What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez is a YA romantic historical fantasy novel that is perfect for fans of Divine Rivals and/or The Mummy (1999) filmWhat the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez is a YA romantic historical fantasy novel that is perfect for fans of Divine Rivals and/or The Mummy (1999) film. Ibañez does an excellent job weaving an interesting (and sometimes unexpected) plot, developing characters with realistic motivations and responses, and finishing this novel with quite the punch. I had a wonderful time reading this novel, and I can't wait for the sequel. ...more
Greymist Fair by Francesca Zappia is a YA fantasy novel that is structured like a collection of fairy tales. Each story has its own protagonist, but tGreymist Fair by Francesca Zappia is a YA fantasy novel that is structured like a collection of fairy tales. Each story has its own protagonist, but the plots are interrelated and together provide a picture of the village of Greymist Fair. Some readers might find the structure or shifts in perspective confusing, but I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel. While a more traditional structure might have allowed readers to spend more time with their favorite characters (mine is definitely Heike), the vignettes overall give readers more insight into a broader cast of characters. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy fairy tale retellings and short story collections. ...more
Spice Road by Maya Ibrahim is a YA fantasy novel about a young woman who must journey beyond the boundaries of her known world in order to save her brSpice Road by Maya Ibrahim is a YA fantasy novel about a young woman who must journey beyond the boundaries of her known world in order to save her brother.
My biggest takeaway from this book is that the protagonist really reads young. This isn’t a criticism; I think more YA books should feel like they’re about teens or young adults. But older readers who like YA for the action and adventure might find themselves frustrated with the novel’s protagonist, Imani, as she struggles to come to terms with a world that is more gray than black and white. I think Imani’s internal challenges might resonate with a lot of teen readers. There are also some romantic elements in this novel, though they are definitely secondary and, I thought, a little out of place with the rest of the book. I did like the world-building, and there are several locations I wouldn’t mind returning to in future books. The novel doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger, but it does set up a sequel. To me, the sequel actually sounds like it would be more interesting than the first book, but I don’t know how quick I will be to pick it up.
I recommend Spice Road for readers interested in Arabian-inspired fantasy worlds and who enjoy character development as well as action and adventure.
I received an ARC of Spice Road via NetGalley. ...more
I received an ARC of Divine Rivals via NetGalley. What follows is my honest review.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross starts off as a workplace rivals romaI received an ARC of Divine Rivals via NetGalley. What follows is my honest review.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross starts off as a workplace rivals romance before switching gears to a tense war story. The last third of the novel, especially, ramps up the action and violence. This switch might seem disjointed for some readers, but I think it makes sense in the context of the story. One of the themes early in the book is how distant the war seems for citizens in the city of Oath, despite the fact that men are leaving every day to fight it. Similarly, for readers, the war seems like background information until the novel’s protagonists, Iris and Roman, head to the front lines.
Speaking of Iris and Roman, I loved their character development and the pacing of their romance. This novel convinced me that rivals-to-lovers is a top-tier trope, especially when one character is deeply invested in the rivalry and the other is secretly sorta-pining. I think readers who also enjoy Dramione fanfiction will enjoy this book. Ross does a good job with the secondary characters as well, giving them interesting backstories that add a richness to the story.
Finally, I think the novel has a strong structure that really illustrates Iris’s growth and progression throughout the novel. The story ends (view spoiler)[with Iris finally getting what she wanted at the beginning of the story, but when it happens, it feels like a hollow victory. (hide spoiler)] The ending also does a good job of setting up a sequel, one that I think will expand on the lore and worldbuilding from the first book. I’m eagerly anticipating the next book.
I was really disappointed with this sequel, especially since the first book, Where Dreams Descend , was a 5-star read for me.
While I do thi2.5 stars
I was really disappointed with this sequel, especially since the first book, Where Dreams Descend , was a 5-star read for me.
While I do think some of my issues with this book are the result of the long gap between reading the two books, I don't think that's the only problem. Unfortunately, I felt When Night Breaks did a poor job of explaining the stakes of its central conflict and failed to follow-up on seemingly important facts.
Towards the beginning of the novel, we learn that the novel's villain plans (view spoiler)[ to break open Zarose's Gate, (hide spoiler)] but we don't get any sense of what that actually means for the world of the story. We're told it's bad, but I never get a strong sense of why this would be such a catastrophe. Some of that explanation may be in the first novel (I don't remember), but I still think the sequel should give some sense of why different characters are working so hard to thwart the villain.
This book also introduced what I thought were key details without actually doing anything with them. Why, for instance, would you include the information that (view spoiler)[ Kallia attended the special magical girls boarding school if it doesn't impact the story at all? I kept thinking this background, or the fact that Kallia is apparently an Alastor, would impact the plot, but they just get mentioned and then ignored. Similarly, we learn that the Patrons are in the habit of wiping memories on a mass scale, and there are no consequences for this. Why mention this if it doesn't matter in the end? (hide spoiler)]
Finally, I thought the romance really fell flat in this novel. I think it relied heavily on the chemistry from the first novel, and did nothing to build on those feelings in this book.
I still love the circus/magician worldbuilding, but in the end I'm not sure I can recommend this novel. ...more
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