REVIEW Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute #2) by Abby Jimenez

Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute #2) by Abby Jimenez
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Release Date: January 23, 2024
Format: eBook + Audiobook (Kindle Unlimited)
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 

Abby Jimenez’ contribution to the Amazon Original Stories The Improbable Meet-Cute series, Worst Wingman Ever, was an emotional novella. With both a heartwarming romance and heartbreaking loss, the author makes readers feel the emotions in the very short read (only about 60 ebook pages). 

For such a short story, I was amazed to see how well the storyline was developed and how well the characters are developed. Holly and John are both going through a lot in their life - Holly is a hospice nurse who has to watch her grandmother die and John is recovering from a recent break up. They interact with each other through a series of notes left on Holly’s car; it was cute to see how the notes ranged from thoughtful wisdom (courtesy of Holly’s grandmother) to banter and laugh out loud humor. It was also amazing to see how the author dealt with some heavy topics while retaining the lightness one would expect from a romantic comedy read. 

Overall, Worst Wingman Ever was a great short story. Perfect for those who want a romance they can finish in an afternoon. Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber did an excellent job bringing the characters’ perspectives to life with their performance in the audiobook. As with Christina Lauren’s novella in this series, I really appreciate that the story was wrapped up well and I wasn’t left feeling like it needed more. While this is the first book I’ve read by Abby Jimenez, I look forward to checking out more of her books in the future. 

BLOG TOUR Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

Hi friends! I'm pleased to be hosting a stop on the tour organized by TBR and Beyond Tours for Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee. Please check out the post to learn more about the book, the author, and how you can get your own copy of the book. Make sure to show some love to the other tour hosts as well - the link to the schedule is below. 

Happy reading everyone!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee Tour Schedule (TBR and Beyond Tours)

About the Book

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publishing Date: May 16, 2023

Representation: Chinese, Singaporean Chinese, Singaporean, Gay

Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer.

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.

In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.

Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?

Content Warning: Grief

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REVIEW of Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Format: eARC (Courtesy of Publisher and TBR and Beyond Tours) and Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Underlined

Sher Lee’s debut novel Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a surprising book. For starters, I never would have known about it or given it a chance had I not seen it as part of a blog tour. The comparisons between Heartstopper and Crazy Rich Asians convinced me to give the book a chance, and I’m very glad I did. If you like Casey McQuiston’s Red White and Royal Blue, this book has elements that are reminiscent of that too. 

The food in this book is ah-mazing, and an integral part of the world. As a warning, you probably shouldn't read this book while hungry. One of the biggest parts of the story is Dylan’s family restaurant (run by his aunt Jade), and how he is entering a contest to help gain some publicity to save it. The mooncakes Dylan makes in the book are a labor of love, and it’s obvious that the author put a lot of love into the research and details that go into the various recipes presented in the book. 

The characters and interactions were also surprising. I was not expecting some of the character plot twists. Theo and Dylan are adorable, and they have a very unique meet- cute moment. The side characters like Aunt Jade, Megan, Tim, and of course Clover are also integral to the story. The one hesitation I have was the whirlwind of insta-love and fake dating, which kind of put me off a bit (they are admittedly not my favorite tropes), but overall it didn't impact my enjoyment of the book too much. 

Put together, Fake Dates and Mooncakes was a very entertaining read. A perfectly balanced recipe complete with lots of humor, heart, and romantic moments. The narrator, Joshua Chang, did an excellent job bringing Dylan’s perspective to life with his performance in the audiobook narration. As a standalone novel, I think the author wrapped up the storyline very nicely at the end of the book. I’m definitely intrigued enough to check out whatever the author writes in the future (she has a new young adult fantasy, Legend of the White Snake, set to release in 2024). 

Thank you to the author, the publisher, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with a complimentary review copy of this book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review Fake Dates and Mooncakes immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.  

About the Author

 

Sher Lee writes rom-coms and fantasy novels for teens. She lives in Singapore and has an abiding love for local street food (including an incredible weakness for xiao long bao).

