Friday, September 30, 2022

"Dog Days of Summer" by Kathleen Y'Barbo

About this book:

  “Mishaps Abound as Second Chance Ranch Struggles to Get Its Start
   Grab a lap dog to cuddle and relax into a fun small-town mystery as a new dog rescue project turns into a three-ring circus of calamities in book 2 of the Gone to the Dogs series.
   Trina Potter, Nashville country music star, buys a ranch near her hometown in Brenham, Texas, to help her niece open a rescue facility for dogs. Her presence in town stirs up some old high school rivalries—and romance. Finding property to buy is a challenge, convincing her mother to move there with her is daunting, and navigating a string of strange accidents is perplexing. Sometimes Trina feels like she’s purchased her own three ring circus instead of a beautiful piece of land. But her first priority will be figuring out who wants Second Chance Ranch shut down before they even have the grand opening.


Series: Book #2 in the “Gone to the Dogs” series. Can be read as stand-alones, but would be most enjoyed if read in order. Review of Book #1 Here


Spiritual Content- A few talks about God & His Word; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of a pastor, sermons, & how Grandma Peach doesn’t think she’s cut out to be a pastor’s wife; A few mentions of thanking God; A mention of a Christmas Eve service; A mention of Heaven; 
             *Note: A cat is called “Hector the devil cat”; A mention of someone looking like they saw a ghost. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blasted’, an ‘oh my gosh’, a ‘stupid’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘wimp’, two forms of ‘dumb’, and eight ‘idiot’s; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; All about many mentions of bombs/explosions, who could have done it. & threats (the bomb was on a dog rescue center’s property, but no person or dog was hurt); Mentions of gunshots, being shot at, & being threatened (including threatening someone else’s dogs); Mentions of trespassing & stealing; Mentions of jail, arrests, & crime scenes; Mentions of fires; Mentions of a tree falling on someone (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a dog being hurt and caught in a bear trap (he will be okay, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of the possibility of dogs being hurt or shot; Mentions of grieving family members (including Trina with her sister and Mari with her mom); Mentions of a divorce; A few mentions of a car accident with injured dogs (they will all be okay, barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of hunting; A couple mentions of a stolen car (Book #1); A couple mentions of blackmail; A couple mentions of vandalism; A couple mentions of rumors & lying; A mention of a prisoner; A mention of not being a betting man; A mention of a winery; A mention of tattoos; 
             *Note: Mentions of singers & songs (Miranda Lambert, Elvis, Tennessee Williams, Patsy Cline, & Willie Nelson); A few mentions of TV shows (Hawaii 5-0, Golden Girls, Dr. Who, & The Daytripper); A few mentions of websites & apps (Etsy, Uber, PayPal, & Venmo); A couple mentions of brands and items (iPad & SkinnyPop); A couple mentions of car brands. 
 
 
Sexual Content- An almost kiss, a not-detailed kiss, and five barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Snuggling, & Hand holding (barely-above-not-detailed); A bit of Noticing; Mentions of kisses, kissing, & couples snuggling; A few mentions of couples going to see the stars at night and ending up on a blanket together (hinted to more happening); A few mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dating, & break-ups; A few mentions of high school girls only caring about boys; A couple mentions of a (married) male hairstylist having “extra services” for his clients that ended up getting him in trouble with his wife; A couple mentions of hunky and cute guys; A mention of flirting; A mention of a crush; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A few mentions of fathers telling their high school aged daughters that makeup and short skirts will attract the wrong kind of man; A mention of college-aged Trina thinking that her size 2 jeans weren’t loose enough, but now gives thanks that she could still fit in her size 10s; A mention of a woman’s clingy dress; A mention of a man’s short shorts.
 
-Trina Potter
                                1st person P.O.V. of Trina 
                                               256 pages


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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

And this series continues to be enjoyable!

Ahh, but really, though, this was so much fun! I found so many parts to make the book for me: I giggled and smirked so much at the banter between Trina and Wyatt; the mystery aspect was very interesting and I wasn’t sure how it would all work out; seeing Mari and Parker again!; and yay for all the Texas parts! Am I biased? Completely, but that’s to be expected. 

I’m so happy that I enjoyed the second book in the series as well! Now I’m even more excited to read the next two books in this series, because the track record is very good so far. ;) 

 


See y’all on Friday with a new review! 



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Barbour) for this honest review.


Monday, September 26, 2022

"Millstone of Doubt" by Erica Vetsch

About this book:

  “Caught in the explosion of the Hammersmith Mill in London, Bow Street Runner Daniel Swann rushes to help any survivors only to find the mill's owner dead of an apparent gunshot.
   Even though the owner's daughter, Agatha Montgomery, mourns his death, it seems there are more than a few people with motive for murder. But Daniel can't take this investigation slow and steady. Instead, he must dig through all the suspects as quickly as he can, because the clock is ticking until his mysterious patronage--and his job as a runner--comes to an abrupt and painful end. It seems to Daniel that, like his earthly father, his heavenly Father has abandoned him to the fates.
    Lady Juliette Thorndike is Agatha's bosom friend and has the inside knowledge of the wealthy London ton to be invaluable to Daniel. She should be in a perfect position to help with the case. Still, her instructor in the art of spy craft orders her to stay out of the investigation. But circumstances intervene, dropping her into the middle of the deadly pursuit.
   When a dreadful accident ends in another death on the mill floor, Daniel discovers a connection to his murder case--and to his own secret past. Now he and Juliette are in a race to find the killer before his time runs out.



Series: Book #2 in the “Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries” series. Review of Book #1 Here! (It is best to read them in order.)


