And Break the Pretty Kings by Lena Jeong (ARC Review)

Information

Goodreads: And Break the Pretty Kings
Series: None (yet?)
Age Category: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Publication Date: June 20, 2023

Official Summary

A crown princess. A monster the gods fear. A destiny no one can outrun.

Inspired by Korean history and myths, this rich and evocative high-stakes fantasy is perfect for fans of Gallant and Six Crimson Cranes.

Mirae was meant to save her queendom, but the ceremony before her coronation ends in terror and death, unlocking a strange new power within her and foretelling the return of a monster even the gods fear. Amid the chaos, Mirae’s beloved older brother is taken–threatening the peninsula’s already tenuous truce.

Desperate to save her brother and defeat this ancient enemy before the queendom is beset by war, Mirae sets out on a journey with an unlikely group of companions while her unpredictable magic gives her terrifying visions of a future she must stop at any cost.

Review

And Break the Pretty Kings has a lot of potential, with its headstrong protagonist, high-stakes plot, and complex world building. Unfortunately, there is simply so much going on in the book, from the characters’ backstories to the country’s history to the ever-changing plot and predictions and multitude of attempted plot twists that the main emotion I experienced while reading was confusion. I don’t know what to say, besides that a more heavy-handed developmental editor might have been able to draw out the gem of the story that’s clearly at the heart of this, but that didn’t happen.

Jeong gives a good attempt at world building, but the way the information is imparted isn’t always clear. There are times the protagonist alludes to things about history or politics or religion that are just hints of what’s going on, but it’s not until later in the novel that a full explanation is given, leaving readers to kind of guess and fill in the blanks in the meantime. And then there’s the fact that things keep changing. Some of this, I believe, is because the protagonist is supposed to be wrong about some things. So, for instance, she starts the novel talking about the apparently obvious gods-given destiny of her family to “unite the peninsula,” and it isn’t until later readers get a fuller picture that this might be wrong and maybe not even ordained by the gods. (But maybe it IS ordained by the gods. As I said, it’s not clear!)

The author also attempts to add some suspense and plot twists, but to me it just makes everything more crazy and confusing. One gets the idea there’s a love interest. But wait, maybe it’s another guy. Or possibly a third guy. And there there . . . isn’t actually a romance in the book at all. Just hints that the protagonist will have a love interest in her future. One of three guys, maybe. The same thing happens with the villain. One guy’s the villain, then he’s not? Or maybe he is? This stuff didn’t really “keep me on my toes” or keep me engaged; it just seemed wild because something I and the protagonist believed was true changed page by page. There wasn’t enough build-up between the changes.

Finally, I’m not sure about the magic. There’s a whole magic system developed, which seems fine overall. The weird part is that the protagonist is supposed to have legendary, unparalleled magic, the type of powers predicted by the gods to be the great salvation or the great downfall of a nation, something no one has seen before that everyone should fear! The reality is a letdown. the protagonist only uses the power a handful of times, and it’s not really a *magic* or an action, in some sense. There’s no way to predict what using her power will result it. It’s an interesting idea, but not really impressive in the way the author seems to have intended.

The book is fine. I think a lot of people will love it. I was largely confused and not really invested. The ending strongly implies there will be a sequel, though I haven’t seen any information about that yet. I, for one, will not be reading it.

No One Leaves the Castle by Christopher Healy (ARC Review)

Information

Goodreads: No One Leaves the Castle
Series: None
Age Category: Middle Grade
Source: Netgalley
Publication Date: August 15, 2023

Official Summary

Agatha Christie meets the Brothers Grimm in an unexpected, hilarious, and wholly original new fantasy-mystery from the beloved author of The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom.

The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve.

None of that is true. Yet.

In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But the Lilac has set her goals on becoming the best bounty hunter in the Thirteen Kingdoms—and when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta are eager to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves.

But when their investigation brings them to a dinner party at Castle Angbar, and they meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and assorted creatures, each more shady than the last—the Lilac begins to wonder if the reward is worth the trouble.

And that’s before the dead body is discovered.

Now everyone is magically sealed inside the castle—and there is a murderer among them. If the Lilac wants to make it out with her reputation intact, it’s going to be up to her to figure out who the killer is. But everyone in the castle—even the Lilac herself—has secrets to hide, and as the walls literally start to close in around them, the Lilac worries that her first job as a bounty hunter may be her last. . . .

