you. If you’re looking for the lines of reality to blur in an old Victorian dormitory, I’d highly recommend this new YA horror book.

We still have two months left in the year, but I think this might be my favorite book of 2023! All That Consumes us has got it all: old Appalachian college grounds, an MC who dreams of being an author, a secretive academic society that parties in a cemetery, possession by ghosts, and queer characters galore. What more could a reader want?

ARC Review: Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake

Champion of Fate
by Kendare Blake
Publication Date: September 19th 2023
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Find This Book: Champion of Fate
Source: NetGalley eARC
Rating: 4/5

Behind every great hero is an Aristene.

Aristene are mythical female warriors, part of a legendary order. Though heroes might be immortalized in stories, it’s the Aristene who guide them to victory. They are the Heromakers.

Ever since she was an orphan taken in by the order, Reed has wanted to be an Aristene. Now, as an initiate, just one challenge stands in her way: she must shepherd her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and Reed will take her place beside her sisters. Fail, and she’ll be cast from the only home she’s ever known.

Nothing is going to stop Reed--until she meets her hero. Hestion is fiery and infuriating, but what begins as an alliance becomes more, and as secrets of the order come to light Reed begins to understand what becoming an Aristene may truly cost. Battle looming, she must choose: the order and the life she had planned, or Hestion, and the one she never expected.

Blake showcases her world-class world-building yet again in her latest book Champion of Fate. Get ready for swords, horses, and fast-paced action in this new fantasy world steeped in magic. As I've come to expect from Blake, this book has well-crafted character backstories, kingdom politics, collective history, and in this case, mythos surrounding the Aristene. All without info-dumping the reader, so it’s easy to get immersed.

Reed, our main character, is an initiate for the Aristene, an all-female warrior cult worshipping a goddess of glory. The immortal members of the Aristene order are sent out into the world to make heroes of mortal men and women. Through their heroes' guided actions, the Aristene create glory that honors and sustains their goddess, Kleia Gloria. Reed's last test as an initiate? Her first hero. As she and her fellow initiates embark on their trials, relationships both old and new are put to the test. And as Reed starts to grow feelings for her mortal hero, she also realizes her soon-to-be-family of warrior women are keeping secrets from her. This trial's outcome doesn't just impact Reed's future, her failure could endanger the entire Aristene order.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic start to the series, and I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy magic and medieval fantasy worlds.

ARC Review: The Darkening by Sunya Mara

The Darkening
by Sunya Mara
Publication Date: July 5th 2022
Publisher: Clarion Books
Find This Book: The Darkening
Rating: 3.5/5

**An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

Vesper Vale is the daughter of failed revolutionaries. In a world where a magical storm surrounds the city, cursing and killing everyone it touches, there are few defenses for the outer circles of the city. Knowledge is quite literally power when magic is controlled through an ikon alphabet, enforcing social and class structures. When Vesper's father is identified and kidnapped by the royal family to pay for his previous crimes, Vesper has no choice but to infiltrate this power structure to find him and help him escape. Unfortunately for Vesper, there are larger issues still at stake. How will she learn this complex magic system? What is causing this storm to menace her city? Can she place her hopes and dreams for a better future for her people upon the shoulders of the prince?

This book has a really special magical world-building which I really enjoyed. Seeing the contrast between the inner circles hoarding books and the outer circles paying exorbitant amounts for one symbol that may or may not work... It was powerful to see their socio-economic and academic structures held so rigidly and blatantly. The concept of the reign being passed down by a powerful ikon merged with the reigning leader's body was such a fascinating display of power's corruption as well. All around, I really enjoyed exploring the world set up by Mara.

