My Book Reviews

Category: fairy tales

  • Alliana Girl of Dragons by Julie Abe

    Alliana Girl of Dragons by Julie Abe

    AGOD

    Alliana Girl of Dragons by Julie Abe

    Release: August 2nd, 2022
    Format: Ebook
    Publisher:  Little, Brown Books 
    Source: TBR and Beyond Tours
    Find it at: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

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    Once upon a time, Alliana believed in dreams and fairy tales as sweet as spun-sugar clouds. Alliana wished on shooting stars, sure that someday she and her grandmother would be able to travel to the capital city to see the queen. Then her grandmother passed away—and those dreams disappeared in a disenchanted puff.

    Now Alliana’s forced to attend to the whims of her wicked stepmother—with long days of cleaning her stepfamily’s inn as her skin burns raw or staying up until the crack of dawn to embroider her stepsister’s ball gowns. Until she meets two beings who change her life forever—the first is a young nightdragon who Alliana discovers she can magically talk to. And the second is Nela, a young witch.

    Nela needs Alliana’s help navigating the mysterious abyss, filled with dangerous beasts, a place Alliana knows by heart. Alliana sees Nela’s request as a chance to break free of her stepmother’s shadow and to seize a chance at a life she’s barely dared to hope for—but there’s a risk. If caught, Alliana will be stuck working for her stepmother for the rest of her life. Can Alliana truly make wisps of dreams into her own, better-than-a-fairy-tale happily ever after?

    Inspired by the Japanese Cinderella story and set in the same world as the Eva Evergreen series, this story can be read as a standalone.

    About the Author:

    Julie Abe is the author of the EVA EVERGREEN, SEMI-MAGICAL WITCH middle grade fantasy series; the middle grade fantasy ALLIANA, GIRL OF DRAGONS; and the young adult novel THE CHARMED LIST. She has lived in Silicon Valley, spent many humid summers in Japan, and currently basks in the sunshine of Southern California with never enough books or tea. Keep up with Julie’s latest books and adventures at instagram.com/julieabebooks or sign up for her newsletter at julieabebooks.com/newsletter.

    Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook

    Alliana Girl of Dragons Review:

    It’s always fun to read a Cinderella retelling, and “Alliana, Girl of Dragons” did not disappoint with its fantasy twist of dragons and witches!

    I have not read any of the “Eva Evergreen” books, but I had no trouble reading this as a standalone. Let’s face it, almost all of us have read or know the story of Cinderella, so you would know what to expect more or less in the plot. However, the book’s highlight is how the author wrote the characters. I was rooting for Alliana throughout the story and wanted her to be free from her evil Stepmother. Alliana is lovely in the lead, and I adored her protective bond with Kebo and her friendship with Nela.

    Moreover, the author does a fantastic job of writing everyone’s emotions. You can see the love that Alliana has for her dad and Grandmother Mari. Similarly, you instantly dislike the Stepmother and Reizo for how harshly they treat Alliana. Likewise, Nela and Isao are adorable and make the story exciting with their presence.

    Perhaps the only criticism I have of the story is how we didn’t get more details of the world and some other characters. For instance, I wish I knew more about Hayato and Taichi (and maybe I didn’t quite get the connection for not reading the Eva Evergreen Series). Similarly, I wished Kebo was more prominent as we hardly see him much.

    Apart from that, “Alliana, Girl of Dragons” is a cute middle-grade book emphasizing how to stand up for yourself, not be afraid to do the right thing, and not let others intimidate you. I want to pick up the Eva Evergreen series and see how this story connects to the universe.