FAKE DATES AND MOONCAKES, pitched as Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians, is her debut YA rom-com coming Summer 2023 from Penguin Random House.

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ARC REVIEW The Claw and the Crowned (The Book of All Things #5) by Sarah M. Cradit

The Claw and the Crowned (The Book of All Things #5) by Sarah M. Cradit
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Release Date: January 3, 2023
Format: eARC (Courtesy of the Author)
Publisher: Storyville Press (Self-Published by the Author)

The Claw and the Crowned by Sarah M. Cradit is the fifth standalone book in the interconnected The Book of All Things series, and it’s by far the darkest and sexiest book released so far. Slow burn romance fans will enjoy Imryll and Drazhan’s enemies to lovers' love affair. 

Heroine Imryll of Glasgain has never fit into the royal court of Rhiagian, and dreams of running away to see the mainland. On the precipice of fulfilling them, her dreams are dashed when she is given the “honor” of being the first of five concubines to serve her best friend, Crown Prince Torian. Everyone in her family and the rest of Duncarrow expects her to see the role as an honor, but she can only see her new status as a gilded cage. As one of the “Chosen”, Imryll is given a 24/7 guard in the form of Drazhan Winter. The knight is rude, dark and seems to enjoy making her squirm. With how much time they spend together, feelings start to grow between them, and everyone notices something is going on. As time goes on, both Imryll and Drazhan will have to re-evaluate their plans for their future and what they want out of life. 

The relationships in this book are very toxic and strange, compared to the other books in the series. Imryll and Drazhan’s relationship is not necessarily healthy. He’s one of the few in Imryll’s life to give her autonomy and a choice, but they cycle through fighting and having sex fairly quickly. In short, neither are fairly good at communicating. While it was clear that Drazhan was the love interest of the book, I wouldn’t have been upset if Imryll has ended up with Torian. He practically worships the ground she walks on. As another point of the love triangle (or love quadrangle/square?), Torian is incredibly unconventional. I was not expecting him to give Imryll a choice and respect her wishes with regards to advancing their physical intimacy.  As a reader, I was devastated for him and how his heart continued to break every time Imryll rejected him. The only one I really hated from the romance perspective was Marius, but even he had some redeemable qualities in the story. 

As a side note, I really appreciate how the author Sarah M. Cradit and her team are very transparent about what you can expect in each of the books (without traveling into dangerous spoiler territory). For example, the content warning list at the end of my review is from the author’s website. She also puts a list of tropes you can expect in each book - some of my favorites from this one are enemies to lovers, forbidden love, court intrigue, and a quest for vengeance. If you ever have a question about one of her books, I highly recommend checking out her website as its a great resource! 

In conclusion, The Claw and the Crowned is another fantastic addition to The Book of All Things series, and the larger Kingdom of the White Sea universe. I was very happy to see the happily ever after ending in the epilogue (though I do wish some of the big reveals in the book came sooner). With regard to the audience, I would recommend the book (and the series as a whole) to readers at the new adult or adult levels, especially if they enjoy fantasy romance. It’s an amazing opening to the Sceptre Cycle, and I’m super excited to see the future books in the cycle covering the side characters from this book. Thank you to the author for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Claw and the Crowned immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way. 

CONTENT WARNINGS (Courtesy of the Author): Light bullying, blood and gore, violence, death of a parent, death of a sibling, references to war crimes (genocide), emotional wounds, emotional abuse, profanity, manipulation, sexually explicit scenes, sexism, PTSD, panic attacks

About the Book

Freedom is her desire. Vengeance is his price.

Slip into this scintillating tale of a young royal whose loyalty is torn between the prince she was sold to and the tempestuous knight determined to ruin her.

Imryll is unfit to be a princess. Everyone has always told her so. So when the king stuns everyone by crowning her the prince’s consort, her life is completely upended, crushing any lingering dreams of a future away from the suffocating Rhiagain court.

