Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Many years ago, the
magical Kingdom of Avalon was left desolate and encased in ice when the
evil Snow Queen waged war on the powerful country. Its former citizens
are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the
crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona.
Prince Alexei,
the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is in hiding in a town so
boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but
his friend Tala is one of them. Tala doesn’t mind—she has secrets of
her own. Namely, that she’s a spellbreaker, someone who negates magic.
Then
hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of
legend, and Avalon’s most powerful weapon, the Firebird, appears for the
first time in decades. Alex and Tala unite with a ragtag group of new
friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the
world as they know it.
Review:
I have been a huge fan of author Rin Chupeco since reading The Bone Witch series. I hadn't heard much about Wicked As You Wish before I read it, so I was bowled over by how wonderful it was! With a wonderful blend of fantasy, and realistic settings, endearing characters, and an action packed plot, this is just the sort of book escape we need!
What I Liked:
World-Building:
This book has an alternate reality setting. Most details of the world are the same. There is still the Internet, Twitter, and (sadly) ICE agents hassling minorities in America. But, also, there is a King who rules The Royal States of America, magic, and fairy-tale kingdoms. It was a wonderful mix of reality and whimsy.
I also like how the author shows how magic would be commercialized in this world. One of the main conflicts in this universe is over who gets to control magic. Should magical kingdoms share their magic? Should non-magical countries be afraid of those who have magic? Fear seems to rule over everyone.
Characters:
I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Not only were Tala and Alex fantastic main characters, but they were supported by a cadre of the most wonderful teens and adults.
The teens were a delightful mix of diversity with characters of varying genders, and orientations. They also each had strengths and insecurities that made each person very relatable. I also liked that romance was not the only thing these teens were thinking about. They were more interested in their main objective: Saving the Kingdom of Avalon!
The adults were all fully developed characters, with their own share of problems. These people had complicated pasts that would be hard for their kids to understand. Which made the relationships between parents and children challenging, at times.
Filipino Culture:
Filipino culture was well represented in this book. Everything from the food (Chicken Adobo, anyone?), and the clothing, to the beloved older generation was celebrated in this book. I loved, loved, loved all the aunts, uncles, grannies, and granddads. They all had opinions and were not shy about stating them. And they each contributed greatly to the cause.
Plot:
The plot was very fast-paced, with plenty of fights, and strange situations. The novel, once it gets going, essentially became an action-packed road trip. As the teens journey toward their destination, they met with all sorts of fairy-tale creatures and legends. And with all the prophesies mentioned for each character, a sense of foreboding carried the story to a thrilling conclusion.
Ending:
Usually when a book series starts, the ending of the first book can be less than satisfying. I really dislike it when there are huge parts of the plot that are unresolved in an attempt to force the reader to read the next book. Not so with this novel. All the main plot points are resolved with a few small dangling bits that I know will be answered in later books.
Rating:
Release Date: March 3rd, 2020
Author: Rin Chupeco
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 432 Pages
Source: Public Library
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: A fun, fast-paced YA fantasy. The perfect escape.
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Synopsis (From GoodReads):
In The Bone Witch, Tea mastered resurrection―now she's after revenge...
No
one knows death like Tea. A bone witch who can resurrect the dead, she
has the power to take life...and return it. And she is done with her
self-imposed exile. Her heart is set on vengeance, and she now possesses
all she needs to command the mighty daeva. With the help of these
terrifying beasts, she can finally enact revenge against the royals who
wronged her―and took the life of her one true love.
But there are
those who plot against her, those who would use Tea's dark power for
their own nefarious ends. Because you can't kill someone who can never
die...
War is brewing among the kingdoms, and when dark magic is at play, no one is safe.
Review:
When I read The Bone Witch, by Rin Chupeco, about a year ago, I was struck by how flawed the main character was. Tea is a Dark Asha, which means she can raise the dead. She is also prone to go insane if she tries to use too much magic. There's that old saying, "Absolute power corrupts, absolutely." In The Heart Forger, As her magic becomes increasingly powerful, Tea walks a thin line between helping her friends and going fully dark. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, there were some things I wasn't fond of.
What I Liked:
Setting:
The world of The Heart Forger is lush with magic, enchanted objects, various kingdoms, and people with different supernatural professions.
The Asha are women who are a combination of entertainers (like Japan's Geisha) and magicians. While they mostly entertain men in tea houses, they also are healers. As a Dark Asha, The main character, Tea, is called to destroy monsters.
Deathseekers are men who can do magic. They are mostly soldiers who use their magic to protect a kingdom.
A Heartforger is an artisan who creates heartsglass. These vessels hold a person's essence. I could go on to explain how this all works, but I won't. Discovering all the intricate parts of this world is one of the joys of this series.
