Genre: Fantasy

A Grimm Curse by Janna Jenning..

Posted 07/25/2019 by Charli in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Ok, I’m all for reimagined fairy tales. After all, just look at the reviews I’ve done for three of the Disney Twisted Tales books. I love a good reimagined fairy tale. Please note I said a good reimagined fairy tale. A Grimm Curse is not a good reimagined fairy tale. As a prequel, I honestly feel this book raises far more questions than it actually answers. It is all over the place and makes absolutely no sense. There are elements of Rapunzel, Cinderella, The Frog Prince, and even Jack and the Beanstalk in this book. Just in case you wondered, as a general rule, fairy tales don’t crossover. Yes, I know… they do in Into the Woods and Shrek, among others. And it works in those places. But it didn’t work here. There was so little of Jack in the Beanstalk it seemed like that addition was pure afterthought – […]

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legran..

Posted 07/09/2019 by Charli in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

If Stephen King wrote YA fiction, this book would be right up his alley. Don’t believe me? An evil creature – demon, devil, who knows? This thing comes from somewhere beyond our wildest imaginations. It feeds on teenage girls – at least until it can break free of its anchor. Doesn’t that sound like something straight out of a Stephen King horrorfest? Well, it does to me. Marion is sweet, plain, and well, the mountain on which her family leans. She can’t afford to be fanciful or whimsical. She can’t afford to take a break, because what will her mother or Charlotte do without her? But she’s so much more than that. She plays such an important part in the story and it’s so hard to talk about her without giving things away. Zoey is sweet, loving, but can hold a grudge like no one’s business. Her hatred of the […]

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Yo..

Posted 06/30/2019 by Charli in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

I didn’t even know this book existed until Adrienne Young mentioned it and the second book in the Sky in the Deep series, The Girl the Sea Gave Back, in an Instagram post. I decided to see what she was referring to and I am so glad I did! This book has a feel to it that is hard to describe. The Gods seem almost like Norse Gods of old, yet they’re clearly not real Norse Gods. The book also has a very Braveheart and Last of the Mohicans feel to me, but that could just be me. I guess it’s the whole clans and being the last of their clans thing that makes me think of those. I love Eelyn’s character. She’s a warrior, she’s brave, she’s proud. She’s also scared out of her wits, afraid to die, and afraid to love. Her loyalty to her clan, the Aska, […]

The Wicked Deep by Shea Earnsh..

Posted 05/10/2019 by Charli in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

At first I wasn’t going to finish this book. I even turned it in to the library early. I’d gotten to Chapter 5 and it was just dragging along. But something kept nagging at me that I should give it another shot, so I downloaded the Kindle version as a library check out. I’m glad I did. If I hadn’t given the book a second chance, I’d have missed out on an awesome plot twist that I honestly didn’t see coming. The Wicked Deep starts out slow but finishes in a way that makes it hard to put it down. I know. I read from Chapter 5 to the end in about 3 hours. I recommend this to lovers of witch trials, paranormal, and romance books. I gave it 4 stars because of the slow start, but the writing and character building are awesome.

Shadow Frost by Coco Ma

Posted 04/21/2019 by Charli in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Pianist Coco Ma has a second passion in which she is just as talented – writing. Her first novel, Shadow Frost, is an absolute wonder. The world Coco Ma has built is reminiscent of Earth, but with magic added. It seems most people have the ability to use magic, each person having at least one magical affinity. The use of stones to assist them with using their magic is an interesting concept and not one often seen. This novel definitely reads like a seasoned author wrote it, which is amazing for a debut novel. Coco Ma did an excellent job of building characters, the world, the magic system, and creating plot twists to keep you on your toes. I sincerely hope a sequel is coming as cliffhangers are to be had in this book. I gave this one a solid 5 stars because this debut novel is truly amazing.