Review:Really original method of a library apprentice awakening to her elemental power of air. This brings her to the attention of the powers that be, and the attention of the Crown Prince, (aka The FireLord) who controls the element of fire. He takes on Vhalla's training in her new magic and sparks start flying. A fast read and I had to quickly buy the other books. Waiting on book four, which releases in April, to see what happens next. Read more

Review:A magical page-turning stale set in Victorian times. Captivating and charming re-imagining of ‘Cinderella,’ from an Ugly Stepsister’s point of view.

When Kat accidentally tears a page of the hardcover copy of ‘Cinderella’ in her attic, she is magically transported to the beginning of the story, and find herself in the body of the uglier of the stepsisters. This excellent YA fairytale is 445 pages of beautiful world-building, vivid descriptions of places and attire, and a story that didn’t... Read more

Review:I adored this novel. The main character is unique, quiet, and strong. The emotion in it is real. I love how this is not your typical, overly done retelling. I hope she puts her own spin on many more tales that we all think we know. Read more

Review:I have read this book several times and loved listening to the audio book in conjunction to the kindle version. If you haven't read these yet and you liked game of thrones, the inheritance series, Percy Jackson, or the Night Angel trilogy then pick this one up. Read more

Review:Seriously??? This woman is an English teacher?? And she thanks her editor?? Pretty great editor who doesn't know the difference between pored and poured (that's just the tip of the iceberg), doesn't catch numerous typos and grammar mistakes either. Probably one of her students. This confirms what I have suspected over the last 10 years; the reason virtually every single thing you read these days, whether it be in books, magazines, online, etc., is riddled with errors is because this generat... Read more

Review:Loooooooooooved it more than words can possibly express. It's funny and heart wrenching and had me loath to put it down even for sleep and especially for work. Hands down this is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Read more

Review:Gregory Maguire's whimsical deconstruction of Russian folklore is a mostly entertaining romp that feels a bit uneven at times with some really magnificent high points offset by drastic shifts in tone that you may or may not find to your liking. The first quarter of the book manages to setup the heroine of the tale quite beautifully in a very grounded setting that plays up hallmarks of Russian lit at it's juiciest - the hardscrabble misery of a peasant's existence set beneath the whims and opulen... Read more

Review:“The Dark Wife” is a re-imagining of the Persephone and Hades story from Greek mythology. Essentially, Diemer takes what we know about the classic mythos and flips it on its head in order to create a young adult lesbian love story. Which, ultimately, I find charming because there just aren’t enough books for LBGT kids that speak and represent them. And I’ll be honest, this was my first time reading a love story like this, and I’m glad I did. In this tale, Hades is not a man, but a woman who is c... Read more

Review:The Subtle Beauty is a unique retelling of beauty and the beast. She mixes a few literary pieces (seven deadly sins, for example) with a Celtic back drop and throws in a vain and hard to like heroine. I love the use of the Celtic phrases and thought it resonated well with her poetic style of writing. I found her world easy to envision and her characters real and deep. Though her prologue runs a little long, I did not find it distracting from the story and probably wouldn’t have particularly noti... Read more

Review:With her usual aplomb, Shari Tapscott has taken a classic fairy tale and put her own spin on it.

Etta is the miller's daughter, and as such her life is very run-of-the-mill (which I think is where the expression comes fromt). When she meets Beau, a handsome young man, she is intrigued, and when she finds out he is the heir to a noble estate that has been taken over by a vengeful ogre, it sets forth a chain of events that are both thrilling and fun to read. Oh, and there's a talking cat, c... Read more