Fantasy

Riley Jordan and the Fire Prophecies: Lion of Fire by Brittany Ranew

| Jasmin De Anda

An action packed adventure…

Lion of Fire is a chaotic, but exciting start to a series of magic and adventure.

SYNOPSIS

Riley Jordan, a college senior, goes from “least likely to succeed” to the world’s most dangerous wizard. After uncovering a plot to destroy humankind, Riley is plagued by dark visions of destruction involving an unsuspecting human girl he just met named Emma Clark, who he can’t get out of his head. Struggling to control his powers, Riley and his three best friends must portal-hop between magical realms to fight the darkness and discover the truth. Now, with graduation and Armageddon looming, Riley must face his own fears and learn how to protect those he loves before it’s too late.

An Epic Modern Fantasy…

I would consider this book to be a contemporary fantasy mixed with some epic fantasy elements because it exists in the modern world, but also in magical realms. There’s magic spells, secret passages, specialized magic. There are prophecies and hidden dangers, magical creatures, some there to help and others to harm. It’s a good balance between modern fantasy and the epic adventures of dragons and sword fighting. The world building is introduced in a way that’s easy to follow. Most of the information is given as it is introduced so you don’t have to worry about trying to figure out what’s going on or the rules of this world and its magic.

An Epic Adventure..

The hero’s journey is one of self discovery and thrilling adventure. There are a few moments of leisure where the characters are able to just coexist, enjoy a meal, have some fun but these are brief moments

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ ?

Page Count: 396

Genres: Magical Realism, fantasy, coming of age

because the threats around them seem unwilling to let Riley rest for too long. There was never a dull moment in the story as Riley and his friends faced threats, seeked answers, and often found themselves running for their lives and fighting to survive.

Introducing Riley, the Fire Wizard…

The main character is Riley, a wizard who about to finish college, feels lost because unlike most wizards, he has not discovered his path.

All wizards have a specific type of magic they are capable of, and there are many categories mentioned which I will mention with the other characters. I would say Riley is your standard main character, the one every story demands. He is incomplete, looking for his place in the world and the reason. He is the one you may find yourself relating too, and this always makes it more satisfying to see him grow as a person. But Riley is shocked when he realizes he is a fire wizard, the first to exist in 70 years. Riley is a bit of a rule breaker, but not in the troublemaker way. Moreover, he seems to be the kind of person who believes rules aren’t always meant to be followed and is therefore willing to bend them when needed. Of course Riley is surrounded by friends, each with their own strengths.

Riley’s Loyal Team…

First we have his roommate Logan who is a combat wizard. As I mentioned there are many types of wizards, but I don’t want to get into that because learning what they can do is part of the fun of reading fantasy. Logan is the designated trouble maker, the one not only willing, but eager to get his hands dirty, almost like it’s a rush of adrenaline for him.

Then there is his girlfriend Madeline, the healing wizard. She is the moral compass, the compassionate one, the one you would want to hide reckless actions from, but want to be there when you’re in trouble.

Riley’s final friend is Caleb, a nature wizard, and the more responsible one of the group. Caleb had less to do in the story, not in the action, but in the social interactions, but I got the sense that he’s kind of a dork, and I say that in a good way.

Then we have Emma, a human girl who ends up involved in the chaos for reasons none of the characters can figure out.

There are also other characters there to help Riley and his friends when needed which includes the Dean of the college, Duncan, another administrative member Ms. Richards, the head of security, a professor, and mostly a faculty member Mr. Black.

The reason I said the characters might feel familiar is that I feel that most stories use the same combination of characters. The main character, the moral compass, the trouble maker for comedy relief, and the intellectual character. That being said, although their personalities were all made clear, the story was so action packed that there wasn’t a lot of room to go delve deeper into their personalities so I’m hoping to get to know the characters more in book two.

My Rating…

All in all, I think this book is a great introduction to the world building. My only problems, and these are my own preference not an opinion on quality, is that I wish the story had more resting room. There was always something happening so I found myself wanting more of those simple moments where characters just get to be people and not heroes, but I know some people see those scenes as a waste of time. Also everything was explained multiple times. This I can see being extremely helpful if you’re someone who doesn’t have more time to read because it keeps you up to date, but I read the book in five days so it just felt repetitive and I started skipping everytime Riley started filling other characters in on what happened since I had just read it minutes before and didn’t need the refresher. Which is why my personal rating for this book is three stars.

