"Archer" by Quinn Knightly

About this book:

  “Raina Swiftmain can outride hunters, outfight soldiers, and do what no man can—win the trust of Raven, the savage black stallion stolen from her enemy’s keep.
    But saving a kingdom will demand more than courage. It demands trust.
    Raina carries the last clues to Andrea’s lost prince, the rightful heir hidden since birth. King Sangor wants her silenced. Regelian wants the missing royal signet ring. And the only things standing between Raina and capture are her bow, her faith, a mysterious beast… and the wilderness she knows better than any court.
    Then Torin finds her.
    He is the enemy captain who should deliver her in chains—yet every step closer to the truth reveals he has been hunting the same secret. As midsummer approaches, a coded riddle leads them toward Lionsbreath, an ancient mountain stronghold where a forgotten lie may finally be exposed. But the closer Raina rides beside Torin, the more dangerous he becomes—to her mission, her hard-won independence, and the guarded heart she can no longer afford to lose.
    In a kingdom built on blood and betrayal, one woman may hold the power to restore the crown.
    If she dares trust the wrong man.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Stallion’s Quest” series.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, read, & discussed; A Psalm is sung; Prayers & Thanking God; Most ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Raina feels thankful to God for saving her life, but does feel a little bitter as well because she thinks He could have made it a little easier; Halfway through the book, Raina shouts at God for letting the deaths of her parents happen and allowing evil to happen, *Spoilers* but quickly realizes that while she’s been taught about God being good her whole life, she’s also began to believe that following God would be easy, so when suffering happens, she feels like God has deserted her; She realizes she’s been wrong in thinking this and that God’s plan for her is good *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of God, Jesus Christ, His plans and will, & faiths; Mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, & blessings over food; A couple mentions of “the King’s Book” (The Bible); A couple mentions of those & events in the Bible; A couple mentions of sin; A mention of a blessing from Heaven; A mention of a brooch with a cross in its center; 
             *Note: Religious phrases: a ‘what on God’s green earth’ and a ‘for heaven’s sake’; Raina is told a story about a man who struggled about trusting God after the death of his younger brother and was transported into another realm/world where he sees fantasy creatures worshiping God, feels free there, and is told about rejoicing through pain and suffering (*Spoilers* He also is told about and witnesses a patch of flowers that reflect how some people will come to God and others will fade away (an allegory); He sees a young crystal horse die after not listening to it’s mother and later sees the mother still worship through her grief; He also meets a talking lamb and lion, which are implied to be God and Jesus; The lamb says he gave the mother horse the life of her son (the young crystal horse who died), but it’s life was destroyed due to not heeding it’s mother’s warning and adds that the young horse was outside of the lamb’s protection and will be remade in the lamb’s “everlasting kingdom”; The man finds healing and realizes that he only believed in the lion (Jesus) halfway; The man wakes up in the forest after this realization and prays for God to sustain him in all things *End of Spoilers*); Torin thinks of Raina looking like a angel; Raina says she lives in a “superstitious generation” and hears whispers of people talking about demons, dragons, and “the very devil himself”; Mentions of fantasy creatures like dragons & transparent crystal horses.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘idiot’ and two ‘stupid’s; Fighting, Punching/Hitting, Being hit/slapped, Being threatened with harm and death, Being trapped in mud, Injuries, Pain, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Shooting a deer for food (and seeing a large cat eat some of it; up to semi-detailed); Grief (Raina for her parents, up to semi-detailed); A man orders for a horse to be killed and gives suggestions on how to do it, but it does not happen (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths & grief (including Raina for her parents, a man for his younger brother, & also the death of a baby who was said to be stillborn); Mentions of fights/fighting, weapons, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of thieves & stolen horses; Mentions of prisoners, dungeons, & torture/beatings; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of rumors; Mentions of hunting, blood, & skinning/preparing animals for food; A few mentions of war; A few mentions of someone being poisoned (and killed); A couple mentions of threats; A mention of public executions; 
             *Note: Mentions of a mother and child who are believed to have died in childbirth.
 