Characters:
The main character, Tea, is very complex. While one can cheer her on, the reader also must contend with the fact that she walks on the edge of evil. Her decisions are often risky and affect all the other characters. Sometimes I caught myself being angry with her for being selfish. But she is also manipulated by those in power. I did root for her as I wanted her to break free from being used.
I loved the complicated relationship between Tea and her brother, Fox. Fox is technically her familiar, as Tea has raised him from the dead. But she doesn't control him. They can read some of each other's thoughts, which can be awkward when Fox is secretly romancing a princess, or when Tea is thinking about a man she likes. But Fox also acts as her conscience.
I also enjoyed the diversity of genders and sexuality among the characters. There is Likh, a transgender character who was born a boy but wishes to become an Asha. Other Asha, such as Zoya and Shadi, are lovers. And there are male gay characters, too. These characters all strive to live their authentic life, free from the expectations of society.
Story:
The story is full of intrigue among the Asha, the Faceless (dark magicians who have gone bad), and several kingdoms. There are plots that are decades in the making, as well as newer rivalries and forbidden romances. These were complicated storylines to follow, but the payoff at then end was worth it.
What I Didn't Like:
This book was extremely confusing!!! This occurred in two ways: lack of exposition, and the narrative structure of the book itself.
Exposition:
The Bone Witch came out in March 2017. Given the complicated array of characters and plots, could we PLEASE have some kind of recap? There is no way I can remember who everyone is and how they are related to each other. It took me a long time into reading before I felt confident that I knew who everyone was. As frustrating as this was, the confusion was ultimately worthwhile. But I was often worried that I had missed important information.
Narrative Style:
As with the first book, the narrative alternates between Tea (The Bone Witch), and an unnamed Bard who is following Tea in order to chronicle what is happening. This has good and bad points. One the one hand, I like that the action could be seen from another point of view (and one that is more objective than the main character).
However, due to this there is a lot of jumping around between parts of the story, and timelines. Incidents are sometimes repeated from the two viewpoints. This makes me unsure about when things are happening.
Lack of Resolution:
Although I was satisfied with the ending of the book, one of the main plot points was unresolved. Throughout the book, hints are given that one of the characters is dead, and that Tea has resurrected them. Yet at the end, I still didn't know if this person was dead or alive! Considering this plot point is given so much attention in the book, it is unfair to keep dangling this question in front of the reader.
Rating:
Release Date: March 20th, 2018
Author: Rin Chupeco
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 528 Pages
Source: Public Library
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: I loved the intrigue and complicated plot. But to truly enjoy this book, you need to read The Bone Witch just before reading The Heart Forger.
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Please Note: I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.
Synopsis (From GoodReads):
Tea is different from
the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a
bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a
powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the
living—and of the human.
Great power comes at a price, forcing
Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser
bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha,
learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit
by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even
believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war
that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very
survival of those she loves.
Review:
From the intriguing title, to the stunning book cover, I yearned to read this book from the moment I saw it on NetGalley. Aside from the too-open ended finish, this book did not disappoint.
What I Liked:
Narrative Style:
The book alternates chapters between two first-person narratives. First, a bard (we are never told his name) is compelled to travel to a desolate beach where an older Tea is preparing her revenge. He asks her questions about her life, and witnesses her preparations for her revenge.
The other narrator is Tea reflecting on her training as an Asha and laying the groundwork for why she is seeking revenge.
I've never seen a book organized in this way. It was unusual and compelling.
Setting:
A significant portion of the book happens in The Willows, a place much like that of the Geisha district in Kyoto, Japan. I lived in Japan for several years, and I immediately understood the type of atmosphere the author was trying to convey. The world of Asha (witches) is run much like Geisha. The Asha train for years in more than spells. They must be adept at singing, dancing, musical instruments, and conversation. Then they set about entertaining important people at tea houses in The Willows.
Fashion:
I loved the descriptions of the clothing, and accessories of the Asha. This may seem superficial, but the clothing of each Asha was an important part of their lives. I made a Pinterest board to show what I think the fashions may have been like:
Characters:
I loved Tea, the main character of the book. She was someone who was constantly being controlled by others. She struggled to find the strength needed to break free of everyone else's expectations and be her own person. I also liked that, although her Asha abilities were rare, she wasn't a Super character. She was not great at everything she tried (particularly singing!). I get very irritated when the main character is perfect, and Tea is far from that.
What I didn't Like:
Ending:
While I understand that this will be a trilogy, I was frustrated by the huge cliffhanger ending!
via GIPHY
Yes, the main problem of the book was solved. But there were so many unanswered questions, that I was extremely frustrated! I had to take half a star away from my rating to reflect this.
Overall, this was an exciting beginning to a saga I will be following with great interest in the future.
Rating:
Release Date: March 7th, 2017
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: NetGalley
Format: ARC E-Book
Recommendation: If you enjoy magic, political intrigue, and strong female characters, you will love this book.
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