The next book I’ll be reading is “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides, a psychological mystery.

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The Wilder Women by Ruth Emmie Lang

| Jasmin De Anda

A beautiful story that falls a little short…

The Wilder Women is a beautiful story about a unique family that seems to lose focus in its mystery.

SYNOPSIS

Five years ago, Nora Wilder disappeared. The older of her two daughters, Zadie, should have seen it coming, because she can literally see things coming. But not even her psychic abilities were able to prevent their mother from vanishing one morning.

Zadie’s estranged younger sister, Finn, can’t see into the future, but she has an uncannily good memory, so good that she remembers not only her own memories, but the echoes of memories other people have left behind. On the afternoon of her graduation party, Finn is seized by an “echo” more powerful than anything she’s experienced before: a woman singing a song she recognizes, a song about a bird…

When Finn wakes up alone in an aviary with no idea of how she got there, she realizes who the memory belongs to: Nora.

Now, it’s up to Finn to convince her sister that not only is their mom still out there, but that she wants to be found. Against Zadie’s better judgement, she and Finn hit the highway, using Finn’s echoes to retrace Nora’s footsteps and uncover the answer to the question that has been haunting them for years: Why did she leave?

But the more time Finn spends in their mother’s past, the harder it is for her to return to the present, to return to herself. As Zadie feels her sister start to slip away, she will have to decide what lengths she is willing to go to find their mother, knowing that if she chooses wrong, she could lose them both for good.

The Wilder Sisters…

My feelings for this book I feel are divided between characters and plot. First, I want to talk about the character’s. There are two main character’s, Zadie and Finn who are half sisters. The sisters were separated five years before when their mother left and never came back.  Zadie who was legally an adult was left on her own while her sister Finn was placed in foster care.

There are a few clues given at the start of their story regarding their personalities. Zadie is described as an organized person, while Finn is a free spirit. I really enjoyed their interactions. Finn was more bold, speaking to strangers without a second thought, eagerly agreeing to spontaneous invitations, and excited at every new discovery. It was because of Finn’s behavior that Zadie seemed to take on a more motherly personality, constantly giving Finn reminders to be cautious.

The tone of the story at first reminded me of Practical Magic (the movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman), this story of family loyalty and betrayals because while the story is all about finding their mother, I kept being drawn in by Zadie and Finn’s different ideas of their mother and their abilities.

Expectations Dwindled..

Unfortunately the plot itself felt lacking for me. At first I thought the story was clear. Zadie did everything to pretend she was normal, shutting out her abilities. Meanwhile Finn seemed to use hers almost recklessly, never thinking of the consequences. I thought I was reading a story of self discovery and acceptance, that the sisters would learn more about their gifts and how it affected their relationships. However, it seemed the author was more focused on answering the question of where Nora Wilder was.

This was the part that felt strange, was when the character’s began to find answers. It felt too much like even the author wasn’t sure how to answer the question of “where is Nora Wilder?” Information that felt important didn’t seem to lead anywhere, and in the end I didn’t feel satisfied with the end of the journey. Although the plot reached its resolutions in one way or another, I didn’t feel like they made sense. I couldn’t shake the thought that the author didn’t really know how to end things and just did.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ ?

Page Count: 329

Genres: Magical Realism, fantasy, contemporary fantasy

In the end although I wasn’t a fan of the Nora plot line, I did really like the sisters and their relationship and it made me want another story with them, specifically with Zadie who never really felt complete for me. It was Zadie specifically who I felt still had much more room to grow and as the story returned to Nora, Zadie’s struggles felt forgotten rather than resolved.

My Rating…

I liked the character’s, and the story did have some great moments during their journey, but I didn’t completely fall in love with this book. I was too confused by the direction it took which is why my personal rating for this book is three stars.

The next book I’ll be reading is “Riley Jordan and the Fire Prophecies: Lion of Fire” by Brittany Ranew, an indie author who sent me his book link on Threads.

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The Girl in the Storm by Christopher Stanfield

| Jasmin De Anda

A poetically told story that needed a little more…

The Girl in the Storm is a contemporary fantasy focused on the arch angels including Michael, and Lucifer.