 
Sexual Content- Noticing & Staring (including muscles, up to semi-detailed); Raina is taking a bath in a river (naked) when Torin comes after her trail (he does not see anything, but it is a tense moment for her and she tries to avoid being seen); A couple mentions of blushes; 
             *Note: Raina kicks a man in a place “where it counts the most” when trying to get away from him; A friend of Raina tells her that she could easily get a man because she’s gorgeous, but perhaps wearing a dress would help with that; A mention of breeding horses.
 
-Raina Swiftmain
-Torin Hammaguard
                                1^st person P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        235 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was very different from what I was expecting—I would consider it non-magical in a knight/swords kind of setting, but there mentions of creatures like dragons and transparent crystal horses that add more of a fantasy aspect to the story. No magic is shown or mentioned in this book.

 

It was a little heavy on the play-by-play or sharing each action of the main characters, but the writing style was very unique in the way that it didn’t make it seem slow. It felt like I was with the characters and watching them from a distance, taking it all in.

 

I will note that there were a few comments that felt a little out of place for the setting (such as Torin thinking that rabbits are God’s insurance plan for him to keep from starving—would they really have knowledge of insurance in this medieval-like setting?) and a chapter about a story that was very heavy in an allegory with talking animals. I didn’t love that chapter as I found it a bit confusing and I’m not sure I fully agree with some of the theology in it, but I did enjoy the other faith content shown throughout the book. Especially the scene of Raina realize that she’s been expecting an easy life with following God when we’re not really promised that. I’ve seen a gazillion characters over the years be mad at God, but not come to that proper conclusion, so that was really good to see. 

 

Not a ton happens in this 235-paged length story in regard to the whole plot and finding the lost prince, but it was a good introduction to the world, characters, their motivations, and setting the stage for more to come about that element in the next books. Overall I enjoyed this book and would be interested in continuing the series to see what happens in the hunt for the hidden prince.

 

 

See y’all on Wednesday 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 Author for this honest review.

"Illusionary" by Desiree Williams

About this book:

  “Dorothy got sucked into a tornado.
    Alice fell down a hole.
    Wendy flew to Neverland.
    Kamryn? She tripped down the stairs.
    Now, Kamryn Kensington finds herself in a strange new world. Within minutes of her arrival, she dodges an archer’s arrow and avoids getting sliced up by a cosplay reject holding a dagger to her throat. And that’s before the storyteller’s breath brings stories to life.
    Home is the mission—to return to her family and pursue her life’s dream of art and travel. Yet the longer she’s in the Land of Ur, the harder it is not to feel for the people she meets. Even her artistic side can’t help but breathe in the beautiful wonder and magic of this new world. So when the Oracle hands her a different quest, she takes it on the condition he sends her home afterward.
    No one thought to warn her of a jealous queen and her dragon minions. Or that, by helping her, the cute storyteller would go crazy. Or that her heart would rip in two when she left. Those would’ve been great facts to know ahead of time.
    Considering that nothing in Ur is what it seems, the mission proves to be more than she ever imagined. But more than her own future will be in jeopardy if Kamryn doesn’t succeed.”


Series: No, a stand-alone novel.