Still reeling from the news, she meets Drazhan, the formidable, mercurial knight who wins the right to be her personal guard. But when he defiantly refuses any show of respect, a dangerous spark ignites between them, one she doesn’t know how to extinguish. Worse, she’s not sure she wants to.

The dark knight’s licentious midnight whispers linger over her, commands she feels inexplicably called to obey. His dangerous promises spread their tendrils over her desperate, failed attempts to embrace life with the prince, her childhood best friend. They take her apart and put her back together, piece by agonizing piece.

Yet she can’t shake the sense Drazhan is hiding something important. He refuses to explain why he surrendered a life of privilege to become her guard. The roaring vengeance burning in his heart, scorching him from the inside out, is a painful mystery Imryll can’t solve.

But she will.

Because Drazhan’s revenge doesn’t just start with Imryll.

It ends with her.

About the Author

Sarah is the USA Today Bestselling Author of Epic, Contemporary, and Paranormal Fantasy. An unabashed geek, Sarah enjoys studying subjects like the Plantagenet and Ptolemaic dynasties, and settling debates on provocative Tolkien topics such as why the Great Eagles are not Gandalf's personal taxi service. Passionate about travel, Sarah has visited over twenty countries collecting sparks of inspiration (though New Orleans is where her heart rests). She's a self-professed expert at crafting original songs to sing to her very patient pets and a seasoned professional at finding ways to humiliate herself (bonus points if it happens in public). When at home in Pennsylvania, her husband and best friend, James, is very kind about indulging her love of fast German cars and expensive lattes.

Check out the Author's website here - Author Website 

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We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya Duology Book 2) by Hafsah Faizal

We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya Duology Book 2) by Hafsah Faizal

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Release Date: January 19, 2021
Format: Audiobook (library)
Publisher: Farrar Straus and Giroux

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I recently finished We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal, so I was pretty excited to be able to jump straight into We Free the Stars. Ms. Faizal completely blew all of my expectations for the sequel out of the water (in a good way). So much happened in the first book that I probably would have benefited from a reread prior to starting this one, but I didn’t have too many issues remembering what happened in the first book (and thus following the storyline of this one). 

The worldbuilding in this book was excellent. Some authors suffer from plot holes and inconsistencies when they dream up worlds as big as this, but that didn’t seem to be an issue for Ms. Faizal or the kingdom of Arawiya. Everything was fleshed out and well-developed. I appreciate how the Arabian inspiration for the setting and the diverse characters made the book feel rich with cultural representation. Simply put, Ms. Faizal’s writing is beautiful and emotionally evocative. She did a fantastic job both painting a picture and stirring up a specific emotion. I don’t think I’ve seen another author pull this off quite as well in any of my recent reads. 

We Free the Stars features the same cast of characters that readers connected to and couldn’t help but root for in We Hunt the Flame. I love seeing a character grow over the course of multiple books, and the author delivered in that regard. In my opinion, Nasir was the character with the most growth in the story. One particularly poignant quote that I connected to is this: “Prince of Death, Demenhune Hunter. Titles don’t tell you who a person is.”

This is a slow-burn romance at its finest. The tension that Ms. Faizal created between our main characters was *chef’s kiss* amazing. There were so many moments where I was shaking my book and yelling, “Why won’t you kiss already and admit your feelings?”. At this point, the author could deliver a master class on crafting slow-burn young adult romance and I would happily sign up. I mean, take a look at this quote for goodness sake; “I am falling in love with you, and I don’t know how to stop.” Slow-burn romance at its finest, my friends.

Fiona Hardingham and Steve West did another amazing job with the audiobook narration and their individual performances. If you have a chance to listen to the audiobook, I would definitely recommend doing so. There are a couple of minor issues here and there with the editing, but nothing too distracting. 