SYNOPSIS

Angels are real, demons walk the Earth, and she alone can stop the Devil…

Seventeen-year-old Genevieve Reidell loves to paint, and values her closest friends above all, but when a gunman terrorizes her high school, her near-reckless bravery sets her on a path that will change the entire course of her life. Her best friend is shot and dying but when Genevieve holds her, the bleeding stops and the wounds close.

But when she tries to save another friend, she can’t. Overcome with guilt Genevieve struggles to understand. But when a stranger arrives at her home with a mysterious book and an ominous warning, she learns about her destiny. Angels have protected her, but the time has come to unravel the mysteries that have haunted her for years. Genevieve must learn to harness and control her gifts and accept that whatever she does might not be enough. The Devil must be stopped, and Genevieve is ready to walk into the storm. She’s cheated death before, but can she save herself again without losing those she loves?

A Cinematic Experience…

I’m having trouble really describing this book so instead I want to share my experience. When I started the book I was impressed and at the same time confused by the way the story was being told. It’s told in a very cinematic way as if the scenes were edited, the chapter’s often going back and forth between present and a flashback often within a single page. In the first chapter we are told of the shocking thing that has occurred to the main character Genevieve as she tells her therapist.

The reason talking about this book feels so complicated is because I had a lot of contradicting thoughts about it. Like in the first half of the book I was very impressed by the storytelling. It’s captivating, and a the same time it was too much… poetry. The descriptions were detailed and poetic but I felt they went on too long sometimes and just wanted the story to continue.

Two Books in One…

I think the easiest way to explain is to talk about it like this. I felt like I read two books in one. The book is 437 pages, but I felt like book one ended on page 271 and book two started immediately after. For the first 60% of the book there’s a clear primary antagonist, and a clear book one antagonist. One threat acting for Lucifer who Genevieve must face.

She has obstacles to overcome, fears to face, and questions that need answers. But as the book seemed to be coming to a close I was really confused that I had so much of it left. From that page where I felt like book one ended all the way to the actual end, I consistently felt I was reading the sequel which is why I want to discuss this as two books instead of one. That being said book one was very interesting but I wished for a lot more, specifically with the character’s.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ ?

Page Count: 437

Genres: Contemporary Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Mythical Fantasy

My favorite part of any book is the character’s. I love the moment’s spent away from the main plot line. I love getting to know their personalities, their interests, their flaws. And book one only focused on the main plot so I had names and faces, but not much to make me form an attachment to the character’s. Book two on the other hand had much more depth with the character’s. I finally felt like I was getting to know Genevieve and the other angel’s, but suddenly it was all too fast. While I spent book one wanting it to move faster, I spent book two wishing it would slow down. Like I said, contradictory thoughts. But the true strength of this book is the writing.

A Poetic Writing Style…

The writing style reminded me a bit of Neil Gaiman, specifically American gods. It’s extremely detailed and often dove into the backstories of even the smallest character’s. For example at the start there is a shooter and later in the book, the author explores his day showing how he was led to the school that day. The most important thing I thought was that although it didn’t meet my priorities with character’s, I remember every detail of what I read and to me that means I was never bored. Because believe me, when I’m bored I retain absolutely nothing from the page. My hopes are that book two is a little more consistent with pace.

My Rating…

I thought this book was great but I can imagine how much better it could get which is why I’m looking forward to book two. I’ve decided that my personal rating is three stars because I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I will be rereading it.

The next book I’ll be reading is “Dark Corners” by Megan Goldin, a crime thriller.

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The Seven Husband’s of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

| Jasmin De Anda

The scandalous and heartbreaking story of a fictional famous retired actress…

The Seven Husband’s of Evelyn Hugo is a story of Hollywood scandal and how one woman used that to her advantage.

SYNOPSIS

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

The Question About Evelyn Hugo…

Evelyn Hugo, reclusive actress who mysteriously retired and has refused to participate in any interviews since. But what happens when she suddenly requests an article to be written, and wants amateur journalist Monique Grant to do the job?

From the beginning it is made clear that this story is about unraveling the question of who Evelyn Hugo truly is. We are given snippets of how the media saw her, but Evelyn makes it clear as she tells her story that the media knew nothing. Reading her story had me intrigued as I learned what was the truth and what was the lies she had carefully given.

