Book Review: The Shadow Queen by CJ Redwine

 

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Synopsis

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.
In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman—and bring her Lorelai’s heart.
But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Samantha's Review

 

   

I am a big fan of fairytale adaptions and retellings, but I also get nervous because sometimes my beloved classics get torn apart and hardly resemble a fairytale anymore. Thankfully, that is not the case with Mrs. Redwine's "The Shadow Queen!"

 

I really loved how it mirrored the Snow White story while feeling like it's own story on it's own. The characters were nice, though the death of one came at a shock and really did feel as though I lost a member of my family.

I really hope she does more stories like this with other characters, but set in the same land so they all meet again.

Book Review: The Neverland Wars by Audrey Greathouse

 

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Synopsis

Magic can do a lot—give you flight, show you mermaids, help you taste the stars, and… solve the budget crisis? That's what the grown-ups will do with it if they ever make it to Neverland to steal its magic and bring their children home.
However, Gwen doesn't know this. She's just a sixteen-year-old girl with a place on the debate team and a powerful crush on Jay, the soon-to-be homecoming king. She doesn't know her little sister could actually run away with Peter Pan, or that she might have to chase after her to bring her home safe. Gwen will find out though—and when she does, she'll discover she's in the middle of a looming war between Neverland and reality.
She'll be out of place as a teenager in Neverland, but she won't be the only one. Peter Pan's constant treks back to the mainland have slowly aged him into adolescence as well. Soon, Gwen will have to decide whether she's going to join impish, playful Peter in his fight for eternal youth… or if she's going to scramble back to reality in time for the homecoming dance.

Samantha's Review

 

   

First let me say, I have never read the original Peter Pan. Also, I was never a fan of the cartoon or play. I just also found Peter Pan annoying and boring.

 

Now that I've said that, let me say I really liked this book. I liked the modern twist. Like Peter Pan was still around today and taking kids to Neverland.

 

It was really written well. It flowed nicely and didn't have any slow parts that held me up.

 

My only negative is that is ends in a huge cliffhanger. One of those cliffhangers that has you turning the page wondering where the next chapter is. I'm really hoping there is a book two in the works since there was no 'sneak preview' of the next book at the end of it. If you do not like cliff hangers you will find the ending very frustrating.

 

Additionally, it lost a partial star rating because at the very end of the book there is a rather lot of cussing (for such a small few pages) and there is drinking and drug use. This is simply a 'Belle's Beastly Book Blog' rating system regarding how clean a book is and may not bother all readers.

Book Review: Wicked by Gregory Maguire

 

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Synopsis

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

An astonishingly rich re-creation of the land of Oz, this book retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn't so wicked after all. Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, Gregory Maguire just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature.

Samantha's Review

 

   

I have always been a big fan of The Wizard of Oz. I actually didn't hear about this book until it became a musical and I loved the music so much I decided to read it (though I know it's not a musical style book).

 

It is a very interesting take on the life of the Wicked Witch and how she came to be. It goes to show you that no character is truly wicked or evil, there is always something behind the curtain that is tender and good.

There are a few scenes that suggest adult situations, which is why I dropped it to a four star rating. I wouldn't necessarily suggest this for tweens or young teens. But I do think it's a great adaptation.

Apparently it is part of a series, however I felt it worked as a stand alone book. I'm not sure if I will read on simply because I liked it so much on it's own. We will see.

Book Review: Cinderella is Evil by Jamie Campbell

 

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Synopsis

History is told from one person’s perspective. Sometimes they don’t get it right.

Ugly Stepsister Anna has wrongly been accused of being mean and evil. Now it is time she got the opportunity to tell her side of the story.

With Cinderella so perfect and wonderful, it is no wonder Anna feels ugly in comparison. Dealing with bullies, a grumpy mother and the death of her step-father, Anna is at her wits end.

When the Prince’s ball approaches, Anna is told she must find a husband to save the family fortune. Attending with her sisters, the sulky Prince Charming only has eyes for Cinderella.

With the burden of being the only one to unite her step-sister with the Prince, will Anna act as cupid? Or will she protect Cinderella from the arrogant Charming?

A charming twist to the story of Cinderella, told completely from the point of view of the Ugly Step-Sister.

Samantha's Review

 

   

The negatives about this book are the length and the cover. The book cover seems a bit unprofessional. The reason the length is a negative is because I wanted more!

This story was really cute and super good. I devoured it in one sitting and seriously found myself saying "Oh please more!".

 

It is well written and you really feel this is the story that the fairy tales forgot to include. I found myself hating Cinderella and believing that she really was just some spoiled dramatic girl who exaggerated her treatment and played the victim.

I would happily read more stories like this by the author.