Magyk by Angie Sage

On a dark and cold night ten years ago, the seventh son of a seventh son is born and named Septimus Heap. He is promptly baby-snatched by a midwife who swears to his mother he died during birth. Meanwhile, father and wizard Silas Heap is walking home in the snow when he finds a small bundle that contains a newborn baby girl with bright violet eyes. He brings her home, names her Jenna, and he and his wife raise her as their own, never telling her otherwise and not knowing (though sometimes guessing) who her real parents are. Fast forward ten years to Jenna’s tenth birthday, when she learns the truth about her past. ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand shows up at the Heap’s humble home and tells Jenna she is a princess–and not just any princess, she is THE Princess, only daughter to her mother the Queen who was assassinated on the night of Jenna’s birth. and heir to the throne currently being sat upon by the Supreme Custodian, a man in the service to Darke Wizard DomDaniel. Jenna and the rest of the Heaps flee for their lives, all the while planning how they can remove the Supreme Custodian and Darke Wizard from Jenna’s rightful throne and return their queendom to it’s former glory.

This is a fun and fast-paced book filled with just the right balance of action and dialogue. All the characters and are interesting and relatable, especially Jenna. They are well-written, and for the most part black and white, so you can tell whether you the reader are supposed to like them or utterly despise them. The lines between good and evil are less clearly drawn for the characters in the story, so they have to learn about themselves and each other and make mistakes along the way. I was especially intrigued by Boy 412, a private in the Supreme Commander’s army. Marcia and Jenna save him from freezing to death, and he is unwillingly caught up in their escape from the castle and subsequent hide-out in the marshes. He is a very interesting character, who does a lot of changing and rediscovering of himself throughout the novel, and it’s fun to watch him grow.

I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to the next one in the series, Flyte. They are children’s books, and are written as such so sometimes they are predictable, but I don’t mind, I love the story line and the world building, and I want to learn more about Septimus and Jenna. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books, particularly those about magic where the good guys win and the bad guys lose. This would also be a good book for someone younger who is venturing into the world of fantasy for the first time.

Happy reading,

-Branwen

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

It seems no matter what Yelena does she simply cannot get a moment to just study her magic. News of her Soulfinding abilities has spread throughout Sitia, and makes the citizens uncomfortable. Meanwhile, First Magician Roze Featherstone is trying to convince the Council that Yelena is dangerous and should be locked away. When Yelena catches wind of a plot to take over her homeland, she heads to the Plains to try to stop an enemy she thought she already defeated. Events spiral out of control–Yelena is outlawed in Sitia and must escape to Ixia and hope her friends there can help her fight the growing evil and save her homeland.

This novel is all about Yelena discovering who she is and learning to be comfortable with her magic. In the past two novels, she moved to a different location, met new people, and was reunited with her family. Everything about her external world changed. In this story, she faced internal struggle, trying to understand how to use her magic and facing her fears of becoming another corrupt master magician. Everyone she has met in the past two novels comes back, and her relationships with them become strained as Yelena’s fears make her believe she must push them away to protect them. Finally, by the end of the novel, Yelena discovers the truth about her powers and learns how to balance her different feelings and beliefs.

I enjoyed seeing all my favorite characters again in this book. Valek made an appearance, as well as Ari and Janco and the Ixian Commander. Yelena spent much of her time with her brother Lief and story weaver Moon Man who tried to help her in her quest for self-discovery. Opal even returned in this novel, and her addition to the story was an interesting one. I still love Yelena, and think she would be someone I would want to be friend’s with. She, and the rest of the characters in Snyder’s world, have become some of my favorites, and I will miss them now that the trilogy is over.

Happy reading,

-Branwen

Beautiful Redemption by Garcia and Stohl

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is the fourth and final book in the Caster Chronicles. This review will (of course) contain big spoilers for the other three books in the series. Read at your own risk.

The events of the Eighteenth Moon have passed, the Order has been restored, and all is as it should be. Except for the small fact that Ethan Wate is dead, and Lena, Amma, and the rest of his friend and family will do anything to get him back.

Ethan didn’t really plan for what would happen after he threw himself off the top of that water tower, rejoined the two parts of his fractured soul, and sacrificed himself so the Order would be restored. He did not expect to wake up in his house, with his mother (who has been dead for over a year) frying green tomatoes in the kitchen. He certainly did not expect to find out that his death was a mistake. Someone cheated, and changed his page in the Caster Chronicles, which led to his premature death. There may be a way for him to return to Lena and the others he loved and lost, and he won’t stop until he finds it.