An Emotional Journey…

A story about an actress is something I would expect to be difficult. Most actors deal with scrutiny and lack of privacy and I imagine that has its toll on their mental health. Add in the fact that Evelyn Hugo is a Cuban woman in the 50s and her struggle becomes more difficult. But in no way was I prepared for the story of her romantic life to be so heartbreaking.

Halfway through this book I was rooting for Evelyn to have one moment of peace and happiness. Which Brings me to what I considered the highlight of this book.

The Character’s…

Something I feel is being lost in story’s are good, unique character’s. There’s always the gay friend, the perky ball of sunshine best friend there to cheer up an awkward main character. There’s the playboy who says he’ll never settle down. Then there’s the male lead, who can be a number of cliches. But none of the character’s fit these boxes.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 100, 000

Page Count: 400

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Domestic Fiction,, Psychological Fiction

The main character, Monique Grant was a bit lost in the story, but Evelyn and her friend’s were extraordinary.

Evelyn Hugo is gorgeous, smart, and mesmerizing. But she can also be manipulative and cruel in order to get what she wants. She’s a woman who realized early on that the world would always sexualize her and therefore learned to accept that by turning her body into a weapon. At her best and even at her worst, I adored her.

There are two character’s who are an integral part of her story. The first is Harry, a Hollywood producer who is the start of her career. Harry is the man she could not seem to seduce, the main who is always honest with her no matter how cruel the truth is. What I loved most was that he was a man who always looked out for her and her career.

The second side character is Celia St. James. At the start of the story she is the naive emerging actress, beautiful in an innocent way. But as Evelyn and Celia become closer, Celia becomes a wonderful friend. But I won’t say more because I don’t want to give any spoilers.

A Story I Can’t Forget…

Evelyn’s story is one that will definitely always stick with me. I can’t wait to see the live action adaptation. I hope that the show expand’s on Monique’s character because she didn’t have much in the story but I felt her story had a lot of potential to have more of an impact.

My Rating…

I rate books with a five star system from would never read it again to loved it and can’t wait to reread it. I don’t really believe in calling a book bad because each person’s interests are different and a book I hated could be loved by someone else and vice versa. Everyone has different deal breakers.

I gave this book five stars because as despite being a fantasy and sci-fi fan, I was hooked.

The next book I’ll be reading is “It Ends With Us”. I’m trying to read a lot of Indie author novel’s too which is why I plan to read a new book every week.

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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, VE Schwab

| Jasmin De Anda

The spectacular journey of a girl cursed to live forever…

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue is the both magical and tragic life of a girl who was cursed to be forgotten.

SYNOPSIS

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.

The Wonderfully Tragic Life of Addie…

Reading the description, my first thought was that this book would be a romance. It is a romance, but it is also so much more. The romance in case anyone is wondering I would consider instalove, but for good reason. Addie is cursed so no one can remember her. And whatever you think this means, multiply how bad it is by a hundred. She is truly a ghost, so after living for almost three hundred years, it’s no wonder she’s instantly enamored with the young man who says “I remember you”.

Throughout her story, you do get the feeling of a life that’s magical, but it doesn’t shy away from the hardships of her life. She may not be able to die, but she can still suffer and that is made very clear. But by the end, Addie was a character I was so invested in.

I would describe the heart of the book to be one of magic and tragedy because following a character who is immortal is magical, but it’s also incredibly tragic. The story is told in two timelines. It begins with her life in modern day, then jumps back to the start of her journey before she was cursed.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 112, 000

Page Count: 448

Genres: Historical Fantasy, Fantasy

It keeps going back and forth between the two time periods, but continues to move linearly as it tells her story. Each flashback continues after the last one left off, never backtracking so it’s easy to follow. But luckily the author made it very convenient because every chapter is dated so you know exactly when it is without having to deal with looking for context clues.

