This was a fun urban fantasy with a unique dual POV between Riley, a shifter waiting to come into her powers, and Riley’s mom, who’s searching for Riley’s dad after he’s been abducted. The magic and world of the shifters and elementalists seamlessly fits into our own, and I really enjoyed Riley’s authentic YA voice as she she struggles to understand her powers and the people around her. The dynamics between Riley and the other characters kept me guessing and definitely made me curious to see what would happen next. There were a few times I did get frustrated with Riley, but there was a clear explanation of why she was acting that way. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced YA Urban Fantasy that’s easy to get into.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thumbs up for this YA fantasy, and definitely curious to read more by Shelby Elizabeth!
It’s my great pleasure to be a part of the cover reveal for The Great Forest (Lucky Diamond #3) by Valinora Troy. I’ve read the first two books of the series (The Lucky Diamond & Revenge of Queen Rose) and can wholeheartedly recommend them for fans of classic, middle grade fantasty, so I’m excited to see what book 3 brings! Find out more for yourself below and big congrats to Valinora Troy!
The Great Forest
“Everything here hates you. The trees long to consume you, the ground to swallow you, the plants to poison you, and as for the creatures who live here… Your only chance of survival is to do exactly as I say. Clear?”
Twins Cathy and Alan are thrilled to be asked by the king of the Diamonds to enter the Great Forest on their eleventh birthday to complete the cleansing of the land. After all, Queen Rose is dead and all darkness gone from the trees. But when their home is attacked by a horde of vicious boars, and Alan and Cathy unwillingly taken to the Great Forest, the twins realise that evil remains there. Now they are faced with a terrible choice: escape from their captors and take their chances at survival, or find out who is waiting for them in the centre of the forest, and why?
Cathy and Alan are about to face the deadliest battle of their lives, against the forest, the monsters, … and each other.
The exciting conclusion to The Lucky Diamond trilogy
About the author
Valinora Troy has been writing since she was a child. Her first story popped into her head when she was 5 or 6, about a little girl who found a magic diamond. Recently she completed a M.A. in Creative Writing, specialising in Children & Young Adult fiction. Her short stories for adults have appeared in numerous venues. She has also served as a panellist for the CYBILS award, visits schools and libraries, and occasionally run writing classes for talented young authors. She hails from Blackrock, Co Louth, Ireland, and after living in Dublin for a number of years, recently returned to Louth to live in a magical writing cottage. Find out more at Valinora Troy – Children’s Fantasy Writer
Cover Art by Phan Duy
The Great Forest will be published on 21st June 2023. The ebook is currently available here for pre-order at a special price of .99 cent/.99 pence!
Another fun middle-grade adventure with the same elements that made the first one so enjoyable. There’s adventure, magic, a fantastical world, and quite a few twists and turns to keep the characters on their toes. I did miss the journey element from the first book, but I liked continuing to get to know the large cast and seeing all of their adventures weave together through their different POVs.
I’m not going to lie. I was scared to read this book, because I don’t trust sequels. I loved Defy the Night SO much, I was so scared the sequel wouldn’t live up to it. But, it did NOT disappoint. Tessa and Corrick are back and facing new troubles in both the kingdom and their relationship that flow well from the first book and make a lot of sense. The new adventure takes us onto a ship (which I love) with a dashing captain (who I also love), and intrigue and twists to spare. The only two things that fell a little flat for me were the third POV (which I won’t spoil) and I did wish that Tessa had more of a stronger role in this book. I felt like she played more of a supporting/pawn role here than in the first book, but I think it’s set up perfectly for her to come into her own big time in book 3. I also loved the narration of the audiobook—couldn’t put it down—and look forward to the third!