Spiritual Content- A couple Scriptures are mentioned; Prayers; Church going (though Juliette isn’t able to concentrate on the sermon); Talks about God, serving Him, & God being our Heavenly Father; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Juliette hopes that God forgives her for telling a lie; Daniel isn’t sure if God called him to be a Bow Street runner because the job doesn’t feel like a sacrifice since “it seemed to him that the God preacher talked about mostly called people to do things that were hard, that cost them something in the doing. Certainly not something they enjoyed or might have a talent for.” (this is not brought up again in thoughts or correction); Daniel doesn’t understand about God being a loving heavenly Father due to his earthly father not being in the picture, let alone loving & says he never felt anything when listening to sermons about what a good Father God is (he says that God doesn’t care about him anymore than his real father, but a good mentor sets him straight that God’s hand was still on his life and that he had many father figures throughout his life and that gets through to Daniel); Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, & vicars/ministers; A few mentions of those in the Bible; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed (including Daniel not feeling blessed because he doesn’t know his biological father); A few mentions of forgiveness; A mention of meeting your Maker; A mention of doing a Christian action; A mention of a miracle; A mention of a prayer book; A mention of an anarchist being like John Wesley at a revival meeting; 
             *Note: Mentions of a lore about a man who became a ghost (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a man wanting to be stood up to and being told to go to the devil since he told someone else that enough times; A mention of a man grouping all aristocrats together as evil; A mention of ghostly faces. 

 
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘botheration’, a ‘dash it all’, a ‘drat’, an ‘idiot’, and two ‘stupid’s; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; An explosion, fires, finding a murdered body, being pushed, pain, injuries, blood/bleeding, & almost fainting (up to semi-detailed); Nearly drowning, (semi-detailed to detailed); Juliette lies (because of the secrets spies have); Daniel feels resentful towards his mother due to the fact she agreed to not contact him; A bit of social drinking; All about many mentions of explosions, fires, if it’s an accident or arson, deaths, bodies, murders, how they happened, & the murderer(s) (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of suicides (that a murder was not suicide & then a rumor of a ghost that took their life); Mentions of autopsies & corpses (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a murder, art thieves, & thefts (Book #1); Mentions of Juliette being kidnapped (Book #1); Mentions of a planned duel (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of violence, threats, protests, & anarchists (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of crimes, criminals, arrests, & a prison; Mentions of guns/weapons, gunfire, & someone being shot (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of arson, bombs, & bombers; Mentions of thieves, looters, break-ins, stealing, & stolen items; Mentions of pickpockets & fighting a couple off; Mentions of bribes & embezzlement; Mentions of card games with gambling/betting, cheating, con-artists, & debts; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, & pubs/taprooms (including how Uncle Bertie acts like a drunk at social events to keep from being detected when spying, how Daniel thinks that a drunk man is bad enough, but that there’s something terribly wrong about a drunk woman, & that more nurse were drunks with no medical knowledge); Mentions of pipes, cigars, & smoking; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars (including Daniel not being sure if he should be impressed or regret her ability to quickly come up with a lie); Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of injured horses & them being killed (one from the explosion and one because he couldn’t be saved, barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of wars; A few mentions of threatening to hang a criminal; A few mentions of hunting, an accident, & a death; A couple mentions of throwing up; A mention of a torture device; A mention of someone saying that someone else would have been better off dying in the explosion than to go through what he currently is; A mention of a missing woman; A mention of a doctor having a fetal pig in a jar; A mention of children being deported for stealing.
 
 
Sexual Content- a palm kiss, a cheek kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, a semi-detailed kiss,  and a detailed kiss (with a growl); Recalling a kiss (borderline semi-detailed // detailed); Wanting to kiss & thinking about kissing someone (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Shivers, Nearness, & Smelling (including Daniel thinking that it’s a very intimate thing to touch a woman’s hair, all borderline barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Recalling touches, embraces, & shivers (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (borderline barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); A man leers at Juliette & grabs her mouth from behind her (she defends herself by kicking him in a place “that Uncle Bertie had guaranteed would take the fight out of any man” and also gives him a bloody nose); Mentions of Daniel being born an illegitimate son of an unwed servant & not knowing anything about his biological father (including him feeling less than for it and *Major Spoiler* it's revealed towards the end that he is actually the legitimate son of a wealthy man and his parents were married, but the man was threatened by his father to annul the marriage; however, he faked the papers and still got married to another woman while still legally married to Daniel’s mother (the second marriage thus being a bigamous marriage) *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of rumored affairs, a married woman attracting many men, cheating on their wedding vows, a woman possibly replacing her lover with a new conquest, & a rumor of man casting eyes toward a married woman and making advances (including Juliette thinking that married people with roving eyes are quite common, but she hates the notion of being unfaithful to a spouse); Mentions of a rumor of a married woman doing more than just flirt with other men, her possible trysts and lovers, her reputation for flirting, another wife not appreciating her flirting with “anything in trousers”, & her swaying her hips in a way that receives men’s attention; Mentions of kisses & kissing (including seeing other couples kissing); Mentions of flirting; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of a man knowingly entering a bigamous marriage; A few mentions of the reasons for murder being power, money, and something that “has to do with men and women” (both Daniel and Juliette understand the meaning, but are embarrassed since it’s improper to discuss between unmarried individuals); A mention of the possibility of a woman becoming pregnant by another man after her marriage was annulled; A mention of a man being something of a Lothario if rumors are to be believed; A mention of a woman doing a brash thing by trying to pursue a man at his boardinghouse; A mention of a man whistling at a woman; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A couple mentions of women’s clothing mesmerizing males; A mention of a woman displaying “her…er…wares rather boldly”; A mention of a woman’s daring neckline; A mention of butting into an investigation. 
 
