Tag Archives: fantasy

The Lunar Chronicles: Winter (SPOILER REVIEW)

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There’s a definitely a certain amount of pressure, I think, on writing the final book in a series.

It has to wrap up all the characters’ goals, defeat the antagonist, and resolve the overall plot, with no threads hung loose.

Yeah, a lot of pressure.

Does Winter live up to the standard? (Beware of spoilers!)

Winter takes a deep dive into the Winter’s pysche like none of the other books before. I find her to be an extremely compelling character. The mental willpower to hold herself back from using her manipulation even when she knew she would start to hallucinate and lose her mind is impossibly strong. It’s the exact opposite from what the entire Lunar court thinks of her. She is the most powerful of any of them.

Winter went through so much.

I wish there was more of her. She’s such an amazing character but despite the book being named after her I felt like there wasn’t nearly enough attention on her. She almost seemed thrown in, which is the opposite of what she deserves as such a rich and compelling character.

I also don’t think Wolf got a finished ending. The book was all nonstop plot and twists, with hardly any room for the characters. And there’s a lot of characters.

The climax between Cinder and Levana was bloody and dramatic, though it was really a bit of an idiotic move on Cinder’s part to think that the mass murderer wouldn’t try to kill her as soon as she put down the gun.

I have to say, I do love the ending. Cinder dropping it off the same balcony she’d jumped off of? The tiniest reference to the glass slipper? Kai and Cinder’s relationship finally resolved, with hope for the future? It’s all beautiful, tinged with just the right amount of bittersweet, knowing that the battle was far from over.

I do think explicitly having all four main characters end up in a neatly established romance made it feel forced instead of natural. I also have some problems with Cress and Thorne’s relationship, but I might save that for a review on Cress instead.

There was so much good in this book, but also a lot I didn’t like.

Still, everyone has the right to their own opinions. What do you think?

Winter by Marissa Meyer is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.



House of Beating Wings: Book Review

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This book has been an amazing fantasy read! I have been trying to find a book that has matched the past fantasy books that I have read (aka: ACOTAR, Throne of Glass Series, Shatter Me, Red Queen…) and this one has met most, if not all, of my criteria! It has those plot twists that I love, the romance, and the world building that is so complex, yet complicated. The premise of this book is about a twenty-one-year-old girl named Fallon who is half fae. She is often undermined by the pure fae and the humans as well.

Half-fae don’t have the rights that pure fae’s have and they are not allowed to use magic. Fallon is stubborn, like most female heroines, and she has a love for animals, especially water serpents. But, she has no magic, which she questions. As a result, people often mistrust her and sometimes she doesn’t even understand what and who she is. However, she has her best friends, Sybille and Phoebus that back her up, as well as the prince, Dante who has been her childhood love.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

Fallon lives with her grandma who is in charge of taking care of her, and her mom who is in comatose state. After she goes out to party one night, she meets a woman named Bronwen who tells her a prophecy in which she will be the Queen of Luce if she collects five crow statues.

With nothing to lose, she goes on a journey to retrieve the five crow statues. The interesting thing is after she collects a crow, they come to life. The more and more crows she collects, she realizes that it can actually talk to her and keeps her company during the journey.

As they get further and further into this journey, she begins to uncover some of her heritage/bloodline, secrets that has been kept from her, and her kingdom’s secrets.

This series is a trilogy, and it is a well worth it read! I am currently on the third book, House of Striking Oaths, and the plot twists, world building, and romance have kept my anxiety and heart rate up there! I really recommend this book for anyone who is in a book slumber and needs a book to take their mind off of things!

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell By Chris Colfer

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I read a lot when I was younger and remember many great literary classics. But the book I remember most fondly is The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer.

The series consists of six books and follows the adventures of Alex and Conner Bailey, who find themselves teleported to a magical world through a strange storybook. It was always my favorite book to escape from when I needed a break from reality.

The plot of The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is fun and engaging! Colfer created a wonderful world of magic and wonders with many compelling characters. The characters are well-developed, with distinct personalities and motivations. The story keeps readers hooked with twists and turns, making it difficult to put the book down.

The book revolves around themes of friendship and the power of imagination. Through the characters’ experiences, the novel promotes the values of kindness, courage, and perseverance. For instance, Alex and Conner’s journey to find the Wishing Spell is not only a physical one but a mental one. They learn to trust their instincts and rely on each other, which ultimately helps them succeed in their quest. Their bond as siblings also grows, shown throughout a couple of books.

