Review: Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

Author: Emily J. Taylor

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: April 2022

All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.

The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.

With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.

Hotel Magnifique is a debut YA fantasy novel about orphan two sisters who get jobs at a magical hotel. They hope to earn enough money to return to their homeland.  Once they enter the hotel and sign their contracts, Jani begins to realize things are not as magical as advertised.

I thought this was a fun yet dark YA fantasy.  There is a bit of gore and disturbing body mutilation, so that might be a trigger for some.  There is a romance, but it is a slow burn and does not overshadow the rest of the story.  I liked the magic system and would have loved to read more about it.  I think this is a stand alone book.   While I would have liked to stay in this world longer, I was satisfied with where the story ended.  The book has interesting and colorful characters.  The mystery and action kept me engaged.  There were some twists that I found very clever.  This is a great debut and one I would definitely recommend.

Review: Cackle by Rachel Harrison

Author: Rachel Harrison

Publisher: Berkley Books

Publication Date: October 2021

All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. She’s stunned by how perfect and picturesque the town is. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is dreamy too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation.

Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. That’s how Sophie lives. Annie can’t help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more and more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the townsfolk seem…a little afraid of her. And like, okay. There are some things. Sophie’s appearance is uncanny and ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power…but she couldn’t be…could she? 

I was looking forward to reading Cackle. But in the end, it ended up being another book that I had mixed feelings about. I liked the premise of the story.  A woman moves to a small town after a break-up.  She makes friends with a mysterious woman who turns out to be a witch.  Curses and mayhem endues.  That is what I was hoping for, but it didn't work out in the execution.  

The main character Annie was annoying and whiney.  I could almost understand why her boyfriend ended it.  Instead of taking her time to live a little, she then quickly attaches herself to Sophie.  It's like she traded a boyfriend for a bestie and never wanted to do anything else.  She never tries a hobby, never goes out of her way to better her life.  I hated the ending.  She learned nothing and didn't end up where I would have hoped she would after everything she went through in the book.  I won't spoil it, but it was a cop-out.  But, hey the spider was cute.  This is the second book I have read and not loved by this author.  Not sure she is for me.

Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt of MU: The Grimm Cases Collection Part One by Lyla Oweds

 

A must-read for fantasy world lovers, and if I may be so bold, for Mortal Instruments fans too...

Title: MU: THE GRIMM CASES COLLECTION (PART ONE)

Author: Lyla Oweds

Publisher: Independent

Pages: 667

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

The things I see aren’t for the faint of heart.

And I am no longer willing to ignore them. Not even when my family, and my best friend, tell me to keep quiet about what’s happening. They say people will think I’m crazy.

Maybe I am.

But the spirit haunting my professor’s house is definitely trying to tell me something, and I’m the only one who can see it.

The one person who can help me is my best friend’s brother. But I don’t know if I can trust him or his friends. Or if I can step outside the protective bubble I’ve built around myself.

At this point it’s a toss up: the ghosts will kill me or my panic attacks will.

Either way, I figure I’m going to die.

My thoughts:

MU: The Grimm Cases Collection Part I is the beginning of a supernatural world as seen through the eyes of Bianca.  Bianca suffers from severe panic attacks.  She has always seen odd things, but the doctors told her she was schizophrenic.  When she encounters a violent entity in the house she is taking care of, she seeks the help of her best friend's brother.  This opens up a world she never knew existed.

I was only able to finish the first book in this collection before my  posting date.  However, I am intrigued and definitely want to finish reading the rest of the collection.  I was left with many unanswered questions and I want to know more.  Like what the attraction and pull is between Bianca and the 4 men who have taken her under their wing.  I look forward to Bianca growing into her abilities and gaining more confidence.   I do recommend picking this collection up and giving it a try.

  

“The place I’m house sitting is haunted.”

My statement was brave—considering—and I hoped I’d spoken loud enough to be heard by the intended recipient. I didn’t want to repeat myself. It had taken a lot of courage—or foolhardiness—to say it the first time.

The paranormal was one of those difficult-to-approach topics, especially with my best friend. History had proven our differences of opinion. Despite being inseparable for over ten years, I knew this was a topic where we were unlikely to reach a consensus.

But at this point, I was desperate. I might be going crazy, and only Finn could help me.

Yet, there was no response. No reaction.

Across the small cafe table, Finn furiously typed on his laptop—undisturbed by my nervous confession. He’d made no outward acknowledgment of my words, and it made me wonder if he’d even heard me.

