Author: megs14malloy

Review: The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast #0) by Adam Silvera

~ megs14malloy

The First to Die at the EndThe First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved, loved, loved They Both Die at the End when I read it all the way back in February 2019. Trust me when I say, since that time it has lived rent free in my heart.

I, along with most other people, believed it to be a standalone novel. Then shockingly, a prequel novel was announced. The First to Die at the End is that prequel. I’ll be honest, I’ve been so scared to pick this up.

I wasn’t sure any other content was necessary. How could it possibly live up to the story told in TBDATE?

Finally, however, I could resist my curiosity no more. I had to read it and ultimately, I am really glad that I did. Silvera successfully pulled off the unasked for prequel.

In this story, our main characters are Valentino and Orion. The stage is set on the eve of the launch of Death Cast. Valentino, with dreams of becoming a professional model, has just, as in this very day, moved to New York City.

Orion, is a life-long New Yorker with a tragic past. He is anxious for the launch of Death Cast due to the way death has previously touched his life. Also, he has a very serious heart condition. He always feels the clock is ticking for him.

Through a twist of fate, these two boys meet in Times Square and feel an instant connection. As Death Cast goes live, one of them gets a call and the other does not.

They decide, no matter how it is going to turn out, they are going to spend the next 24-hours together. Death Cast is untried. Will their prediction be correct, or will it all end up being nothing more than an elaborate hoax?

Woven throughout the over-arching storyline, we also get vignettes of side characters that Valentino and Orion encounter along the way.

I know not everyone is crazy about the inclusion of these types of tiny slivers of life, but I loved them and the way it demonstrated the interconnections in general.

It’s like all the tiny connections that we may never realize or understand, but we are all connected in one way or another. I think Silvera showed that beautifully.

As far as the main characters go, they were fantastic. They were complex with plenty of backstory to make you want to fight for them. I enjoyed the relationship that developed between the boys.

Of course it is a bit instalovey, but it sort of had to be, considering the brief time-frame of the narrative. I actually didn’t mind it. I sort of feel like if I had met Valentino on the streets, I could have fallen in love with him just as quickly.

The banter was great and Silvera provided plenty of hard-hitting issues to consider. It really showed a range for emotion and difficult circumstances, but also the power to rise above and keep living every day with intent.

There were also some fun connections to the original book and the NYC setting was vivid. So, while this wasn’t quite as powerful for me as the first book, I still really, really liked it and appreciate the characters and the heartfelt way Silvera told their stories.

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Review: Pinata by Leopoldo Gout

~ megs14malloy

Piñata: A NovelPiñata: A Novel by Leopoldo Gout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💛🧡🖤💛🧡🖤💛🧡🖤💛

Pinata is a recently released, spooky, toe-curling and thought-provoking Possession Horror story from the mind of Leopoldo Gout.

My initial attraction was to the cover. I mean, look at it!

Then I read the synopsis and knew it was something I wanted to pick up as soon as possible. I’m so happy I did.

In this story we follow single-mom, Carmen, and her two daughters, Izel and Luna. Carmen works for a prestigious New York design firm, who have projects all over the globe. Carmen has been assigned the role of site manager for a renovation project in Tulancingo, a city in the Mexican state of Hildago.

Specifically, the project is the renovation of an ancient abbey into a modern hotel, while trying to adhere to the original beauty of the space. A project Carmen is passionate about.

Carmen is excited for the project for a number of reasons. It’s a challenging renovation and a big step-up in responsibility for Carmen. Additionally, she gets to bring her daughters, so it’s a chance for them to be exposed to the culture of their ancestors.

As they move into their little rental, Carmen is excited with the possibilities the summer holds for them. There’s trepidation too, of course, it’s a city after all and the girls will be home alone during the day while she is working.

With this in mind, Carmen does set up some ground rules for the girls. They know not to leave the house on their own, or to open the door to strangers.

We follow Carmen as she deals with the girls, the local workers and the stress of her job. We also see how the girls are adjusting to their new environment and we meet a few of the local characters with ties to the abbey and its history.

On a day that the girls visit Carmen at work an accident occurs, which ends up exposing a hidden tomb packed full of mysterious, ancient artifacts. Unfortunately, that incident changes everything for Carmen and her girls.

Although her employer doesn’t necessarily blame Carmen for the accident, they need to pull her from the project, for optics, thus cutting Carmen and the girls’ trip short.