Spiritual Content- Prayers & feeling peace; Mentions of prayers, praying, praising God, & blessings over food; Mentions of miracles; A few mentions of God; A few mentions of Heaven; A couple mentions of blessings & being blessed; 
             *Note: Kam says “oh dear Lord” once (could be taken seriously or flippant); Kam is given a special necklace (that can change her outfit and guide her to a decision) with a mysterious note and when she falls down the stairs, she wakes up in another world; She is bought to the world by the “Great Oracle” (*Spoilers* who is implied to be the Creator/God and a few things he says sound similar to Scriptures; He is described as an old man with a long beard and wearing a robe; He created the one who created the world that Kamryn fell into and says the creator is precious to him as all his children are *End of Spoilers*); One of the people she meets is Reese, who is called the “storyteller” of the world and is able to say something to make it happen (such as healing someone’s injuries, making a person sleep or shrink, making items appear when called, bringing a story to life, and going from one place to another like teleportation; all of these are seen on-page, up to semi-detailed); Kam refers to Reese’s abilities as “mystic powers”, “hocus-pocus”, and“mojo”, but another says they are “gifts” from the Great Oracle and leave a trail of “energy” when used; Reese is cursed and unable to eat, sleep, or feel pain; Kam clutches the necklace to seek “help from a greater power” connected to it; *Major Spoilers* Reese is the creator of the other world (an author in his story) and in a coma in the real world after a car accident; The Great Oracle isn’t a character Reese created and implied to be God *End of Spoilers*; Kam crosses her fingers and prays for something; When being lectured by her older sister, Kam draws her with horns, a serpent tongue, and fangs; Mentions of curses & being cursed; Mentions of dragons, mermaids, faeries, & sprites; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A few mentions of spells (from the “dark queen”); A few mentions of evil consuming someone and darkness winning; A mention of Reese facing demons in his mind (bad memories); A mention of demon-sucking demons; A mention of a supernatural event (regarding Kam going into another world); A mention of the stars being in Kam’s favor.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bugger’, a ‘duh’, a ‘flippin’’, a ‘jack-squat’, a ‘kissing up’, a ‘stinking’, a ‘sucks’, two forms of ‘dumb’s, two ‘shoot’s, three ‘geez’s, four ‘blasted’, five ‘shut up’s, five ‘stupid’s, and seven ‘crap’s; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; A couple lies; Nearly dying, Being attacked and nearly killed (including by creepy fantasy creatures, multiple times), Almost drowning, Being held at knife-point, Being shot (with arrows), Being grabbed, Falling down the stairs, Pain and Extreme pain, Injuries (including major), Blood/Bleeding, & Earthquakes (up to semi-detailed); Seeing fantasy creatures killed (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Remembering a car accident (up to semi-detailed); Hearing lies about one’s self; Reese has the thought to kill someone who has harmed him and the world, but Kam stops him (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths from cancer & grief (including a grandmother and young children, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths from a car accident & drunk driver; Mentions of another car accident & major injuries; Mentions of being shot, being attacked, weapons, injuries, blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of stealing, thieves, & criminals; Mentions of lies, lying, & deceit; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, & taverns; Mentions of awful smells & animal carcasses; Mentions of poop; A few mentions of possible torture; A couple mentions of dead bodies; A couple mentions of gunshots; A couple mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of gossip & rumors; A mention of throwing up; 
             *Note: Kam’s parents died when she was little (car accident) and lived with her grandmother until her passing six years prior (cancer), when her older sister and her husband were awarded guardianship of her; Kam feels smothered by her older sister & it leads to them arguing with each other (including about her sister not allowing her to go on a trip); A woman sneers and calls a man in a wheelchair a “cripple”; A handful of butt jokes (because of someone’s name being close to derrière); A comment about a woman having an “unhealthy fetish with knives”; A couple mentions of horror movies; A mention of Halloween.

 
 
Sexual Content- Two hand kisses, three forehead kisses, a neck kiss, an almost kiss (semi-detailed), a not-detailed kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and two semi-detailed kisses; Wanting to kiss and touch (barely-above-not-detailed); Staring at lips; Touches, Embraces, Cuddling, Hand holding, Warmth, Butterflies/Flutters, Tingles/Shivers, Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Blushes, Winks, & Flirting; Noticing & Staring (up to semi-detailed); Kam and Reese share a bed when sleeping (cuddling happens and she wakes up first, up to semi-detailed); When a guy makes a suggestive comment to Kam (asking if another man has “tasted” her yet), she wishes to put her knee in his groin (he leers at her a couple times and nuzzles her neck); A comment about a woman “spreadin’ her legs” for another man in her boyfriend’s bed (cheating; *Spoiler* Reese found his girlfriend in his bed with another man and there are a few vague references to this *End of Spoiler*); a ‘hot’, a ’skank’ when referring to a woman, and four ‘babe’s; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of couples touching, embracing, cuddling, & kissing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of cheating, catching someone cheating in a bedroom, exes, lovers, & heartbreak; Mentions of flirting, blushes, & winks; Mentions of young boys crushing on and being enthralled by Kam; A few mentions of other crushes; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: The “dark queen” wears a tight corset pushing up cleavage (more cleavage that Kam thinks is proper for a queen; mentioned again later); A comment about life being a “cruel and unfair mistress”; A couple mentions of half-clothes women in a shipping port-like area and men calling crude remarks (not written); A couple mentions of underwear; A mention of a busty woman; A mention of menopause; A mention of testosterone.
 
