THE KINGDOM OF BACK By Marie Lu

November 18, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE KINGDOM OF BACK By Marie LuThe Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on 3/3/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 332
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.

Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish--to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age--her tyrannical father has made that much clear.

And as Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true--but his help may cost her everything.

Short and Sweet Review

Mozart had an older sister and her name was Nannerl. She was a musician but during the time that this book takes place being a musician is only proper for so long, eventually she needs to focus on getting married and having children. Nannerl wants more in life she wants to be a great musician and she doesn’t want to be forgotten. As years pass by Nannerl’s chances of becoming a musician dwindle but Mozart is starting to become a force to be reckoned with. A stranger from a magical land tells Nannerl he can help her dreams come true but in return she has to help him with a few quests.

This was an interesting book it was historical with some fantasy elements. I did like the bond between Nannerl and Mozart, she is a bit jealous but I think its more about the fact that as a girl she doesn’t get to have the same opportunities as Mozart. The whole idea of Kingdom of Back was different, the siblings meet Hyacinth and he’s from the Kingdom and he wants Nannerl and Mozart to help him. At a point the siblings start to get a weird vibe from Hyacinth and realize maybe he can’t do everything he’s promised to do.

Overall this was a good book. I liked the bond between Nannerl and Mozart they truly care for each other. I still think the whole Kingdom of Back thing was weird and I think this still could have been a good book without it.

Filed Under: Reviews

A WILDERNESS OF STARS By Shea Ernshaw

November 7, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A WILDERNESS OF STARS By Shea ErnshawA Wilderness of Stars by Shea Ernshaw
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 11/29/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 397
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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When all is lost, look to the stars.

Vega has lived in the valley her whole life—forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But when Vega sees an omen in the sky—one she cannot ignore—she is forced to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. Yet the outside world is much more terrifying than Vega could have ever imagined. People are gravely sick—they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives.

But Vega has a secret: she is the Last Astronomer—a title carried from generation to generation—and she is the only one who understands the knowledge of the stars. Knowledge that could hold the key to a cure. So when locals spot the tattoo on Vega’s neck in the shape of a constellation—the mark of an astronomer—chaos erupts. Fearing for her life, Vega is rescued by a girl named Cricket who leads her to Noah, a boy marked by his own mysterious tattoos.

On the run from the men hunting her, Vega sets out across the plains with Cricket and Noah, in search of a fabled cure kept secret by the astronomers. But as the line between friends and protectors begins to blur, Vega must decide whether to safeguard the sacred knowledge of the astronomers…or if she will risk everything to try to save them all.

Short and Sweet Review

When Vega sees the twin stars she knows its a sign for her to leave the valley she’s grown up in and look for the last architect. The world outside of the valley is more dangerous than Vega ever thought, people are sick and dying and will do anything to find a cure. Vega is in danger because after her mom died she became the last astronomer the only one who can read the stars. Vega also has a tattoo of a constellation on her neck that people believe is the answer to where the cure is and these people will do anything to get to Vega. While trying to find the last architect Vega meets Cricket and Noah who travel across the plains to help her find what the twin stars were hinting at. 

This book started off slow but it starts to pick up once Vega leaves the valley and goes in search of the architect. There’s a group of men hunting Vega once they realize who she is and then it becomes a game of cat and mouse. It was crazy seeing how determined these men were to get her and they were only like a few steps behind her each time. Vega was a good character she was ready to follow the path that’s been set for her. Her one flaw to me was that she would always go against better judgement and each time she did that she put the group in more danger.

This was an interesting book and after we get past the first part and things really start to pick up, everything comes together and starts making sense. This book was so different the fact that Vega was the last one left who was able to read the stars, the sickness that has affected almost everyone, and the final destination that Vega has to reach to basically fulfill her quest. This book was captivating and will have you invested in Vega’s journey from the beginning to the end!

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SPELLS FOR LOST THINGS By Jenna Evans Welch

October 28, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SPELLS FOR LOST THINGS By Jenna Evans WelchSpells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 9/27/22
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Willow has never felt like she belonged anywhere and is convinced that the only way to find a true home is to travel the world. But her plans to act on her dream are put on hold when her aloof and often absent mother drags Willow to Salem, Massachusetts, to wrap up the affairs of an aunt Willow didn’t even know she had. An aunt who may or may not have been a witch.

There, she meets Mason, a loner who’s always felt out of place and has been in and out of foster homes his entire life. He’s been classified as one of the runaways, constantly searching for ways to make it back to his mom; even if she can’t take care of him, it’s his job to try and take care of her. Isn’t it?

Naturally pulled to one another, Willow and Mason set out across Salem to discover the secret past of Willow’s mother, her aunt, and the ambiguous history of her family. During all of this, the two can’t help but act on their natural connection. But with the amount of baggage between them—and Willow’s growing conviction her family might be cursed—can they manage to hold onto each other?