As they return to New York, Carmen’s concerned about the future of her job. What if she does end up getting fired? How will she provide for them?

Additionally, the girls seem to be taking the change hard. Particularly, Luna, normally bright, bubbly and out-going, now is distant and morose. What’s going on there?

Things go from bad to worse for the stressed family, as violent incidents occur both at school and at home. People are getting hurt, worse even. Carmen begins to suspect that something is seriously wrong with Luna.

When Izel opens up and shares her concerns about her sister with her Mom, Carmen can no longer ignore it. They need help. They need to free Luna from whatever has taken hold of her before it’s too late for them all.

I loved the way Gout told this story. The settings were distinct and I enjoyed getting to know the characters, particularly Carmen and her girls. It’s a very family-centered story and I was definitely along for their journey.

I felt the writing was descriptive in a way that helped me to picture everything perfectly in my mind. I would love to see this adapted to film. I think it could really translate well to that format.

The tension builds rather nicely and as you get closer to the end, it starts to get quite anxiety inducing. Things definitely snowball quickly once they get back to New York and actually, for me, that did throw the pace off a little.

The initial build-up, the family’s stay in Mexico, it takes its time. The stage is set in a slow-burn fashion, but then the conclusion almost feels too rushed in comparison.

With this being said, I still feel like the concept, character work and themes explored were all really well done. I loved how Gout included the historical and cultural aspects to the story. For me, that made it stand out from other Possession stories I have read.

Overall, I feel like this is a memorable and engaging story that I am proud to have displayed on my shelves. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a solid Possession story, or dark fiction involving heavy historical, or cultural, components.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a highly anticipated release for me and it did not disappoint!

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Review: Five Survive by Holly Jackson

~ megs14malloy

Five SurviveFive Survive by Holly Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Five Survive is the latest release from beloved author, Holly Jackson, well known for her hugely-successful A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series.

While Five Survive has a completely different feel than AGGG, it still showcases Jackson’s fluid and engaging writing style. This story is a YA-Action Thriller that takes place over the course of a single night.

It’s Spring Break and 18-year old, Red, and her five friends, Maddy, Oliver, Reyna, Arthur and Simon, are traveling from Pennsylvania to the Gulf Coast of Florida in an RV.

You can tell from the start that Red is recovering from a trauma that has happened in her life. Since she can’t afford to fly anywhere for break, her best friend, Maddy, actually suggests the RV trip. Good-naturedly, everyone else agrees.

It will be fun. It’ll be a real adventure.

And you know, it does start out that way. People are in good spirits. They’re excited for the trip to get underway, but then they get lost.

It sucks getting lost in a 31-foot vehicle. It’s not always easy to navigate smaller roads, let alone turn around. When your tires are shot out, it gets especially challenging.

That’s right. There’s a sniper out there lurking in the dark and they have their sights set on our six friends, who are now trapped in their disabled vehicle. There’s no cell service. They’re far from help. What can they do?

Once they begin communicating with the individual holding them hostage, it becomes clear, this person knows them. How did they end up here? Was this entire thing planned? This can’t be a coincidence.

Things become chaotic. The mood is panic, as you would expect. The sniper claims one of them has a secret that can save them all, but who!?

As the tension climbs, the people inside the RV begin turning on each other. Will they all be able to make it out of this alive, or will only five survive?

I liked this one. I really had no expectations going in, Action stories can be hit or miss for me. I personally felt this was a compelling, though very-OTT, Action Thriller.

I seem to be stumbling across quite a few of these lately and this one was pretty fun in comparison to some others. At times I was rolling my eyes, but at other times I was absolutely glued to the pages.

The audiobook was super solid. It kept me going, wanting to know the answers. There were a lot of reveals I wasn’t expecting and some super unlikable characters, which are always fun for me.

Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know how long this one will reside in my brain, but it was a good time. A solid weekend read. Super quick, highly improbable circumstances, but engaging nonetheless.

I definitely recommend this to YA Readers who enjoy tense, claustrophobic Action Thrillers. I will certainly continue to pick up anything Holly Jackson writes!

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Review: The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown

~ megs14malloy

The Scourge Between StarsThe Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Scourge Between Stars is a SF-Horror novella from Ness Brown. I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, which is performed by my favorite narrator, Bahni Turpin.

You know what I’m going to say: I would absolutely recommend the audio format. I’m serious though. It’s great!

This story follows, Jack Albright, a captain on the starship Calypso. The Calypso is slowly making its way back to its home planet after a failed mission.