-Kamryn “Kam” Kensington, age 19
-Reese
                                P.O.V. switches between them & one other character
                                                        255 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

That was…different. 

 

I went into this book with an open mind because I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it ended up not being my personal cup of tea. 

 

Maybe it’s because of the shorter length of this book, but I thought Kam took the knowledge of being thrown (quite literally) into another world really well, actually. I think I would have been a little more panicked and stressed than her. I was confused at times once she enters the fantasy world because things aren’t explained at first. Eventually we get some information, though, so I just had to hold my questions until then. 

 

It reminded me of a mix between The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan—which is admittedly not my favorite two fairytales as they’re usually a little too out-there, sad, dark, or just plain nonsensical for me. I didn’t quite understand Reese and his powers because they seemed just for writing and telling stories, but then he would be able to heal Kam’s injuries or help her sleep (while adding to dream of him to the command, which was a little strange but also a little sweet?). 

 

Poor Kam can’t catch a break in this book: never mind just falling down the stairs into another world, she’s also attacked left and right by those and the creatures in said world and then bleeding often or near death because of it. 

 

It was sitting at a two star rating for me personally because it really wasn’t my thing of fantasy book and I was having trouble understanding what was going on, but I really didn’t like some reveals at the end and some cruder comments throughout the book. Kam didn’t have a filter for her comments which left some of them in poor taste. I liked the very end, but that was really the only part I can say that I enjoyed.

 

 

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.

"Petals and Poison" by Cara E. Ruegg

About this book:

  “He was born to marry wealth. She was born to be invisible. But fate—and a magical wolf—have other plans.
    Nicholas is the privileged heir to a powerful estate, with a future as carefully arranged as the marriage he’s expected to make. Mira is a commoner—the quiet, strange servant who disappears into the forest, returns with mysterious herbs, and keeps company with a magical wolf. To Nicholas, she’s nothing more than a witch in disguise, and when his father is poisoned, she’s the perfect suspect.
    Determined to expose her, Nicholas sets out to prove her guilt. But when a hunting trip ends in disaster and leaves him wounded, it’s Mira who finds him, tends his wounds, and risks everything to bring him home.
    As suspicions clash with undeniable truth, Nicholas begins to see the girl he thought he hated in a very different light. But with an arranged marriage on the horizon, a village quick to accuse, and a family name on the line, love between a nobleman and a servant is not just forbidden—it’s dangerous.
    And the real murderer may still be closer than either of them realizes.”


Series: Part of the “Realms of Lurin” series, but does not seem to be connected to any other book.


Spiritual Content- A few prayers & reading form a prayer book; ’H’s are not capital when referring to the Creator; Nicholas hasn’t prayed since his mother’s death, *Spoilers* but talks to his mother and asks for her to speak to the Creator for him and beg Him to forgive him *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of the Creator; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of a book of prayers; A mention of a church; 
             *Note: Seeing magical creatures (including dragons, wolves, and fire birds) & mentions of them and tales of what some can do (including potentially curse someone); Mira meets a magical wolf and while tales say that if someone is bitten by one, they would be cursed forever, Mira is bitten and sees two visions of future events in her life (later, she says the future isn’t for her to know and if the Creator wanted her to know, she would know); Because of her interest in the woods and plants, Nicholas often calls Mira a “witch” and accuses her of being one (dabbling in the “dark art of divination”), but she is does not practice anything like that; Mentions of other mythical/magical creatures (including goblins and sirens); Mentions of witches, possible curses, & others possibly being bewitched/enchanted/under a spell; A few mentions of someone possibly being a ghost or spirit (not seriously); A few mentions of luck, being lucky, & luck saving Mira once; A couple mentions of a man’s “devilish screams” & later wondering if the man is possessed; A mention of superstitious people.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘dumb’s and a form of ‘stupid’; Some lying; Eye rolling; Eavesdropping; Two near-death moments with serious injuries, Being poisoned, Being in a forest during a storm (and thinking she’s going to die), Being bitten by a wolf, Helping someone who was shot and is bleeding, Injuries, Pain, & Blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Seeing deaths and dead bodies (on-page and a flashback, including someone being burned alive by a dragon; including someone who was poisoned and killed; border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Shooting at mythical creatures (while hunting and in self-defense); Nicholas wishes to destroy Mira and see her hanged (believing her to be responsible for a murder); Nicholas and his friend used to terrorize Mira when they were children; *Spoilers* After she saves him about half-way through, Nicholas feels guilty over his past actions and comments towards Mira and apologies *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of deaths, illnesses, & grief (including for parents and a brother); Mentions of poisons, a murder, attempted murders, & a murderer; Mentions of a suicide (*Spoiler* It’s revealed at the end that the brother of the young man was threatened by their sister to make it look like their brother committed suicide (the reason is not given) *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of hangings, prisons, & criminals; Mentions of fires & a death; Mentions of gunshots, someone being shot, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & someone possibly drinking too much; Mentions of hunting & shooting animals (implied more for sport than food); Mentions of nightmares & trauma from past events; Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of a wolf biting someone; A couple mentions of body waste & the smell; A mention of a war; A mention of manipulation from a family member; A mention of throwing up; A mention of smoking & pipes. 
 
