Book Review: Enchantée

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Gita Trelease

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 449

Categories: Historical, Young Adult, Magic, Romance, Fantasy

Book Blurb:

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians…

When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist—who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible.

But la magie has its costs. And when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she’s playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic—before Paris burns…

MY REVIEW

This book is true to it’s title, Enchantée – it is truly enchanting! The story is a mix of fantasy and history. It is set in the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette so just knowing that brings visions of excess and debauchery to mind. There wasn’t much debauchery in this book though, but there is romance.

I visited Versailles a few years ago and so I knew I had to read this book. Just mention of the Hall of Mirrors in the story reminded me of walking down that hall myself, envisioning Marie Antoinette and her courtiers. The grounds are so grand.

Enchantée, is ultimately a story of orphans Camille Durbonne and her sister, Sophie, who is recovering from small pox. Their brother Alain, is a drunk and has become violent towards them. They cannot rely on him to make money so they work to make ends meet.

France is on the verge of a revolution. The poor are starving and the rich keep on living their life of excess. Camille comes from a family who has had magic in their blood so she uses her skill to cheat at cards, gambling her way to wealth in Versailles. But things are not what they seem there and she must be on guard. When she is not at Versailles playing a dangerous game, she is just Camille who has fallen in love with a balloonist.

I enjoyed the writing, it wove it’s spell on me and the pages went by quickly. Camille is a strong character. She knows her brother is lost to his demons so she does her best to move on and protect her sister. But using magic and gambling in a way becomes her own addiction. There is intrigue at Versailles and she gets caught up in it. I loved the lore about Versailles being created by magic! I can so believe that.

I tried my best with pronouncing the french words in my head as I read the book. But I can’t say I was successful haha. There is a glossary of French terms in the back of the book which is a nice touch for us non-french speaking readers.

The romance was so sweet and the balloonists and inventors that Camille befriends was a part of the book I didn’t know I needed. It gave Camille balance and a way to ground her character. I liked seeing the contrast of her in disguise going to Versailles being among gamblers and aristocracy versus being herself hanging out with young people with ideas. At Versailles, they pass the time in boredom squandering their money away or playing hide and seek. Whereas these balloonists are experimenting and inventing a hot air balloon which in the book stood for hope. It’s where Camille feels the freedom to be herself.

There is mention of the revolution but it is in the background. Camille lives both sides of the story, the rich and the poor life. I like that she can stay true to herself throughout the story.

Strangely enough, the magic in the story didn’t quite grab me or the villain and his storyline. He didn’t come off sinister enough for me. I say strange because most of the book is about magic and the illusions it can create. The story doesn’t delve into the history of magic or what she does to create it. It’s just there in her bloodline. I did like learning she needed sorrow to create magic which makes sense since there is a cost to using it. We see the cost of magic use in other characters as well. But yes, I wish there was more about the magic and how it worked.

Overall, Enchantée is a truly enchanting, imaginative and enjoyable story that tells a tale of love, magic and hope.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Dark Shores

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Format: E-book

Pages: 368

Categories: Adventure Politics, Gods, Magic, Young Adult, Fantasy

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Book Blurb:

In a world divided by meddlesome gods and treacherous oceans, only the Maarin possess the knowledge to cross the Endless Seas. But they have one mandate: East must never meet West.

A PIRATE WITH A WILL OF IRON
Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets, but when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, Teriana breaks her people’s mandate so her friend might escape―a choice with devastating consequences.

A SOLDIER WITH A SECRET
Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world.

A DANGEROUS QUEST
When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely―and unwilling―alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.

MY REVIEW

This morning I’m trying to function due to lack of sleep because I was reading Dark Shores last night. And when a book leaves my heart racing, my nerves shaking and I whisper/cry out “No! I need more!” (because everyone is asleep in the house) then to me, it’s a really ah-mazing book. So far, it’s one of my top three favorite reads of 2019.

I was excited to learn this was written by the same author who wrote The Malediction Series, which I loved. The blurb for Dark Shores sounded intriguing: pirates? A soldier ? A quest? I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Don’t go into this book thinking it’s a typical “pirate” book, with adventures on the high-seas. This is not like the Pirate of the Caribbeans movie. It’s not swashbuckling and pirating, there is time spent journeying on a ship (there wasn’t much pirating going on) but this book takes place a lot on land. It has political intrigue, epic action, a sea monster, battle scenes between Gods, battle scenes among men and it’s quite a ride. And when I finished this story I still felt there was so much more to find out about the world of Dark Shores, hence my frustration because it means now I have to wait for the sequel.