There are constant threats involved with traveling through deep space and Jack, along with her crew, question if they will even be able to make it back to Earth. As if food shortages and potentially harmful space debris aren’t enough, there seems to be a murderer on board.

As bodies start dropping, and we’re talking in a very brutal, bloody fashion, Jack’s realizes she needs to figure out this danger ASAP.

Along with an AI, Watson, who I’ll admit to being fully suspicious of the entire way through, Jack digs deep into the mystery. The clock is ticking. Will anyone make it off this ship alive?

I really enjoyed my time listening to this story. The SF-writing was really well done. It felt fluid and engaging the whole way through.

I liked following Jack and wish I could have gotten the chance to learn more about her, the ship and Watson. That’s sometimes the only disappointing thing about a novella; that it’s not longer. I’m left wanting more. Please understand, this is a compliment.

I seriously hope this is like a prequel novella or something to a larger series. I would love more with these characters and within this SF-world.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I’m happy to have been introduced to the work of Ness Brown and am looking forward to more!

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Review: The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood (The Four Kingdoms #2) by Melanie Cellier

~ megs14malloy

The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood (The Four Kingdoms, #2)The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood by Melanie Cellier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Princess Fugitive is the second book in Melanie Cellier’s The Four Kingdoms series.

The books in this series are all fairy tale retellings, this one focusing on the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

I’ll admit that I have never read the original source material for this classic fairy tale. What I do know of the story of Red Riding Hood, I have gotten solely through television and movie adaptations.

In spite of that, I still really enjoyed my time with this book. This story follows Princess Ava, who we got to meet in the first book in this series, The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea.

I wasn’t crazy about Ava in the first book. She was a bit of a twat, going against the interests of my favorite character in that book, Alyssa.

Here we learn the motivations behind Ava’s earlier behaviors though. Also, since she failed at her mission in the first book, she is forced to flee from her harsh family, bringing only her personal bodyguard, Hans, with her. I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her because of that.

During their exile, Hans and Ava discover more about their kingdom than they knew before. For one, Ava’s family is even more horrible than she could have imagined, particularly her brother, next up to rule as King.

Even though they need to stay hidden, Ava feels compelled to do something to help the citizens of her kingdom, but she cannot do it alone. She needs allies for her fight. Will she be able to gain enough support to save her kingdom from downfall, or will she be the one to fall?

I really enjoyed my time with this story. I have so many other books I feel I ‘should’ be reading right now, but once I started this, I couldn’t stop.

I loved the relationship between Ava and Hans. The books I have read in this series seem to have in common forbidden romance tropes, people falling for people they shouldn’t. I sort of love that.

In this one, Hans is but a guard and Ava a Princess. How can that work? Their stations are so unlike one another. What’s clear though is Hans commitment to Ava, right from the start and that’s hard not to swoon over.

I also liked getting to see some of my favorite characters from the first book pop up here. I wasn’t expecting that at all and really enjoyed those connections.

Additionally, there is a bit of a competition at the end of this story and we all know, I love a competition.

Overall, I’m having a blast with these stories. They’re really not like anything else that I normally read, so it’s such a nice change of pace.

I am definitely planning to continue on with this series via audiobook. I have loved the narration so far. I find it completely engaging and I can’t help but get swept away, which is exactly what I am looking for.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a solid retelling.

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Review: The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

~ megs14malloy

The Golden SpoonThe Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ll admit to being a little bemused by The Golden Spoon in the beginning of the book. I went into this expecting a Cozy Mystery set against the backdrop of a baking competition, and while I got the baking competition and I got the cozy vibes, where was the mystery?

Where was the murder?

We get introduced to the contestants and the hosts. We learn a bit about the beautiful property hosting the competition. Over time, a bit of a historical mystery is revealed, a possible murder. I thought, is this it?

Nevertheless, even without me noticing it at first, Maxwell did something great here. She pulled me in with her character work and setting alone. It didn’t even take long. By 20% in, I was hooked with these characters. I was intrigued.

The cooking competition itself is quite reminiscent of The Great British Bake Off. If you’re a fan of that show, as I am, there is no way you are going to read this and not picture everything about that show in your head.

In fact, the two judges of the competition in this book are basically Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

The biggest difference is the setting is a stately property, Grafton Manor, in Vermont versus the UK. The competition itself does take place in a tent though, so hurrah!