 
Sexual Content- A hand kiss, two cheek kisses, a not-detailed kiss, and a barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Touches, Dancing, Hand holding, Warmth, (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoilers* Toward the end, when Nicholas confesses his romantic feelings to her, Mira doesn’t believe him and think it’s a prank; At the very end, Mira confesses her feelings after Nicholas has a near-death moment and she realizes her feelings *End of Spoilers*; Mira is glad that she doesn’t possess her mother’s beauty as her “common” appearance keeps men from noticing her; A young woman comments about being “tainted” because she’s already kissed a man before marriage; Mentions of kisses, kissing, a couple being caught kissing, & a vision of kissing someone; A couple mentions of an unmarried couple being left in a bedroom together with the door open; A mention of a woman’s virtue; A mention of a young woman’s “seductive eyes”; A mention of a widowed man fancying a widowed woman (but nothing coming from it); Light love, falling/being in love, & the emotions.
 
-Mira
-Nicholas Lockwood
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                        Regency-inspired fantasy setting
                                                        184 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

As someone who enjoys learning about plants and their medicinal benefits, I really liked Mira. She was very sweet and reminded me of Snow White at times with her kindness. She definitely made the book better and was a great main character who perseveres through hardships. 

 

Nicholas on the other hand: he was absolutely horrible at first. I’m not a fan of the enemies-to-more romance trope, so I was a little leery about this book because of it. Nicholas was a terror to Mira for their entire lives, basically, and it took a good shock to realize how awful he has been to her. I liked the character development—especially because it was muchneeded for him—but I wish we could have seen some scenes leading up to his change with feeling a prick of guilt for his actions and mean comments to her. I think it would have been more natural then as I was questioning how they could even fall for each other. 

 

Rather than a find-out-who-the-murderer-was kind of mystery, it was more of a get-evidence-of-the-murder kind of mystery. The answer seemed obvious to me, but I enjoyed the setting of a regency-like fantasy time-period. There’s magical creatures, but no magic per se. I would have liked a bit more in the faith content regard regarding the magical creatures—did the Creator make them for a special purpose? Or are they just animals to hunt like deer? I think there could have been more with the world-building, but for the page length of the story, I mostly enjoyed it.

 

 

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 author for this honest review.

"Daughters of Irin" by Claira Teichroeb

About this book:

  “When her land's enemy, Farria, captures Princess Quarralia of Irin, she is given a marry King Byron's wicked son, Prince Cort, thus ensuring Irin to King Byron's family forever, or be killed. Panicked, Quarralia feels trapped, until she meets the mysterious Eirian.
    Eirian is an orphan. Living with only her wolfdog, Galt, she proves intelligent and resourceful. When she learns of Princess Quarralia's part in King Byron's scheme, she knows she has to rescue Quarralia.
    A harrowing escape, hunters on their tails, and clashes between the girls ensue. But what is the significance of the scrap of poetry Quarralia holds, and then there's the question nagging her at every turn: who is Eirian?”


