"Safe Friends" by Laura Lond

About this book:

  “She is under a vow to never marry. He is engaged. Knowing that, they can be friends, without assumptions or rumors… Can’t they?
    Maristella Westen would have been the star of every ball with no shortage of suitors, but she has a secret, something that is only known to her and her parents. The secret makes marriage impossible. To avoid inspiring false hopes in young men, as well as forming an unwanted attachment herself, Maristella keeps away from social gatherings. Used to solitude, she finds joy in simple pleasures like reading, taking walks in the garden, riding her horse, and occasionally fishing — something her strict parents frown upon.
    When the wealthy Lord Shelberton comes for a visit, bringing with him his three sons, Maristella is told to stay away. This time, she is not even allowed to meet the visitors. However, the lord’s eldest son happens to bump into her in the garden. Described as “impossibly handsome” by Maristella’s sister, Kalvistan is engaged to be married, so he would be “safe”, Maristella safe from falling for her. She should be safe as well, knowing that he is pledged to another. Kalvistan seems to share the sentiment. Having been promptly informed that Maristella is under a vow not to marry, he sees nothing wrong with becoming good friends with her and enjoying each other’s company.
     Will the friendship last? Is it as safe as they think? And why does the mysterious fountain that seems to favor some people pick Maristella and Kalvistan?”


Series: Part of the “Love Stories of Elves, Merfolk, and Men” series. I could not tell if it is connected to the other books in the series.


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Praising & Thanking God; Most ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Many mentions of nuns, monks, monasteries, serving God, & vows; Mentions of God & His will; Mentions of prayers & answered prayers; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of faiths; 
             *Note: While there is no “magic” shown or mentioned in this book, there are mentions of merfolk & legends about them; *Major Spoilers* At the end, it is revealed that there are people who marry merfolk and when they are married, one transforms to match the other (such as a human turns into a merfolk and a merfolk would turn into a human); The children of such unions sometimes become humans who have scales (called a “Elmion”) & can only have biological children with others like them *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of a fountain that has legends about granting wishes or giving blessings (and appears to grant them; *Major Spoiler* It is actually connected to merfolk and seems to grant the wishes of those connected to the merfolk *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Some eye rolling; A few lies & secrets (including Maristella keeping a few secrets from her parents about her friendship with Kalvistan); Self-defense, Seeing a fight, & Injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths (including from a shipwreck; for parents); Mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of the possibility of being robbed or kidnapped; A few mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding; A few mentions of taverns (no alcohol is mentioned); A couple mentions of wanting to murder someone who harmed another; A couple mentions of a drunk; A couple mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of possible disobedience to one’s parents (due to a secret); A mention of gambling; 
             *Note: Mentions of a character’s “deformity” (*Major Spoiler* Which is actually due to the character’s biological parents and a well-kept secret involving one parent being a merfolk *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of things being “unfair” (based on one’s gender and what is considered to be proper).
 
 
Sexual Content- a hand kiss; A few touches, embraces, flutters, & nearness (not considered cheating; barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Some noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Maristella feels like Kalvistan is a “safe friend” as she has a vow not to marry and he is engaged to another woman; After being friends, she starts to fall for him, but tries to ignore those feelings as she believe they will go away (she tells no one about them and treats him the same as before); *Major Spoilers* Maristella is told that Kalvistan is in an arranged marriage and does not love the young woman (this is not said by him, but by a family member); Maristella is concerned that she could be viewed as a threat to Kalvistan’s marriage and no longer feels like he is a “safe friend” because of it; Kalvistan’s father tells Maristella that he arranged Kalvistan’s engagement because the young woman said she fell for Kalvistan, but when she found out he couldn’t have children and wouldn’t inherit a title, she wanted to cancel their wedding; Kalvistan’s father has paid the young woman’s family to keep the engagement, but Kalvistan does not know this detail; Kalvistan does not act on his feelings for Maristella until he finds out the truth from his father; He plans to go to the young woman and confirm she wants to break the engagement, but has not by the time he confesses to Maristella (it’s implied his father will pay the young woman’s family to break the engagement) *End of Spoilers*; Maristella’s sister teases her about a married man staring at her (which makes Maristella uncomfortable); Mentions of a young woman being after a man who is engaged (he pays her no attention); Mentions of flirting & blushes; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of broken hearts; Mentions of handsome men; A couple mentions of young men physically fighting over a young woman; A mention of a woman possibly being violated; Very light love, falling in love, trying to ignore those feelings, & the emotions;
             *Note: Maristella has made a vow not to marry, but only her parents know why (*Spoilers* Because of the vow, she does not plan to get married or have children; *Major Spoilers* This is because of a “deformity” she has that is actually connected to her biological parents *End of Spoilers*); Maristella goes swimming in a lake in her chemise and is seen by a man (not sexual and no details); Mentions of women’s figures; Mentions of a side character wearing low-cut gowns and receiving attention from young men because of it (it’s said that her dress’ neckline could be called a “breast-line” instead because of how much it reveals; Other women show dislike for the young woman’s clothing and actions; It’s noted that two married men do not pay attention to the woman & that the mothers of the young men paying her attention receive veiled lectures and punishments); A few mentions of being unable to have biological children.
 