-Juliette Thorndike, age 19/20 (?)
-Daniel Swann, age 24-25
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                         Set in 1816
                                                   304 pages


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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 


Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this sequel ever since finishing “The Debutante’s Code”. Regency spies and mysteries? That is absolutely my cup of tea and I was excited to see all the characters again. I even reread that first story to be able to be fully involved in this second one and, once again, swoon over the vocabulary used within that novel. 

I definitely found the first book more fascinating because of the codes and art thefts, but this was an interesting story as well. Like the opening book of this series, I liked how the main plotline was the mysteries, not the romance. The romance was still on the lighter side (compared to most historical fiction books I’ve reviewed), but was more prevalent compare to the first book, and the faith content picked up a bit at the end. That latter note would be part of why my rating isn’t as high as the first book, as I would have preferred more faith discussions and questions being answered. 

I do have to say that I was disappointed to be able to figure out the mysteries in this novel, though, especially since the first book took me by surprise in many ways. They both felt very obvious, but I’m not sure if that’s because I tried to notice any hints or forshadowings, or if it was more on the obvious side. I will still read the third book when it releases as I quite like Juliette, Daniel (even though he annoyed me some in this book due to his attitude towards Owen), and, yes, Uncle Bertie too. 

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

Friday, September 23, 2022

"Wishtress" by Nadine Brandes

About this book:

  “
She didn't ask to be the Wishtress.
    
Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. It's a big secret to keep. When a granted wish goes wrong, a curse is placed on her: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She needs to journey to the Well and break the curse before it claims her life--and before the king's militairen track her down. But in order to survive the journey, she must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.
    He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.
    Bastiaan's powerful--and rare--Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find and capture the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. When he locates Myrthe, he agrees to take her to the Well in exchange for a wish. Once she's fulfilled her end of the deal, he'll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don't compromise his job.
    They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.
    Everyone seems to need a wish--the king, Myrthe's cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they're ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they'll just kill her anyway.



Series: As of now, no. As a stand-alone novel. 


Spiritual Content- “Thank the Well” is said once; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking someone (never specifically said Who the prayers are towards but it’s mentioned about praying to “whatever power created Talents” and begging the Well not to take someone); Mentions of the Well of Talents talking to those who receive a Talent (It talks to Bastiaan saying that it is with him); A few mentions of putting your trust in something beyond your own power, that being the power of the Well of Talents; A couple mentions of faiths & being faithful to the Well; A mention of seeing someone “on the other side” after death; A mention of being prepared to exit this world and “enter whatever eternity looked like”

             *Note: Myrthe is a Wishtress which is said to be the most powerful Talente; Myrthe’s grandmother bottles and sells Myrthe’s tears (called ‘wishes’) because they have the power to grant someone’s wish (they cannot bring back the dead, however); Myrthe is cursed by someone who’s eyes change and lightning sparked across her skin when reciting the curse *Spoiler* Bastiaan takes on her curse towards the very end (it changes to be more personal towards him) *End of Spoiler*; People can receive a Talent if they drink from the Well of Talents and the Well finds them worthy (Talents can range from healers that can heal the body, see the future, know if someone is lying, etc.); Those with Talents (called Talenteds) each have a Talent Mark that shows where their Talent is (such as Myrthe’s being a single “magic-white”eyelash and Bane having a silver mark on his middle finger); To get to the Well of Talents, you have to pass the Trials which are a mist of magic that give harsh weather scenarios and can kill people; If you submerge yourself into the lake of The Nightwell, you’ll reemerge with a Bane (some people call it a great power and others say it’s more of a weapon than a gift like a Talent); Banes are considered shortcuts for those who didn’t have the patience or appreciation for a Talent (they sought power with little thought of serving people with it and are driven by selfishness); There are many different Banes such as cursing others, commanding others to obey you, taking away someone else’s voice, etc.; Banes and Talents are others in competition to each other and if someone has both, they have to chose one or the other (this is said to be the struggle of the world, to choose between Bane and Talent); The water from Nightwell is said to be magic and not the magic Bastiaan is used to; Coralythe gives someone a Bane that causes his blood to be like poison to others (he is terrified by this but she says it’s a defense); *Spoiler* Myrthe is tossed into the Nightwell lake and a voice talks to her, promising a “gift” which can control someone else’s limbs like a puppeteer, and she uses it a few times (after saying to herself only once) to protect herself and others; She realizes shortly after, though, that she’ll continue to use it again and again, so she needs to get rid of it; Bastiaan swims in the Nightwell lake and is sucked under, being given the Bane to suck time from a person’s life; *End of Spoiler*; Due to Bastiaan’s Talent (to be able to snap his fingers which causes time to stop and he enters what he calls a “Stillness”, his physical body does not change, but anyone he brings with him will age), his soul is 107 years old, but he looks like a young man; Myrthe is called a savior for a group of people (twice); A woman is called a witch for having a Bane; All about many mentions of curses & being cursed; A mention of someone being looked at as an idol of a group; A mention of treating a Talent as an idol and not a gift; A mention of Myrthe thinking of Bastiaan’s Talent as “godlike”; A mention of Coralythe praising Nightwell for a small victory; A mention of someone being carried both towards and away from hell; A mention of someone liking to play the devil’s advocate. 