Series: As of now, it seems to be a stand-alone novella.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are remembered; Many prayers & thanking God and Jesus; ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Eirian & Quarralia both ask God why something is happening, but feels peace at times that He has a plan for each of them; Scripture comes to Eirian & Quarralia’s minds as if God was talking to them a few times; Many mentions of God, Jesus, and being a Christian; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; A few mentions of events in the Bible; A couple mentions of not being afraid of death because of going to “somewhere far better”; A mention of a miracle; 
             *Note: Quarralia’s father isn’t against Christianity, but he has said that he “certainly would never fall for such foolishness”; Mentions of legends/rumors of ghosts; A couple mentions of some believing a girl with two different colored eyes is a witch; A mention of a unicorn; A mention of a symbol of good luck.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Five ‘stupid’s; Eye rolling & a bit of sarcasm; Quarralia avoids lying; Being chained up and locked in a prison, Being slapped, Being drugged with a dart, Passing out, & Pain (up to semi-detailed); Remembering a kidnapping & being held at sword-point; An animal/pet is threatened to be killed; A maid is ordered to bury a newborn baby that is believed to be stillborn (there is concern that an enemy could get the infant’s body, so the maid is told to bury her where no one will find her; The baby is still alive, however, so she does not); Eirian makes sleeping darts and uses them on others for her safety (up to semi-detailed); Quarralia steals a horse (for safely getting away from a dangerous situation); Mentions of wars, deaths, executions, & hangings; Mentions of a kidnapping, bandits, ransom, & threats; Mentions of criminals & prisons/jails; Mentions of stealing; Mentions of an older girl abusing a young girl (slapping and bruising her); Mentions of pipes & smoking; Mentions of the possibility of a wolfdog (Eirian’s pet) being killed by others; A few mentions of a possible murderer & thinking someone is going to kill another through poison (does not happen, it is a misunderstanding); A few mentions of rumors & gossip; A couple mentions of a possible stillborn baby (some believed a baby was stillborn, but others do not); A couple mentions of a horrible orphanage with children being whipped and screams; A couple mentions of a rumor about a young man drowning a hound for the “pleasure of it” and snatching peasant children to hang them by their ankles from trees in the forest; A couple mentions of alcohol (implied) & a drunk; A couple mentions of hatred; A mention of someone throwing wolfdog puppies into a river to drown them and only one surviving; A mention of the possibility of a horse being eaten by wild animals; A mention of vomiting. 
 
 
Sexual Content- N/A.
 
-Eirian, age 15/16
-Quarralia, age 15
               1st person POV switches between them & 3rd person of Eibhlin (prologue only)
                                                        151 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t sure what I would think of this novella, but I really enjoyed the setting (non-magical fantasy) and the main characters. The world and history was explained well, so I didn’t feel lost with not enough information or overwhelmed with too much information. The faith content was strong throughout the book, which was also really nice to read. No romance makes this suitable for younger ages and while it wraps up everything with a bow, I think it could have another story in the world someday if the author decided to do that. Overall, I quite enjoyed this story!

 

 

See y’all on Monday 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 Author for this honest review.

"A Kingdom of Shadows" by Emily Bain Murphy

About this book:

  “A band of misfits seek to fight the darkness that's slowly overcoming their kingdom—the start of a grand adventure series in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia and the Wingfeather Saga.
    The shadows have been overtaking the light, ever since The Great Betrayal. Now, the sun shines increasingly dimmer, it takes more firewood to brighten a room, and the world is growing more desperate and dangerous by the day.
    Twelve-year-old orphan Finn survives in this world by being a thief, along with his best friend Adrion and younger sister Lydia. When the three meet a mysterious stranger who claims to know of a lake of light, they set off on an adventure across the kingdom. They discover that Wildfel is a place of great danger and great beauty, where the mist can steal your most precious memories, starlight gathers in waterfalls, spiders spin shimmering webs of glass as deadly as they are dazzling. If they can find this mythical lake of light, it could change the course of their lives, and the kingdom itself.
    There are also secrets hiding in the darkness that could change Finn’s very understanding of everything he knows to be true, even about himself—but only if he's brave enough to step into the light.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Lightseekers” series.