While The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is entertaining, it can sometimes be predictable. Some story elements may need to be more complex for older readers. Still, it may have been intentional since the series is aimed at younger readers. The book relies heavily on familiar fairy tale characters and settings, which may appeal to only some readers. It is generally intended for younger readers from fourth to seventh grade. It may not be for everyone, and that’s okay!

Finally, The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is a well-written and engaging novel exploring family, friendship, and imagination themes. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is full of surprises that will keep the reader wanting more. While the book may be predictable at times and may not appeal to all readers, it is an excellent choice for young readers who enjoy fantasy and fairy tales! The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is a fantastic read. I highly recommend it!

Happy Reading!
Bella H.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

The Golden Slipper by Valia Lind

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After being abused by her stepmother and stepsisters for years, Mira finally has a chance to escape to the human world and open her own flower shop after her best friend provides her an opportunity to work at the palace. However, with the threat of Baba Yaga looming overhead and her secret romance with the prince, Mira’s plans may yet be delayed.

The Golden Slipper is truly a fantastical wonder piece that beautifully retells Cinderella’s story. It’s filled with magic, wonder, and a budding romance between two people who come from completely different worlds. After each subsequent encounter with each other, the two begin to literally fall for each other as they prove that with the power of true love, they can overcome any spell, whether it be from a wicked witch or a fairy godmother.

Although their relationship has its ups and downs, as the two attempt to navigate through arranged marriages and a wicked stepmother, they only continue to grow closer and closer to one another. However, as the two dance with each other night after night at the masquerade ball, completely unaware of each other’s identity, feelings, and dark past, the two prove that anything is possible.

The Golden Slipper is a great read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a little magic in their life!

The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo

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Miranda Asebedo’s The Deepest Roots is a powerful novel that proves that friendship is an unbreakable force.

Rome, Lux, and Mercy are three girls of Cottonwood Hollow, born with magical abilities that seem to only attract evil. Rome is a Fixer—she can repair broken objects and understand mechanisms well, Lux can charm men into believing they love her, and Mercy’s magic conjures up an abundance of any item.

Rome is the main character of the story. She and her single mother struggle to pay the rent in their shabby, run-down trailer. Money is hard to come by and each day is a struggle. The support she receives from Lux and Mercy give her the strength to help her through these challenging times.

I enjoyed reading this book because of its realistic events and obstacles. Rome’s difficulties and responsibilities are authentic and add to her character’s budding independence. Mercy and Lux are two incredible friends to Rome that support her through thick and thin, even though they may not always get along.

This novel was a definite page turner. I enjoyed reading each page. However, throughout the book, there were a few crude concepts; Lux’s Mom’s abusive boyfriend and the unwanted attention Lux receives with her powers. Even in the dark times of Lux’s life, Rome and Mercy were there to rescue her—The hardships Lux faces only strengthen the girls’ bond.

Eventually, the three close friends learn that their powers are no curse rooting them to the ground; They are a precious opportunity to grow.

The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Adaptation Review/Comparison: The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2

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Before I begin the review proper I would like to preface that this review is mainly for those who are already aware of the Rising of the Shield Hero and while I will attempt to add context this review is more for those trying to decide whether to continue watching and/or reading the shield hero rather than those trying to decide whether to pick up the series or not. With that out of the way let’s start the review.

Now for those who decided to keep reading after that intro paragraph The Rising of the Shield Hero is a series of Japanese light novels written by Aneko Yusagi which was then adapted into an anime. The series follows the titular shield hero, Naofumi Iwatani, and his journey to save the world along with three other heroes.

The section of the story we are covering here is what is covered in the second season of the anime and in light novels 6-9. Now right off the bat, the anime decides to cripple itself by choosing to not adapt around 75% of the sixth novel which leads to an other-all state of confusion for anime watchers. You see much of the sixth novel is spent on introducing new characters and establishing new concepts and plot points. For example, in the light novel, we are introduced to the character of Eclair Seaetto who was tasked with helping the heroes learn actual combat abilities rather than just spamming their magic weapon skills like they had been. She also ends up beating the Sword Hero in a sword fight in order to prove a point which both highlights her skill with a sword and the fact that the Sword Hero is an awful swordsman.