-Maristella Westen
                                P.O.V. mostly of Maristella, but also of her sister a few times 
                                                        135 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This ended up being a bit different than I was expecting! Our main character, Maristella, was such a good and decent girl, so because of her, I enjoyed this story. I was really impressed with Maristella’s answers and thoughtfulness—she had a very good head on her shoulders and handled things well. She was diplomatic, but also sincere at the same time, but made her an interesting character and one I enjoyed reading. 

 

When the author first contacted me about possibly reviewing this book, I was I concerned about the possibility of emotional cheating in this story—because Maristella’s new male friend is engaged to another woman—but the author let me know some details and after reading the whole book, I can say there technically wasn’t and their friendship was handled very carefully. We do not get his POV, which makes a big difference in that regard, but they are truly friends first. Maristella starts to have some romantic feelings for him towards the end, but she does her best to nip it in the bud and ask questions about his fiancée. I would have liked a couple changes at the end regarding this, but it was decent enough. *Spoilers* I would have preferred to have Kalvistan to go the young woman he is engaged to and break the engagement liked he planned rather than him taking his father’s word that it can be canceled and going ahead and confessing his feelings for Maristella. It’s a slight difference, but I think that would have removed any possible angle of cheating because he was technically still engaged to the other woman when he confesses to Maristella. He didn’t love the other woman and she didn’t truly love him, so it worked out for Kalvistan and Maristella to be together, but having it be a little clearer in that regard would have been better, in my opinion. *End of Spoiler*.

 

There were a few formatting elements and typos that caught by eye, but nothing major that distracted me from the story. Because Maristella is often kept at home during this book, there is a lot of telling what has happened—usually by her two sisters. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the events on-page, rather than just being told about it, but it made sense for Maristella’s situation.

 

This book was very clean, but I’m still going to suggest ages 14+ for it due to mentions of a side character wearing low-cut gowns and flaunting herself to different men. It’s definitely shown as distasteful, but she still does receive attention from most of those men that encourages her actions and lack of clothing in the neckline area. 

 

I was really enjoying this book until some parts at the end; I had honestly forgotten that there were mermaids/merfolk in this world besides a couple comments about them at the beginning, so the ending caught me by surprise with more mentions of them and them apparently being real. I thought it was just talk/rumors. It wasn’t my favorite element as the rest of the book and world’s setting felt like just a medieval, non-magical fantasy book. Honestly, though, there was an “and they lived happily ever after” vibe to the ending to this story that I want for all my fictional couples, so I can’t complain. 😉

 

 

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.

"The Goodness of Unicorns" by Kayla E. Green

About this book:

  “One girl determined to heal her sister and another looking for purpose in a nation on the brink of war. And unicorns—with a twist you've never seen before.
     It's Rowan Tritonia's sixteenth Naming Anniversary. Her plans for the day never included a headache that causes her to almost faint on a day meant for celebration. When the world comes back into focus, her brown eyes have changed to magenta. But what scares her more is that everything around her is now black and white coupled with a mysterious ability to see the light and shadows in a person's soul. Then a local cleric implies that Rowan could have the power of Sight, a gift which has only been seen in the stories of unicorns in the Book of Verimor, an ancient text. Rowan is perplexed. Why would Verimor give her something she never asked for instead of answering her greatest prayer to help her younger sister, Blythe?
     News of the girl with Sight quickly travels beyond Rowan's local village. When the King of Wisteria learns of her gift from a letter, he summons her to the castle. With growing political tensions from neighboring nations, Rowan may be able to provide the aid they desperately need. Linnea, the king's sister and his primary advisor, prays that Rowan has truly been blessed by a unicorn and can save the nation and its people from encroaching darkness.
     Meanwhile, back at home, Blythe sets out on her own journey. She feels helpless, tied down by the pain that keeps her homebound most of the time. Although she wears a smile to comfort those around her—especially her family—Blythe wonders if her life will ever amount to anything more than fading into the background. Is she truly too broken for any greater purpose, or can Verimor still use her?”