Overall, We Free the Stars was a worthy and powerful successor to We Hunt the Flame. I’m eager to read whatever Ms. Faizal writes in the future (though I’m especially eager to read her next release, A Tempest of Tea, which shares a universe with the Sands of Arawiya duology). 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Abandonment, Self-Depreciation, Death, Disfigurement

Check out my review of the first book, We Hunt the Flame

About the Author

Hafsah Faizal is the New York Times bestselling author of WE HUNT THE FLAME and WE FREE THE STARS. She’s the founder of IceyDesigns, where she creates websites for authors and beauteous goodies for everyone else. When she’s not writing, she can be found dreaming up her next design, deciding between Assassin’s Creed and Skyrim, or traversing the world. Born in Florida and raised in California, she now resides in Texas with a library of books waiting to be devoured.

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REVIEW One for All by Lillie Lainoff

One for All by Lillie Lainoff
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library) + Hardcover (Personal Library)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)

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I kept hearing about Lillie Lainoff’s novel One for All on social media, and I’m so so happy I took the time to read it. It’s a powerful young adult historical fiction debut, complete with themes of female empowerment, found family, and many layers of political intrigue. It’s also a beautiful example of positive disability representation that’s needed in books today. 

Tania, like the author, has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (though there is no official name for it in the book). As a result, she is sometimes affected by lightheadedness, bouts of fainting, and increased heart rate. I loved how supportive the other girls were of Tania. They promised to not let her fall or let her condition affect her ability to serve as a Musketeer, and they kept their word. Every person with a disability needs friends like these in their life. I’m not affected by POTS, but I am chronically ill and disabled and I felt so seen by this book. I want to note that while the support of the female musketeers covers Tania and her disability, it also extends to other aspects of life (like how Aria and Portia end up acting on their feelings for each other). A found family tale at its best!

I’m not familiar with the original The Three Musketeers story, but that didn’t interfere with my ability to follow and enjoy the events of the book. I could see where the influences from the original novel came into play. The worldbuilding was *chef’s kiss* beautiful. The setting was awesome - Ms. Lainoff did a great job with painting the picture and never bordered on info dumping. She also wove a story that made sense for the chronological setting but could still be understood and appreciated by modern readers. For example, given the time period that the story is set in, it was not “proper” for females to wear trousers. The musketeers made it work though (and all of their rationales and methods made sense). I thought it was cool how the girls made Tania special leggings to help with her condition, and how they designed their dresses to hide their weapons. I’ve always thought the dresses of the time period were unnecessarily poofy (I would never be caught dead in one), but now I know the true purpose of all those layers is to hide your fencing sabers (which, for the record, is an amazing reason to tolerate dressing up like that). 

The narrator Mara Wilson did an amazing job with the audiobook. As a side note unrelated to my rating of the book, I absolutely love the story of how she became the narrator (she was the author’s dream narrator from the start, and so many things worked out to make it happen). 

Overall, a fantastic debut novel from Ms. Lainoff! If a gender-bent version of a classic tale (The Three Musketeers) sounds like something you would enjoy, then go pick up the book and join the Sisterhood of the Stab Stab today! Fingers crossed this book gets picked up for a full series, because I would love to see what happens next for Tania and the other Musketeers. 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Death of a Parent, Grief, Brief References to Pedophiles, Attempted Assault, Ableism, Bullying

About the Author

Lillie Lainoff is a writer, a fencer, and now, a writer who writes about fencing. She doesn’t understand why her parents gave a clumsy eight-year-old a saber, but she’s thankful for it every day. She grew up in Washington D.C. and graduated from Yale University in 2018, where she was managing editor of the Yale Daily News Magazine and a writing partner at the Yale Writing Center, as well as a Div I athlete and NCAA Championship competitor. She is the founder of Disabled Kidlit Writers. Her writing has received awards from the Los Angeles Review, Glimmer Train, and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and has been featured in The Washington Post Outlook and Washington City Paper, amongst other places. She received her MA in Creative Writing Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia. One for All, her debut novel, will be published by FSG in 2022.

Check out my interview with the author here!