The coffee shop was rather loud, after all.

“Finn.” I pressed my foot against his shin, trying to get his attention. “Finn, did you hear what I just told you?”

With perfect lips turned downward, he glanced up, meeting my gaze. His gray eyes were normally playful and light, but at the moment were sharp—disapproving. At once, I was thankful his black-rimmed glasses offered a filter for his judgment.

“I heard you.” His distinctive baritone dipped an octave lower than normal, signaling his annoyance. “Considering the absurdity of what you said, I chose to ignore it.”

Then without further ado, he refocused his attention on his laptop.

I gasped. How could he be so callous and uncaring?

Even if he didn’t believe me, he could at least hear me out. He was my best friend and the only person in the world I cared about besides my parents. But he could be such a jerk!

I was being haunted. I could die.

  

Lyla Oweds is an Amazon bestselling paranormal romance and urban fantasy author who resides in the beautiful Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania. She grew up near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and has a deep appreciation for the paranormal, hauntings, and Edgar Allan Poe. As such, she loves all things fantasy, mystery, crime, and horror.

When not reading, writing, or working as a web programmer, Lyla can be found doing adult-y things such as being a mom to small children, cleaning, and gardening. She also frequently enjoys makeup videos, massages, wine, and coffee.

Website: http://lylaoweds.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lylaoweds

 

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Review: The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl by Theodora Goss

Author: Theodora Goss
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: October 2019

Life’s always an adventure for the Athena Club...especially when one of their own has been kidnapped! After their thrilling European escapades rescuing Lucinda van Helsing, Mary Jekyll and her friends return home to discover that their friend and kitchen maid Alice has vanished— and so has their friend and employer Sherlock Holmes!

As they race to find Alice and bring her home safely, they discover that Alice and Sherlock’s kidnapping are only one small part of a plot that threatens Queen Victoria, and the very future of the British Empire. Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, Catherine, and Justine save their friends—and save the Empire? Find out in the final installment of the fantastic and memorable Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series.

The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl is the third and final book in the Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series.  I loved the first two books and was highly anticipating this finale.  The story takes up right after the events of the second book.  Alice, the maid, has been kidnapped and the group must track her down.    I'll be honest after reading this book, I can honestly say that I would have been good with the series being a duology. 

Don't get me wrong, the story is OK.  It was nice to catch up with the Athena Club and visit with them again.  However, I found the story kind of boring.  Nothing exciting happened. I never truly felt like any of them were in danger.  The villain was kind of dumb and the finally battle was anticlimactic.  I also found it to be a bit repetitive. For instance, by the third book, we all know that Beatrice can't touch anyone or she will kill them with her poisoned skin.  However, we are repeatedly reminded of this thr0ughout the book.  The story was a lot longer than it needed to be with too many characters needing time on the page.  The ending left things open for more books should the author decide to write more.   If you were  fan of the first two, give this one a try.  Maybe you will like it more than me.

Blog Tour: Review of Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep

Author: Jennifer Estep

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Date of publication: July 2019

Magic, murder, adventure, and romance combine in this second novel in the exciting Crown of Shards saga from New York Timesand USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep.

Everleigh Blair might be the new gladiator queen of Bellona, but her problems are far from over.

First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.

Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre.

Dark forces are also at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, her immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes Evie wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.

Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s … well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her.

Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen…

My thoughts:

Protect the Prince is the sequel to Kill the Queen (my review).  That one was a pleasant surprise, so I was really looking forward to reading this one.  It takes place a few weeks after the events in the first book.  Since this one assumes you have read the first book, it will be hard to review without major spoilers.  It does not really work well as a stand alone, so I would read Kill the Queen first.

That being said, I loved this one almost more than the first book.  I loved watching Evie slowly ease her way into becoming the queen she was meant to be.  The other characters that I enjoyed from the first book are in this one and added so much to the story. Paloma is my favorite out of the group.  There is some love interest angst but the ending more than made up for it.    The one down side to reading a series this good is that I have to wait for the next book, Crush the King, to come out.  March 2020 can't come soon enough for me.  This is a fantasy series I highly recommend!

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Jennifer Estep

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author who prowls the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Find out more about Jennifer at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Review: Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep

Author; Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Date of publication: October 2018

In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

I'm not usually one to read or like high fantasy, so I went into Kill the Queen a little wary.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.  It involves Lady Everleigh, who lives the kingdom of Bellona.  She is thought to have no real magic other than her being able to smell magic.  But she has a secret power that makes her immune from all magic. It's a secret she keeps closely guarded. After her entire family is massacred, she goes on the run to save her life and figure out how to save her kingdom.