My one gripe is with the novel's character building and evolution. Prince Dalca, and his compatriots Cas and Izamal, bond with Vesper in strange ways. Dalca and Cas's relationships with Vesper just did not feel organic to me, from either side. I couldn't quite grasp what they see in Vesper to want to trust and befriend her, and I couldn't see how Vesper went from using them to actually caring about these people who ruined her life and are endangering her father. I personally like a bit more character-driven aspects in the books I read, with more developed inter-character relationships which is why this book is knocked down 1.5 stars for me. That being said, I definitely see why folks are loving this book — it has a fast, advnturous plot which is perfect for a magical fantasy read.

ALC Review: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

I Kissed Shara Wheeler
by Casey McQuiston
Publication Date: May 3rd 2022
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Find This Book: I Kissed Shara Wheeler
Rating: 5/5

**An ALC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

High school senior Chloe Green is just weeks away from being named valedictorian, graduating, and leaving her southern hometown as fast as possible when Shara Wheeler kisses her and disappears without a trace. Without a trace until little pink envelops start cropping up, leading Chloe to put the pieces together: two others were also kissed by Shara and all three of them will have to work together if they want to find all the envelopes. I Kissed Shara Wheeler braids the stories of the star jock, the edgy stoner next-door, and the academic rival as they take on a scavenger hunt for the ages.

This book was messily complex in the best of ways. Chloe, Rory, and Smith all had charmingly realistic flaws paired with individual reasons they were toxically obsessed with Shara Wheeler. The magic that Casey McQuiston brings to her books is that even through the mess there is compassion and care between her characters that make them such a joy to read. The 'side-characters' in Chloe's life each lead such interesting and fulfilling lives that additionally add vibrance to McQuiston's narrative. When Chloe ditches her friends to hunt down an envelope and misses the Mozzarella Stick bracket to decide the best mozz sticks in town, it was the little moments like that that filled the pages with life.

The most impressive part of this novel was the author's creation of Shara as a character. As the object of the scavenger hunt, she is barely ever physically on the page, yet she lives and breaths in the pages. The other characters fixate, create, and manifest her before the reader's eyes. Shara is all-encompassing, even when missing. I don't mean to imply that Share's a malicious character, just that there's an perfect-girl enigma about her that seems to draw the town's attention. How this obsession gets weaved into their everyday lives was fascinating to see, and it was so entertaining to see Shara and Chloe collide through letters and flashbacks.

In a homophobic bible-belt town, McQuiston spins a story of hope for queer voices. What will they learn about their classmates, their town, and themselves along the way?

ARC Review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea
by Axie Oh
Publication Date: February 22nd 2022
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends 
Find This Book: The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea
Rating: 5/5

**An ARC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a stunning new fantasy standalone from Axie Oh.With Mina's world devastated by storms from the spirit realm, she can't bear to see the love of her brother's life sacrificed to the Sea God and jumps into the sea herself.

Finding herself surprisingly not dead, Mina wakes up to an unwelcoming Spirit World that she initially struggles to navigate. This is where I really see the comparison to Spirited Away, but Axie Oh really takes the 'mortal in the spirit world' concept and makes it her own! This new world and the spirits, gods, and demons that live there are both obstacles and friends to help her find her voice, her path, and her resolution. While the magical and dangerous surrounds her on all sides, her supposedly powerful Sea God appears to be a peaceful sleeping boy. Can she wake him out of his curse to stop the storms threatening her family?

What makes this novel so special is Mina as a character. She's so compassionate and empathetic, and cares so much for her family and her mortal world. The way she handles not only her friends but also her enemies really speaks to her nature and made me love her and her story all the more.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea will be a gem of an addition of every bookshelf in 2022. Join Mina as she navigates her red string of fate, powerful spirits, a lost god, and her heart.

ALC Review: All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

All of Us Villains
by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
Publication Date: November 9th 2021
Publisher: Tor Teen
Find This Book: All of Us Villains
Rating: 5/5

**An ALC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

All of Us Villains is a new fantasy duology that you’d have to pay me to shut up about. It was action-packed yet still had a well developed world and well developed characters. Every 20 years, seven families send a family champion to compete in a magical fight to the death. The winner’s family get sole access to the town stores of high magic until the next tournament. This tournament is a magical curse upon the town, and any families that fail to send a champion get a member of their family killed by the curse at random. Foody and Herman took the ‘games’ trope and made it totally unique. I love the concept that a curse is what forces and maintains the games and their violence. It makes for an exceptionally eerie and tragic backdrop to the plot and to the character’s motivations.