Review

No One Leaves the Castle is a hilarious romp that expertly combines absurdity with mystery. This is a book will all the elements come together and the genre-bending truly works. The faux medieval setting engages while the mystery is a real conundrum that will leave readers puzzling and scratches their head till the end.

I was hooked on this story from the start. Healy’s tongue-in-cheek narrator keeps things lively with his commentary and descriptions, and readers are immediately drawn into a crazy tale where a man goes looking for a bounty hunter for his ruthless employer and accidentally ends up hiring an inexperienced girl. Of course, she’s the protagonist, so she’s more than what she seems, and she comes with her own sidekick bard who sings surprisingly good verses about all the action happening in the book. It’s a funny set-up, but it comes with a lot of insight and heart, as well as excellent characterization.

And complex characterization, of course, is essential for a good mystery. I was quite pleased to discover that the mystery portion of this book lives up to the rest of the elements — the humor, the magic, the world building — and much of that is due to so many of the characters having secrets and hidden agendas and motives and lack-of motives that everything gets delightfully twisty. And Healy makes it worse (better!) by putting a time constraint on the mystery. If the Lilac doesn’t solve it fast enough, more people are going to die!! I think I felt the pressure as much as the Lilac herself.

This whole book is so delightful (in spite of people dying and some unsavory characters . . .) that I cannot help but wish for more. Can I not have a sequel with more of the Lilac’s adventures? And the bard. Everyone loves a good bard. This is definitely one of my top reads of the year. I can’t say enough good things about it.

Unspoken Magic by Emily Lloyd-Jones (ARC Review)

Information

Goodreads: Unspoken Magic
Series: Unseen Magic #2
Age Category: Middle Grade
Source: Netgalley
Publication Date: February 21, 2023

Official Summary

Deep in the redwoods, in a magical town, anything can happen, and any creature—or monster—could exist. But when a team of myth-busters comes to Aldermere, they threaten its very existence—and eleven-year-old Fin will do anything to protect her home. For fans of Nevermoor and Amari and the Night Brothers, Emily Lloyd-Jones’s sequel to the acclaimed Unseen Magic is a story of trusting yourself and finding the friends who believe in you, no matter what.

Aldermere is a town with its own set of rules: there’s a tea shop that vanishes if you try to force your way in, crows that must be fed or they’ll go through your trash, and a bridge that has a toll that no one knows the cost of. Some say that there may even be bigfoots wandering through the woods.

It’s been six months since Fin saved Aldermere from someone intent on exploiting its magic. With spring break just around the corner, Fin’s plans are to relax, try to train her new raven friend, and read some of the mystery books she loves. But her plans are derailed when Fin and her friends find a baby bigfoot who’s been separated from her pack.

Then a film crew shows up, intending to add Aldermere to their web show debunking strange and magical legends. Fin can’t let the film crew put the bigfoot—and Aldermere—at risk. Now, Fin, Eddie, and Cedar must keep the bigfoot hidden and find a way to track down her family. But Cedar’s been hiding a secret of her own; one that may complicate everything.

As monsters, friends, and enemies collide, Fin, Eddie, and Cedar have to trust one another with secrets both good and bad if they’re going to save the town they all love.

Emily Lloyd-Jones crafts a novel infused with magic that is sometimes wonderful and charming—and sometimes dangerous. The sequel to Indie Next Pick Unseen Magic, Unspoken Magic is perfect for fans of Christina Soontornvat’s A Wish in the Dark and Claribel A. Ortega’s Ghost Squad. 

Review

Unspoken Magic is a charming story about a girl and her friends who would like to protect their bizarre little magical town from being discovered by outsiders (that is, they don’t want the magic part discovered; apparently the place routinely gets a lot of hiking tourists). It has a perfect blend of heart, friendship, mystery, and weirdness that made me fall a bit in love with the town myself, even if the magic isn’t the kind one might expect.

It’s worth nothing that this is a sequel to Unseen Magic, but I didn’t know that when I requested it from Netgalley (oops), so I read a couple chapters to see if it functions as a standalone, and I really think it does! There are references to things that happen in book 1, but they’re always so clearly elaborated on that I didn’t feel confused, and the story itself is entirely separate, not a continuation from book 1. So pick this one up first, read Unseen Magic first. Either way should work.