Meanwhile, back in Gatlin, Lena refuses to listen to anyone who claims Ethan is gone for good. She and Amma, and sometimes her Uncle Macon, believe Ethan is trying to contact them, and by doing what he asks of them from beyond the grave they may be able to get him back. Liv, John Breed, and Link are less sure, but help anyway. The battle between good and evil isn’t quite over, and those that remain alive will have to keep fighting if they ever want to see Ethan again.

Typically, I’m not a fan of books where the main character is a ghost, particularly a ghost with the potential to come back to life. Cheating death that way just doesn’t seem fair to me, I don’t know, I was doing some eye-rolling when I first started reading. But then, I ended up not minding as much as I thought I would. I actually thought finally meeting Ethan’s mom and seeing what kind of character she is was very cool. And I liked that we got to see more of Aunt Prue, one of my favorites, as well. One of my favorite chapters was the one where Ethan meets the Greats, and talks to them while sitting on their front porch. This may have been some of the coolest “afterlife” world building I have read in awhile.  Additionally, I liked the part of the story told from Lena’s point of view, even if she was a little whiny sometimes. I was afraid while Ethan was dead we wouldn’t hear from Link and Uncle Macon, some of my favorite characters, so that was a nice touch. Since so much of the story revolved around Lena, it was cool to be inside her head for awhile. And that part of the story finally gave us the resolution of the drama between the Light Casters and Abraham, which wrapped up nicely. I was impressed that while parts of the ending of this story were the cheesy-happy-ending kind, it wasn’t an entirely happy ending. There was still loss to be dealt with, and the ending of the series focused on moving on rather than a cute happily ever after. Overall, the whole series was very well done and I’m glad I read it. I recommend it to anyone who likes YA paranormal romance and magic.

Happy reading,

-Branwen

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

Ryder is a Witchlander. He lives on the mountain above the village with his mother and two younger sisters. Ever since his father died, he has been the man of the family, trying to farm enough to keep his family safe and fed, and keep his mother from taking the drug that makes her see visions. His mother used to be a Witch, but left the Coven at the top of the mountain and until recently has preached to her children and anyone who would listen that the Witches’ so-called “magic” is all fake. Generally, the witches are feared and revered, ever since the war with the Baen across the border. But few are like Ryder, brave enough to not believe in their power.

Falpian and his loyal dread hound are living in an isolated hut on the mountain close to the border between Baen and Witchland. Falpian is in mourning for 100 days since the death of his twin brother. Falpian has come to the mountain not just to mourn, but also to escape the judgmental and scornful looks from his father. After all, if Falpian and his brother had the ability to sing–the Baen magic–they were supposed to have, Falpian’s brother would not have died. Falpian just wants to prove to his father that he is not useless. Brought together by Fate, Ryder and Falpian will soon discover that working together may be the only way to prevent another war between their people.

Witchlanders was an impulse read for me, it was on display in my library so I picked it up. I thought the world building was the best part of the book: the differences between the way the two lands, which were neighbors, viewed and practiced magic, and the huge differences in their cultures and religions were very well done. It was hinted that the Witchlanders and the Baen used to get along well, but since the war (which we don’t get to know much about) they have been bitter enemies. There was enough information to understand that there was conflict between the races, but not really enough to understand why. I actually liked this, and thought it was the perfect amount of information to give the reader. I wasn’t super impressed with the characters. I was emotionally invested in both Ryder and Falpian’s plights, but I didn’t particularly empathize with them. Perhaps they were both just on too extreme opposite sides to really root for either one or both of them. I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but I just couldn’t get very excited about either of them. Maybe it was because they were boys–I did like Skyla, Ryder’s younger sister. Overall, the book was good, especially because I liked the world building. Recommended for fans of unique styles of magic, high fantasy, and male leading characters.

Happy reading,

-Branwen

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Yelena is about to be executed. She has killed a man, and in Ixia there are no excuses for murder. But then she meets Valek, the Commander’s assassin and second-in-command. He offers her a choice: death, or become the Commander’s new food taster. Of course she chooses life, even if it will be shortened by poison. But despite her stay of execution, she still has problems. The father of the man she murdered, a General in one of Ixia’s military districts, still wants her dead. Not to mention  many people want the Commander dead, and as his food taster that endangers her life as well. And she can’t quite figure out her relationship with the mysterious and dangerous Valek–does he care about her? Or just his newest food taster? Will Yelena beat the odds and stay alive? Only time will tell.