Series: Book #1 in “The Tritonia Chronicles” duology.


Spiritual Content- 1 Peter 3:15 at the beginning; People tell Rowan that she was prepared “for such a time as this”(referencing Esther 4:14); Prayers, Thanking Verimor, & a Blessing over food; Talks about Verimor & turning to Him when needing guidance; ‘H’s are capital when referring to Verimor (God); Rowan doesn’t understand why Verimor won’t heal her sister; Rowan is blessed by a messenger of Verimor (who is a unicorn in human appearance)  with the gift of “Sight” which causes her to lose being able to see any color and is now able to see the condition of a person’s soul (showing grey shadows or white light; When she stares at the person’s chest and soul, she can see memories that shaped the person (good or bad), their emotions, and any moral battles inside of them; Some are “shattered” due to past tragedies and others are fully black; Someone tells Rowan that she can encourage others who have strayed from Verimor to go back to Him with her blessing); *Major Spoilers* Rowan’s necklace has a blessing on it and causes Blythe’s burns to be healed and her hair to change colors (implying she’s been blessed as well) *End of Spoilers*; Thanks to her blessing, *Spoiler* Rowan is able to find the location of people who have been abducted because of knowing what their soul looks like *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of Verimor, His plans, & His purpose for us; Mentions of prayers & praying (including characters kissing a curved finger and raising it to the sky after praying); Mentions of the Book of Verimor (Bible); Mentions of faiths & having faith; Mentions of clerics, clergywomen, & mages (who all work in church-like settings); Mentions of cathedrals, going to worship, & services; Mentions of blessings; A few mentions of devotionals & quite time with Verimor; 
             *Note: Unicorns are messengers of God (the author has said on social media that they are comparable to angels) and one transforms into a human-like appearance to talk to a character; Prophets/Prophetesses are called “Phoenixes” and a prophecy is shared from one; The head of the religious church is called a “diatomist” and is able to ask the wind to do something for him and asks for the earth to shake (this is because of the person’s faith and a connection that allows “direct spiritual guidance” from Verimor); The head diatomist’s apprentice is called a “mage”; *Spoilers* Oren, the mage and apprentice to the head religious figure, is the only person that Rowan can see in color; He is responsible for teaching her and tries to convince her that they would be an unstoppable team; *Major Spoilers* Oren uses Rowan to help those who have been “shattered” by darkness in their souls by trying to have her separate the shadows and the light, but while Rowan thinks something is wrong, she does it anyway and it causes major consequences; Rowan uses her blessing on someone else which helps the person, but Oren is upset that she used her blessing without him (the difference between what Rowan felt and experienced between the two different times of using her blessing is noticed); Rowan witnesses someone who has been “healed” by the girl’s soul being covered by the shadows and is torn about Oren’s way of using their gifts/powers together because shadows come from him when using it instead of the white light she experienced; Those who have given themselves to the darknesses appear as having shadows in their eyes and veins *End of Spoilers*; Dinah is one person who was blessed with the gift of Sight from Verimor through one of His unicorns (a story is told about her from Blythe that is partially from the Book of Verimor, but Blythe admits to adding creative liberties to the story because not much was said about the girl in the Bible-like book); A villain tries to use a cursed item through “shadows of a dysfunction” to harm others (which is said to be from the dark twisting/corruption of a blessing) and can be used in a poison-like way; Another country believes it to be foolish to believe in a deity like Verimor & one man from there spews “blasphemy” against Verimor; A side character says that regardless of what “semantics” you use, things like wishes, prayers, and dreams are all a fantasy; A tradition in this world is to eat a certain fruit on a person’s sixteenth birthday and how ever many seeds is in that melon, the person gets that many “wishes” (because of this, Rowan plans to wish for her sister to be healed; Bane tells her that her wish is not guaranteed and it’s just for fun, but Rowan still believes that Verimor will grant her wish because it’s the desire of her heart; A legend/story is told about four men holding up the pillars of the world when it was young and the snakes that tried to tempt them (one version has a multi-headed snake); A few mentions of a prophecy from a prophetess; A couple mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘idiot’ and a form of ‘stupid’; The fictional phrase “what/how in the name of Admiral Ocean [a place]” is said four times; Being shot at, Being held at knife-point, Injuries, Pain (including chronic), Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Seeing people stabbed, killed, beheaded, & dying (up to semi-detailed); Finding two cats poisoned and nearly dead (but both survive, up to semi-detailed); When Rowan uses her blessing to look into someone’s past hurt, she feels the pain and grief the person has faced (up to semi-detailed); Blythe tells someone about her nightmare of being trapped a fire and then in water; Mentions of wars, assassination attempts & poisons; Mentions of deaths & grief; Mentions of attacks, people being held at knife-point, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of Blythe’s chronic pain & sometimes being bedridden due to the pain; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of an abusive drunk beating and killing his wife (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a man who cut out his own tongue to avoid being questioned (and later dying due to an infection); A few mentions of beatings; A few mentions of alcohol, drinking, & an abusive drunk; A few mentions of fires & burns; A few mentions of snakes being killed; A few mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of eavesdropping; A mention of a mother dying shortly after childbirth; 
             *Note: Blythe is hurt by Rowan’s comment that implies she views Blythe as broken (due to her chronic pain; *Spoiler* At the end, Rowan realizes that her obsession of getting Blythe’s pain to stop was making Blythe feel less than and asks for forgiveness *End of Spoiler*); A side character has a strained relationship with her father; A story is told about a girl who is told she is a nobody from her father and his unkindness towards her (a unicorn counters his words and tells her that she is a child of Verimor and has a purpose); A few mentions of a country viewing women as “second-class citizens” (including a man’s comments against women).
 