I had some initial questions about how Lloyd-Jones would focus the plot. “Make sure a paranormal research team doesn’t discover anything strange or magical” seems very broad, and I had imaginative flashes of the team almost encountering magic left and right and the townsfolk scrambling to stop them, like putting out little fires everywhere. Lloyd-Jones didn’t do that. The book focuses on ONE very noticeable magical thing protagonist Fin and her friends must hide/fix without the investigators. This keeps everything neatly together, and I liked the approach.

I also liked Fin. She’s anxious but working to overcome some of her roadblocks. She clearly means to do well and be kind to others. She has a great relationship with her cousin, who is outgoing and sometimes a goofball but also seems like a very nice kid. And there is Cedar, who is equally kind and also has some interesting psychological insights into other people for a kid. They’re a fun trio, working together to have fun over their spring break and enjoy the strangeness of their town.

Together, they have a quick adventure, hiding things from both their parents and the paranormal investigation team. They run into a few snags, sneak about the woods, all kinds of fun stuff. It’s just a nice romp of a book. A quick read, and definitely worth it if you like middle grade.

The Pearl Hunter by Miya T. Beck (ARC Review)

Information

Goodreads: The Pearl Hunter
Series: None
Age Category: Middle Grade
Source: Netgalley
Publication Date: February 7, 2023

Official Summary

Set in a world inspired by pre-Shogun era Japan, this is a stunning debut fantasy in the vein of Grace Lin about how a young pearl diver goes to the ends of the earth to rescue her twin sister, who has been stolen by a ghost whale.

Kai and Kishi share the same futon, the same face, and the same talent for pearl diving. But Kishi is the obedient daughter, while Kai tries to push the rules, and sometimes they fight. Still, when Kishi is stolen and killed by the legendary Ghost Whale, nothing will stop Kai from searching for her, deep in the ocean, hoping for a way to bring her back to life.

But such a rescue is beyond the power of an ordinary mortal. Kai strikes a deal with the gods: she’ll steal a magic pearl in exchange for her sister’s soul. As she journeys across treacherous land scape, Kai must navigate encounters with scheming bandits, a power-hungry war lord, and a legion of conniving fox spirits. And when a new friendship becomes something almost as powerful as her love for her sister, Kai must make impossible choices and risk everything just to get home again.

Woven through with Japanese culture and legends, this many-layered story will grip readers of all ages.

Review

With immersive world building and a protagonist whose love for her sister cannot be stopped, The Pearl Hunter is sure to be a hit with lovers of middle grade fantasy.

Miya T. Beck drops readers into protagonist Kai’s world, where her family is tightknit but magic seems faraway because her family’s status as pearl divers makes them low class. However, legends quickly become real after Kai’s twin dies, and she encounters gods and magical beings she thought were only fairy tales. And she’s ready to bargain with them all if it means getting her sister back.

Kai’s bravery and determination are some of the things I loved most about the book. Even places where the plot slows or falters, Kai’s personality helps the book keep shining. This is, of course, another instance of a book where the strong sisterly bond is almost always in flashbacks because the one sister isn’t actually present in the story, but I love a good sister bond nonetheless, and The Pearl Hunter delivers.

I do wish some of this charisma had been present in the romance. The love interest is an interesting person in his own right, and I like him well enough as a character, but there isn’t a lot of development showing how he and Kai actually come to care for each other. It seems that one moment they’re enemies, and the next they’re all blushing and willing to risk their lives for each other. Possibly the target audience will not take issue with this, however. I remember being in middle school and thinking some books that have maybe 3 pages total of romance were wildly romantic, whatever that says about me.

The bold choices the author makes at the end of the novel, however, definitely earned my respect. Things didn’t go quite the way I might have hoped or imagined, but they’re memorable and make a lot of sense in the context of the book. I also don’t think there will actually be a sequel, but there’s a lot of room left for me to imagine the adventures Kai might go on next and how she might try to change fate, and I like that a lot.

This is strong, solid fantasy. The pacing is slow at times, but the heart of the protagonist is inspiring and the folklore woven in will appeal to a lot of readers, so this is one to check out.