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REVIEW Magic Steps (The Circle Opens Book 1) by Tamora Pierce

Magic Steps (The Circle Opens Book 1) by Tamora Pierce
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Release Date: November 15, 2006 (originally published March 1, 2000)
Format: Paperback (Personal Library) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Scholastic 

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Readers were initially introduced to the quartet of Sandry, Briar, Tris, and Daja in the Circle of Magic books. Now, we get to see them (slightly) more grown-up and taking on students of their own in the Circle Opens series.  

As the first book in the follow-up series to the original Circle of Magic books, Magic Steps felt much more mature than the original books. It builds upon the original books, and even adds additional elements to heighten the stakes. Instead of dealing with natural disasters, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, or Sandry, and her student Pasco must help catch a group of serial killers on the loose in Summersea. Sandry ends up turning into something of a detective, and it's a lot of fun to see. There are also multiple times when Sandry must assert her rights as a fully accredited mage and a high-ranking noble, and I was quite amused to see her dressing down fully grown adults. Never fear though - while this book is darker and more depressing, it does end on a happy note. 

The worldbuilding and magic system in the Emelan books remains one of my favorites of all time. Tamora Pierce built on what readers knew about ambient magic from the first series and introduced an entirely new style of magic that even the experienced mages of Winding Circle have never heard of - dance magic. It was fun to see how they crafted Pasco’s unique training program (and what his first bout of accidental magic did). I’d love to see a short story about how the newest residents of Discipline Cottage are doing in the future. 

The one thing that could have made this book better would be if the other members of the quartet (Briar, Daja, and Tris) had made an appearance. I’m eager for more of their interactions, and what we get in this series and the companion novel Will of the Empress wasn’t enough. Either way, Magic Steps was a fantastic read (and a fantastic re-read) so I’m excited to re-read Street Magic next and revisit the story of Evy and Briar.

About the Author

TAMORA PIERCE is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over eighteen novels set in the fantasy realm of Tortall. She first captured the imagination of readers with her debut novel, Alanna: The First Adventure. Since then, her bestselling and award-winning titles have pushed the boundaries of fantasy and young adult novels to introduce readers to a rich world populated by strong, believable heroines. Her books have been translated into many languages, and some are available on audio from Listening Library and Full Cast Audio. In 2013, she won the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.” Pierce lives in Syracuse, New York, with her husband, Tim, and their cats, birds, and occasional rescued wildlife. 

Check out my reviews of other books by Tamora Pierce

REVIEW Tris's Book (Circle of Magic #2) by Tamora Pierce

Tris's Book (Circle of Magic #2) by Tamora Pierce
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Release Date: June 24, 2006 (originally published April 1, 1998)
Format: Paperback (Personal Library) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Scholastic 

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Check out my review of book one in the series, Sandry's Book

Check out my review of book three in the series, Daja's Book

Check out my review of book four in the series, Briar's Book

I’m rereading this book probably ten years after the first time I read it, and it's just as great. This is the first time I’ve listened to the audiobook, and it was quite easy to knock out in one day (the audiobook itself is 6 hours or so). 

Tris’s Book takes place a couple of weeks after the earthquake that closed out Sandry’s Book. Winding Circle is still recovering, and the kids in particular are suffering from nightmares as a result of their experience. Tris is a very different character from Sandry, and I think her powers are the most interesting out of all the children. Each of the others (Briar, Sandry, and Daja) have instructors with very similar powers. Tris is more unique as a “weather witch” - her instructor Niklaren Goldeye doesn’t have anything remotely similar to her abilities, and many of the lessons turn into “figure it out as we go” situations. Their relationship does the most to highlight the differences between academic and ambient mages in the world of Emelan.  

The found family aspect in this book is strong. While Sandry’s Book sets it up, Tris’s Book evolves it. It also highlights how your family doesn’t have to be what you’re born into. For example, Tris has a lot of hurts she has to deal with from how her family treated her before her magic was discovered. Her merchant parents considered her useless and of no value to the family. She’s able to get some closure and start the healing process after she talks to her cousin in this book. That interaction also gives her the nudge she needs to open up to the other children even more and realize that they are her new family. With the benefit of having already read the other books in the Emelan universe, I can safely say this was a critical point in Tris’s character arc and growth. 