Short and Sweet Review

Willow doesn’t feel like she belongs and she feels like the only way to find her place in the world is to travel. But things are put on hold when her mother takes her to Salem Massachusetts to settle her aunts estate, an aunt that Willow didn’t even know existed. Mason on the other hand has been in and out of foster homes and his main goal is to find his mom, Mason knows she can’t take care of him but he’s okay with the idea of taking care of her.

Willow’s mom is there but she’s not really there, so when they arrive in Salem Willow has a lot of questions about her moms past life which her mom just avoids answering most of the time. Willow discovers that she has aunts and family in Salem and she reconnects with her great aunts and learns that there’s a curse on her family and she has to find the letters her aunt Sage left behind to break it. Which is how she meets Mason he’s supposed to be the helper and help her find the other letters. Together these two learn a lot about themselves. Willow learns that she has family and that she doesn’t need to leave the states to find a place where she belongs because what she truly wanted was family and Mason learns that even if he doesn’t have his mom he can accept his foster family.

This was a cute book and I liked seeing how the characters realized how important family is whether or not its by blood. The witchy elements were also cute. I liked the ending and I appreciated Mason and Willows stories.

Filed Under: Reviews

JACKABY By William Ritter

October 23, 2022 by 1 Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

JACKABY By William RitterJackaby by William Ritter
Series: Jackaby #1
Published by Algonquin Young Readers on 9/16/14
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 321
Format: Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain the foul deeds are the work of the kind of creature whose very existence the local authorities--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--seem adamant to deny.

Short and Sweet Review

Abigail Rook has just arrived in New Fiddleham and is in need of a job which is how she meets detective R.F. Jackaby. Jackaby isn’t a regular detective he specializes in the supernatural and the things that normal people can’t see. Jackaby isn’t sure that Abigail is the assistant that he’s looking for but her ability to point out the ordinary things that Jackaby misses is what makes this a dream team. There’s been a series of unexplained murders going on in the city and this is the first case that Jackaby and Abigail tackle together.

I loved that Jackaby isn’t a normal detective, her has a Sherlock Holmes thing going on and his ability to see the extraordinary is what makes him special. Abigail was a great character and she didn’t shy away from the challenge of being Jackaby’s assistant she took it all in stride. The mystery was great the supernatural aspect of it will have you trying to figure out what’s behind all of the mayhem being caused. The characters are what really make this book come to life, the interactions between them will have you engrossed in the world of New Fiddleham. This is the second time I’ve read Jackaby and I love it as much as I did the first time around and I can’t wait to read the next three books!

Filed Under: Reviews

GALLANT By V.E. Schwab

October 3, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

GALLANT By V.E. SchwabGallant by V.E. Schwab
Published by Greenwillow Books on 3/1/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Young Adult
Pages: 330
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home; it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

Short and Sweet Review

Olivia lives at the Merilance School for Girls and the only thing she has from her past is her mothers journal. When a letter arrives at the school for Olivia from her Uncle inviting her to come home to Gallant, but when Olivia arrives there no one is expecting her to be there and her cousin Matthew wants nothing to do with her. Gallant has ghost wandering the hallways and there are a lot of secrets waiting to be uncovered. There’s also a place like Gallant but different where the ghost are solid and there who rules the place. Olivia just wants somewhere to fit in and she’s hoping it’s at Gallant.

This was such a weird book I don’t even know what to say in this review. Olivia is mute so she has to sign. The three people residing at Gallant weren’t expecting her and only two of them are welcoming. There’s ghost and then there’s other ghost in like a different dimension? Olivia wants to be apart of a family but there was no build up to a relationship between her, Edgar, Hannah, or Matthew. The strange figure who is the villain doesn’t appear until 60% through and I’m still not sure what his purpose was but to be evil in a different dimension.

I’m just not sure what I read at all. It was an okay book I just wish there was more to it. I feel like nothing really happened. I thought this book would be a good read especially because Halloween is right around the corner but there was nothing spooky or chilling about this book. I wish I liked this book more than I did but it just felt like it was missing a lot of substance.

Filed Under: Reviews

ALMOST THERE By Farrah Rochon

September 28, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ALMOST THERE By Farrah RochonAlmost There by Farrah Rochon
Series: A Twisted Tale #13
Published by Disney-Hyperion on 9/6/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Retellings, Young Adult
Pages: 464
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Sometimes life in the Big Easy is tough. No one knows that better than Tiana, though she also believes that hard work can go a long way. But when the notorious Dr. Facilier backs her into a corner, she has no choice but to accept an offer that will alter the course of her life in an instant.

Soon Tiana finds herself in a new reality where all her deepest desires are realized: she finally gets her restaurant, her friends are safe and sound, and most miraculous of all, her beloved father is still alive. She's got everything she's ever wanted. . . .

