Battle for the Throne by E. J. Willis

November 1, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Battle for the Throne by E. J. Willis
Tales From Falyncia Book One
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Historical, sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

The sword quivers in Alaina’s hand. With one final stroke she can slay the gladiator, win back her freedom … and lose the trust of her people forever.

The Kingdom of Falyncia is caught in a war between a guardian spirit and a powerful demon. Alaina barely escapes with her life, yet she vows to one day claim the throne. When she finally returns home, the enemy has her in his grasp. Now she must choose between freedom and staying true to her people. If she fails to kill the gladiator, torture awaits. Can she find the courage to face it? Or will the demon triumph again?

A lost princess must face powerful foes and lurking demons if she ever hopes to reclaim her throne and free her kingdom in this fun YA fantasy!

While this story was a bit slow to start, things quickly picked up and it turned out to be a delightful read! Well written, and I loved the world-building and fantasy elements in this one. Aliana is rescued by a winged-wolf who turns out to be her guardian spirit of sorts, and must learn to fight the darkness that haunts both her past and future.

I really enjoyed seeing her journey, and look forward to the sequel in this duology! I loved the lore around the Wildlands and enjoyed getting to meet the various characters along the way! While the MC is 17 through most of this story, I can see younger teens or even adult readers enjoying this one as well.

There is the typical violence with the medieval theme and a war to be fought to win back her kingdom, plus the mention of demon like creatures who serve the evil king, but reads much like any other fantasy and is a good fit for the more traditional YA fantasy like seen in Narnia, Eragon, or Percy Jackson.

Overall a quick and fun read, and one that I’m sure many readers would enjoy!

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sand by Jasmin Kirkbride

October 25, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Sand by Jasmin Kirkbride
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When Suzy was born, her parents filled her mouth with sand. But this is normal and natural and the way things are always done.

And if she finds it uncomfortable to keep it there, to eat with it there, to talk with it there, she’s just going to have to learn to live with it.

“Sand” is a heart-wrenching tale about generational trauma and healing.

Not every tradition is a good one.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this tale was its nuanced approach to the trauma Suzy and everyone else experienced in this world. Her parents genuinely loved her and thought they had no other choice but to continue the destructive patterns of behavior they’d seen as children. The compassion the author had for everyone involved in these rituals was admirable. It would have been quite easy to write Suzy’s parents off as negligent at best, so I was pretty happy to see how deeply the narrator dug into what was truly going on there.

I would have preferred to see a little more development of the ending. While I understood what the author was doing with her metaphor, I think it could have been expanded more to explain why Suzy’s culture felt the need to keep sand in their mouths in the first place and why she attempted to change that tradition. Had this section been given a bit more time to shine, I would have easily given it a five star rating as the message of it was marvelous.

Speaking of the metaphor, it was also well done. It was broad enough to reference many different types of intergenerational trauma that happen in the real world while also specific enough to firmly root this storyline in the science fiction genre. I enjoyed interpreting the most powerful scenes from these perspectives as certain conversations or actions could be viewed in completely different ways depending on how literally or figuratively the reader chose to understand them.

Sand was a thoughtful science fiction story that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.

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Gingerbread Men and Toad’s Wart by Daniel Kamin

October 25, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Gingerbread Men and Toad’s Wart by Daniel Kamin
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Life isn’t easy for a witch who bakes cookies instead of brews potions. It’s a lot harder for a single witch living with a cranky basilisk. But Cresella’s life is upended when a new client, Walter, comes looking for a batch of gingerbread men—and asks her to a Christmas party he’s throwing. He’s handsome, charming, sweet, but oh so human. Their worlds don’t mesh, so a relationship between a human and a witch is foolish. She’s also had bad luck in love, and with her floundering cookie business, does she have time for a romance that seems doomed from the start? But Walter offers her a tempting new world she finds hard to resist…

Christmas cookies can fix almost anything.

Cresella was such a sweetheart, and that’s not something I’d ever thought I’d say about a witch! She was the sort of character who would quietly perform a random act of kindness and then never tell a soul about it or expect any sort of reward. Knowing she’d made someone else’s life a little better was all she hoped to gain from that sort of experience. I adore characters like this and was thrilled to get to know her.

I would have preferred to see more time developing the romantic subplot of this novella. Cresella and Walter were memorable characters in and of themselves, but they would have benefitted from a few more scenes explaining why he was interested in her and why they’d make a good match. There were so many obstacles in their path that including those sorts of things would have made the plot stronger.

The world building was well done from the descriptions of the town where the main character lived to the explanations of how various magical beings and creatures related to each other. I also appreciated all of the references to the many ways in which Cresella defied social expectations of what a witch should be like. Not only did they endear me to this character, they made it easy to imagine what it would be like to live in her society.

Gingerbread Men and Toad’s Wart was a festive holiday read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Friends to the End by C.L. Colyer

October 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Friends to the End by C.L. Colyer
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Twelve-year-old Zach is convinced he’ll never be happy without his best friend Jeremy by his side. But both of their lives changed with a bang five months ago, and as far as Zach’s concerned, it’s his fault Jeremy will never see his twelfth birthday.