Other perks?

-Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman co-wrote. I’d be curious to know the breakdown of who wrote what because the entire book felt so cohesive. This writing duo was meant to be!

-Multiple POV’s that are all well-developed! I feel like most books always have thaaat character that you’re struggling to get through when it’s their turn to POV but that was not the case with All of Us Villains. I was excited for every single POV change and to listen to all their unique perspectives.

-Book within a book. I love when books have some internal literature and lore! In this case, an in-universe book was written about the cursed tournament and a quote from the book started each chapter.

-Only one bed trope. Without getting into detail I loved forced-proximity tropes and it was so good in this book!

ARC Review: All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

All These Bodies 

by Kendare Blake 

Publication Date: September 21st 2021 

Publisher: Quill Tree Books 

Find This Book: All These Bodies 

Rating: 4/5

 

**An ARC of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

All These Bodies is the latest from Kendare Blake and she kills it (literally). In the summer 1958 a gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood. The book revolves around Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, and Marie Catherine Hale, a mystery girl found at the scene of the most recent crime.

When Marie decides to only confess to Michael, it falls to him to record and dissect her tale. Boy does she have a crazy, impossible story to tell but the reader is lead down a path of distinguishing the difference between what is “true," what is “correct," and what is a “fact."

Blakes weaves together a fascinatingly gruesome story that is not for the feint of heart. You'll be spooked and bewildered and unable to take your eyes off of the page. In true cold-case fashion, it's up to you to decide what to believe.

ARC Review: XOXO by Axie Oh

XOXO
by Axie Oh
Publication Date: July 13^th 2021
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find This Book: XOXO
Rating: 5/5

I was given an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Jenny, a cello prodigy, finds herself suddenly (though temporarily) moving to Korea when the grandmother that she's never met before is diagnosed with cancer. Jenny and her mother move from LA to Seoul for 6 months while her grandmother undergoes treatment, and Jenny gets into the prestigious Seoul Arts Academy for the semester.

Her one goal? To use SAA's end of term showcase to get into her dream conservatory school: the Manhattan School of Music. The only problem? The hot boy she had a meet-cute with in LA turns out to be a student at her new school and he can be... distracting!

In XOXO, Axie Oh perfectly portrays the hurdles and stresses of being an art student, as well as the tensions and love in parent/child dynamics, AND the unique position one finds themselves in when returning to their motherland. The plot hinges on Jenny not knowing much about K-pop, when she accidentally meets a member of one of the most famous K-pop bands in the world and sparks fly. Only after she moves to Korea where K-pop and Korean Idol Culture is everywhere, does she see a poster for the band XOXO and realize that Jaewoo isn't just another student, he's a popular idol. When having a relationship means throwing both of their lives off the paths they've carefully mapped out, how much are they willing to risk for love?

Axie Oh breaks down Idol Culture in order to create this dramatic yet sweet love story that tests what Jenny and Jaewoo really want and need. Additionally, it's set almost entirely in Korea, so get ready for the wanderlust! This was the perfect mini-vacation to enjoy from the comfort of my couch. Last but certainly not least, if you consider yourself a foodie and love yummy food descriptions, this is the book for you. Axie Oh describes so much delicious food, I was practically drooling.

XOXO is definitely a must-read for contemporary romance readers.