Anyway, copying the anime in skipping that part we move on to what fans refer to as the Spirit Turtle arc. For a short summary of the plot for this part, in the world of the shield hero, there are four guardian beasts tasked with saving the world should the heroes fail to do so. However, a villain from another world going by the name of Kyo decided that he wanted to awaken the spirit tortoise early so that he could steal its power. Now unlike the previous section which only exists in the novels the spirit tortoise arc exists in both the novels and anime and both have their own pros and cons.

On one side of the comparison, the light novels do a much better job of highlighting the desperation Naofumi feels when fighting the spirit turtle and the sense of dread it brings. Not only do we hear Naofumi’s panicked thoughts but he also highlights how even with his insane level of defense the spirit turtle still manages to harm him. The novels also add the fact that the turtles’ servants act like parasites, using the still living bodies of their victims to grow their numbers. If the novels have one weakness it is that they are a slog to read through. This arc of the story happens to be rather stretched out and honestly it was painfully boring to read at some points.

On the other side of things, while the anime doesn’t do as much to establish the threat of the turtle it does have some definite benefits. For one thing the anime adds more scenes with the character of Ost Horai which give her more depth as a character and make it more painful when she dies at the end of the arc. Additionally, the anime was able to change the boring slog of the novels into mindless action which is a definite plus. If I have to be honest I would much rather watch the animes adaptation of this part than reread the novels.

The adaptation for the next arc, however, cements the Shield Heroes anime adaptation as less than stellar. To the anime’s credit they do at least cover this arc’s main plot points(Traveling to the other world to avenge Ost, meeting the Hunting Tool Hero, Raphtalia gaining the Legendary Katana Vassal Weapon, Fighting Trash 2, and killing Kyo) and it does alter a few things to make more sense like not spitting Raphtalia up from the main group immediately after entering the other world. The problem with this arc in the anime is that they only really cover the main plot points and skip over more minor but still important scenes such as Naofumi acquiring his Demon Dragon Shield which serves as his weapon of choice for quite some time in the novels.

In conclusion, if you want to truly experience the story of The Rising of the Shield Hero to the fullest I would highly recommend reading the light novels as while the English translation can be questionable in some areas it provides a better over-all experience with the story.

Book Review: Trial of the Sun Queen

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This novel was a very interesting novel from my perspective because it included all the fantasy tidbits that I personally enjoyed. This would be appropriate for fans of Sarah J. Maas (aka Throne of Glass and ACOTAR), especially if you are having a book hangover like I did.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

The story is about this girl called Lor. She is currently stuck in this high-stake prison that she’s been in for twelve years with her brother and sister for a crime they did not commit. The conditions are rough, as they have no clean water, no beds, and are all half-starved. The life expectancy there are around a year or two. The prison is meant to die in, and no one is ever released.

After she gets in a big fight with another girl, she gets put into the Hollow, in which no one ever survives. She’s sentenced for two weeks with no food, no water, and no shelter from the wild magical animals that gobble up humans like her.

After about a week, she suddenly gets rescued by one of the soldiers from a far away kingdom. She wakes up in luxurious clothing, a bed made for a queen, and a maid. As the story progresses, she realizes she is in a trial competing for the Sun King’s heart and the Sun King is very interested in her, even though she is very much overlooked by all the other beautiful fae competing for his heart as well.

As she competes in one trial after another, she somehow survives each and every one. She questions her abilities until she overhears the Sun King, Atlas, and her guard talking about her which makes her question why the King favors her and what she has to offer him (which she thinks is nothing).

The ending I will not spoil because I think it was very surprising to say the least because the story unfolds in a way that wasn’t expected. It is not as good as ACOTAR or Throne of Glass, but its close enough that it will get you hooked instantly!

The Bone Witch By Rin Chupeco

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Tea is an outcast in her village because of her TODA – a feared magic type. Tea didn’t want to be a Bone witch, but her powerful magic couldn’t be denied. After she accidentally raises her brother from death, Tea discovers she is destined to be the dark Asha, the one everyone dreaded and feared.

The Bone Witch is a nested story with vivid, detailed world-building and well-drawn characters. Tea, the protagonist, is particularly compelling. Throughout the book, you can see that her relationship with other characters, like her mentor and brother, is rich and complex. Their dynamics are often surprising and unexpected. Chupeco crafted and weaved magic and exquisite details in every chapter, making the readers want more. The other bone witches’ unique abilities and personalities are fascinating to learn about and add depth and complexity to the story.