Tidesong by Wendy Xu (ARC Review)

Information

Goodreads: Tidesong
Series: None
Source: PR company for review
Publication Date: November 16, 2021

Official Summary

Perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and The Tea Dragon Society, this is a magically heartwarming graphic novel about self-acceptance and friendship.

Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother pressure her to attend the Royal Magic Academy—the best magic school in the realm—even though her magic is shaky at best. To train for her entrance exams, Sophie is sent to relatives she’s never met.

Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan seem more interested in giving Sophie chores than in teaching her magic. Frustrated, Sophie attempts magic on her own, but the spell goes wrong, and she accidentally entangles her magic with the magic of a young water dragon named Lir.

Lir is trapped on land and can’t remember where he came from. Even so, he’s everything Sophie isn’t—beloved by Sophie’s family and skilled at magic. With his help, Sophie might just ace her entrance exams, but that means standing in the way of Lir’s attempts to regain his memories. Sophie knows what she’s doing is wrong, but without Lir’s help, can she prove herself?

Review

Tidesong by Wendy Xu is a whimsical graphic novel that has the feel of Kiki’s Delivery Service, but with dragons and a setting by the sea. The result is a story that ebbs and flows with protagonist Sophie’s struggles but ultimately will feel warm and familiar and cozy to readers.

The greatest struggle, I find, for many graphic novels is to create a complex story using limited words and space, and I do think Tidesong ultimately feels a bit sparse. There’s the main conflict of Sophie’s wanting to learn magic but then getting her magic tied up with a dragon’s and needing to sort it out so she can continue to practice for her audition for the esteemed magic academy she wants to attend, and there are side plots about Sophie’s family and Sophie’s own inner turmoil. It’s simply not as developed as I’d expect it all to be if the story were told in novel form. However, I don’t think it this will be an issue for the target audience of middle grade readers. As a child, I often imagined fuller stories into the books I read and was surprised to find as an adult that many of the books I loved so much seemed so short and simple. So I think young readers will absolutely fall in love with Tidesong and its world.

And the world has a lot to offer. In a brief space, and with the help of her gorgeous illustrations, Xu brings readers to a seaside town where Sophie’s family works magic and consorts with dragons. You can practically smell the salty air on the pages. I love the idea that Sophie’s magic is tied to water and that her family has a history of special magical traditions they have passed through the ages.

Finally, Xu ensures each character in the book has an arc, from Sophie who has to deal with learning magic in ways she didn’t expect, to Lir who has to come to terms with his memory loss and family problems, to Sophie’s extended family members who need to learn to let go of the past in order to truly see the present. The journey for each of them has up and downs but is a joy for readers to watch.

Tidesong is a book that is sure to delight readers and have them hoping Xu will return to this world with a sequel.

The Halloween Moon by Joseph Fink

Information

Goodreads: The Halloween Moon
Series: None
Source: Library
Published: July 20, 2021

Official Summary

Esther Gold loves Halloween more than anything in the world. So she is determined to go trick-or-treating again this year despite the fact that her parents think she is officially too old. Esther has it all planned out, from her costume to her candy-collecting strategy. But when the night rolls around, something feels . . . off.

No one is answering their door. The moon is an unnatural shade of orange. Strange children wander the streets, wearing creepy costumes that might not be costumes at all. And it seems like the only people besides Esther who are awake to see it all are her best friend, her school bully, and her grown-up next-door neighbor.

Together, this unlikely crew must find a way to lift the curse that has been placed upon their small town before it’s too late. Because someone is out to make sure Halloween never comes to an end. And even Esther doesn’t want to be trapped in this night forever.

Review

The Halloween Moon is the perfect book to break out for Halloween, whether you’re an actual child or a just a child at heart. With engaging characters, a wild plot, and a setting that transforms magically from Southern California to a Halloween nightmare, the story has everything you could ask for.

I’ve read mysteries and thrillers and books about witches or zombies, but I’ve never before read a book so purely about Halloween itself. The Halloween Moon, while a scary book with a plot focused on adventure and a bit of a mystery (aka WHY ARE ALL THESE SCARY THINGS HAPPENING???) is a celebration of all aspects of the holiday: costumes, scary movies, trick-or-treating, candy, decorating your yard, and more. If you want a book that will truly immerse you in the spooky season, led by a protagonist who loves the holiday deeply herself, this is it.