ARC Review: Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson

Take Me Home Tonight
by Morgan Matson
Publication Date: May 4^th 2021
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Find This Book: Take Me Home Tonight
Rating: 5/5

I was given an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Morgan Matson’s Take Me Home Tonight was utterly charming. I absolutely loved the book’s message about expanding your horizons and trying new things. I think it’s a really common storyline for high school seniors to freak out about not knowing what they want to do and then “find” themselves, and it was refreshing to see the exact opposite happen in this book. Stevie and Kat start out so sure of themselves and their world until it shatters around them. These two best friends realize how big the world truly is and how many opportunities they truly have available to them. This is such an important message to be sending, and it’s what I would go back and tell my younger self if I could. Maybe you love something you haven’t even considered yet. Before one thing becomes THE THING that pays all of your bills, try as many things as you can and find out what makes you happy. What makes you happy doesn’t have to be one thing, it can be lots of things, and just because you don’t think you can “make it” professionally doesn’t mean that you should cut whatever that is out of your life. You don’t have to be the best, you don’t have to do everything professionally, you just have to enjoy your hobbies and your free time.

Another component that made Take Me Home Tonight so special, was that it centered Stevie and Kat’s friendship and highlighted important platonic and familial relationships that they have and/or struggle with. It was especially endearing to watch Stevie navigate interacting with her step-siblings. Whether ‘traditional’ or ‘blended,’ families are complicated. Suddenly having three older siblings can be daunting and there are good and bad ways to cope with that change. Stevie isn’t perfect, well, really none of the characters are perfect, but their faults don’t define them. Their faults show them where they need to grow. 

Lastly, The Teri Timeline, as I like to call it, was such an unexpected and fantastic twist and I can’t wait to be able to talk about it with others!

ARC Review: My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

My Contrary Mary

by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Publication Date: June 22^nd 2021

Publisher: HarperTeen

Find This Book: My Contrary Mary

Rating: 5/5

An ARC of this audiobook was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This series as a concept had me so unbelievably excited. After completing a trilogy of historical Jane retellings, Hand, Ashton, and Meadows have set their sights on Marys. The very first, My Contrary Mary, is a Mary Queen of Scots retelling. Get ready to be transported to Renaissance France where Mary is a ward of the French Court! 

The book's narration comes from several shifting POV's (primarily Mary), as well as some third-person narrator comments. The narrator's are really what makes this book so special. They are absolutely hilarious, providing a 'so-here-is-the-scoop' tone. They are terrible gossips, but charmingly witty at the same time. They are that friend in college/high school that you always turned to when you wanted to hear about the latest scandals without going through the effort of snooping things out for yourself. Before the book even properly started I was cry-laughing at the dedication: "For the people who feel like they have to be perfect; and for France. We're sorry for what we're about to do to your history, but it was your turn."

I found myself enjoying the return to the Eðian/Verity dynamic (shapeshifter/pure humans) as a metaphor for the disparity and tensions between Catholics and Protestants at the time. It is a cool way to reframe this time period, and was pretty genius! 

On top of the comedy, the characters were so well developed. I truly felt for Mary and Francis, and even the side characters like Mary Livingston and Ari. Their actions and motivations felt real, and the stakes and betrayals in court were gutting. While of course this is a series of Marys, in a sense each book is also a stand alone, which I think is a boon to the work. Readers don't necessarily have to read The Lady Janies series to enjoy this latest work. Comedy and Historical Fiction blend together effortlessly in this gem of a book. Bonus points? Bonus points! On top of everything, I actually feel like I learned a lot reading this book. The plot was surprisingly historically accurate, if we overlook the whole fantasy shapeshifting element haha.

All in all, My Contrary Mary is a must-read, and I impatiently await the additions of Mary Shelley and Mary Read to the new Mary series!

ARC Review: The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis

The Initial Insult 

by Mindy McGinnis

Publication Date: February 23^rd 2021

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Find This Book: The Initial Insult

Rating: 5/5

An ARC of this audiobook was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Wow, and can I say it again? WOW. I have read This Darkness Mine, so I had an idea of what I'd signed up for with a Mindy McGinnis book but my mind was still blown by her impressive prose. McGinnis has crafted two amazing main characters, Tress and Felicity, that switch POV's throughout the book. This creates an interesting dynamic of perspectives as we settle into a Cask of Amontillado type situation. That's right, someone is getting entombed behind a brick wall Edgar-Allan-Poe-Style! I absolutely loved this premise, and I found the flashbacks to their friendship falling apart (told by both sides) to be completely fascinating.

