Fourth Wing

Fourth Wing  by Rebecca Yarros

Red Tower Books, 9781649374042

Violet Sorrengail is small, brittle, and well-prepared for the quiet life of a scribe.  But after the death of her father, Violet’s mom orders her to change her plans and pass the stringent ordeal to become a dragon rider instead–or die trying. Almost every other cadet in the Quadrant will try to get her to fail (with a few notable exceptions), and a dragon who finds her unsuitable will simply incinerate her.  

This book was originally marketed for adult audiences, but teen readers have run away giggling with it.  The characters are young adults in their 20’s dealing with teen issues, most especially the task to to define themselves as separate from their parents. Non-binary gender expression and sexual diversity is presented as normal. The on-page, window-shattering sex scenes do not seem to alarm younger readers but might concern their elders.

Action, adventure, magic, intrigue, loyalty and betrayal keep the pages turning.  Recommended for ages 14 to adult.

Bullying, cussing, death, dragons, friendship, gender diversity, kissing, magic, off-page intimacy, on-page sex,  parents, straight friends, teachers.

The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic

The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic.  F. T. Lukens.  Interlude, 2019.   300p.   978-1945053245.

Bridger needs to go to college, but he and his single mom just do not have enough money.  True, he could go to college in town, but if he went out of state, he could begin again as himself, a boy far too interested in Leo, the local football hero.  Where to find a job?  Craigslist?  Bridger finds an ad that advises the applicant to come in through the Blue Door, not the front door.  Bridger finds the blue door around the back, on the attic, with no ladder.  And a girl obviously looking to apply for the job too.

When Bridger makes it in the room, there is no one waiting.  He hears voices, murmurings.

His second day on the job, he meets a werewolf.  And pixies. 

This is jut a really fun novel, the beginning of a series, which finds Bridger as the assistant of an intermediary, Pavel, whose job it is to find “myths” out of place and send them back where they belong.  Bridger must approach a unicorn and ask her to leave.  It’s a good thing he can, because, you know….

Bridger and Pavel must find why the myths are suddenly attracted to Lake Michigan and eliminate the problem before the real world collides with the myth world. 

Bridger’s best friend is Astrid… so grab your Bullfinch’s Mythology and a book on cryptozology, and play along!  If you are in eighth grade, reading Hero Stories, this is for you!

Recommended 14 up

drinking, gay friends, homosexuality, magic, prejudice, sexual questioning, straight friends, vampires, and violence.

Reign the Earth *and* Imprison the Sky (The Elementae #1 and #2)

Reign the Earth by A. C. Gaughen
This is a series of at least four books:  earth, sky, fire, water. 

Reign the Earth begins  the series with the desert people.   Shalia, daughter of the chief, has volunteered to marry the King of the Tri-Kingdom to bring peace to the earth.  She is prepared to make concessions, have a child, even endure his abuse.  Until she realizes that she is an Elementa, a magic-worker who can control any pure earth product:  trees, rocks, gems, etc… And Calix, the Tri-King, is hunting and destroying the Elementae.  

There is also the prophecy:  the king will be destroyed by an Elementa – and - the king will not live to see his child.  There is of course, the brother to whom Shalia is attracted….

This is a fast read with surprises along the way.  You will find yourself cheering for Shalia as she tries to save her family and the earth.


Book #2: Imprison the Sky takes over with Aspasia, a wind element, who is a pirate, captain of her ship.  We saw her first in Reign the Earth when her ship sailed through the air to crash into the tower that was the slave quarters.  She both rescues slaves and takes slaves on her ship to sell and trade.  She briefly met Shalia there.  

Asp is also one gutsy complex heroine.  All the characters are complex in this second of the series.  Shalia’s brother, Kairos, joins the pirate ship.  It is also becoming obvious that they will need to fight the Tri-king, Calix.  Yes, Calix is still hunting down Shalia, who is now pregnant. And we find that there is a 5th kind of Elementa….and this one is a game-changer.

Another fast-paced novel that leaves you waiting for the third….

Highly recommended for readers ages 14 and up.

The Winter of the Witch

The Winter of the Witch  by Katherine Arden (Winternight Trilogy #3)

In book #1 The Bear and the Nightingale, Vasilisa (Vasya) is a child in a small Russian village, listening to her nurse's stories of Vasilisa the Brave, one of the most famous heroes in northern folklore.  Things go terribly wrong, but at least she got a magical talking horse in the process.