I love that the book starts out focused on “normal” Halloween things, like Esther’s questions over what costume she should wear to school and whether her best friend will go trick-or-treating with her, and then things begin to take a more sinister shape as Esther starts seeing actual monsters. She loves being scared, but does she love being THIS scared? Isn’t the fun of scares at Halloween knowing that it’s all fake? Esther (and friends, some of them delightfully unexpected) rise to the challenge, however, and soon are fighting to bring back normal Halloween in a fast-paced and exciting plot.

The story also grounds itself in some real-world issues, such as the antisemitism Esther faces and her fears about growing up and going to high school next year. There are times I think the narrative voice might get too in the weeds pontificating on the nature of change and whatnot, but overall it’s very thoughtful.

Truly, this is an excellent read. It will be enjoyable any time of year, but you definitely won’t regret reading it around Halloween itself.

The Wolf’s Curse by Jessica Vitalis (ARC Review)

Information

Goodreads: The Wolf’s Curse
Series: None
Source: ARC for Review
Publication Date: September 21, 2021

Official Summary

Twelve-year-old Gauge’s life has been cursed since the day he witnessed a Great White Wolf steal his grandpapá’s soul, preventing it from reaching the Sea-in-the-Sky and sailing into eternity. When the superstitious residents of Bouge-by-the-Sea accuse the boy of crying wolf, he joins forces with another orphan to prove his innocence. They navigate their shared grief in a journey that ultimately reveals life-changing truths about the wolf––and death. 

Review

The Wolf’s Curse is a completely unique book, focused on grief but told with the feeling of a folk tale or fairy tale, softening some of the darkness. Readers will mourn with protagonist Gauge after the death of his grandfather while hoping he will find his way through the sadness — and through the cruelty of the villagers who believe Gauge is evil — and emerge stronger and ready to face on the world, even if his grandfather is no longer in it.

The treatment of death and grieving in The Wolf’s Curse is nuanced. Author Jessica Vitalis touches on the different ways people might react to death, the different ways they might grieve, and the different things they might believe happens to the soul. The book also engages with ritual, as Gauge and begins to notice that not all rituals are preformed for all people who die in the village and that different materials are used for their burial boats and must work through questions of whether the rituals are “real” and why they “matter.” It’s a complex journey of observation, questioning, and discovery, and I think it could help many young readers work through dealing with death or understanding what someone else who is grieving might be doing through.

The one thing that gives me pause is that the book is straightforward that what the villagers believe happens to the soul after death is not actually what happens to it. Souls still end up in a nice place, and there’s some discussion of the fact that what one calls the afterlife might not be the important part if it’s enjoyable place either way, but . . . I don’t know if this would be a sticking point for a young reader. The Wolf’s Curse is a good story on its own, but as it is so strongly an exploration of grief it also seems like the kind of book an adult would hand a child who is dealing with a recent death, and I question how the point of “What the characters believe about the afterlife is totally incorrect” would go over.

The plot, I think, is less complex than the themes explored, but it’s well-paced. Gauge travels a lot of the town and gets into and out of a few scrapes, and I believe the target audience will be charmed by him and the new friends he makes along the way. The slight simplicity of the plot also help the story feel more like an old folk tale we’re all comfortably familiar with, something that it is known and somehow true. The book could have felt preachy; instead, it feels as timeless as the Wolf that narrates it.

If you’re looking for something thoughtful and deep and different. The Wolf’s Curse is an excellent middle grade story that is sure to continue to win over reader after reader.

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani

Information

Goodreads: The Theft of Sunlight
Series: Dauntless Path #2
Source: Purchased
Published: March 23, 2021

Official Summary

I did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away from it.

Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend’s sister is snatched, Rae knows she can’t look away any longer – even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.

Yet the court holds its share of surprises. There she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. Armed with the princess’s support, Rae seeks answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges street thief with secrets of his own. But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself.

Review

Note: Although this is being marketed as a companion book, I would highly recommend reading Thorn first. I have read Thorn, but didn’t remember some of the details, and I found parts of the book confusing because of that. I cannot imagine picking up The Theft of Sunlight while being completely unfamiliar with the characters and events of Thorn.