This is my second time entering the BBNYA and honestly first off, I’d just like to recommend it to all small press and indie authors. With an entrance fee of €20, it’s relatively affordable compared to most contests, and they do a wonderful job of getting their entrants exposure even if you’re not a finalist. Also, if you don’t make it to the finals, you can still get the judges’ feedback on your excerpt. (2k words for the first round and 10k words for the second)
Odriel’s Heirs was a fifth place finalist in the 2021 BBNYA, so it got in on blog tours and reviews, but since The Gatekeeper of Pericael was only a semifinalist in 2022 BBNYA, they sent me feedback on my first 10k words. And I really love it because I think it showcases how differently people can feel about the same book. So I wanted to share it because I think it really emphasizes the need for more than one beta reader or critique partner, and I also think it helps give perspective when you get rough reviews, because yeah, your books not for everyone. But some people will love it, and that’s still amazingly cool.
What our panelists thought
(To be clear, each judge wrote one bullet in each section): Writing Style
Good, enjoyable. Gets stronger/better as it goes on.
Nice use of description. The language used for some of the descriptive passages is beautiful and really evokes the feelings of the magical jungle.
A little shaky at the start with a bit of extra ‘explaining’ thrown in, but settled down later in the extract
So good. I was sucked into this story right away, and even though a lot of information was introduced, it was done so well that I constantly understood everything that was happening without any confusion, brilliant!
Easy to read, very descriptive, easy to get drawn into.
Story
Definitely feels unique and intriguing
Feels a little old for mid-grade in some parts but too young for teens in others
I wasn’t sure at the start but was gripped by the end of the extract
Quite interesting
I really enjoyed this and felt so engrossed in the story throughout. It’s very original and so interesting! I’m desperate to find out what happens next, especially as the excerpt finished in the middle of a dramatic scene
Loving the story so far. I’m curious about the worldbuilding and the magic system. The story feels original so far. Would read on
Characters
Porter as a MC is a bit flat right now, but I’m invested
Anyone knows when summoning ANYTHING, you don’t insult them. Porter should have known better. This annoyed me. Ames is fun though
I really liked Porter
Excellent characters
Good characters and they are all different. Especially enjoy the different characters reacting to each other
Emotional Response
I don’t really feel that invested in the story. Perhaps I’ve picked up Porter’s distaste for the magical land. If the MC doesn’t care, it’s hard for the reader.
I cared about what was happening with Porter and Ames
Characters made for you to easily emotionally respond too
I just loved this so much. It felt exciting, compelling and interesting too.
Overall
Good balance of various elements, intriguing storyline, feels like a refreshing portal fantasy.
I’d like to give it a higher rating, but we have been given a whole lot of worldbuilding very quickly with not a lot of motivation or emotion.
An interesting book that has great characters
A good solid book.
So good!! Would rate higher if I could. It’s so brilliant, I enjoyed it so much 🙂
Thanks so much to the BBNYA for this amazing feedback, and I can’t wait to hear what the judges think of Idriel’s Children this year!
Upper Middle Grade is so hard to market, so I’m so incredibly grateful for any feedback. Thanks again, BBNYA
When the Divine are Dead by E.K. Barnes follows Bradley, a fourteen-year-old boy with special Diviner abilities, Type I diabetes, and a string of deadly kind of bad luck.
We follow Bradley as he endures a school-shooting and a death of a family member, and then his family tries to start over in a new city with other Diviner families. We get bits an pieces of the horrible things that have happened to Bradley, his difficulty with his abilities, and the internal survivor’s guilt that plagues him as his family tries to start anew.
I really thought the author nailed Bradley’s authentic lower-YA voice, and I really felt for him as he tried to learn how to cope with his situation. Learning about the Diviners’ ability was super interesting, and in general, the tension and tight writing kept my attention straight through the end.
There were a lot of characters and siblings to keep track of, and I did find myself wishing we got a little more development from some of the other main characters. There were also a few strands I was expecting to get answers to that we didn’t quite get. However, this definitely seems like the first of the series, so they could have been left for future books. I also really enjoyed the audiobook narration, and the I think the narrator did an excellent job of telling this story. Would definitely recommend for all fans of YA urban fantasy. Thanks so much to the publisher for the free audible code!