McGinnis has perfectly crafted yet another psycho-thriller and I can't wait for the second half of this duology. I thought I knew where this was going but was so intrigued by the flashback stories that I didn't care too much, and then BAM! My expected ending did NOT happen. I was so shocked I had to re-listen to the last couple of chapters to confirm I wasn't dreaming! The ending was so abrupt it left me reeling, and it would have been a perfect ending point to the entire story, no second half needed, if I wasn't left with so many unresolved flashback questions. You could say I'm 'dying' to find out what happens next!

**The one thing that I do have to warn about is that there is some sexual content, so this might not be the 'young adult' book for everyone!

ARC Review: Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kaufmann

Rebel Daughter

by Lori Banov Kaufmann

Publication Date:  February 9^th 2021

Publisher:  Delacorte Press

Find This Book: Rebel Daughter

Rating: 4/5

I was given an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rebel Daughter starts off strong with heartfelt characters and careful attention to historical detail. It really felt like I’d been visiting 1st century Jerusalem every time I picked up this book! The best part is that all the details felt natural, time-traveling descriptions never bogged down the plot or emotional depth of scenes. The story is of Esther, the daughter of a priest, worries for her marriage prospects and for her family as tensions erupt in her home between the Jewish people and their Roman conquerors. As war erupts, Esther struggles not only to keep it together but also to keep her family together. A story where people and friendships are not as they seem, Rebel Daughter bears witness to all the strong women who have shaped and desperately survived history.

My only critique is that there a couple jarring time-jumps. One between chapters is excusable and between chapters can be a murky passage of time, but the one that happens between mere paragraphs not demarcated in any way ruined the immersion for me. It took several pages to re-adjust back to the plot. I realize that the time jumps probably fit with a historical timeline, but it could have been padded or headlined for a smoother flow of the story.

ARC Review: Phoenix Flame by Sara Holland

Phoenix Flame

by Sara Holland

Publication Date:  March 11^th 2021

Publisher:  Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Find This Book: Phoenix Flame

Rating: 4/5

I was given an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the fantasy world of the Havenfall series and it was great to be back! Holland presents a well thought out and balanced magical system, with a new twist (sorry, that's spoilers). With the returning health of Maddie's uncle, she steps down from being the Inkeeper of Havenfall, but that doesn't stop her adventures! The soul trade is alive and well, the Silver Prince has escaped to Byrn, and a new soul trader has been discovered in Fiordenkill. Can Maddie successfully pull off her infiltration mission? Will her relationships, especially her two crushes, survive the turmoil ahead?

One of my favorite aspects that I truly appreciate about this series is Maddie's bisexuality. It's not an in-your-face part of the book, and I don't think sexuality has to be. I love that the book is not about Maddie struggling with her sexuality and it's not about Maddie having an identity crisis. She lives her life and just happens to be bisexual. The book is not super romance heavy, but when she talks about her crushes one is a guy and one is a girl. It feels like a totally natural representation and it is so refreshing to finally see someone like me reflected in the characters I read.

I do wish that Maddie's character had more of an arc in Phoenix Flame. I still enjoyed Phoenix Flame, but she felt more complicated and had more depth in Havenfall that was not quite replicated here. I couldn't help but notice that Maddie appeared more passive in this one, though to be fair many of the situations she was in were totally out of her control. That being said I was still hoping for a bit more, especially from the climax itself. This is what took the book down one star for me.

ARC Review: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

Lore
by Alexandra Bracken
Publication Date: January 5^th 2021
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Find This Book: Lore
Rating: 5/5

I was given an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bracken opens strong with an intriguing overview of this book's world building presenting greek mythology in a brand new way. Zeus, always known for his complex punishments, have sentenced the greek pantheon to become mortal every seven years, where the lineages of greek heroes have the opportunity to kill them and become gods themselves. An ancestor and one of the last remaining original gods team up for a fascinating revenge story!