 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, two forms of ‘blast’, two ‘idiot’s, three ‘stupid’s; Made-up curses/phrases; a ‘for spring’s sake’, a ‘how in winter’s name’, five “Weather and Woods”s, and eighteen “Winter’s breath”s; Mentions of curses (including one by Bastiaan, said, not written); Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Some lies (some for safety, Myrthe also tries not to lie to someone); Seeing deaths & bodies (semi-detailed); Lots of Battles/Fighting, Knocking others out, Being Harmed, Harming others (in fights), Being choked, Major Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Being near death (semi-detailed to detailed); Preparing yourself for dying (barely-above-not-detailed); Passing out from the pain of being cursed (semi-detailed); Being whipped, screams, seeing someone being tortured & hints of what’s to come (up to semi-detailed); Being attacked by wasps, bears, giant spiders, scorpions, & fighting them (including killing them and thinking someone is killed by them, up to detailed); Seeing others shot with arrows and also stabbed, lots of their blood/bleeding, & them being near death (up to semi-detailed); Seeing an appendage cut off & the person’s pain (semi-detailed, *Spoiler* Sven has Bastiaan’s finger cut off *End of Spoiler*); Being drugged & drugging yourself (Myrthe, up to semi-detailed); Feeling guilt for events that caused others’ deaths (Myrthe and others try to talk to her about it not being her fault, semi-detailed); Wanting to hurt others that hurt you (Myrthe struggles with this feeling, up to semi-detailed); Myrthe wonders if she should die after being cursed (her grandmother tells her that her life “was given to [her]. A gift. And just because it’s yours doesn’t give you the right to end it”, though, Myrthe doesn’t think she’s being sincere, just wanting Myrthe’s Talent; her negative thoughts about giving up and there being nothing in this life for her happen a couple more times); Bastiaan wonders how he would die in the Stillness (since he doesn’t physically age), that it would have to be an accident or self-inflicted (which he puts out of his mind as that isn’t an option he was willing to consider since “he didn’t given himself life; therefore, he refused to put himself in a place of authority in which to take it”); Grieving the loss of parents (including Myrthe wishing that they never knew her, up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of illnesses, deaths, accidental deaths, people freezing to death, drownings/suffocating, murderers, pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (including children, up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of fighting/battles, seeing others harming others and willing to kill, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of a rumored assassination/murder/death, the assassin/murderer, a fire, & bad burns (semi-detailed); Mentions of picturing dead people (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of near deaths (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of someone with a Bane commanding others to kill someone (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of executions, an execution order, being arrested, being tied up, & dungeons; Mentions of someone cutting off someone else’s appendage & them keeping it to show another (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of torture, screams, & threats of cutting from toes and fingers from a man who lusts for violence (semi-detailed); Mentions of rebellions & a potential war; Mentions of deaths on pilgrimages to the Well of Talents; Mentions of children being abandoned & freezing to death; Mentions of kidnappings & a possible one; Mentions of thieves, stealing, & pickpockets; Mentions of being physically punished by a grandmother (Myrthe, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of frostbite & loosing toes and fingers (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of poisons; Mentions of blackmail & threats; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of rumors, gossip, & eavesdropping; A few mentions of stabbing someone & being stabbed; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a father who left his family; A couple mentions of drinking & ale; A couple mentions of hunting; A couple mentions of vomit; A couple mentions of slaughtering chickens; A mention of a plan to slit someone’s throat; A mention of a child being beaten; A mention of a man trying to beat the Talent out of a young Bastiaan; A mention of children swarming like crows on a carcass; A mention of a cell smelling of corpse; 

             *Note: A mention of wanting to tell someone where they can stick their request. 
 
 
Sexual Content- A palm kiss, a neck kiss, four barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss & the desire for someone; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Some noticing; Myrthe and Bastiaan hide under a blanket together but because the air gets stuffy fast, Myrthe jokes that it’s “certainly not how I pictured my first foray beneath a blanket with a man”; Mentions of a father selling his young teen daughter out to men & her becoming pregnant (including mentions of the baby being taken away from her, her thinking she was just a commodity, the father of the child “being the gentlest”, and that the young girl isn’t a prostitute but a warrior *Spoiler* This all happened to Anouk, Myrthe’s cousin, and due to the man who fathered the child thinking she’s the Wishtress, she ends up married to her abuser many years later, him not recognizing her *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of children being born-of-out-wedlock (including a young boy saying that his pa got “the wrong woman pregnant” and that he wasn’t supposed to be born); Mentions of kisses & kissing (including Myrthe thinking towards Sven that “I’d kiss him good anything to feel his lips on mine the way he kissed me in the winter. But summer had come. His kisses weren’t the same in the summer. Too light. Too quick.” And it changing that she no longer craves his kisses, barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a man’s poor decisions in the past making an illegitimate child; A mention of Coralythe calling her husband an unfaithful beast; A mention of a young man thinking of a queen’s status as useless and degrading, which Myrthe wonders if that’s his view on marriage; A mention of using someone to make another jealous; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions;

             *Note: A couple mentions of being naked; A mention of a mother who died in labor. 
 
-Myrthe Valling, age 17
-Bastiaan Duur, around age 20
              P.O.V. switches between Myrthe (1st person), Bastiaan (3rd), and Coralythe (3rd)  
                                                        464 pages


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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Minus a full star for those sensitive to fighting, harming others, & deaths}

I literally gasped when I turned the page and saw the Discussion Questions. 

That was the end?!

That was the end. 

Huh.

I wasn’t expecting that. And while I can’t say I loved it, I didn’t hate it either. 

Let’s back up a bit.

~

Nadine Brandes is a popular author in the Christian Fantasy industry and I’ve read a couple of her books before with others still on my TBR. 

Though I’ve attempted to read Christian Fantasy books for years, it’s only been recently started enjoying some fantasy books. I think I still have a limit on what my poor brain can held in regard to the fantasy elements of a plot. 