Intisar Khanani’s Thorn was one of my favorite books of 2020, so it was with great enthusiasm that I picked up The Theft of Sunlight to read more of Khanani’s work. Not only does the book deliver an engaging story with a sweet developing romance and a protagonist that had me admiring both her kindness and her sass, but it also tackles one of the threads I thought was bizarrely left hanging in Thorn: the fact that dozens of children are being snatched from the street each month.

I wrote in my review of Thorn that I guessed I could see how the characters had a lot to do in terms of reforming the country and maybe mass kidnappings was just on the list of things they hadn’t gotten around to yet, but I am actually really relieved to see that plot point taking center stage and getting the attention it deserves here because….MASS KIDNAPPINGS! It was truly weird it was almost a side point in Thorn. I love that readers are given a new protagonist to deal with the issue, as well, Rae, who is determined to get to the bottom of the issue to help the children she knows who have been snatched and the ones she doesn’t, no matter how dangerous her inquiries become. The princess cares, of course, but she doesn’t care the way Rae can because, for her, the problem is personal.

Readers also get to see more of the local thief lords mentioned in book 1, and who doesn’t love reading about thief lords and all their machinations and murders and schemes? Khanani does this really well; her thieves truly seem both skilled and dangerous. I believe they know what they’re doing and they know what they want, and they will be ruthless to get it. But we also see some of the softer sides of the Red Hawk gang, which is fabulous and makes me think I might have have missed something in not having ever having had a budding romance with a high-ranking thief. (Ok, never mind, actually. That would clearly be a terrible idea in real life, but it works great in fiction!)

The Theft of Sunlight is basically everything I like in YA, or just in a really enjoyable story. Strong, nuanced characters. A plot that hooks me and then keeps bringing surprises. Questions about life and morality and one’s own identity. I spent a long time thinking about this book once I finished it, which for me is always the mark of a good read.

Honor Lost by Ann Aguirre and Rachel Caine

Information

Goodreads: Honor Lost
Series: The Honors #3
Source: Library
Published: February 11, 2020

Official Summary

Space renegade Zara Cole may have finally met her match. Lifekiller—a creature that can devour entire planets is spreading terror throughout the universe, and it seems nothing can stand in the monstrous godking’s way.

Reeling from a series of battles, Zara and her wounded band of allies are going to need a strategy before they face Lifekiller again. Zara’s street smarts may not be enough when their enemy could be anywhere, destroying civilizations and picking his teeth with the bones.

And just when it feels like she’s reached a special place in her bond with Bea and Nadim, an ex from Earth with an ax to grind comes after her with nefarious intentions. With human enemies, alien creatures, and mechanical stalkers on her tail, it’s down to the wire for Zara to save the galaxy—and the people she calls home—before the godking consumes them all.

Review

I’m a huge fan of the first two books in the Honors series, Honor Among Thieves and Honor Bound, and genuinely believe it’s a highly original story that hasn’t received nearly enough recognition in YA circles. It is with some disappointment, then, that I admit Honor Lost is the weakest installment of the series. While it continues with an exciting plot and a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, and it neatly ties up various plot lines, it feels rushed and choppy; there’s simply too much going on.

There are a couple different major plots that need to be resolved–one involving space adventures and one involving Zara’s past on Earth (I won’t be more specific because it would spoil books 1 and 2), and I spent much of the book wondering how everything was going to be wrapped up, particularly because the space-related plot is EPIC. The authors really had to ramp up the stakes to make book 3 more exciting than book 2, and I don’t think it really worked in the space allotted. I can almost see this being a four book series instead of a trilogy.

My other issue was that the book feels more episodic than the previous two. There are a bunch of mini battles as the characters track down their main prey for a final epic battle, and…I skimmed a lot of them. It seems as though every time the characters think they’re out of hot water, some new obstacle pops up, and it was a bit much. Some of this could probably have been edited out.