Each chapter of this book had me hooked to find out more, I could not stop. Teriana is a sixteen year old girl and part of the crew on her mother’s ship, Quincense. She’s a Maarin, a seafaring people who survives on trade and the only ones in the East who aren’t conquered by the Celendorians. The Celendor Empire is similar to the Roman Empire with a Senate governing body and a large army at their disposal. They are an empire that does not believe in Gods and persecutes those that do.

Teriana and her people hold to a mantra, East must not meet West. Both sides of the world don’t know the other exists, though there are rumors in the East about the Dark Shores. The only way to get to the West is a magical waterway or current that acts as a hidden path between the two sides. But Teriana and her crew know the way between East and West because they have traveled the route countless times. It is a secret her people take to their graves to keep in favor with their Gods. But Teriana tells this secret in a moment of weakness. Teriana’s mistake binds her into a conflict between East and West. Marcus, a commander of the deadly Thirty-Seventh legion is tasked to lead a quest to find this new world, and Teriana has no choice to help him or else the lives of her people are forfeit.

The world building is so well done, and the writing flows beautifully, which is why I was already a fan of this author. There is use of profanity in this story, which I don’t mind at all, but for those who don’t like it, just know it’s there. The scene in the Sea of the Dead gave me goosebumps, I loved how we went from politics and the cerebral world of the empire to Teriana unveiling this new mystical world that is ruled by Gods and the belief in them.

The characters in this story are fantastic. We have Gods, heroes, villains, and side characters that add humor. I cared for Teriana, Marcus and the soldiers. Teriana is a carefree, feisty, worldly but sometimes impulsive girl, somewhat expected from a girl who lived her life in the open seas. Marcus is true to his commander personality: rigid, controlled and loyal to his legion but that doesn’t mean he has no weaknesses. The tension between them is there but the romance doesn’t overtake the book. When Teriana and Marcus finally acknowledge what is happening between them, I was more than ready for it.

The story was like a ship with one destination: forward. Or should I say like a legion of soldiers headed to battle: forward march. The Thirty-Seventh never falls back! 😉 Meaning, this story was relentless and I love it. It made me think about the conquerors and the conquered. Who was more evil, the empire or the corrupted? Who is more to blame? And how can they fix what is happening? This is a book I’m going to be thinking about for awhile and probably rereading a lot before the sequel comes out. This is an outstanding first book in a series and I’m going to be marking my calendar for the release date of the next book.

Book Review: All The Wandering Light (Even The Darkest Stars Book 2)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Heather Fawcett

Format: Hard Cover

Pages: 432

Categories: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Magic, Witches, Stars, Demons

Book Blurb:

After the terrifying events on Mount Raksha, the witches have returned, and River has betrayed Kamzin to regain his dark powers. The witches’ next step: march on the Three Cities and take over the Empire—led by River’s brother, Esha.

If Kamzin is to save Azmiri and prevent the destruction of the Empire, she must find a star that fell in the Ash Mountains to the north. Fallen stars have immense power, and if Kamzin and Lusha can find the star, they can use its magic to protect their homeland. To get there, Kamzin has allied with Azar-at, the dangerous and deceptive fire demon, who can grant her great power—in exchange for pieces of her soul. But River wants the star too, and as their paths collide in dangerous and unexpected ways, Kamzin must wrestle with both her guilt and her conflicted feelings for the person who betrayed her.

Facing dark magic, a perilous journey, and a standoff against the witches, can Kamzin, Lusha, and Tem find the star and save their Empire?

MY REVIEW

The adventure continues in this sequel to Even the Darkest Stars but with less mountaineering. Lusha, Kamzin’s older sister who is a seer, is with her every step of the way on this journey. She strives to remind Kamzin to make the right decisions regarding the task ahead – finding a fallen star and bringing it to the Emperor to bind the witches’ power again. I never quite took a liking to Lusha – she’s so hard on Kamzin and hardly ever lets up. Tem is also with them, using his shamanic skills to protect them as best he can.