    Book Tour Schedule

    AGOD

    I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Alliana Girl of Dragons by Julie Abe Blog Tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours

    August 1st

    morningstarlitpages-Review 
    following.fantasies-Journal Spread 
    read.cells-Top 5 Reasons to Read Alliana
    thereadersgamebrooke-Review 
    thecaffinatedrareder-Blogger’s Choice
    booknotes_athina-Blogger’s Choice
    booksandpops4000-Blogger’s Choice

    August 2nd

    tbrandbeyond-Promotional Post
    tinybooknest-Favorite Quotes
    whisperingprose-Review
    feliciareads11-Blogger’s Choice
    zanjabeel_z-Blogger’s Choice
    pluvioreads-Blogger’s Choice

    August 3rd

    jacleomik33-Review
    mellasmusings-Review 
    quirkylitlover-Review 
    ninebookishlives-Blogger’s Choice
    pages_and_procrastination-Blogger’s Choice
    popthebutterfly-Blogger’s Choice

    August 4th

    luna_reads_-Journal Spread
    pcreads-Review & Favorite Quotes
    better_than_therapy_books-Review
    foreverinastory-Blogger’s Choice
    peireads-Blogger’s Choice

    August 5th

    dhirviepages-Review, 
    get.outside.and.read-Top 5 Reasons to Read Alliana,
    kathreadsya-Review
    eyerollingdemigod-Blogger’s Choice
    balancing_books_and_beauties-Blogger’s Choice
    rajivsreviews-Blogger’s Choice

    August 6th

    writingrosereads-Promotional Post
    atrailofpages-Review
    wild.legends-Review & Playlist
    bookdragonstbr-Blogger’s Choice
    quilltreefox-Blogger’s Choice
    littlecornerreads-Blogger’s Choice

    August 7th

    mulberryreads-Review
    theenchantedshelf-Review
    brittmariereadshere-Review
    anovelkingdom-Promotional Post
    sheafandink-Blogger’s Choice
    studioad_anjali-Blogger’s Choice
    metaphorsandmisc-Blogger’s Choice

  • Cold Hearted by Serena Valentino

    Cold Hearted by Serena Valentino

    Cold Hearted

    Cold-Hearted (Villains #8) by Serena Valentino

    Release: July 6, 2021
    Format: Paperback
    Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
    Source: Rockstar Book Tours
    Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org.

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    This was supposed to be her happily ever after…

    It’s a familiar tale: A kind and beautiful young girl, reeling from the loss—a doting father, frantic to bring a mother’s love back into his daughter’s life. And the selfish, cruel woman who insinuates herself into that family―a woman so unfeeling, so cold-hearted, that when her new husband dies, she makes the girl a servant in her own home.

    But who is that evil stepmother, that icy lady of the house? How did she become so closed off that, in the face of a child’s grief, she thought only to seek wealth and power for herself and her abhorrent daughters? Before that fateful ball, before the glass slipper and the prince, there was another story―a story of love and grief, of hope and dreams, dashed. It is the story of Lady Tremaine.

    Even the coldest of villains are sometimes wives and mothers, women who loved and lost and hoped for something grander for their lives . . . once upon a dream.

    The latest novel in Serena Valentino’s deliciously devious Villains series introduces the most famed and hated wicked stepmother of them all―but turns everything you know about her on its head.

    About the Author:

    Serena Valentino has been weaving tales that combine mythos and guile for the past decade. She has also earned critical acclaim in both the comic and horror domains. Besides, she is known for her unique storytelling style, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty, and extraordinary protagonists. The books in her best-selling Villains series are best enjoyed when read in the following order: Fairest of All, The Beast Within, Poor Unfortunate Soul, Mistress of All Evil, Mother Knows Best, Odd Sisters, Evil Thing, and Cold Hearted.

    Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

    Cold-Hearted Review:

    Click to view on Instagram

    I have read a few books in the “Villains” series, and “Cold Hearted” was an excellent addition. It was such a delight because it completely changed my perspective of Lady Tremaine and how we perceived her in the classic movie.

    “Cinderella” was the first movie I ever saw in my life, and I immediately fell in love with Disney movies since then. Hence, the film holds a special place in my heart. What’s creative about the series, in general, is how they make you change your perception of the villains but giving them a soul. In this book, we get to root for Lady Tremaine and find out how she met Richard and married Cinderella’s father. The author adds many twists and turns that show how Lady Tremaine got pushed into becoming the evil stepmother. Parts of the story also justify why she behaves so harshly towards Cinderella in the movie version, which I thought was a genius way of intricately connecting the book to the movie.