Yelena is one of the best female heroines I have read in awhile. She is tough, smart, motivated, and has overcome horrifying experiences in her past to make the best of her current situation. She makes good choices, and is willing to take risks for her own betterment, even when those risks could have terrible consequences. I liked Valek also. He was not what you would expect for a character who is a feared assassin. He went out of his way to help others, not just Yelena, even when it did not benefit him. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Valek and Yelena’s relationship.

Poison Study is the first book in the Study trilogy by Maria V. Snyder. I had already read another of Snyder’s books set in this world, not realizing Poison Study came before Storm Glass (previously reviewed). I love Snyder’s world building, and the contrasts between Sitia, land of magicians, and Ixia, the land to the north where magic is feared and magicians are executed and the characters that live in each place. These books are very well written, and I’m excited to finish the Study series and go back to the Glass series.

Happy reading,

-Branwen

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder

Opal Cowan is a young glassmaker and magician-in-training. She is in her fifth and final year at the Keep, where magicians train, and she is still being known as the One-Trick-Wonder, her only magical talent being the ability to make magical glass animals that allow other magicians to communicate over long distances. Then, due to Opal’s one gift, she is asked to help the Stormdancer Clan find out why their glass orbs that contain storms are shattering and killing magicians. Little does Opal know this seemingly short mission will drag her into a much larger conspiracy where Opal must learn to face past horrors, new magical powers, and the affection of a friend she has no feelings for, while dealing with her love for a stormdancer who barely acknowledges her existence.

I enjoyed Storm Glass, it was a light and entertaining read. I liked the world and was able to understand locations and get a general idea of magic worked in this world fairly quickly. Occasionally I thought it moved a little slowly, like when they were building the kiln in the Keep and finding helpers to keep it heated. I could have lived without that section. I liked Opal, she seemed strong to me, even when she was being indecisive. I guess I felt a bit of kinship with her, as people were always telling her she was too nice and too trusting, which is something I have heard said about me once or twice as well. I thought the two men involved in the “love triangle” were well-written as well. Ulrick, a fellow glassmaker with no magical power, was sweet and overprotective, with just a bit of a shadow around him that made the reader wonder if everything about him was as it seemed. Kade, a stormdancer, was fiery and had faith in Opal’s abilities almost from the start. Though he spurned Opal’s affections at first, I always got the impression those weren’t his true feelings for her. When I first read the approaching love triangle, I was worried it would become a focus of the plot. Other than Opal’s occasional conflicting thoughts, it really wasn’t, and I enjoyed that.

What I didn’t know when I started this novel was that Storm Glass is the first book in the Glass trilogy BUT the Glass trilogy is like a sequel to the Study trilogy. As I was reading Storm Glass, I kept feeling like I had missed a previous book, but Goodreads assured me Storm Glass was book one of the Glass trilogy. Eventually, I found Snyder’s website, and then everything made sense. I was a little bummed that I already know the ending of the Study trilogy, but I also want to read more about those characters, so I will go back and read it anyway before reading the sequel to Storm Glass.

This book was fun and a nice relief after the darkness of Days of Blood and Starlight. I’m looking forward to reading the other books by this author.

Happy reading,

-Branwen

King’s Property by Morgan Howell

I ended up reading this book purely by chance. It had been on my “to-read” list for quite awhile, and on one of the days that my mom was going to the library, I gave her a list of books from my “to-read” list and told her to pick whichever one she wanted and surprise me. Turns out this was a good choice.

King’s Property follows the story of Dar, a young woman who lives in the mountains. She is betrayed by her family and essentially sold to the king’s army, where she is branded on her forehead and forced to work as a slave in an orc regiment. Rather than cower or jump into a soldier’s bed like the rest of the women, Dar befriends an orc, and it is this friendship that helps her survive the trials she faces, as well as learn more about herself.

I admit I did not have high hopes for this book when I first got it. The premise looked rather cheesy and boring. Happily, I was proven wrong. Dar is a strong-willed woman who overcomes her fears in order to survive without having to sell her body in a society where women are nothing more than slaves treated as property and used however the males see fit. She strikes an unusual friendship with an orc leader, a difficult truce for Dar, who has heard stories about how orcs eat people, and for Kovok-mah, the orc whose people think all humans are cruel and evil. Both human and orc are changed for the better as a result of this friendship, and I am intrigued to see where the story is going to go in the next two books. I will also mention that I am a HUGE Tolkien fan, and it was very difficult to read this book without picturing Sauroman’s vicious, evil, and extremely ugly orcs every time they were mentioned, especially Howell does not spend much time describing the orcs. I got over it though, and enjoyed the story anyway. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in high fantasy in a completely new world, and I am looking forward to the next two books.

Happy reading,

-Branwen