 
Sexual Content- Two hand/palm kisses, two cheek kisses, and a forehead kiss; Some touches, embraces, dancing, hand holding, tingles/butterflies, nearness, smelling (including unwanted ones, barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Some noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Blythe knows that her worth isn’t dependent on a boy’s love, but still wonders if love and marriage are possibilities for her; Mentions of a handsome young man and girls ogling him; Mentions of courting & crushes; A few mentions of jealousy; Very light love, being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Helping a woman in labor (barely-above-not-detailed).
 
-Rowan Tritonia, age 16
                                P.O.V. switches between Rowan, Linnea, Blythe, and Bane
                                                        266 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was definitely different than my normal fantasy read! It actually felt like a mix of different elements that I usually only see in either Christian Fiction Fantasy or Clean Fiction Fantasy books. The faith system for this world had parts that reminded me of Christianity, but also had unicorns being the messengers of the God-like character and a other things like prophetess and oracles, which felt more like what I’ve seen in Clean Fiction Fantasy books. 

 

It’s definitely not an allegory, so don’t take it as one because not everything in the faith aspect correlates directly to the Bible. There’s a prophetess called a phoenix and unicorns that are messengers from the God-like character, Verimor. I think I prefer my fantasy books a little more straightforward but those who are interested in this plot may enjoy this book more. It has the Light vs Shadows element as well that a reader has to pay attention to notice at first before it becomes obvious due to different events.

 

I wasn’t sure at first with the comments about wishes and the God-like character granting them, but it’s quickly discussed that there is a difference between wishes and prayers & how Verimor (the name for God in this setting) doesn’t grant wishes; the wish granting comments and parts are just an old tradition that is done for fun. Rowan’s friend, Bane, was very clear about this and I really appreciate that being said so quickly into the book. 

 

One other thing I would have liked to see quickly in the story was more about the abilities that Rowan has received. There were some things here and there that I didn’t understand. Such as I didn’t always understand what Rowan’s “Sight” was. What she did and what happened when she used it made sense eventually, but I would have preferred more information about it all up front because it was a new element I didn’t quite get. Her power was supposed to be from Verimor (God) after being blessed by a unicorn (one of Verimor’s messengers), so learning more about the history of it and why it’s given would have been helpful. By the end, I understood more, but I think the world building could have been a little more at the beginning. I wished things had been explained more and why things were happening, such as the whole prophetess who was called a phoenix. Perhaps that will be a more important part in the sequel story, but I was confused how she tied in as it felt a little random and not explained.

 

I liked Rowan, Blythe, and Bane. I enjoyed these main characters, seeing them interact, and the challenges they faced. Rowan and Blythe’s sister dynamic was strong which I always like to see in books. They weren’t perfect sisters to each other and cause each other hurt with their words at times, but they always had each other’s backs. 

 

There was a certain side character that felt like a walking red flag, so I was glad he wasn’t the love interest in this book and narrowed my eyes at him anytime he appeared—and rightfully so after the ending! “The Goodness of Unicorns” ends with a cliff-hanger, as a heads up! 

 

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me; I liked some elements (the sisters’ bond!) and was confused on other parts (the magic/power system), but I think those that like High or Epic Fantasy books (books with lots of fantasy elements) may enjoy this book me than me.

 

 

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.

"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.