Genre: Magic

The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkein

What to say about a timeless fantasy? I actually reviewed The Fellowship of the Ring a couple of years ago, so I want to keep this brief and concise. My review in 2017 covered a lot of my technical concerns, so if you’d like to read more of a breakdown of the book, I’d suggest heading to that review. As the technicals are covered, much of this review is going to be reactionary. As I mentioned in a recent post, Lord of the Rings is a classic. Anyone who loves fantasy should read it – doubly so if you enjoy epic fantasy. […]

Posted April 28, 2019 in Reviews // 3 Comments //

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

The Witchlands series has a pretty devoted following, and as such, I’ve been curious about it. It’s not hyped in the way that Strange the Dreamer or Six of Crows is hyped, but the people who love this series are fiercely devoted. I’ve had this one on my TBR for a while, but I’ve heard negative things about the audiobook version, so I was a little nervous when I borrowed this one from Libby. So, on one hand, I will say that Cassandra Campbell’s narration isn’t my favorite. BUT. It’s not the worst I’ve ever read? I sped up the audiobook to […]

Posted April 11, 2019 in Reviews // 2 Comments //

Harry Potter: The Prequel by J.K. Rowling

I feel like I can no longer call myself a Harry Potter fan, because this short story was “released” ten years ago, and I didn’t know it existed. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Marauders, although as I’ve grown older I recognize that they were definitely bullies. Still, I’ve always wanted Rowling to write a companion series about them (I’m all set with the sequels, plays, etc.). Another reason why I’m flabbergasted that I didn’t know about this short story. First of all, I need to point out that I really appreciate the Sirius Black pun. This is a […]

Posted March 14, 2019 in Reviews // 8 Comments //

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Hmm. So, I read Sabriel for the first time early in high school. I liked it. I remember liking it and liking the world it was in. I loved Clariel when I read it last year, so I already know I like this world with its monsters and charter magic. And yet, I feel like listening to Sabriel glazed across the surface for me. I only absorbed once word in every ten, and many of those seemed to be Mogget’s. I think it’s because of the narrator. Don’t get me wrong. I like Tim Curry. I like his reading of A Christmas Carol. But […]

Posted February 28, 2019 in Reviews // 0 Comments //

Enchantée by Gita Trelease

I’m positively enchanted by Enchantée. I must admit, when I requested this ARC from NetGalley, I had my reservations. This is one of those examples where the online bookish community really came through for me. I discovered Enchantée through a giveaway on Roshani Chokshi’s page. There was a massive joint giveaway for six ARCs upcoming in 2019, and when I got to Gita Trelease’s page, Enchantée stood out. Why? The cover is freaking gorgeous. So when I saw it on NetGalley, I figured – sure, I’ll request that! Two weeks-ish later, I got my acceptance email, and I read 40% of the book that first […]

Posted January 30, 2019 in Reviews // 0 Comments //

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

This book is slooooooooooow. It’s not bad, but the pacing is excruciating. I listened to the audiobook and I feel like Marin Ireland did a really good job narrating. She gave each character their own voice. But the story feels like it’s going nowhere fast. The Rules of Magic introduces us to Franny, Jet, and Vincent – three Owens siblings who fall in love and ruin lives because of a curse put on their family. Therefore, the storyline follows them from age fourteen (in Vincent’s case, the youngest) up into their twenties as the siblings struggle through love and loss […]

Posted January 26, 2019 in Reviews // 4 Comments //