Spiritual Content- Finn asks Ehrit for help twice in his mind (like a prayer and says that if he can hear him, he needs help; *Spoilers* Help comes, but not from Ehrit *End of Spoilers*); The phrase “pride goeth before a fall” is remembered; A mention of a prayer (not said towards Whom); 
             *Note: Before the light started to dim in this fictional world, magic was more commonplace and originally only held by royals and used for good, but as the kingdom grew darker, so did the magic and it’s mainly used by “the seftars” (the kingdom’s witches); It’s said that the king of the kingdom sought out a “great and powerful witch” to create a seed of darkness, which was planted and whoever ate the fruit of the seed could “control the darkness and use it against the light”; An important side character (Ehrit) is said to be a “Current” and it’s later said that anyone can become one, they just have to “learn how to connect to the hidden magic of the world, the underlying magic that holds everything together, and has for as long as the kingdom has existed”, how the shadows “broke the connection” and “only a few people can find it now” (Finn is told that the person would have to start by trusting that it’s still there, then learn about it, connect with it, and “eventually become a conduit of it”; Ehrit adds that those who don’t understand it think it looks like magic, but for those who have learned it, it’s a “deep kind of knowledge about how this kingdom really works” and Finn starts to believe that this hidden magic exists); Finn and his best friend call Ehrit a “guru” because he talks like one (this word is of Hinduism and Buddhism origin); Someone asks if Ehrit is a “wizard or something”, but the answer isn’t shared; Finn asks if magic is bad because he only knows of the magic that seftars use, but Ehrit says what he does has nothing in common with that kind as it comes from “a place of darkness”; *Spoilers* This important side character (Ehrit) is seen talking to a “seftar” (witch) which concerns and confuses Finn; Later, a witch saves Finn and his best friend from be attacked by wolves, which is confusing to Finn because Ehrit said that the seftars (witches) only acted in their own interests; Towards the end, Finn sees that the witches are using the wolves for their own purpose against those who follow the light; *Major Spoilers* At the end, Finn and the others are told the truth that the King is actually the good guy who is trying to protect the light in the kingdom and it is the General who made the deal with the witch; When Finn finds this out, he is able to read a magical book that talks about the King (because he trusts Ehrit, the words are visible to him on the pages unlike how the book was blank earlier in their journey because Finn didn’t trust Ehrit yet); Finn starts to fully trust Ehrit and is told that Ehrit was the key for Finn and the others to believe and get to the Lake of Light; It’s said that one day when the shadows and the General are defeated, the balance will be restored *End of Spoilers*; When Finn touches someone, he can see the “forrest” inside of that person (some are lush, but others are dry; Finn later wonders if this ability is magic); Finn asks Ehrit if he can see the future or know things that are going to happen ahead of time, but Ehrit says that it’s intuition; Finn and the others are told to never eat an apple that “smells like shadows” or the shadows will “gain access to the deepest parts” of them and turn them into “something you don’t want to be”; When two people lie after swearing on the kingdom’s rulers, their voices are taken away and can only come back if they answer truthfully to the people they were trying to deceive in the first place (one person accuses that they were cursed, but another says it’s a powerful oath); Finn and the others cross a “haunted bridge” that has a red mist that tries to take their special memories (up to semi-detailed); It’s said that everyone used to have a little magic, but that back then it wasn’t considered magic but a talent; Talks about trusting someone (Ehrit); Many mentions of magic, using magic, magical places, “seftars” (witches), & their dark magic; Mentions of a magical book; Mentions of a haunted bridge with mist that tries to steal the crosser’s memories; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A couple mentions of curses; A couple mentions of a book of spells; A couple mentions of wizards; A couple mentions of ghosts (as in someone looking like they saw one or being as pale as a ghost); A couple mentions of something tasting “like heaven” and a place being “heaven”; A mention of fairies & gnomes; A mention of something being said “devilishly”; A mention of being taught to worship a public figure.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘gah’, an unfinished ‘what the—‘, a ‘why the devil’, four forms of ‘dumb’, and six ‘stupid’s; Mentions of curses (said, not written; including by Finn); Fictional, in-world phrases and insults (including “thank the General” and “for the love of the General”, a public figure held in respect & muttering “bogs” when shocked or disappointed); Someone is called a “pain in the rear”; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Some lying; Fighting, Being held at knife-point, Being punched, Being chased, Injuries, Pain, & Blood/Bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Blades/Knives are aimed and thrown at others (some in a rescue attempt and others to mean harm, up to semi-detailed); Stealing (with some guilt and trying to reason that it was justified as the person lied to him); Rescuing someone who was pushed into the water (pushed with the intent to drown the person, up to semi-detailed); Seeing others held at knife-point, injured, in pain, & bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Being attacked by snakes, spiders, burning fireflies, and wolves & seeing others bitten or almost bitten by them (up to semi-detailed); Snooping through others’ belongings (with some guilt); A nightmare of a snake attack and being bitten (up to semi-detailed); A bit of jealousy; Finn says he has to save his sister (from harm or death) so he can kill her himself (not literally); Finn steals a desert and a drink from food carts; Finn and his best friend bet on a coin about being able to do something (gambling); Going to a tavern (for stealing and for information, no drinking by a main character); Finn thinks about when he and his best friend swindled a man who swindled them and how proud they were of that, but doesn’t want to share it with others “for some reason”; Finn recalls stealing out of necessity, but also when he was bored, liked the thrill of it, or didn’t like the look of someone (he notes that he doesn’t want to be that person who would steal from others anymore and feels guilt over it); Finn feels more invigorated when there’s a “simmer of revenge” in him; A boy says a man who was interested in his mother would roughen him up and told him to either runaway or he will be harmed; Many mentions of thieves, pickpockets, stealing (including stealing to survive), & stolen items; Mentions of deaths & a massacre/fire (including of parents and a brother); Mentions of possible and near drownings; Mentions of gangs, violence, & threats; Mentions of fights/fighting, weapons, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of gambling, betting, & cons (with Finn and his best friend would do to others to survive); Mentions of taverns & alcohol-like drinks; Mentions of animal/insect abuse (a fictional butterfly-like creature that some will kill while extracting gold from its wings); Mentions of venomous spiders and snakes & poisons (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of deceit/deception; A couple mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of fart jokes (and a boy saying he loves them); A couple mentions of animal bones & something eating them; A mention of a possible serial killer; A mention of kidnappers; A mention of a lie about a mother threatening to cut off her son’s hands (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of rotting food smelling like death; A mention of a tattoo; 
             *Note: Finn and his sister, Lydia, do not know what happened to their mother (she left when they were little & they wonder if she’s still out there and could find her; Finn imagines that their mother was hiding them from their father or that their mother was “a terrible person who took them from” their father; Finn wonders if he did something wrong and that’s why their mother left, but doesn’t know why she would leave Lydia who was just a baby then); Finn and Lydia kiss their fingers and touch a flag to show their loyalty to a public figure.
 