But after a while, her hometown grows increasingly eerie, with new threats cropping up in unlikely places. Navigating through this strange new New Orleans, Tiana must work alongside Naveen and Charlotte to set things right―or risk losing everything she holds dear.

Short and Sweet Review

Almost There takes place where Tiana has the choice to make a deal with Dr. Facilier, where in the movie she didn’t. Now Tiana has her father back, has a restaurant, and Louis is human. The deal Tiana made has obviously ruined the balance of the universe and some its coming to collect to make things right.

Tiana is one of my favorite Disney princesses, but she was just off-putting in this book, I really didn’t like her which made me sad. Tiana makes the deal and we see her basically a year later living her dreams of owning her restaurant and having her dad by her side, but now that its been a year Dr. Facilier and his friends on the other side want Tiana to pay up, weird things start happening down in the Big Easy and only Tiana can fix it. Tiana has always been a hard worker she was like that in the movie too but now she really doesn’t take breaks and she was rude to Charlotte and Naveen, she even went as far as ducking them while they were dining in her restaurant. Charlotte, Naveen, and Louis just wanted to help Tiana but she just wanted to do everything on her own and she would snap at them. One part that annoyed me the most was when Tiana found someone that could help her but then she wanted to dismiss that person and say they couldn’t be trusted. Like Tiana is the last person who should be deciding who is trustworthy after making a deal with the shadow man. Another thing that upset me was the deal Tiana made not only did it bring her what she wanted but she affect other peoples lives without a second to consider what they wanted. The ending was okay I guess, I felt bad for some of the characters who were still affected by the choice Tiana made.

I think this book was just okay it wasn’t great and it wasn’t bad but it made me think about how much I really appreciated the movie and how Tiana was portrayed there.

Filed Under: Reviews

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES By Sarah J. Maas

September 23, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES By Sarah J. MaasA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on 5/5/15
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, New Adult, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he's not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.

Short and Sweet Review

Feyre is a huntress and she’s the main provider for her family so when she goes out to the woods one day and shots a wolf the last thing she is expecting is another beast to come on her doorstep demanding retribution for what she’s done. The wolf that Feyre killed was actually a faerie from a different land, as a punishment Feyre must live the rest of her life in these lands. While in Prythian Feyre learns that the beast is actually a high lord and that he’s been cursed. There’s something wrong in Prythian and Feyre can feel it and she’s determined to find a way to stop it.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a Beauty and Beast retelling and its interesting because The Beast (Tamlin) is a faerie with the ability to shape shift into a wolf, Tamlin is a part of the spring court and unfortunately when his court was invited to a masquerade party they were cursed and everyone has a mask stuck to their face. Anyway Feyre spends most of her days brooding around, she’s not really a captive but she thinks she is in her own mind, she’s actually free to roam. Anyway after she realizes that being in Prythian isn’t as bad as she thought it would be she begins to develop feelings for Tamlin. Most of the book takes place in Prythian we see some Faerie parties take place, we learn that there’s something very wrong with the land and there’s a lot of faeries that are a lot weaker than they should be. At one point Tamlin sends Feyre back to her land but she comes back to Prythian because she realizes how much she loves him. Well now Feyre has to go through three trials and prove her love for Tamlin, and while doing this Feyre makes a deal with a faerie that we’ll be seeing more of in book two.

Feyre was an okay character, she was very set in her ways and didn’t think that anyone could be doing anything nice for her. She was kind of annoying in that way that she couldn’t trust anyone not even her sisters. Tamlin was not very important to me he was cursed and that’s about it, you learn more about him from other characters than from himself. The more I think about it the plot was pretty basic, I get that its a retelling but nothing about it wowed me. This is the second time I’ve read this book and even though I want to finish this series, I’m not in a rush to do it and I think that says everything.

Filed Under: Reviews

WINTERWOOD By Shea Ernshaw

September 22, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

WINTERWOOD By Shea ErnshawWinterwood by Shea Ernshaw
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 11/5/19
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 333
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Be careful of the dark, dark wood…

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

Short and Sweet Review

Nora lives in Fir Haven where Walker women have lived for years. The woods surrounding Fir Haven are alive some even describe them as haunted, but the Walkers have a special relationship with the woods. Nora goes into the woods and comes back out with things that were lost. Nora goes in the woods and ends up finding Oliver, who was supposed to be at the Camp for Wayward Boys. With Oliver around Nora can feel a shift in the woods and now she’s wondering how Oliver has survived 2 weeks in there.

