Book review: The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards (Published by HarperCollins, January 17, 2012)

Thirteen-year-old Zardi lives in the kingdom of Arribitha, where the sultan has banned magic, and anyone even heard talking about magic can be arrested. Her best friend is Rhidan, a mysterious foreigner who was found abandoned as a baby and raised by Zardi's family. Rhidan longs to know of his origins, and receives a clue from Sinbad the Sailor, but Simbad must flee before Rhidan can get more answers.

The sultan of Arribitha is cruel and evil, and forces young girls to be take the position of "Praisemaker" - they are forced to announce executions and are eventually killed. Zardi's parents tried to have her and her sister married off so they cannot be chosen, but before they could do that, her older sister is chosen to be the next Praisemaker. Zardi and Rhidan must then go on a journey to save Zardi's sister and discover the truth about Rhidan's origins.

The Book of Wonders is an enjoyable middle grade fantasy inspired by the Arabian Nights stories. The main characters were very likable and I enjoyed the author's descriptions of all the exotic places they visited. This book is very different from anything I have read recently, and since I am sick of urban fantasy I am always looking for fantasy with a more historical or magical setting. If you are like me and enjoy fantasy with unusual settings, I think you would enjoy The Book of Wonders.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.

Waiting on Wednesday: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (Published by HarperTeen, July 24, 2012)

There’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper — The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.


This book sounds really original - it's a YA historical fantasy with zombies in it! Am I a total geek for thinking that sounds completely awesome?

In My Mailbox - 1/7/12

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are the new books I got this week:

Secret Letters by Leia Scheier

Inquisitive and observant, Dora dreams of escaping her aristocratic country life to solve mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes. So when she learns that the legendary detective might be her biological father, Dora jumps on the opportunity to travel to London and enlist his help in solving the mystery of her cousin’s ransomed love letters. But Dora arrives in London to devastating news: Sherlock Holmes is dead. Her dreams dashed, Dora is left to rely on her wits—and the assistance of an attractive yet enigmatic young detective—to save her cousin’s reputation and maybe even rescue a kidnapped heiress along the way.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, Janelle knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.
But her reincarnation, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI-agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.
From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl’s fight to save herself, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Contest: Win a signed copy of Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey

Janet Lee Carey has generously offered one signed hardcover copy of her new historical fantasy, Dragonswood, for a contest. To enter, just fill out the form below! To learn more about Dragonswood, you can read my review, visit the author's website, or view the book trailer.

Book review: Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey

Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey (Published by Penguin Books, January 5, 2012)

The year is 1192 and seventeen-year-old Tess is a blacksmith's daughter on Wilde Island, which is a fictional island, although I think that based on the story, it's intended to be set near England. Wilde Island is the home to many humans, but also to dragons and fairies, who live in Dragonswood, a forest that is supposed to be their sanctuary. Although it is forbidden, Tess has often gone into Dragonswood - to get away from her horrible father, who physically abuses both Tess and her mother, but also because she feels drawn there. Tess fears being forced to marry, because she assumes most men will be like her abusive father. Tess also has a secret - she sees visions in fires. She must keep her power a secret, because the villagers fear witches and would burn her alive.

When Tess is accused of witchcraft despite carefully hiding her secret, and under torture names her two best friends, the three girls must escape their village and run for their lives. They are offered sanctuary by Garth, a young man who guards Dragonswood, and who Tess previously saw in her visions. Tess feels attracted to Garth, but doesn't believe he returns her feelings. She also thinks he is hiding something. Then Tess discovers a surprising truth about her own heritage, and the part she might play in a fairy prophecy.

I really liked the premise of Dragonswood. I love anything set in the Medieval era and I also love fantasy but I'm sick of all the modern paranormal books out there. So I think ther historical setting Dragonswood really makes it stand from the endless sea of young adult paranormal books. I really liked the character of Tess, who was very brave and strong despite her difficult life. I think the author was true to the way of life in the Medieval era, despite this being a fantasy novel. My only real complaint was that the ending seemed a bit abrupt (there is an epilogue, but the conclusion to the main story seemed like it was over a bit too fast), and I wish the romance had been developed a bit more. But overall I enjoyed the story a lot and I recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fantasy or who are sick of all the typical young adult paranormal novels and want to read something different.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by author.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze (Published by Little Brown, May 8, 2012

Happily ever after is a thing of the past.
The year is 2090.
England is a barren land. Food is rationed. Oil has decimated the oceans. The people are restless.
A ruthless revolutionary enacts a plan to destroy the royal family, and in a moment, the king is dead. His heiress, Princess Mary, and her brother, Jamie, have been abducted, and no one knows their fate. Princess Eliza Windsor barely escapes, and finds herself scared and lost in London's dangerous streets.
With a mind for revenge and the safe recovery of her siblings, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. There she is tempted by her first taste of independence -- and true love. Ultimately she must summon her courage and fight to ensure that she does not become... The Last Princess.


This book sounds like a dystopian that will be unusual/different, since it is set in England. I wonder if Galaxy Craze is the author's real name!

In My Mailbox - 1/1/12

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

This is my first In My Mailbox of 2012. Unfortunately since the mail was slow this week due to holidays, most of the books I ordered online did not arrive. However I did get three new books this week.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.
Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

Vice and Virtue by Veronica Bennett

What happens when you marry for neither love nor money? 1700, London: a city so crowded and unregulated that anyone, should they so desire, could slip away - disappear down a back street and become someone else. After the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Aurora Eversedge is left without a dowry and agrees to marry a much older man who claims to be wealthy, though in poor health. On their wedding night, Edward Francis confesses that, in fact, he is penniless but that his health is robust - also that his proposal of marriage carried an ulterior motive: he wants Aurora to act as a spy for him. Edward's father had left his fortune to his sworn enemy, Josiah Deede. Edward suspects that Josiah murdered his father and is determined to regain his inheritance and bring Josiah Deede to justice. Aurora's first assignment is to make the acquaintance of Josiah's daughter, Celia, and son, Jos, at a Covent Garden theatre. "Vice and Virtue" is full of acute observation of social life that characterizes Jane Austen's work - the sort of book Jane Austen would have written if she wrote mysteries.

The Mastermind Plot by Angie Frazier

Suzanna "Zanna" Snow can hardly believe her luck: She's just arrived in Boston, the city she's wanted to visit for as long as she can remember. Think of all the mysteries waiting to be solved here! Her grandmother and cousin, Will, welcome her warmly, but her famous detective uncle, Bruce Snow, seems anything but pleased. He doesn't want Zanna meddling in his current case involving a string of mysterious warehouse fires along the harbor front. But Zanna can't help herself. Is someone setting the fires? Just when she thinks she's on to something, a strange man starts following her. Is he a threat? Zanna needs to solve the case before she has the chance to find out.