Lastly, I think I was finally weirded out by the human/alien relationship–something I actually praised in the first two books. In my review of book one, Honor Among Thieves, I wrote:

The alien-ship/human relationship is one of the more unique aspects of the book. I’m not 100% sure how I would classify it (But maybe that’s the point? There’s something new between humans and aliens that just isn’t in the human experience?). I’ve seen other reader’s call it “friendship,” which definitely fits, but it also seems pretty visceral and physical in ways I don’t think most friendships are

In my review of Honor Bound, I wrote:

I also still think the Leviathan/human relationship is one of the most unique parts of the book, but it does get a little weirder in book two for me.  I noted in my review of the first book that other people were calling it a “friendship” and that term didn’t feel right to me; it’s too intimate and physical.  Basically there are almost sexual undertones, and that comes out more strongly in Honor Bound, as Zara seems on the verge of contemplating a threesome with her Leviathan and their other crew member.  It’s not phrased that way, probably because this is YA, but the suggestion is definitely there, and I’m not 100% certain how I feel about it. I guess readers are supposed to say something to themselves like “It’s space and a new alien race; anything is possible and correct” and move on.

Things ramp up over the series because it is very clear in Honor Lost that the relationship is a polyamorous sexual one, shared by the Leviathan and his/her two bonded crew members. It’s still a unique take for YA but not really my thing in terms of reading about romances.

I like the series. I enjoyed this installment well enough since it has a great cast of characters and wonderfully sweeping view of the universe. I wish it had been a stronger ending for what was otherwise a strong series, though.

Spellhacker by M. K. England

Information

Goodreads: Spellhacker
Series: None
Source: Library
Published: January 21, 2020

Official Summary

From the author of The Disasters, this genre-bending YA fantasy heist story is perfect for fans of Marie Lu and Amie Kaufman.

In Kyrkarta, magic—known as maz—was once a freely available natural resource. Then an earthquake released a magical plague, killing thousands and opening the door for a greedy corporation to make maz a commodity that’s tightly controlled—and, of course, outrageously expensive.

Which is why Diz and her three best friends run a highly lucrative, highly illegal maz siphoning gig on the side. Their next job is supposed to be their last heist ever.

But when their plan turns up a powerful new strain of maz that (literally) blows up in their faces, they’re driven to unravel a conspiracy at the very center of the spellplague—and possibly save the world.

No pressure.

Review

Spellhacker brings readers to a futuristic world with a unique magic system, where the raw material for magic performance is regulated by a giant corporation and transferred through the city by pipes.  While I appreciated the unique world building and a plot focused on magic, hacking, and action in general, however, I never connected with the characters of Spellhacker, which made the novel fall flat for me.

Heist novels are still very much “in” after the success of Leigh Bargudo’s Six of Crows (though when didn’t readers enjoy a good heist, really?), and I thought this was a unique take on it.  It’s not a high fantasy novel, and it’s not a space opera; it’s basically an alternate version of our world where magic and tech collide to make something familiar yet different.  It’s just all the atmosphere in the world can’t make me care about the team actually committing the heist.

All members of the team do come across as skilled and competent, which is a plus; I believed they were people who would be capable of pulling off something wildly impressive.  However, their backstories and individual personalities never resonated with me, and unfortunately I found the protagonist mostly annoying.  She’s actually smart and gritty and wants to do the right thing (despite being a criminal), but she fixates on herself a lot throughout the novel—something I think might actually be a flaw of how her thoughts are presented in the novel rather than the thoughts themselves.  That is, she is incredibly upset that her team all are planning to move to a different city to pursue non-criminal futures, and she states this again.  And again.  And again.  It feels like every three paragraphs she’s pouting about being abandoned and unwanted and generally complaining about this, and I think the author could have accomplished the same thing without making her character think/talk about it incessantly.  A little can go a long way.

I had a similar issue with her romantic relationship, in that she fixates on what she used to have, how it went wrong, how it can never be, etc., and thought that this could have also been conveyed effectively without the character griping about it every few pages.  (Interestingly, however, what exactly went on in the past relationship remains a bit unclear, in spite of how frequently it’s mentioned.)

The other characters mainly just felt flat to me.  One’s rich and talented with tech magic, but the protagonist often just focuses on the fact she’s rich, which obviously isn’t a personality trait.  One’s the brawn of the group and supposed to be kind of fatherly.  One is very skilled with magic but also sick.  I know things about the characters, but I didn’t sympathize with them or particularly care, that’s all.

The book is fine, and I think a lot of people will like it for its fast-paced action, its diversity, and its anti-corporation message, but I wanted a bit more.