Lore is a refreshing stand alone book about ancient bloodlines hunting the Greek gods that is great for novice and dedicated lovers of greek mythology alike. I eat up everything involving Greek mythology, but this was truly something special! There is edge-of-your-seat action and betrayals, and a fun new way to look at New York City. This is another must-read from Bracken!

ARC Review: Havenfall by Sara Holland

Havenfall

by Sara Holland 

Publication Date: March 3^rd 2020

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Find This Book: Havenfall 

Rating: 4/5

I was given an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Can we take a second to stare in awe at this gorgeous cover??? Havenfall is an inn at the top of a mountain with tunnels deep under it that facilitate traveling between realms in relation to the cycles of the seasons (particularly equinox's). It's so gorgeous and also captures so much meaning in relation to the plot! I didn't even notice the face/neck/shoulders of a person until my 7th time looking at the cover!

Havenfall is about an inn that is the heart of all the realms, one of the realms being Earth where our main character Maddie is from. Maddie arrives for the summer to visit Havenfall, run by her uncle, which hosts an annual convention of inter-realm relations and trade. Hoping for a romantic summer with her childhood friend Brekkan, she instead walks into the political turmoil of the century!

I really enjoyed the fantasy world that Holland creates for us, and the way that the Havenfall inn must maintain impartiality towards each of the three realms. The role of Innkeeper is something Maddie hopes to step into one day, when her uncle wants to retire, but turmoil, violence, and betrayal leads to her unexpected ‘promotion’ before she’s been trained and prepared for it. Will she maintain order? Or are the worlds about to destroy all alliances?

I love love LOVE Maddie as a character. She’s got a Tragic Past™ that for once is actually used to create depth in not only herself but also in the narrative going forward. Her interactions with love interests are very cute, and this is the first time I’ve read about a character who was bisexual and comfortable with that knowledge. A lot of times, I feel like sexuality is portrayed as a struggle and an identity crisis, and while that can certainly be the case it felt so positive to see a model who’s already confident in who she is, even if she’s not confident in her new political Innkeeper role.

How the different realms interacted and the power dynamics of the different delegations (and all their magical powers) were so cool to read and felt really well thought-out as magical systems go. I can’t say too much without getting into spoiler territory but I’m so excited for the sequel already! I need more Taya in my life.

ARC Review: Open Fire by Amber Lough

Open Fire

by Amber Lough

Publication Date: March 3^rd 2020

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab

Find This Book: Open Fire 

Rating: 3.5/5

I was given an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for honest review.

I don’t know much about early female military groups, or even much about the Russian front in basically any wars because of how the US school system always frames history, so I jumped at the chance to read a YA book starring the first female Russian battalion. I loved getting to learn about Katya and her complex relationships, her family history gets teased out chapter by chapter as we learn about her mother, father, brother, and best friend Masha. Her disagreements and ultimate understanding with her brother was beautiful as they both navigate the consequences of war and current political upheaval. Weaving through Katya’s story is a beautiful bedtime story about Saint Olga, told to Katya by her father years before all of the events that take place. Characterizing her father and visualizing her attachment to this saint in particular was a great way to add layers and emotions to both Katya and her absentee father who is, during the events of the book, stationed indefinitely on Russia’s warfront. The writing was captivating and seemingly well researched. I certainly learned a lot, and was sitting on the edge of my seat when the battalion ends up on the front lines!

Some other reviews have mentioned that the book falls a bit flat, which I can understand from the perspective of a ‘climax’ but a believe that is essential, if not inherent, to a World War I novel. Yes, Katya trained extensively and didn’t accomplish much while on the battlefield; but that is what trench warfare was. It was a grueling, thankless, task of taking the opponent’s trenches that inevitably was lost again. It was an endless stalemate, and it’s hard to make trench warfare interesting. That all being said, I didn’t find this ending to necessarily be about the setting, and more about how Katya started off the book trying to figure out who she was and if she would be brave or a coward when facing down death, and she found her answer. I found the climax to be this sudden understanding of the self, and it was quite beautiful.