“Some truths aren’t meant to be found, even by the most determined explorers.”
All the Wandering Light by. Heather Fawcett

This story was told through a few different perspectives: Kamzin and River obviously but at one point there was a few chapters told through Mara. Not sure if Mara’s perspective was needed though, he became a non-issue in the end. Mingma, the ghost also made a cameo and then he was gone! His time was brief in the book but so impactful, Kamzin needed to hear from an explorer who didn’t succeed in his mission, because sometimes that’s just life.

“Choosing to lock yourself up in a life that doesn’t suit you is its own sort of death, wouldn’t you say?”
All the Wandering Light by. Heather Fawcett

The beginning was slow but I understand why – we get to learn more of River’s story. We meet his brothers, and learn about River’s family history. With the binding spell gone, it seems River is the most powerful witch in the Kingdom, but he never wanted power, in essence all he wanted was freedom. His romance with Kamzin doesn’t show up really until the very end, talk about a slow burn romance! They really did put the issues of the Empire before the lovey-dovey stuff.

I really love the action scenes in the end, witches lunging out of the wall? Give me more! That was the one thing about this book that gave me a slight pause. I was trudging through the beginning, then at the end I was reading so fast through the action and all of a sudden it was over! 🤔 The author did wrap things up nicely in the end but can there be more stories to be told in this world? Oh – most definitely.

What I adored about this series is the magical entities. I fell in love with the familiars, Ragtooth and Biter. I loved the demons in this story too. And yes to the witches, ghosts and pet-like dragons! Also, what about that falling star? I adored her – I wanted to put her in my pocket and keep her forever – she gave me giddy feelings. The writing is beautiful and drew me into this world filled with lore and magic.

I enjoyed this series very much. I could totally envision myself wearing kinnika bells around my neck (I figured I’d be a shaman instead of an explorer) with my own feisty wing-demon. Fire-demons stay away from me though, I might be too tempted by them!

Book Review: Even The Darkest Stars

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Heather Fawcett

Format: Hard Cover

Pages: 427

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Dragons, Witches, Adventure

Book Blurb:

Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.

But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means climbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer who is determined to best River, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.

The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and even worse at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth of their mission and of her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.

MY REVIEW

Even the Darkest Stars took me on quite an adventure and it was so refreshing. I was transported to the mountain village of Azmiri, where we meet Kamzin, who is a girl dreaming to become a royal explorer for the Emperor. She gets her chance when the greatest and most current Royal Explorer, River Shara, comes to her village needing a guide to climb the tallest and deadliest mountain, Raksha.

This story isn’t only about a climbing expedition, there is a reason River needs to get to the top of that mountain, but it’s not what everyone thinks, though some do suspect what he’s after. There is magic, witches and even dragons in this story, though the dragons seem more like domesticated pets than the deadly fire-breathing soaring creatures we’ve come to know in other stories.

The world building kept me in this story because it was so different and I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for those movies about climbing Mount Everest. There is always danger in those movies and the study of human nature: the will to go on, the need to reach the summit and can they even reach the summit?

I loved the mysticism and traditions of the mountain villages we journey to in Even the Darkest Stars, and learning about the witches that once roamed the land – but of course the emperor put an end to that by binding their power. Then there are ghosts, winged beasts and even a fire demon! I loved it all.

But there was one point in the book, around 75% into it – that I had to skim through some of the climbing scenes because I just was so eager to know what was coming.

As for the characters, I liked Kamzin. She’s brave, intuitive and one of the best climbers River has ever been with. Her sense of adventure comes through and it’s infectious. Kamzin is a second daughter though and feels she has something to prove to her village. So sometimes that desire to be more than what she is, causes her to make some questionable decisions.

Kamzin and River connect right away through their love of adventure. But Kamzin also has her level headed, best-friend, ex-boyfriend, Tem, who journeys with her and the team to Raksha. The love triangle was present in the book but it didn’t distract me or overtake the story at all. When reading a love triangle, I usually feel a strong pull towards one side, #Teamwhoever, 🤣 but in this one, I didn’t quite know who I wanted her to end up with. I like that Tem knows her so well and looks out for her but River is exciting and she could share her love of adventure with him. I guess we shall see how it plays out in book two.

I’m excited that I had borrowed the second book along with the first one because of that ending – oh you fire demon, you! Okay, I’ll be right back, going to immerse myself in book two, All The Wandering Light. 😉