A Character to Remember…

Addie LaRue is a young French woman. At the beginning of her story she is innocent and naive, but in the pages of her modern life, she is strong, vibrant, and so smart. The author did such a wonderful job of showing her character development as her past timeline got closer to the present day. That way I was able to see the change in her character, and easily understand how she became the woman she is, but I also came to admire her for it. When I read a book with a female main character, I like to imagine I’m that character. Usually that’s an easy feat because in most cases with the books I’ve read that involve romance, the main character is more of a vehicle to take you through the story. Their personalities usually are so strong at the start but get lost in the story. That was definitely not the case here. 

There is a male main character, I know I haven’t really said anything about him, but that’s just how amazing Addie is. The male lead is Henry, a young man who owns a bookstore in New York. I really don’t want to say anything about him because it sticks to Addie’s perspective so the reader can get to know him as she does. I really wish I had more to say about him, but honestly he didn’t exactly stick out to me. That wasn’t because I thought he was boring, he is a complex character who some people will likely find relatable. For me, it was more like he didn’t stand a chance of standing out on the page next to Addie. But I thought the best aspect of his character was the mystery. He remembers her and that is a big deal, so there really is a big mystery of how and why he is the only person to remember her.

Their characters felt so real that it made it difficult for me to imagine certain actors. I couldn’t land on a face for Addie. With Henry, I ended up reverting back to my go to actor when I can’t pick someone, which is Ben Barnes. Sometimes I just need a voice and a face to picture, and my default for romance is always him for the male lead.

Other Themes…

There are LGBTQ themes to a certain extent. The author deals with sexuality as fluid so the main characters are never labeled as bisexual, but both characters do have a history of relationships with both sexes.

My Rating…

I rate books with a five star system from would never read it again to loved it and can’t wait to reread it. I don’t really believe in calling a book bad because each person’s interests are different and a book I hated could be loved by someone else and vice versa. Everyone has different deal breakers.

I gave this book five stars because as a contemporary fantasy fan, this hit all the marks of magic, mystery, and tragedy that I love, and more importantly, had a main character I could fall in love with.

The next book I’ll be reading is “The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo” just as soon as I get the pile blocking my bookcase doors out of the way. If you read this book, let me know what you think!

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I Published My First Book!

| Jasmin De Anda

What I hope readers will consider a compelling fantasy story…

After ten years of writing this book on and off, I finally finished and self published my book! I am planning on writing more posts about the process, but this post is solely to tell you about my book, and what this means to me.

SYNOPSIS

Archaic presents the battle of good and evil in a realm of sorcerers and angels, as an evil force plans to unleash an unimaginable horror on Earth.

Cornelius Alewar, leader of the sorcerers helping humankind, is unexpectedly reunited with his grandson, Eric. Cornelius, who has lived almost two centuries, and is known more recently as Neil, had thought Eric was killed along with his mother, Leanna, 13 years before. Having found himself different from other boys all his young life, Eric happily joins his grandfather in the land of Luxwick. But life in Luxwick is not as peaceful as he expects. Cornelius has been at odds against a powerful sorcerer called Malphilus, whom he has shared a connection with since birth, and now Eric has found himself caught in their web. But Eric wishes to become a hero as he doggedly tries to stop an evil plot before it comes to its full fruition.

Years in the Making…

“Archaic” started as a few notes written when I was fifteen years old which when reading them years later, I realized were just a rip off of Harry Potter. Luckily writing a book wasn’t exactly something I knew how to do at fifteen, so the next time I tried writing this story, although it was still inspired by Harry Potter, I had a stronger imagination at sixteen and therefore had a story which could stand separately.

I remember being seventeen years old when the summer before my senior year, I decided I wanted to write a book and I wanted that book to be “Archaic”. I had a phone full of dozens of story ideas, but I knew this was the one I was ready for. So I sat down on my couch with my laptop ready and got to work on the first chapter. When I returned to school for senior year, I decided to ask my junior English teacher, who was then my Yearbook teacher, to read the first chapter. When she returned it, the sight of the pages filled with notes and corrections at first overwhelmed me, until I read them. Despite my mediocre writing skills, her feedback made me feel like I truly had something with potential. That year, I spent every free moment in classes writing what I could in a notebook to be typed later. But life got busy and I didn’t have as much time to write, so it wasn’t until I was twenty-two that my first draft was finished, and twenty-four when I had a final draft I was ready to show the world. But as I mentioned before, this isn’t about the process, this is about what this story means to me. Which is why I want to talk about my characters.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 102,000