When Zach moves with his family to a Chicago suburb, he quickly becomes friends with a group of thrill-seeking kids trying to find a disappearing haunted house. But Zach’s not worried. He doesn’t believe in ghosts, so he follows them into a wild, dangerous encounter that becomes a battle to decide what’s real and what’s not.

Dying with unfinished business is no laughing matter.

The spirits were well written and generally sympathetic characters. While there were a few frightening ones that I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to meet in a dark alley, I was pleased with the wide range of personalities and backstories they had in general. Getting to know characters like these and learning what might have kept them tied to earthly matters after their deaths is one of the things I enjoy the most about paranormal stories. It was utterly delightful to have so many opportunities to do so here.

I would have liked to see a little more attention paid to world building. For example, some ghosts in this world seem to be much more powerful than others. Certain beings also appeared to have some special abilities that aren’t commonly seen in this genre. As much as I liked the plot in general, all of these pieces of information never quite gelled into a coherent explanation of how the afterlife works in this universe. If it had, I would have happily chosen a full five-star rating.

The narrator had some poignant things to say about grief, friendship, and regret. These scenes did a wonderful job of rounding out Zach’s character and exposing the audience to portions of his personality that many preteens his age would probably keep to themselves in most other situations. Every time he revealed another fact about his past and the heavy grief he was trying so hard to hide from his new friends, I grew to like him even more than I already did.

Friends to the End was a heartwarming read for anyone who loves the paranormal side of the fantasy genre.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Cole and the Giant Gingerbread House by Riya Aarini

October 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Cole and the Giant Gingerbread House by Riya Aarini
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Cole and Claudia are poor and homeless on Christmas Eve. Cole’s kindness toward another hungry child draws attention from Santa Claus, who gifts the siblings with a very special gingerbread house. Cole and the Giant Gingerbread House is an enchanting holiday tale about love, hope, and gratitude.

Every act of kindness matters.

I adored what this picture book had to say about helping others even if it’s difficult. Cole and his sister Claudia gave away something they desperately needed to two strangers who needed it even more in one of the earliest scenes. This was a hard decision for them to make, especially since these characters came from a poor family that didn’t have enough money to meet their needs.

As much as I enjoyed the rest of it, the ending felt a little abrupt to me. There were still some parts of the plot that hadn’t been tied up by the end of it. This was something I’d read to the little ones in my life for sure, but I’d also feel the need to explain a few things like why it was so important for Cole to follow the instructions he was given even though he didn’t understand them at first.

The fantasy elements of the plot were delightful. They truly captured the magic of Christmas, especially later on in the storyline after Cole and Claudia went home with empty bellies and sad hearts. That may not sound like a particularly festive way to spend the holidays, but take heart. Nobody knows what the future holds, and anything is possible during the most magical time of the year.

Cole and the Giant Gingerbread House was a heartwarming read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

In a Jar by Deborah Marcero

October 1, 2021 By 1 Comment


In a Jar by Deborah Marcero
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Here’s a marvelous picture book, charmingly written and beautifully illustrated, about the power of memory and the magic of friendship.

Llewellyn, a little rabbit, is a collector. He gathers things in jars–ordinary things like buttercups, feathers, and heart-shaped stones. Then he meets another rabbit, Evelyn, and together they begin to collect extraordinary things–like rainbows, the sound of the ocean, and the wind just before snow falls. And, best of all, when they hold the jars and peer inside, they remember all the wonderful things they’ve seen and done. But one day, Evelyn has sad news: Her family is moving away. How can the two friends continue their magical collection–and their special friendship–from afar?

If you’ve ever wished you could bottle up a moment and make it last forever, this might be right up your alley.

One of my favorite parts of this picture book was seeing all of the things Llewellyn thought to collect. Some of them were spectacular like a sunset that was the color of a tart cherry syrup. Feathers and heart-shaped stones were among his more ordinary picks, although his enthusiasm for them was just as contagious. He somehow managed to find moments of beauty no matter where he was or what he was currently doing, and that made me smile.

This was such a gentle and life-affirming read. I appreciated the way the author provided a little bit of tension in the plot to keep everyone interested while also writing for such a tender age group. It was easy to relax and lose myself in the storyline. No matter what might happen to Llewellyn and Evelyn next, I couldn’t wait to find out how they reacted to it or what marvellous twists might still be ahead in their journey.

I adored the messages about friendship and staying in touch when a loved one moves far away. They were simple enough for a child to understand at first glance but contained plenty of thought-provoking content for adults as well. This is the sort of fantasy that can so easily seep into our world in all sorts of wonderfully realistic ways. No one here on Earth can literally capture a sunset in a jar, but we can all find creative ways to reach out to people we care about. It was delightful to compare the magic of human connection to the types of magic these characters used to fill their jars with all sorts of incredible moments.