I think the thing that makes me shy away from fantasy is that I am often confused by the magic system and the world that it is set in.  There are also usualtoo many characters to keep straight.  I did not find that to be the case with this book, however.  I found the magic system really interesting.  I loved Evie's powers and watching her realize that extent of her power was fun.  There were a lot of characters, but each one was so unique that it was very easy to keep track of them.  They were a wonderful addition to the overall story. Evie was a strong female lead and definitely one that I want to read more about.   I loved the ending and can't wait to read the second book, Protect the Prince, when it comes out next month.  I will be reviewing that later in July, so stay tuned.  If you haven't yet read this one, I highly recommend it. 

  

Review: Finale by Stephanie Garber

Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Flatiorn Books
Date of publication: May 2019

A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.

It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.

With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.

Welcome, welcome to Finale. All games must come to an end…

Finale was one of my most anticipated reads for 2019.  I have enjoyed this trilogy since the beginning, so I had high hopes that the series would conclude in a big way.  This one takes place about 2 months after the events of Legendary.  The Fates have been released from their deck of cards and Legend's throne is in jeopardy.

This year is not turning out well for me and my anticipated reads.  I wish I could say that I loved this conclusion.  It was just OK and, honestly, the weakest of the trilogy.  Literally, nothing happens except toward the end.  The majority of the book is Tella whining about how Legend will never love her and trying to decide if she should be with Jack of Hearts instead.  It was the dumbest love triangle because you know who she is going to end up with.  At least Scarlett's love triangle (yes, there is a second one) doesn't drag on too long into the book. 

 There were a couple of twists but nothing ultra shocking or exciting. The one thing I did like was how Scarlett saved the kingdom.  That plot line was pretty cool.  The ending was neat and tidy and underwhelming.  I wouldn't necessarily skip this if you have read the first two.  I mean, it's no horrible.  It was just not what I was hoping for,

Review: Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Date of publication: November 2018

Time is running out.
Together, they can save the world.
But they each other's worst nightmare.

In Renegades, Nova and Adrian (aka Insomnia and Sketch) fought the battle of their lives against the Anarchist known as the Detonator. It was a short-lived victory.

The Anarchists still have a secret weapon, one that Nova believes will protect her. The Renegades also have a strategy for overpowering the Anarchists, but both Nova and Adrian understand that it could mean the end of Gatlon City - and the world - as they know it. 

Oh Archenemies, how you disappointed me. I did enjoy Renegades and was eager to see what awaited Adrian and Nova in the sequel.  This book could have gone so many ways, but I was disappointed it didn't go any of the ways I would have loved to see.  The story picks up a little bit after the events of the first one.  And for about almost 500 pages in a 560 page book, NOTHING happens.  Really.  Nothing other than Adrian and Nova flirting with each other. I will admit to being that a part I did like because it was so awkwardly cute.  Oh and Nova repeatedly keeps reminds us she wants revenge.  That was pretty much it.

The last 60-ish pages are what saved the book for me. (Kind of)  It was a whirlwind of activity and action.  The book ends on a cliffhanger and I am intrigued enough to want to find out how it all gets resolved.  Because, without giving away spoilers, I'm not sure how all of the characters come back from that, especially Nova.  Bottom line is that this book could have been condensed down to a much shorter book.  There was a lot of filler that was unnecessary.  Maybe this could have been a duology instead of a trilogy?  The last book doesn't come out until November 2019.  I'll keep my fingers crossed. 

Blog Tour: Review of The Royal Order of Fighting Dragons by Dan Elish

Author: Dan Elish

Publisher: Vesuvian Books

Date of publication: August 2018

Ike Rupert Hollingsberry is haunted by the past because complete strangers won’t let him forget when his famous father died on the set of The Fighting Dragons, a cult favorite that still has people talking.

But when he’s attacked by a large locust, like the one that killed his dad, Ike is helped by the geekiest nerd of all, Elmira Hand.

Killing the giant locust was only the beginning of the surprises in store for Ike as he is whisked away from New York City to an isolated Florida compound to assume his role as the next in line to lead the Royal Order of the Fighting Dragons—that are NOT supposed to exist—and learns his dad’s death was a cover-up for a far greater purpose …

If you didn't know by now, I am a HUGE advocate for the importance of reading, especially among children.  I am always on the lookout for books that will interest middle grade level readers, because that is the age I feel like we tend to lose them.   The Royal Order of the Fighting Dragons is a new middle grade adventure that I know will be a favorite among those kids who love fantasy adventure stories.  