Page Count: 320

Genres: Contemporary Fantasy, Mystery

Ebook
Paperback
BARNES & NOBLE

Creating Characters I Love…

Characters are always my favorite part of a story. Although my first notes contained a plot far from original, I do take pride in the fact that my characters were, even then. My story started with a single character called Cornelius “Neil” Alewar, an English man with the curse of immortality, but he was not created alone. It was when I first saw X-Men first class that I had a thought. What if there were two people connected since birth, yet torn apart by their differences? What if there were two people with a mental connection, linked together by a bond so strong, and unable to escape each other, not even by death? And so Malphilus, the adversary was created.

I remember how excited I was when one by one, my characters came to life. They all began as nothing but names, but as I wrote their backstories, their personalities soon took shape as well. And as I found actors to draw inspiration from, I eventually reached a point where to me they were real. Not actually of course, but they became so clear in my mind that if felt like they were. Their dialogue changed in rewrites to better match their personality, and as the plot moved forward, I could write their actions and reactions without thinking. How Evangeline would always worry, but be the first to speak her mind. How Theo’s first instinct would be anger, then eventually remorse for the mistakes he’s made when clouded by that very anger. Then there was Neil, the character who will always hold a special place in my heart. He is a man so tired and so broken, but so insistent on shouldering his burdens alone.

Although I am proud of the story I created, I am more proud of the characters and I truly hope I’ve succeeded in writing a story that will make others cherish these characters as well.

The Story I Always Wanted to Read…

I remember watching an interview with legendary comic writer Stan Lee where he told a group of college students that the most important thing is to write what you love. I’ve always adored fantasy stories, so I did just that. But something that was always so important for me was that my story made sense. All my favorite stories are the ones that you could tell were planned out, while the stories that drove me crazy I could tell started with a premise, but lost their way to a proper ending. That was part of the reason it took me so long to finish this story, because I wanted to plan out every detail, every cause and effect, every ending.

What’s Next….

Being finished with this book is something I wasn’t sure would ever happen, and I will publish a few posts on the process I went through to finally have this book available. But this isn’t a standalone book, it’s the first of a series, a series I have completely mapped out. The hard part is actually writing down the details, but I’m ready to start. I still have an app filled with notes of dozens of ideas for other stories, and I may work on one of those in between. That’s actually the only way I was able to finish this book, by giving myself some much needed breaks creatively, allowing myself to focus on other ideas. But even know this series is important to me, and getting it out there for others to see what’s next is my primary goal.

“Archaic” is available to purchase on my website www.stargazerlilyboutique.com. By purchasing it directly from my website, you would be allowing me to gain the full profits. But for those more comfortable with more known websites, it is also available on Barnes & Noble.

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Half Sick of Shadows, Laura Sebastian

| Jasmin De Anda

A mesmerizing retelling of Arthurian legend’s minor character…

Half Sick of Shadows is a romantic retelling and expansion of a character known only from her tragic poem.

SYNOPSIS

Everyone knows the legend. Of Arthur, destined to be a king. Of the beautiful Guinevere, who will betray him with his most loyal knight, Lancelot. Of the bitter sorceress, Morgana, who will turn against them all. But Elaine alone carries the burden of knowing what is to come–for Elaine of Shalott is cursed to see the future.

On the mystical isle of Avalon, Elaine runs free and learns of the ancient prophecies surrounding her and her friends–countless possibilities, almost all of them tragic.

When their future comes to claim them, Elaine, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Morgana accompany Arthur to take his throne in stifling Camelot, where magic is outlawed, the rules of society chain them, and enemies are everywhere. Yet the most dangerous threats may come from within their own circle.

As visions are fulfilled and an inevitable fate closes in, Elaine must decide how far she will go to change destiny–and what she is willing to sacrifice along the way.

A story never told…

The story as advertised is an Arthurian legend, but not the way you might remember them. Something I have always loved about Arthurian legend is that no story is completely the same. Most of the details always remain the same. Arthur pulls excalibur and claims his throne. Lancelot, Guinevere, and Morgana all betray him, and eventually Arthur meets his demise. A tragic story indeed, but this isn’t just about them. This is the untold story of Elaine of Shalott.