I totally inhaled this book! Fast-paced, strong stakes, political intrigue, and a slowburn romance with thick “it’s complicated” vibes. I really liked both Corrick’s POV as the conflicted King’s Justice in a time where their kingdom is torn apart by disease and suffering. And it was perfectly balanced by Tessa’s more optimistic hopeful view tempered by what she witnesses out in the impoverished wilds. Usually I’m not into politics explanations in fantasy books, but I think this one did an amazing job of explaining the nuances of the sector relationships, rumors, and difficult choices of the rulers. I also really enjoyed how the characters change and grow as they come to different realizations about one another. It drew me into their world without slowing down the pace, and I totally drank it in. I also appreciated that even though there’s a sequel coming out, this book leaves you still feeling satisfied at the end. Totally recommend to high fantasy fans, and I would definitely read the sequel! Five glittering stars!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Aw look Locke’s even giving it a wink. Definitely approved!
I enjoyed Small Favors by Erin Craig, so when I saw the House of Salt and Sorrows audiobook in my library I had to grab it.
In my Small Favors review I think I described how I liked the writing style, and the dark, creepy vibes, but then ending didn’t quite work for me.
And bizarrely, I feel EXACTLY the same about this book. Really liked the writing style, the somewhat fantastical, dark vibe, and the mystery of what really is going on – which is also consistent with what I liked about Small Favors.
Also, Annaleigh is very similar to the MC in Small Favors—a girl who loves her sisters and is falling for a mysterious stranger while she tries to figure things out.
While, the premise of the deaths of her sisters was super intriguing and the unique island world was cool, the ending once again just fell a little anticlimactic for me, and I didn’t feel like the love interest was fleshed out enough.
Overall though, a solid read with a creepy, fantastical feel to it. And if you like this one, you will probably also like Small Favors!
⭐⭐⭐⭐¼
Looks like Locke needs a little more action in her reads…
Okay… this book was interesting. I loved Uprooted, and also enjoyed Spinning Silver, so I was certainly excited to read another by Novik.
And, I definitely think some readers would love it. But it’s told in first person (which usually I don’t mind one away or another about this), but about 60% of the book really just feels like El telling us about the school in a simultaneously angry and matter-of-fact manner.
The school and the magic system are fascinating, don’t get me wrong, but… the plot itself and the characters both felt rather lacking to me. With such high stakes, the premise felt RIPE for intensity, danger, and some level of angst… but El is so matter-of-fact about everything, it just felt a little flat.
While the relationship between her and her classmates develops naturally, the relationship between she and Orion feels decidedly lukewarm, as does my feelings towards their characters in general.
The premise was awesome, the world-building fantastic and the audiobook was well-performed, but I guess El’s intensely pragmatic narrative just didn’t really work for me. But it might work for you! If you’re interested in a dark school of magic with high stakes, I’d check it out!
I might pick up the sequel if I see the audiobook in the library one day, but I don’t think I’ll be pining for it.
The Essence of Stone by Haley Rylander is a sweeping, epic fantasy with intricate world-building and political intrigue. The plot essentially follows a city of elves as they try find the source of the strange, destructive earthquakes attacking their city and their source of Vierstone, the magical foundation of their society and their race. Simultaneously, they must navigate an alliance with the neighboring human kingdom, which promises them another source of Vierstone in exchange for their support in battle.
The story spans a wide cast of elven characters and dives deep into the politics and history of Vierstone, their world, and their people. The characters are likable and the writing was detailed and flowed with a rich, fantastical feel. However, the romantic elements were light for me, and the pacing for this epic felt a bit on the slow side. Of course, my general preferences lean toward a hearty helping of romance at *breakneck* speed, so if you’re looking for a lush world of elves and men, political maneuvering, and an interesting magic system with a sciency, hard set of rules, I recommend you give this one a look!
Thanks to the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Essence of Stone launches on May 14, 2022.