The plot of The Bone Witch is fast-paced and full of twists and turns. Chupeco does an excellent job of keeping you guessing and building tension throughout the story. There are moments of heartbreak and triumph, and the ending leaves you eager to learn more about Tea and her world.

The Bone Witch is worth checking out for fantasy fans and anyone looking for an exciting, immersive read with a cliffhanger ending. It’s a good read for readers in seventh grade and up. The Bone Witch is available to borrow on Libby, and last I checked at Mission Viejo Library.

Rin Chupeco’s world characters are memorable, and her world-building skills are top-knot; an exciting and intricate world filled with unique characters and a gripping plot. I am looking forward to reading more of this author’s series!

Happy Reading!

Bella H.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: The Heroes of Olympus The Mark of Athena

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The Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan is the third book within the Heroes of Olympus series. Within this book, the seven demi-gods mentioned in the prophecy of the seven finally meet up and begin their quest. Of those seven demi-gods, this book shows the P.OV. of the four of them who are Greek demi-gods, namely Percy Jackson son of Poseidon, Annabeth Chase daughter of Athena, Piper McLean daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo Valdez son of Hephestus.

Moving more into the plot now, this book places a lot of emphasis on the struggles and furthermore, the doubts of the protagonists. With Percy we see him being to think more about his role on the team, his fatal flaw of loyalty, and how that affects him. Percy is grappling with the fact that he is insanely loyal and protective of his friends and therefore struggles with letting them go and do their own thing because he’s worried that if they do and they get hurt it will be his fault.

With Annabeth we mostly see her struggling with her doubts about if she can complete the quest her mother gave her. Basically, Annabeth is given the task of following the Mark of Athena and recovering the Athena Parthenos, which was stolen by the Romans several years before the story started and is now in the hands of the antagonists. This quest becomes even more important when it is learned that the recovery of the statue is important to fixing the gods’ case of fantasy dissociative identity disorder(don’t ask).

Piper’s issue is honestly mostly petty drama with her boyfriend who spends most of this book passed out so we’re skipping over that dumpster fire to talk about Leo. So Leo’s issue is due to the fact that he is something of the odd man out in the group of heroes. Leo has a lot of issues combining to make him the proverbial black sheep with the two most notable being that his being possessed by ghosts at the start of the book starts a fair bit of the book’s conflict and the fact that he is the only member of the seven to not be in a relationship. The second one may seem minor by comparison but given that there are several points where he is referred to as a seventh wheel it’s pretty clear that it affects him a lot.

I honestly have to say that I enjoyed this book more than the previous two in the series. Not that the first two were bad it’s just that most of the “character development” there was a character getting over trauma related to one of their powers or with Percy and Jason dealing with their amnesia (long story). In conclusion, I would say that this series is definitely a good one and that its author really earned his title of “the storyteller of the gods.”

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Piranesi: book review

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I started reading Piranesi by Susanna Clarke with no previous knowledge about the book or the author. I had no idea of the rollercoaster I was about to experience. The first thing I noticed about the book was Clarke’s writing style, which I thought was exceptionally meticulous and clever as if she had spent time carefully choosing each and every word. That being said, because the first thirty or so pages are spent mostly on world-building, it felt slow at first and hard to get through. However, once the story picked up, it kept up a breakneck pace for the rest of the book, with each plot twist pushing the story further.

I think the most brilliant technique Clarke used when creating this story, was the formatting. Piranesi is a first-person perspective book, with the chapters written in a diary entry style. After finishing the book, I realized that this unique style choice played an extremely important role in the aesthetic and captivation of the book. Because there are so many layers to the plot, there’s an exciting anticipation that Clarke creates when the reader is forced to only learn what the protagonist learns WHEN the protagonist learns it.

Additionally, due to the complexity of the story, and the world in which it takes place, it could have been very easy for our protagonist to fade into the background. However, Clarke was able to continuously draw him back into the spotlight, and keep the reader focused on and caring about the hero and his journey throughout the entire length of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique, fantasy read. Although it starts off at a slow pace and only picks up speed later in the book, the many intriguing elements span the whole book, and the creativity within the world of Piranesi is simply infinite.

Piranesi by Susanna Clark is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.