Meet the woman cursed with the future…

Elaine was a character I had never heard the name of, but when I saw she was the main character, I was surprised by how little information I found about her. In the more known poem, Elaine is a woman suffering from an unrequited love. Enamored with Lancelot, when her feelings are not returned, she dies and her body drifts down the river. But the author of this story felt she deserved better. In this story, Elaine is now only the main character, but a woman who has seen every tragedy that is to come to Arthur and their friends. Sebastian does an incredible job of creating a character who can see the future without removing the things I loves about Arthur’s story.

A story more about heart than adventure…

Characters are always my favorite part of a story. I was pleasantly surprised at how much the story focused on the characters and their relationship. I am by no means an expert on Arthurian legends, and am only familiar with the major details of the stories. However, I felt that the characters were much more fleshed out in this story. Guinevere for example, I only knew for her doomed romance with Lancelot, but in this story she is much more than Arthur’s eventual wife and traitor. In this story she is still kind but she is also fearless. She is a force not to be reckoned with who even Lancelot knows to fear. It was a pleasure getting to know these characters.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 133, 952

Page Count: 432

Genres: Arthurian Romance, Fantasy, Fairy Tale

A story for the romantics, not the historians…

When I began this story, I fell in love with Elaine and her narrative. I enjoyed getting to know the character’s through her eyes. But I was surprised when I noticed bad reviews, until I realized they were written by readers frustrated with the historical inaccuracies. If you are a fan of Historical fiction, this is not the story for you. You may be put off by the constant mention of corsets and drinking tea. However, if you are like me and are unbothered by such inaccuracies, then you will have no issues with this story.

What drew me in was the love between these characters. When I speak of love, I do not just mean romantic love, but familial love. Every chapter reminded me of how close these characters were in a way that had me dreading the tragedies that could someday happen just as Elaine does in this story.

A story that left me wanting more…

All good stories come to an eventual end, and this one was no exception. It is difficult to discuss what I loved about this story without spoiling anything, but I grew so attached to the characters that when I realized the story was almost over, I felt disappointed. Not only because I wanted to spend more time with them, but for reasons I can’t say without spoiling it for excited readers. I truly hope that the versions of these characters I fell in love with will someday make it to the big screen.

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Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo

| Jasmin De Anda

An intriguing enough world…

Shadow in Bone is a simple story that was saved by its unique fantasy world, but the characters and story itself felt a little lacking for my tastes.

SYNOPSIS

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold―a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite―and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.

Meet Alina Starkov…

The story begins with Alina Starkov, a mapmaker whose unit has been chosen to cross the Shadow Fold, a mysterious area of darkness filled with monsters that separates the nation in half. Alina is introduced as an orphan who has always felt out of place due to her insecurities about her appearance. Her only friend is Mal, her childhood friend.

As someone who watched the first season on Netflix first, I was surprised to learn that Alina was not half Shu as she was on the live action adaptation, and it was a detail that was truly missed. While she does often mention her own insecurities, I never got the sense that she was as much as an outcast as I did from watching the show.

Something Missing…

If someone were to ask me what I enjoyed about the book, I’m afraid I would not have much to say. While I do not have anything particularly negative to say about this book, I unfortunately cannot describe anything as truly exciting. In this story there is one main character as well as what I what I would categorize as three supporting characters. At the start of her story when she is introduced, her childhood friend Mal is introduced as well. Later we are introduced to the Darkling as well as Genya. Yet despite the small ensemble of characters, there was not much described of any of them.

As someone whose favorite part of any story is its characters, I was disappointed to learn so little about them. Although their actions are described, there was not much said about their personalities, interest, flaws, or anything. In fact, when these characters began to form their relationships, I felt that none of the relationships felt deserved and that the characters were simply being pushed together like dolls.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 81,000

Page Count: 358

Genres: Young adult fiction, fantasy, adventure

I found things especially lacking with the romance in the story. It’s rare to pick up a YA novel and not be introduced to a romantic plot line, and although there is romance in this story, I could only describe it as “blink and you’ll miss it”. The romantic tension between the characters was nonexistent.

The World Introduced…

Trying to come up with the words to describe how I felt about this story has been a struggle, however what I can discuss is the world itself.