The characters were fun.  Ike was a very relatable 11 year old boy.  His father was killed in an accident while filming a TV show. People keep trying to give him their conspiracy theories. Ike just wants to people to forget and think of him as ordinary.  I loved how he immediately rose to the occasion when he was forced to fight. The rest of the cast of characters added to the flavor of the book.  The story is filled with some twists and  nail biting action scenes.  Even the first scene with the giant locust was pretty intense.  The story is clean and kid appropriate. I do recommend checking this one out.  I was sucked in right away.  What more could adventure readers want than a secret society, dragons, swords and giant locusts?  

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound

About Dan Elish

Dan Elish is the author of the novel Nine Wives (St. Martins Press, 2005) and The Misadventures of Justin Hearnfeld (2008), both published by St. Martins Press. Dan is also the author of Born Too Short, Confessions of an 8th Grade Basket Case, which was picked as a Book for the Teenage 2003 by the New York Public Library and won a 2004 International Reading Association Students’ Choice Award. He has also written several other novels for young adults including, The School for the Insanely Gifted, The Attack of the Frozen Woodchucks, 13, The Worldwide Dessert Contest, Jason and the Baseball Bear, and The Great Squirrel Uprising. “13,” the musical for which he co-wrote the book with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown ran on Broadway from September 16, 2008 through January 4, 2009. In his career, Dan has also written non-fiction books for young adults, scripts for kids’ TV shows (in particular Cyberchase (PBS)), music and lyrics for six musicals, funny corporate videos, and played piano for various Off-Broadway productions. He has received fellowships and scholarships to the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and is a member of the Dramatist Guild. Dan lives in New York City with his wife, daughter and son.

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Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Date of publication: May 2018

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

Legendary is the sequel to Caraval.  It has been over a year since I read Caraval, but I had an easy enough time picking up the thread of the storyline again a year later.  This story is told through Donatella's perspective and features a whole new game of Caraval. This time around, the stakes are a lot higher.

 For the most part, I thought it was fairly solid follow up to the first one. Actually, I enjoyed this book more than the first book. I enjoyed having Donatella's perspective.  She seemed more mature in this one than she came across in the first book. The best part about the book was the new game.  I felt like it was clearer as to what she was trying to do to win the game.  I remember in Caraval, not being completely sure of the world and how the game worked.  The one thing I love about the game is you don't know who to trust.  It really raises the level of suspense in the story.  I will say though that I wasn't overly surprised when the identity of Legend was revealed. It was easy enough to figure out early on. The ending left things open for the last book Finale which comes out next year.  I am really interested to see what comes next for the Dragna sisters.

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Author: Moira Fowley-Doyle
Publisher:Kathy Dawson Books (Penguin)
Date of publication: August 2017

One stormy summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hair clips and jewelry, but soon it’s clear that Rose has lost something bigger; something she won’t talk about.

Then Olive meets three wild, mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel and Rowan. Like Rose, they’re mourning losses - and holding tight to secrets.

When they discover the ancient spellbook, full of hand-inked charms to conjure back lost things, they realise it might be their chance to set everything right. Unless it’s leading them towards secrets that were never meant to be found . . . 

I had heard a lot of great things about his book and it's been on my TBR fops a while.  The story involves a group of kids who set a spell to get back things that they have lost.  They quickly find out that one must give up something in order to get back what they had lost.  The story is told  through the perspective of three separate girls.

This ended up being just an OK read for me.  I like the concept of the plot, but the author could have done so much more with it.  I also did like the twist even though I figured it out halfway through.  However, I didn't really connect with any of the characters.  All three of the girls had the same "voice".  At times, I felt like I got lost in who was telling their part of the story.  The ending was kind of open ended and I'm not a big fan of those.  I do like my endings tied up nicely.  As far as I can see, this is a stand alone book, so some questions I had won't be answered.  Like just how old IS Mags and how long has she owned the pub?  I would have liked a bit more world building.

As an aside, this book is labeled as YA, but there is a lot of content in this book that really isn't YA.  At least not under 16 YA.  So, I would be cautious as to who I  recommended the book to.  I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it and was interested enough to finish it.  I think fans will enjoy it, but don't expect too much "magic".  I wanted more.