    Moreover, I liked how the author incorporated characters from other tales like Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. The author made the story connected to a larger picture with other Disney classics, which I enjoyed reading. Surprisingly, Anastasia and Drizella still come across as bratty in the tale for the most part, which was entertaining. One of my favorite moments in the story is when Lady Tremaine finds out about the mice that Cinderella plays with, which freaks out Anastasia and Drizella. Another memorable incident is the Christmas scene that revolves around the stockings.

    Overall, I found “Cold Hearted” to be a lovely addition to the series, and it changed the way I perceived Lady Tremaine.

    Giveaway:

    3 winners will receive a finished copy of COLD HEARTED, US Only.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Cold Hearted

    I am thrilled to be hosting a Cold Hearted by Serena Valentino Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post, and make sure to enter the giveaway!

    Book Tour Schedule

    Week One:
    YABooksCentral-Excerpt-7-1-2021
    BookHounds YA -Excerpt-7-2-2021
    Rajiv’s Reviews-Review-7-3-2021

    Week Two:
    Kait Plus Books-Excerpt-7-4-2021
    She Just Loves Books-Review-7-5-2021
    @curlygrannylovestoread-Review-7-6-2021
    History from a Woman’s Perspective -Review-7-7-2021
    @autumn.booked-Review-7-8-2021
    @kristens.reading.nook-Review-7-9-2021
    Fyrekatz Blog-Review-7-10-2021

    Week Three:
    The Reading Wordsmith-Review-7-11-2021
    Lilly’s Book World-Review-7-12-2021
    BRITTREADSALATTEBOOKS -Review-7-13-2021
    Phannie the ginger bookworm -Review-7-14-2021
    @pagesofyellow-Review-7-15-2021
    Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers -Review-7-16-2021
    Don’t Judge, Read-Review-7-17-2021

    Week Four:
    @under_the_aurora.borealis -Review-7-18-2021
    A Fictional Bookworm-Review-7-19-2021
    @minnesota_mailer-Review-7-20-2021
    Books Are Magic Too-Review-7-21-2021
    @lostinbookverse-Review-7-22-2021
    hauntedbybooks-Review-7-23-2021
    The Momma Spot-Review-7-24-2021

    Week Five:
    Books and Zebras @jypsylynn -Review-7-25-2021
    Bookish Rantings-Review-7-26-2021
    Book-Keeping-Review-7-27-2021
    Popthebutterfly-Review-7-28-2021
    Momfluenster -Review-7-29-2021
    @fictitious.fox-Review-7-30-2021
    two points of interest-Review-7-31-2021

  • House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

    House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

    Sorrows

    House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
    Release: August 6th 2019
    Format: Kindle
    Publisher: Delacorte
    Source: Amazon

    Sorrows



     

    House of Salt and Sorrows Synopsis:

    In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

    Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

    Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

    When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

     

    Review:

    Watch my video review of House of Salt and Sorrows  by Erin A. Craig

    [embedyt] https://youtu.be/fGnowhJBuJg[/embedyt]

    To be honest I was so conflicted when I was reading this book. On one hand, it is so good because it has all the elements that I love to read about in YA. It is a retelling of the Grimm’s fairy tale called “The Twelve Dancing Princesses”. It is also a Gothic murder mystery with a touch of romance, and had other elements like ghosts and gods. There are a lot of creepy elements, with some truly terrifying and gory parts. Moreover, there is also lot of twists and turns where you just don’t know what is going to happen next.

    But that is exactly the same reason why I also could not enjoy this book at times. There is just too many things happening where the focus just shifts from one thing to the next, to a point where I really did not know what was happening. Overall, this book was interesting to read but it did not live to my expectations.