This fantasy world introduced by Bardugo is what I felt has potential. The system is well described and whatever information about this world’s conflicts were easy to understand throughout the story. In fact, it left me desiring a story focused on one of the Grisha’s instead. What was it like when their power was discovered? Were they torn from their families? What were their responsibilities beyond training and performing for the wealthy?

Hopes for the Sequel…

Although I wasn’t very satisfied by the story, I am hoping that now that the world has been established that the characters will be more fleshed out in the sequel. Thanks to the Netflix series, I was able to read this story with a clear picture of the characters in my head. My primary hope is that the sequel will prevent me from having to rely on the Netflix series and have me fully immersed in what is on the page. Perhaps my opinion would have been different if I had read the series as a child, but I truly hope book 2 will surprise me.

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Sword of Destiny, Andrzej Sapkowski

| Jasmin De Anda

A disappointing follow up to an amazing first book…

Sword of Destiny was an aggravating read and the first book I have ever quit. The second book in The Witcher series will make you question if the characters are truly the same ones.

SYNOPSIS

Geralt the Witcher battles monsters, demons and prejudices alike in Sword of Destiny, the second collection of adventures in Andrzej Sapkowski’s groundbreaking epic fantasy series that inspired the Netflix show and the hit video games.

Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless hunter. Yet he is no ordinary killer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.

Sword of Destiny is the follow up to The Last Wish, and together they are the perfect introduction to a one of a kind fantasy world.

A surprisingly controversial read…

When I finished the The Last Wish, I could not wait to get my hands on the second book so I could continue following Geralt’s journey and learn more about Yennefer. Yet within the follow up’s first chapter, I found myself struggling not to skim through the pages. The more I read, the worse the writing directed at the women became.

For those familiar with the Netflix show, the first chapter begins with the quest for the dragon, but things are different than the Netflix episode. Yennefer, angry with Geralt for his wish and desperate to reverse her infertility betrays Geralt by using paralysis magic on him, but is then attacked by the band of dwarves. This was when the first shock came when the band of dwarves ties Yennefer up and tear her shirt open to expose her, threatening her with rape. The scene is followed by Dandelion described to stare at her bare chest. When Yennefer tells him to stop, the line is what follows:

“Not on your life,’ Dandelion said, without taking his eyes off the bedraggled sorceress. ‘I’m here because of her. They may slit our throats, but at least I’ll die happy.”

-Excerpt From: Andrzej Sapkowski. “Sword of Destiny (The Witcher).” Apple Books.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (estimated)~ 104,000

Page Count: 416

Genres: Fantasy

Although I managed to read the dragon quest story, it was the next chapter that truly irked me. Geralt and Yennefer in the next story are living together, but not happily as he seems to be annoyed with Yennefer in every page and Yennefer’s only role seems to be dressing herself with makeup and fragrances. But it was Geralt’s time at the inn which destroyed my will to finish the story; specifically this paragraph:

“He was annoyed by the cold, congealed scrambled egg he was served for breakfast by the innkeeper, who tore himself away for a moment from groping a girl in the kitchen. He was annoyed that the girl was no more than twelve years old. And had tears in her eyes.”

Excerpt From: Andrzej Sapkowski. “Sword of Destiny (The Witcher).” Apple Books.

The line itself felt unescessary and the content was appalling, but what truly bothered me was Geralt’s simple annoyance and lack of interference. Although the witcher claims to never interfere, the first book seemed to prove he did nothing but interfere. Yet the author felt it necessary to write this moment where Geralt witnesses a 12-year-old girl being groped and does nothing.

The First Story I’ve Ever Quit…

Perhaps there is a chance the story drastically improved in the remaining 75% of the book, but I could not get myself to pick up the book again after that and eventually gave up on trying. The magic which intrigued me in that first book seemed to be lacking and Yennefer who was a mystery for most of the first book felt vain and one-dimensional. I felt if I had finished the book only to be disappointed, it would taint my love for the first book and possible the remaining of the series.

Improvements Ahead…

When I first picked up The Witcher series, I began reading book three before realizing there were two written before. I read 20% of the story before realizing my mistake and beginning book one instead, and what I had read of book three, I deeply enjoyed. Although I hope to never feel this way about his remaining books, I am at least taking comfort knowing book three will restore the magic of the first book.

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