 
Sexual Content- Finn asks his sister is she has a crush on an older boy (she says she does not).
 
-Finn, age 12
                                P.O.V. of Finn 
                                          320 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was a wild card book for me—I haven’t read any of the author’s other books (this is her debut middle-grade book) and I wasn’t sure if it would be my cup of tea. I definitely was lost at times but overall, it was an…interesting plot. I think it had decent potential, but there definitely were some plot-holes and parts that didn’t make sense to me; I’m not sure if it’s the writing style or just missing some more needed details or a combination of both. It took me a while to get into this story because of the lack of explanation about different elements of the setting and the world. The main character doesn’t really know what is going on either, so at least I wasn’t alone, but it didn’t help my confusion any. 

 

There are very, very subtle faith content elements—almost like having a very light allegory to the plot. A teenaged character is a type of guide and has implications of being like Jesus, but I would have preferred it to be more obvious. It’s more of a Light vs Darkness kind of storyline than I would say being an actual allegory. 

 

As I found plot-holes and parts of the book confusing, it’s difficult for me to give ratings to the usual age groups I usually share ratings for. The ratings listed above are more due to content and age-appropriateness with some intense and scary scenes than an actual recommendation of a book I enjoyed. I think other readers may enjoy this book more than I did, but it’s not one I’m going to personally recommend.

 

 

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 (Waterbrook Multnomah) for this honest review.