In a Jar filled my heart with joy. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Book of the Month Poll ~ Alice’s Adventures Under Water by Lenny de Rooy

September 30, 2021 By 4 Comments


Alice’s Adventures Under Water by Lenny de Rooy
Publisher: Millennyum Publications
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

If you enjoyed Lewis Carroll’s books “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There”, this is the book for you! Finally, there is a third story in the ‘Alice’ series – written in Carroll’s familiar style, but packed with a great number of completely new puns, parodies, and poetry. This time, Alice explores an under-water world, in which she meets new characters who again make her wonder about their strange logic and behaviour. The story can be enjoyed by everyone, even those who have never read Carroll’s books. However, the more familiar you are with them, the more references you will recognise in this exceptionally clever tale…

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Uncategorized, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: ,

Alice’s Adventures Under Water by Lenny de Rooy

September 27, 2021 By 1 Comment


Alice’s Adventures Under Water by Lenny de Rooy
Publisher: Millennyum Publications
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

If you enjoyed Lewis Carroll’s books “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There”, this is the book for you! Finally, there is a third story in the ‘Alice’ series – written in Carroll’s familiar style, but packed with a great number of completely new puns, parodies, and poetry. This time, Alice explores an under-water world, in which she meets new characters who again make her wonder about their strange logic and behaviour. The story can be enjoyed by everyone, even those who have never read Carroll’s books. However, the more familiar you are with them, the more references you will recognise in this exceptionally clever tale…

Anything can happen during a boat ride.

The storyline was every bit as delightful and occasionally nonsensical as I was hoping it would be. Honestly, many of the chapters could have worked as standalone stories, and yet they still all came together in the end to explore deeper subjects that kids might not quite understand yet but adults would pick up on.

Ms. de Rooy captured the essence of Alice and her adventures beautifully. This tale contained all of the magic that was included in the original Alice books. I especially loved the subtle modern twists the author added in her references to public figures, songs, and more. She struck the perfect balance between copying the original tone of this series and including things that would appeal to the sensibilities of twenty-first century readers.

I was thrilled to see how many different age groups this was written for. It’s not easy to write for middle schoolers, teenagers, and adults simultaneously, but the author did a wonderful job of speaking to all three of these groups by including multiple levels of meaning in her writing. This was something I’d love to read aloud to a classroom or at an extended family reunion. It truly had something for everyone.

One of my favorite things to do while reading this story was to take note of as many cultural references as I could find and find out where they came from. It certainly wasn’t necessary to figure out all or even any of them, but it was a great deal of fun to determine which classic poems inspired a lighthearted underwater version of itself here or why certain characters had such unusual names.

Alice’s Adventures Under Water was an incredible adventure I’d recommend to kids and adults alike.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Igor by Francesca Dafne Vignaga

September 20, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Igor by Francesca Dafne Vignaga
Publisher: Windmill Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The only thing Igor knows about himself is his name. When he’s not busy playing, he likes to watch what the animals do, but why has he never seen anyone else like himself? Maybe it is time to leave home and go on a journey of self-discovery.

Where do baby monsters come from? More specifically, where did baby Igor come from, and what sort of creature is he?

I appreciated this picture book’s prudent and sparse use of language. It’s minimalistic descriptions of Igor’s life and thoughts fit his curious personality perfectly. Of course he wouldn’t bother explaining obvious things when he could be off having adventures instead. The audience could infer why he made the choices he did through careful observation, and that’s exactly what this reader did. It was delightful to come up with my own theories about what might happen to him next before discovering whether or not they were correct.

The ending didn’t quite seem to fit the themes of the beginning and the middle. After his long journey, I had certain expectations of what Igor would find and how he’d react to the answers he received about where he came from and who he was. It would have been helpful to have more development in this section as I did find it confusing based on everything that had happened to him earlier.

With that being said, I adored Igor as a character. His unflappable personality was the perfect fit for all of the unexpected twists and turns in his adventures. There was nothing that would stand in his way of seeking the truth. I did feel I got to know him well, but I can’t help but it hope there will be more stories about him coming in the future.

Igor is a good pick for imaginative and adventurous readers of all ages.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Wildling by Treva Harte

September 9, 2021 By 1 Comment


The Wildling by Treva Harte
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

In the uncivilized out-country known as Aridzone, Arness is the best at what she does. The wildlings she captures and domesticates worship her. In return she always matches her pets with doting, wealthy mistresses who reward hard work.

Arness loves her job… until the uncontrollable Adan enters her life. He insists he is a man, not a pet. Will Adan fall under her spell, or will Arness learn that submission can work both ways?

Arness is good at her job, and loves doing it too! She captures and tames Wildings, making them love being in captivity. She doesn’t understand that not all wildlings want to be caught! When a friend asks for her help with a capture who doesn’t appear to bending to the will, Arness steps in. She sees something unusual in Adan, but before she has chance to work more closely with him, she takes another capture to a different buyer. She falls foul of trouble and a big rescue attempt is undertaken.

There’s a lot to this story. Lots of sex (obviously – it’s erotica) but also love, romance, torture, the old Wild West that feels like it shouldn’t fit in with the Sci-Fi theme but somehow does, in love with the wrong person, you name it.

I loved the difference in characters and the fact that we have not one, not two, but three couples in this story that are all searching for love, four if you count Secondary. The world-building was clear and, although I didn’t quite get on with Mardeath, he and his gang did help move the story along.

This was a quick, hot read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,
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