The women in Nora’s family are all witches and everyone knows about them and like to gossip. Nora is staying alone at her family cabin and likes to go into the woods only during the full moon and find lost things, which is how she stumbles across Oliver. He doesn’t remember much but the more time Nora spends with him she learns that one of the boys went missing from the camp and another one died. There’s a group of boys at the camp who know about what happened that night that one boy went missing and one boy died and now they’re trying to make sure Nora doesn’t learn to much about that night.

This was a good book perfect for the fall. I liked the mystery surrounding Oliver and the secrets the other camp boys were hiding. The plot twist at the end did surprise me but in a good way. The excerpts of spells and the history of the Walker women was interesting and added a nice touch. I really enjoyed this book and the characters it was a fast read and October is coming up so witches and spooky season is a great match.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER By Stephanie Garber

September 20, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER By Stephanie GarberThe Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
Series: Once Upon a Broken Heart #2
Published by Flatiron Books on 9/13/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 405
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Not every love is meant to be.

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can. . . .

Short and Sweet Review

After being betrayed by Jacks, Evangeline swears to herself that she won’t trust him again. But after Apollo and Evangeline are cursed, Evangeline has no choice but to turn to Jacks for help. Jacks wants Evangeline to open the Valory Arch but Evangeline isn’t sure she wants to, but if she wants his help she’s going to have to play by his rules.

I loved being back in the Magnificent North. It seemed like things might be on the up and up for Evangeline and then boom her and Apollo are cursed and he’s hunting her. Evangeline tries to find a way to break the curse herself and find answers from other fates but it always leads her back to Jacks. Jacks and Evangeline have to find four stones that will open up the arch so its like a great adventure, also Evangeline has to avoid running into Apollo at all cost. We learn some more about Jacks and his past and it was really interesting because his past intertwines with some big families. There’s also a new Prince that will take the throne who Evangeline knows more than she wants to. We also have a lot of correspondence with Chaos and Lala and we find out their reasons for wanting the arch open.

I loved Jacks his wit and comments are unmatched. I didn’t love Evangeline though she felt self-righteous and that her way was always the best way. She gets herself into a lot of sticky situations with the way she wants to handle things. I think she’s stubborn and just wants to do the opposite of what Jacks suggests they do. There is attraction between them but they try to fight it off so much it becomes a little off putting like maybe they should just be with other people. Also who is Apollo!?

Anyway I love this series and I’m so excited to see what will happen in the next book especially because this book left off on a cliffhanger.

Filed Under: Reviews

RUST IN THE ROOT By Justina Ireland

September 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

RUST IN THE ROOT By Justina IrelandRust in the Root by Justina Ireland
Published by Balzer + Bray on 9/20/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 440
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology—otherwise known as Mechomancy—not the traditional mystical arts.

Laura disagrees. A talented young queer mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage’s license and becoming something more than a rootworker.

But four months later, she’s got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice.

As they’re sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country’s oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America’s past, when Black mages were killed for their power—work that could threaten Laura’s and the Skylark’s lives, and everything they’ve worked for.

Short and Sweet Review

Laura moved to New York to follow her dreams of opening up a bakery but unfortunately she’s down on her luck because New York isn’t so kind to new comers. Laura is getting kicked out of the current place she’s living and she needs to find somewhere to go asap, which is when she meets a unicorn that suggests she gets a job at the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps. Its here that Laura can actually use her magic without getting in trouble, Laura has the gift of using the potential in something like a seed and making it into something new. Laura meets the Skylark a powerful mage who takes Laura on as her apprentice. Together they’re sent on a mission to a blight and there’s more going on than what they were briefed on.

A little backstory, America is divided: those who can use the mystic arts and those who can’t. There was an event called the great rust which was catastrophic and now America is trying to rebuild. The world building is great once you understand what’s going on. There is different magic that can be used and we see most of them like talking to animals, healing, and necromancy. Laura is different because she’s able to dabble with all of them but she has to keep that to herself because its not really allowed.

Laura and the Skylark and joined by others in the colored auxiliary and sent to the Ohio Deep Blight to try to figure out what’s going on there and what happened to the team that was sent before them. This is where things get really interesting because things are not right in Ohio and team members start to be attacked one by one and its looking like someone on the team is in on it. Everyone has some type of magic that they’re able to use and in Ohio it seems like simple things are draining them and they’re not able to do even half of what they can when they’re not in the blight. I will say its kind of eerie like what is going on in the blight that there’s creatures roaming around and people going missing.

This book was so different from anything I’ve read involving magic before. I will say that the way that magic is being used in this book takes some getting used to and there’s more than one mystic art. The Skylark also had a journal or case notes where she documented everything that happened and I will say that threw me for a loop because I wasn’t sure what to trust. Laura is strong and I don’t think she truly knew her potential until the end of the book and I loved her, she never backed down. This is a book I won’t forget about anytime soon and I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a book that’ll keep you engaged from the first page until the last page!

Filed Under: Reviews