I’m not sure how I feel about the full cast audiobook. While it’s cool to have the author as the narrator, I think it might have been easier and simpler to have just one person narrating the book. I did like the sound effects that were included, but they weren’t enough to sell me. 

Altogether, another fantastic read from Tamora Pierce. Like many of the author’s other books, I would happily and enthusiastically recommend the Circle of Magic Quartet books to fantasy readers of all ages. Middle-grade readers should start with this series, while readers at the young adult level would most likely prefer the series that are set in Tortall (Song of the Lioness, Protector of the Small, and Daughter of the Lioness are some of the best). Tamora Pierce remains one of my favorite authors of all time (one of my very few “auto-buy” authors) - I can usually be found singing the praises of her books to anyone who asks. 

About the Author

TAMORA PIERCE is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over eighteen novels set in the fantasy realm of Tortall. She first captured the imagination of readers with her debut novel, Alanna: The First Adventure. Since then, her bestselling and award-winning titles have pushed the boundaries of fantasy and young adult novels to introduce readers to a rich world populated by strong, believable heroines. Her books have been translated into many languages, and some are available on audio from Listening Library and Full Cast Audio. In 2013, she won the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.” Pierce lives in Syracuse, New York, with her husband, Tim, and their cats, birds, and occasional rescued wildlife. 

Check out my reviews of other books by Tamora Pierce

15 Reactions While Reading The Witch the Sword and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers

Hi friends! I'm so pleased to be hosting a spot on the TBR and Beyond Tours Blog Tour for The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers. Thank you to Little Brown Books for Young Readers for my complimentary review copy of the book! I appreciate the opportunity immensely. Please remember to show the other tour hosts some love as well - I've linked the schedule below for easy access to their pages. 

The Witch, the Sword and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers Tour Schedule (TBR and Beyond Tours)

About the Book

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm

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Twelve-year-old Ellie can’t help that she’s a witch, the most hated member of society. Determined to prove her worth and eschew her heritage, Ellie applies to the Fairy Godmother Academy—her golden ticket to societal acceptance. But Ellie’s dreams are squashed when she receives the dreaded draft letter to serve as a knight of King Arthur’s legendary Round Table. She can get out of the draft—but only if she saves a lost cause.

Enter Caedmon, a boy from Wisconsin struggling with the death of his best friend. He first dismisses the draft as ridiculous; magic can’t possibly exist. But when Merlin’s ancient magic foretells his family’s death if he doesn’t follow through, he travels to the knights’ castle, where he learns of a wicked curse leeching the knights of their power.

To break the curse, Ellie and Caedmon must pass a series of deathly trials and reforge the lost, shattered sword of Excalibur. And unless Ellie accepts her witch magic and Caedmon rises to become the knight he’s meant to be, they will both fail—and the world will fall to the same darkness that brought King Arthur and Camelot to ruin.

15 Reactions While Reading The Witch the Sword and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers

1. End of Prologue: Ooh! That was an ominous opening. I wonder who Madam Mysterieuse is, and how they (and the contents of the letter) play into the story

2. Chapter One: Wowza! The way they address letters in this world “Dear Ellie...frizzy hair in both rain and sun, excruciatingly average” is both blunt and slightly brutal. 

3. Chapter Three: Talk about dropping a metaphorical bomb on someone. Caedmon’s introduction into the magical world is neither gradual nor gentle. But then again, what middle-grade fantasy character’s introduction to magic is? 

4. Chapter Six: Woohoo! First intro to the Knights of the Round Table. I wonder if the author will introduce some of the knights from the original tale into the story (Lancelot, Percival, Gwaine….)

5. Chapter Ten: Is there an “adults-speaking-in-riddles” to a plain English dictionary I could borrow? I completely empathize with the frustration the kids are feeling with the lack of clear directions at this point in the story.