I couldn’t rate this a full 4 or 5 stars because it felt like too much was being squished into the story by adding Sergei as a character. I understand that historically a lot was going on with the start of the Bolshevik revolution during this time period, but I think this lost a bit of my focus. I’m  not sure if I would have enjoyed it more if the Bolsheviks had been cut, or if their presence had been more fully developed. 

ARC Review: Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao

Song of the Crimson Flower
by Julie C. Dao
Publication Date: November 5^th 2019
Publisher: Philomel
Find This Book: Song of the Crimson Flower
Rating: 4/5




I was given an ARC of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

As you can see, the cover is STUNNING and I was so excited to get an ARC of this after how much I enjoyed Dao's Evil Queen retelling in Forest of a Thousand Lanturns. Song of the Crimson Flower takes place in the same universe, which means an awesome myth and magic system that I'm already familiar with frames the story. The best part? Stone-hearted girls with swords have taken over the YA industry recently and this book is NOT one of them! The main character is Bao, the physician's assistant, and Lan, a noble woman with basically zero skills but an amazing sense of right and wrong. My soft children strike out on a quest to break a curse and get more than they thought they signed up for. 

If you're looking for a story with kind, relatable characters, THIS is the book for you. If you're looking for a cool magic system with witches and curses and an awful lot of boating and horseback riding, THIS book is for you! Don't get me wrong, this book will have action and tension in it!! But the characters are gentle and emotional and it makes alllllll the difference. I found Bao and Lan so easy to connect to and this change up from the current genre trope made for very compelling and vulnerable scenes.

The only reason this book isn't getting 5 stars is because there was no doubt in my mind how the book was going to end and nothing in the last 40 pages or so provoked the thoughts or emotions I expected to be feeling after how amazing the lead up was. It's a sweet story, but I thought I'd be on my toes a bit for the finale and I wasn't.

That being said, I would highly recommend this book about heartwarming characters who are passionate about helping others, politics (we do have a war about to break out after all), and of course love.

ARC Review: Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Spin the Dawn
By Elizabeth Lim
Publication Date: July 9^th 2019
Publisher: Knopf
Find This Book: Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1)
Rating: 4/5 




I was given an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spin the Dawn is a precious pearl of a book. The only reason it doesn’t have 5 stars from me is because the pace wasn’t quitewhat I prefer. The gorgeous cover and Mulan description made me want to read it ASAP and I was so excited when I was approved for this arc. The book itself was just as awesome as the cover! Lim takes us into an East-Asian inspired fantasy world with a setting very similar to China, and mythology that seems lightly based in Shintoism (the sun goddess Amana/Amaterasu is upset by a and the sun goes away, creating the cycle of night and say. There are even mythical decedents of Amana, though they are not royalty like in Japan.

The novel is about a girl named Maia, who is “enlisted” like Mulan to replace a male figure. In this case, she is taken to compete to be the new Imperial Tailor, as the Emperor’s old tailor just died. The book Is broken into three parts, all with their own intrigues. In the beginning you’re learning about how the Summer Palace works, how the social hierarchy is laid out, and how the book understands and defines magic. Later on, Maia has to prove herself by going on a thrilling and dangerous adventure to make mythical dresses out of the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars. Are these ingredients even real, and does Maia have what it takes to collect them???

The book didn’t ‘twist’ persay, as I feel twists include a bit of a jolt in the narrative, but the ending was certainly unexpected. There were many parts of it I didn’t see coming, but it all flowed together perfectly- the ideal balance! If you’re looking for fantasy, magic, and/or #ownvoices rep- Lim spins the perfect tale with Spin the Dawn!