In book #2 The Girl in the Tower, the action moves to Moscow, where Vasya and the horse Solovey try to protect the royal family and citizens of the city from evil magic.  Things go terribly wrong again, but at least the winter-demon teaches Vasya some useful magic in the process.

In book #3, The Winter of the Witch, things go terribly wrong and get terribly wrong-er.  Vasya loses her allies, she loses her family, and Russia itself is nearly lost to the invading Tatar army.  But Vasya is stubborn, clever, and just a little bit lucky, so with the help of magical friends (mostly familiar figures from Russian fairy tales), she brings new power to the decisive Battle of Kulikovo.  

The author twines historical Russian events with traditional Russian folklore to create a fabulous, magical series of novels, perfect for reading on cold winter nights.  Highly recommended for readers who enjoy fairy tale retellings with a strong female character.  

Night of Cake and Puppets

Night of Cake and Puppets  by Laini Taylor, illustrated by Jim DiBartolo

Zuzanna begins the narrative with the story of a gruesome little puppet her grandfather used to scare small children:  the head made from a real fox skull with black glass eyes, sharpened teeth, and Cossack garb (complete with fur hat).  

Then she switches gears, a gushes a bit about this boy she is crazy to meet:  Mik, the "violin boy" who is Zuzanna's boyfriend in this author's Daughter of Smoke and Bone books.  This lovely, talented, beautiful boy...to whom Zuzanna is too shy to speak.

One night, she takes a handful of scuppies (tiny wishes) and crafts a little adventure for Mik:  a treasure map, with a drawing of herself at the center of the page where "x-marks-the-spot."  

And thus, the magic begins.

Small, quiet, and powerful, this novella should be uber-creepy, but becomes delightfully sweet instead.  The illustrations are swirly, gothic, and delightful.

And now, I want cake. 

Recommended for readers ages 12 to adult.  Some scariness, no blood, some kissing (YES!!!) and thoughts of further intimacy but nothing on the page.   

You do not need to read the Smoke and Bones books to appreciate this. You only need to understand that magic is real, and that I love this book.

The Girl in the Tower

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

Sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale, this story takes up where the first book ended: Vasya has left her family and her village. Together, she and her marvelous horse (with some help from Morozko, the frost demon) journey towards Moscow, and (of course) things go terribly wrong along the way.

Familiarity with Russian folklore will definitely aid in understanding and enjoying this dense, dark tale. Vasilisa and Morozko figure in many traditional stories, as do...oh, but that would be a spoiler.

If you know the stories, you may recognize characters along the way; otherwise, you will be as surprised as Vasya herself when true identities are revealed.

Some kissing, some bloodshed, some nekkidness, some demons and devils, and quite a lot of magic. This is second in a trilogy, but does not end on a cliffhanger.

Highly recommended reading for cold, blustery nights when the fire is ticking in the stove, and winter is just on the other side of the wall. Ages 12 to adult.

Wintersong

Wintersong  by S. Jae-Jones

Liesl's grandmother makes sure that all the children in the family know the stories of the Goblin King: of his changelings, his love for bright human things, and the danger of letting the fae folk too close.  And yet, when Liesl's sister is taken away Underground, she doesn't hesitate to offer herself as a hostage instead.

Gradually, the grim existence of life under the fairy mound begins to wear down even the toughest of humans--they lose their sense of song, of taste, and gradually fade away as the goblins drain them of their humanity.  But Liesl is different...isn't she?

Some reviewers have compared this to the 1986 movie "Labyrinth" but of course the story of humans taken away underground by supernatural forces is older than Persephone herself.  Students of folklore will detect faint traces of Thomas the Rhymer, Tam Lin, and even Rip Van Winkle, and each portion of the story is preceded with stanzas from Rossetti's "Goblin Market."   

The pacing is steady, with excellent character development for Liesl and her family, and also a nice amount of detail developing the various fae folk, especially the Goblin King--who, despite his grounding in world folklore, probably looks a lot like David Bowie.

Minor cussing, some blood, violence, some sexual situations.  Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.  This is first in a series but stands alone.