So, yes, that was my personal main struggle with this book. I think big fantasy fans okay with the content listed above would probably enjoy this book quite a bit, but I’m not a big fantasy fan. Some parts turned my stomach in terms of battles/fighting/maiming others along with a few sexual hints. This author definitely is not afraid to hurt her characters for the greater good of the plot and I found myself wondering at many times, “will Myrthe and Bastiaan ever catch a break?” I felt pretty neutral to both of them, but I did really like the fact that their hypocrisy was pointed out (numerous times) and that they each reflected on it themselves, not necessarily because someone else pointed it out. I preferred reading Bastiaan’s parts more than Myrthe’s (not only because of Runt, but, yes, mainly because of Runt and his relationship), but I think that’s because I had a harder time connecting to her. I felt like their romance was a little out-of-left-field and never really felt they belong together, personally. Runt was easily my favorite of the characters and that ending, again, shocked me because I was looking forward to seeing what was next. 

All that said, for me personally, I don’t think this was my type of fantasy book due to all the fighting and harming, let alone all the fantasy elements. 

 

Magic & Allegory Notes: I’ve seen a few other reviews mention about the “Christian fiction vibes” at the end and to be completely honest, I didn’t see that at all. There is a very slight allegory within the plot. But it’s not done in the way of different names for God, Jesus, and the devil. It’s more of a spiritual thread, then actual Christianity, in my personal opinion. You can definitely connect the two together, but it’s more symbolic in this story such as someone being made new in the Well of Talents and the Well speaking to those with Talents, saying it/he is with them. There’s similarities and it’s definitely the classic good vs evil fight, but I wouldn’t say it’s obviously Christian. 

In terms of magic, the actual word “magic” is used about ten times and in the way that Myrthe’s wishes and other Talents are described. There’s no wizards or wands, but there is curses (used by the “bad guys”) and such mentioned frequently throughout the story, with Myrthe being cursed and all. 

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 




*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.


Monday, September 19, 2022

"Autumn by the Sea" by Melissa Tagg


About this book:

  “Abandoned as a toddler, Sydney Rose has spent years wondering who she really is, homesick for a life she's never lived. When a private investigator crashes into her world, she finds herself heading to a tiny seaside town in Maine to meet a woman named Maggie, who's searching for the granddaughter she lost decades ago.
   If not for Maggie, Neil MacKean might still be back in Scotland, bereft and alone. Instead, he has a full life in Muir Harbor with an adopted family he loves and a blueberry farm to run. But the farm is struggling and strange occurrences have him concerned. Worse, Maggie's once again caught up in the past, convinced she's finally found her long-lost granddaughter.
   Worried for Maggie, Neil is suspicious of the city girl who shows up at the farm. But there's something about Sydney that tugs on him, drawing out secrets he never meant to share. While Neil grapples with the future of the farm, Sydney wrestles with a past that's messier than ever. Together, they're pulled into a mystery complete with a centuries-old legend, unexpected danger . . . and a love as deep and wild as the sea.


Series: Book #1 in the “Muir Harbor” series. 


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Talks about God, Hope, & Him giving us dreams; 'H's are capital when referring to God & Hope; Sydney thinks “Oh God, what am I doing?” and wonders if that was a prayer and if so, it was her first in a long time; Sydney wonders if God led her to Maine and thinks that maybe He hadn’t forgotten her after all; Neil thinks of tending to the land as an act of worship to the One who’d create it; Mentions of God & Hope; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of church going; A few mentions of faiths; A couple mentions of a parable from the Bible; A mention of blessings; 
             *Note: Mentions of ghost stories (though those telling and remembering the stories know there was never a ghost); A few mentions of luck & lucky stars; A mention of a devil-may-care attitude from a man. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast you’, a ‘drat you’, a ‘dumb’, a ‘for Pete’s sake’, a ‘good night’, a ‘holy cow’, a ‘sheesh’, a ‘shut up’, two forms of ‘darn’, two ‘heck’s, two forms of ‘oh my word’, two ‘why the heck’s, three forms of ‘dang’, three ‘idiot’s, four ‘blasted’s, four ‘shoot’s, and five forms of ‘stupid’; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Sydney drinks a bit of a spiked punch when very sad (not done in her POV and Neil thinks that she hasn’t had more than a sip or two and stops her from drinking any more of it); Walking in on a robbery, being threatened, & fighting in self-defense (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of the Vietnam War & the death of Maggie’s fiancé; Mentions of a car accident, death, & a missing child (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of someone fainting & emergency surgery (near death, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of criminals, crimes, jails, & arrests; Mentions of burglars/robbers, a break-in, & trying to steal something; Mentions of loan sharks, threats, injuries, & blood (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a possible stalker; Mentions of trespassers & teens pranking others; Mentions of teens partying, drinking alcohol, using hard drugs, getting high, & an addiction (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a spiked punch at a town’s market (Sydney is told not to try it unless she has the constitution of a sailor); Mentions of pubs; A few mentions of a foster teen leaving his foster family after making a deal with them that they could keep the government checks if he could leave without them reporting him; A few mentions of an accidental theft & the person’s guilt; A few mentions of a con-artist & their scam; A few mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of divorces; A couple mentions of a possible kidnapping; A couple mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of smoking; A couple mentions of dung; A mention of a plane accident & deaths; A mention of a bar brawl; A mention of betting (that Neil isn’t a betting man); A mention of gossip;
             *Note: When Sydney met her biological mother, it was not a joyful reunion & Sydney is still hurt by words that were said; Neil wasn’t legally adopted by Maggie and his heart is still bruised from the hurt of it; Mentions of car brands; Mentions of social media sites (Google, Airbnb, Instagram, Facebook, & YouTube); A few mentions of brand names (Diet Coke, Pop-Tarts, & Keurig); A few mentions of TV shows & movies (Dateline, Leave It to Beaver, Columbo, & Mission: Impossible); A couple mentions of Marilyn Monroe; A mention of HGTV.
 