6. Chapter Thirteen: I always love it when there’s a brainiac young character whose first instinct is to use their brain. What will Ellie and the others do with this new piece of information? *cue ominous music*

7. Chapter Sixteen: Favorite Quote Time! “Excalibur was not made for a warrior king. IT was made for a boy with indomitable courage.”

8. Chapter Eighteen: I love it when there’s a poignant mentor-mentee moment in a middle-grade book. Dame Ethyl is officially my favorite adult in the story. 

9. Chapter Nineteen: I commend the author’s dedication in writing after they made the “rule” that all spells must be in iambic pentameter. I doubt I would have been able to come up with as many as they did. 

10. Chapter Twenty One: Ellie’s mother is a total jerk. I don’t want to spoil things for readers, but one of the reveals in this chapter reinforces me not liking her. 

11. Chapter Twenty Seven: Do or do not. There is no “try”, young knight-in-training. 

12. Chapter Twenty Eight: Ooh, this is an interesting take on Guinevere’s involvement in the story. 

13. Chapter Thirty: Plot Twist! Is REDACTED related to REDACTED?

14. Chapter Forty-Six: I love a good evil villain monologue where they explain all their evil plans to the hero. 

15. Chapter Fifty-One - Beware of a cliffhanger, friends. I now have no choice to wait for the next installment so I can find out what happens after that ends.

REVIEW of The Witch, the Sword and the Cursed Knights by Alexandria Rogers

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Release Date: February 8, 2022

Format: ARC (from Publisher)

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Alexandria Rogers’ The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights is a magical, adventure-filled new middle-grade fantasy! An engaging and innovative take on the legend of Arthur and Merlin, I can easily envision fantasy readers of all ages (but especially children) enjoying this. If this is Alexandria Rogers’ debut novel, I can’t wait to read any other books she may write in the future!

One hallmark of a great retelling in my opinion is using enough of the original story that it's recognizable while also changing things up such that it’s clearly a unique take. Ms. Rogers delivers on that idea; she took all of my favorite parts of the original legend and wove them into an innovative and fresh version of the tale. I really appreciated how she didn’t rely on all of the original figures connected to the Round Table (Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, etc.) - most of them aren’t even referenced until later in the book. Her unique take on the story allowed for even die-hard fans of the original tale (a.k.a me) to be surprised here and there by plot twists, and I loved that! My favorite quote (that kind of embodies the direction the author seemed to want to take the story) is this: “Excalibur was not made for a warrior king. It was made for a boy with indomitable courage.”

It was a beautiful experience to be able to watch the friendship and bonds between the main characters, Ellie and Caedmon, grow. They both have some issues in their family life, but they were able to find a family with each other and some of the other draftees (*cue happy tears*). It was also heartwarming to see how they needed each other to be able to fulfill their destiny - talk about a full-circle moment, especially for two characters who felt so alone at the beginning of the book. 

The world-building was fantastic! There are a lot of creatures and magic and different elements that were incorporated, and I never had an issue envisioning things. Most of the worldbuilding is explored through Caedmon’s eyes (given that he is new to the magical realm), and it was exciting to be able to experience things alongside him. 

If a kid-friendly Arthurian legend retelling complete with a strong hero and heroine, hilarious antics, and lots of intricate worldbuilding sounds like something you would enjoy, then pick up The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights today!  I would happily recommend this book to fantasy readers at the middle-grade level and above. 

Thank you to the author, the publisher Little Brown Books for Young Readers, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the blog tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.

About the Author

After receiving her master’s degree at City, University of London for her non-fiction book on the romantic mythology of Paris, she acted, modeled, and wrote in Los Angeles. Eventually, she discovered she preferred drizzly days to eternal sunshine, and that she didn’t want anything to divert her time from writing.

Now the Wisconsin native lives in Edinburgh with her husband and dog, in eternal search of excuses to visit Paris.

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