 
Sexual Content- Three cheek kisses, a head kiss, three almost (two barely-above-not-detailed and one semi-detailed) kisses, two not-detailed kisses, three barely-above-not-detailed kisses, four semi-detailed kisses, and a detailed kiss; Remembering an almost kiss & kisses (up to semi-detailed); Staring at someone’s lips; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, & Smelling (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); An awkward first meeting between Sydney & Neil of her walking into the bathroom that he’s currently showering in (including mentions of his clothes on the floor, the masculine scent of his soap, and him getting out wearing only a towel, all barely-above-not-detailed. More embarrassing for Sydney than any romantic noticing); Sydney was born out-of-wedlock; Mentions of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, sleeping with someone, summer flings, & parents’ reactions (including Maggie not wanting to flippantly talk about who her daughter was or wasn’t intimate with, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of Sydney & Neil’s first meeting & him wearing only a towel (not-detailed); Mentions of kisses, kissing, & almost kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a guy insinuating that Neil and Sydney are possibly legally uncle and niece (even though it’s not true) & shouldn’t be interested in each other in a romantic way; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, & dating; Mentions of blushes; A few mentions of thinking a man is a creeper & other guys who have ogled Sydney at her workplace before; A few mentions of desire for someone; A couple mentions of someone insinuating that someone else is having a fling; A mention of flirting; A mention of a man saying he can’t have children; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A couple mentions of a pregnant mother forgoing cancer treatments to be able to deliver the baby safely (noted as a possible trigger); A mention of kneeing a man in the groin (thinking he’s a stalker); A mention of a man being the spitting image of his sire.
 
-Sydney Rose
-Neil MacKean, age 34
                                P.O.V. switches between them & letters from Maggie
                                            Set in 2018
                                                        356 pages


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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Can possible be triggering or healing for adoptees or those in foster care.} 

I was craving a sweet romantic contemporary book and decided on this one when I was it might have the found family trope—which it did. It also had it’s sweet moments and albeit a bit kissy towards the end for my taste, I really loved the heart of this story—family and the longing to know about your family. Both Sydney and Neil were such great characters and it was overall really sweet, but also very interesting in the blueberry farming parts and the mystery of finding out more about Sydney’s roots. I was very invested into her story and wanting the best/a happy ending for her! 

I also really liked the few parts of the texting conversations and the letters/diary entries, it added a charm to the story. I would have preferred more faith content shown and discussed as what was there was very light, but I did really enjoy this novel and will pick up the next book in the series when it releases. 

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 




*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

 

Friday, September 16, 2022

"The Ink of Elspet" by J.D. Peabody

About this book:

  “Immerse yourself in this fast-paced middle-grade fantasy about magic ink, a secret society, and a boy who yearns to make his mark.
    When their father goes missing after a mysterious train crash, Everett and his little sister Bea find a curious pen in his belongings, and its magical Ink begins to rewrite their once-ordinary lives. The Ink leads them to a world they never knew existed—one teeming with impossible magic, formidable allies, and villains who are determined to destroy everything they hold dear. Together, Everett and Bea embark on an adventure through secret tunnels in England and Scotland to find and protect the last Inkwell, and ultimately to save their father. But in order to do so, Everett must find a way to tap into the most magical power of all: his courage. Evoking A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this classic battle of good and evil pits creativity against the forces that would seek to blot it out for good.
    When their father goes missing after a mysterious train crash, Everett and his little sister Bea find a curious pen in his belongings, and its magical Ink begins to rewrite their once-ordinary lives. The Ink leads them to a world they never knew existed—one teeming with impossible magic, formidable allies, and villains who are determined to destroy everything they hold dear. Together, Everett and Bea embark on an adventure through secret tunnels in England and Scotland to find and protect the last Inkwell, and ultimately to save their father. But in order to do so, Everett must find a way to tap into the most magical power of all: his courage. Evoking A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this classic battle of good and evil pits creativity against the forces that would seek to blot it out for good.


Series: Book #1 in “The Inkwell Chronicles”


Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are remembered; Everett & his family live in a vicarage as his father (Marcus) is a Reverend (He tells Everett and Bea that they “can have greater influence than you know, doing the right thing takes real bravery and integrity. Your actions matter more than any superhero’s”); When their father leaves on a trip, he prays with them; When held hostage, Marcus tries hard to recall a psalms but isn’t able to do so due to the darkness around him that is draining his hope (one comes to his mind shortly after “I will not be afraid” and much later “The Lord sets the prisoners free. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind” is remembered); Bea remembers that her father said to pray when they’re in trouble, so she tries praying for something to appear and is disappointed when she finished and doesn’t see the much-needed water; Everett doesn’t like that he didn’t think of that first, but thinks that “standing motionless with your eyes closed didn’t seem practical when someone’s life hung in the balance.”; Bea remembers a hymn and four lines of it are written out (it boosts her spirits and courage); At a funeral, a bishop mentions the “valley of the shadow” in his “most preacherly voice”; Everett hides in a Catholic church and while he’s never been in one before, he figures that is couldn’t be all that different and should have hiding places; Marcus (thinks, not speaks) that he knows pride is a sin, but can’t help being impressed with the stories and illustrations that emerged from his pen; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches/cathedrals, clergymen/ministers, services, sermons, & singing hymns; Mentions of a nun & a priest; A few mentions of a preacher that used Ink for sermons and someone else says that “Like art, sermons express a greater story. At least those worth their salt.” & reference a quote by Melville “The world’s a ship on its passage out…and the pulpit is its prow”; A couple mentions of a Bible; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of thinking you’re hearing heavenly hosts and angelic music; A couple mentions of a song that references a monk and his holy book; A couple mentions of a former vicar who wasn’t “the holiest of men” and ran off with a great deal of the church’s money (and left his wife behind); A mention of a nurse saying that she isn’t sure if a Vicar’s pen was blessed or something because injured people who were written on by it (used it to mark those she had taken care of) miraculously recovered; A mention of someone being called an angel; 
             *Note: The special Ink in this story is what is behind all the greatest creative works (stories, paintings, music, etc.), that it unlocks someone creativity when used (also said to be the source of all the stories where good triumphs over evil); Some people can use Ink to heal others’ injuries (by applying it) and we see that a handful of times; Ink is used in multiple ways, mainly for someone to draw something (typically in the air) to help them on their mission (such as creating stairs to escape and then erase them so the enemies can’t find them, a mine-cart to get away, disguising a group to hide from the enemies (it won’t last long, though) in different clothing and looking older, drawing food to eat, a net to catch you when falling); A character uses hairs from his mustache as a way to connect to Ink (energy) Waves and transport them elsewhere; Ink is said to be “far more powerful” than magic when asked (also said to more like a “living organism than a chemical compound” which is always sending and receiving energy waves that enlightens and inspires); A scientist tries to figure out what Ink is, but says it’s beyond science and cannot recreate it; Muses are able to take on a physical form in very inspiring moments (which looks like a butterfly to some and a loved one with wings (like a fairy) to another) to encourage their artist; “Blotters” are the villains in this story who are creatures that were created by a bishop in the Dark Ages under the command of a king who wanted to rule the world (the king told the bishop that it was a spiritual request and that he wanted a story that would “frighten the masses away from their wickedness” with the most evil creatures imaginable, the king then threatened the bishop to bring the creatures to life, which came from the “realm of imagination into our world” (The bishop did secretly write three safeguards to help defeat these creatures));  Blotters have inhuman eyes, despise the Ink (since they hate all that is good and creative, they called it “the Stink” and their pupils change once they smell it), and some of them have batlike wings between their shoulder blades and can fly; Blotters and other creatures cannot enter into a house of worship as that is a safe place for those trying to flee from them (if they enter, they will instantly become gargoyles); A Blotter checks the church for clues on the children’s whereabouts by sending his shadow into the building (barely-above-not-detailed); It’s a slight *Spoiler*, but important Content Note: The Commander thinks one of the children has sticks called “Witching Sticks” that would solve a lot of his problems (he calls the child a “Stink Witch” to which Marcus becomes angry and says “We are Christian people. We do not practice witchcraft of any sort.” The sticks are actually called “divining rods” and leads the person holding them to the Ink they need most. No actual witches or such are in this book, it’s seems to be a phrase used by the Blotters for those who can lead them to Ink wells *End of Slight Spoiler*); The Commander (a head Blotter) turns a couple lower rank Blotters into puppies; The Commander wants all to bow to his greatness (which doesn’t happen); There is a special class of beings that are endowed with “special powers to fight evil”; Mentions of secret “pinches” or “wrinkles” in this fictional world which shrink the distance from one place to another (this then alludes to ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ by Madeleine L’Engle); Mentions of being hidden in a room that’s in a small pocket of another dimension; A couple mentions of the book “Making Sense of the Universe” by D.L. Sayers (Dorothy Sayers is also a character in this book); A couple mentions of a certain arrogant clergyman being drawn as one of Max Courageous’ enemies; A mention of someone not being a magician; A mention of not detecting any taste of magic in a piece of candy; A mention of someone writing that Ink is “magic or something”; A mention of Icarus and how “man was never meant to fly”; A mention of Norse mythology; A mention of the cursed bishop that created different monsters; A mention of an evil howl; A mention of an evil beast; A mention of an evil man. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast’, two ‘dumb’s, two ‘idiot’s, two ‘moron’s, and three ‘stupid’s; Some eye rolling & sarcasm; A bit of sibling arguments between Everett and Bea; Mentions of curses (including a couple “unvicarlike” ones coming from Marcus; said, not written); A giant says the phrase “well, curse me if you two ain’t adorable!”; The housekeeper, Mrs. Crimps, for Everett’s family is spiteful and he calls her “The Cramps”, “the old buzzard”, and also a “mean old cow” (once she rapped him across the shins by a broom when he tracked mud into the house and she also pulls him by his hair, barely-above-not-detailed *Spoiler* She completely changes after turning into back to normal after being turned into stone *End of Spoiler*); Fighting wolf-like and eel-like monsters, Being chased by them, & Pain from being bitten by one (up to semi-detailed); Pain, Being shocked, Injuries, & Passing out (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Being drugged (x2, fictional Mind Muck that makes your head feel cloudy), kidnapped/held hostage/tied up (x2), being attacked/pecked by a raven, pain, & blood/bleeding (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Seeing someone being badly attacked by a wolf-like monster & their injuries (up to semi-detailed); Seeing a couple others almost choked/strangled (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing someone & wolf-like monsters turn to stone (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Seeing someone being struck by lightning (they live, barely-above-not-detailed); Being threatened harm (up to semi-detailed); Being run-off the road & a car crash (up to semi-detailed); A bit of fighting & hitting (between adults, barely-above-not-detailed); A fire & setting it (of a church and vicarage, done by the Blotters, up to semi-detailed); An explosion (barely-above-not-detailed); Everett really struggles with feeling inferior/useless to others, jealousy of his sister’s skills, and also does a couple jabs at her (which he isn’t proud of it and feels guilty, also wishing that he could be better at something than her; he does care and protect her though; no adult corrects his behavior/thoughts but he does better and gains confidence in himself by the end); Everett fibs about something when he didn’t want to be shown up by his little sister; Everett shoves another boy & then later pummels him (an adult pulls them apart); Everett steals something, justifying that if the person knew how much he liked it, the person would have given it to him (about sixty pages later, he regrets taking it and wants to confess to the person; once he tells the truth, he knows he deserves to be punished and was ashamed of how he acted, but was glad to have it off of his conscience (there is no punishment from the adult); Everett feels terrible telling a lie in a church (since he “didn’t have time to explain the truth”) and then tells another one since “a second one couldn’t make things much worse”; Everett locks his sister, Bea, in a trunk daring her to get out in under a minute (not done with a cruel intent, she recently read a biography of Harry Houdini); There is a scene of one of the characters drinking a bottle of Ink (which causes them no harm); A few lies are told by the Blotters; A Blotter asks another one if they’ve been “dipping into the pounce (a powder use to dry ink; in this case, what Blotters use to get rid of Ink) again”; Mentions of a train crash, people being trapped, pain, injuries, possible deaths, & a missing body (including Everett’s father, border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Mentions of a body (thinking that the person is possibly dead, but they are not), their injuries, & that they might not make it (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of wolf-like and eel-like monsters, fighting them, & turning a few to stone (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of people & monsters being turned to stone (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a battle where the Commander (a Blotter) cut off his own foot to stop from turning into stone (he wants to have revenge on the person who caused it, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of wars & the Nazis; Mentions of counterfeiting money & someone going to prison for doing it; Mentions of stealing; Mentions of a jails, prisons, & dungeons; Mentions of tobacco, pipes, & smoking; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of thinking that someone may have drowned; A few mentions of blackmail & threats; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a sheet being placed over someone like they’ve passed away; A couple mentions of a (bad) guy pushing an elderly man and becoming unconscious because of it & making someone else unconscious (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple mentions of an accident a giant caused (no details are given); A couple mentions of a con-man; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of a former vicar who wasn’t “the holiest of men” and ran off with a great deal of the church’s money (and left his wife behind); A mention of an evil man not caring that he may have killed a child (the child is okay, though); A mention of thinking your trapped in a coffin (but not actually); A mention of torture; A mention of a bomb in a story; A mention of graffiti; A mention of throwing up; 

             *Note: Mentions of Harry Houdini, Shakespeare, Newton, Rembrandt, Albert Einstein, George MacDonald, da Vinci, & Mephistopheles; Mentions of other books and authors (‘Peter and Wendy’ by J.M. Barrie, ‘The Magical Land of Noom’ by Johnny Gruelle, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll, ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ by Madeleine L’Engle); A couple mentions of misunderstanding of thinking an adult is going to eat children like in Hansel and Gretel; A couple mentions of Winnie-the-Pooh and Rabbit. 

 
 
Sexual Content- A mention of a couple on their honeymoon kissing which makes Everett squirm and gawk at the same time; A woman (a half giant) embraces and kisses a Blotter (described as gross/uncomfortable for the Blotter, barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a woman (a half giant) who is described as “too terrifyingly hideous for even a blotter to find attractive”; A mention of flirtation; 
             *Note: A mention of Everett’s mother who passed away while giving birth to Bea. 
 
-Everett, age 11
-Marcus
                            P.O.V. switches between them, Bea, the Commander, & others (including villains and their minions)
                                          Set in 1952
                                                        370 pages


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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 


Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 


{Ratings are based on the content found in the story.}

Full confession: Before I picked up this book, I was quite tired from a long day. But as soon as I opened the book and found fascinating map at the beginning, I was much more intrigued. Then I read the opening page and am instantly sucked into the story because it has my absolute favorite style of middle-grade writing with charm and a narrator-like voice telling the story. Maybe it’s because “The Mysterious Benedict Society” is one of my all-time favorite books, but that charm-filled, whimsical storytelling writing style immediately makes me excited for the story. It’s why I have continued to try out secular middle-grade stories if I see someone mention that the writing style is similar to TMBS (though nothing has ever come close to that beloved book for me personally.) 

I took a chance on this novel and I’m so glad that I did. It was such an adventure—literally! The creativity of this story – the villains being called ‘Blotters” and the creativity in what the Ink can do, it was all different but yet fun. I think that it could be classified as “magic” because it’s not something we have in our world (hence being called a middle-grade fantasy), but it isn’t magic as in spells and wands.  

I thought it might be more of a good vs. evil, moral-type storyline than have direct Christianity themes, but there were some Scriptures mentioned and prayers said, which I liked seeing, though it was more focused on the good vs. evil plotline.  

It’s nice to see those in the church (such as Everett’s father, Marcus) be good as opposed to a few secular middle-grade stories I’ve seen where they poke fun at them or even talk badly about them. (There’s are a couple mentions of a vicar who ran off with the church’s money—and who also left his wife behind when doing said running). I would have preferred the Scriptures mentioned being a little more straightforward (such as “I will not be afraid” from Psalms being remembered but not the first and most important part of hoping in God and trusting Him.) and the few mentions of the “Witching Sticks” be a little clearer, but when I reread those parts, I got the impression that it’s a Blotter term and doesn’t actually have to do with witches or spells. I did dock half a star from my personal rating due to these notes, after thinking more on it. 

It was really refreshing to read a fantasy middle-grade story that didn’t have crude humor (or what I call “little boy” humor such as laughing at bodily noises) or “spiritual elements” that go against my faith and values. It was just a fun read. 

I think one part I really wasn't a fan of, personally, was that I wish Everett wouldn’t have been so…moody? He had a chip on his shoulder, and I still don’t understand exactly why. I’m hoping that in the next book we won’t see those moody moments again. 

On that note, when’s the next book coming out? I’m excited and ready to see what happens next. 
 
 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 




*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Worthy Kids) for this honest review.