I loved the competition aspect and getting all the perspectives of the contestants was so much fun. Learning their motivations and insecurities as they set about their bakes each day made it easy to get to know them.

I also really enjoyed some of the relationships that developed among the contestants. Being thrown into the competition, it would make sense for them to bond a bit over their shared circumstances.

Of course there will always be some drama too, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a competition after all, but I did appreciate some of the special friendships that were formed.

Particularly lovely to me was the odd couple of Lottie and Pradyumna. Lottie, the oldest contestant, and Pradyumna, a younger tech millionaire, a real playboy, the two of them together, oh my word, they made me so happy.

As far as the show went, everything that could possibly go wrong pretty much did. The competition itself is only 5-days, but man, they packed a lot in. Early into the competition, it’s clear there may be a saboteur in their midst, but who and why?

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this. It doesn’t follow your standard Cozy Mystery format, but in spite of that, the vibes are there and the cast of characters is fantastic.

I loved that this slow burn paid off with building intensity and a satisfying conclusion in the end. I’m not sure if we will ever see these characters again, but I certainly hope so. Maybe we’ll even get a fresh season of competition.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m really looking forward to reading more from Jessa Maxwell in the future!

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Review: She Is a Haunting by Trang Thahn Tran

~ megs14malloy

She Is a HauntingShe Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

She Is a Haunting is a YA-story following a girl named, Jade Nguyen, and her experiences at her father’s haunted house in a remote area of Vietnam.

Jade, who lives with her Mom and siblings in the United States, is getting ready to start college and is concerned about money. School is expensive and she can’t ask her Mom, who has sacrificed so much for them and works so hard, to contribute any more.

Thus, Jade is in a bit of a pickle. Her estranged father, who abandoned them and moved back to Vietnam, has the money. He offers it to her on the condition that she and her little sister, Lily, go and live with him for the summer.

The thing is, Jade is really angry at her Dad, like really, really angry. After he walked out on them, they never dealt with that trauma. They don’t even talk about. It’s sort of pushed under the rug, the reality of it all.

Unfortunately, Jade feels like she has no other option. She can make this work. It’s like 5-weeks. She can suffer through anything for that amount of time, or can she?

Along for the journey with Jade and Lily are their Mom and younger brother. Their Mom and younger brother are going to be staying with their Mom’s family in a different city though, so it will just be Jade and Lily forced to stay at their Dad’s place.

His home is actually a French-style villa left over from the colonial era that he is currently converting into a B&B. The renovation is going strong when they arrive and their Dad actually expects their help.

Jade’s assigned task is to get a sleek and modern website up and running for info and reservations. As you can imagine, she’s thrilled to be doing her father’s bidding.

Helping her with the site, is the daughter of one of her Dad’s business partners, a local girl named, Florence, who Jade is immediately intrigued by. Maybe this won’t be so bad.

Then the weirdness kicks in. Strange happenings at the house, visions, dreams, sounds, sleep paralysis; Jade is convinced the house is haunted, but no one believes her. Perhaps with a little help from Florence, they can make them believe.

This is an intriguing story and I did enjoy Trang Thanh Tran’s writing style. Jade was an interesting character. She is very angry, so being in her head isn’t always a comfy, relaxing place to be, but she’s certainly allowed her feelings.

I respected the author allowing her to sort of live in the negative spaces in her mind, without trying to cure her of anything. She’s been through things, she’s allowed to hold that grudge, particularly against her estranged father.

I enjoyed the set-up, the reason for Jade traveling to Vietnam and the reason she needed to stay there. Additionally, some of the imagery, including descriptions of body horror, bug scenes and sleep paralysis were really well done, quite creepy.

However, I did grow a little bored with it. It was just so slow. I don’t mind a slow burn, and I would definitely classify this as one, however the payoff needs to be worth it.

Personally, I felt the ending of this got a little too chaotic and slightly confusing for me to necessarily consider the slow burn worth it.

I did enjoy and appreciate a lot of the topics examined here, including the different relationships Jade had with her family members, the impact and repercussions of colonialism, Jade’s family history and sexuality.

The brightest lights for me was the love and respect that Jade had for her Mom, as well as the investigation Jade started into the history of the house.

Overall, I do think this is a compelling, though slow paced, haunted house story. I did enjoy my time with it, even though it tended to drag in certain places. I appreciate the author’s attention to detail, creativity and spooky imagery.

Thank you to the publisher, Bloomsbury YA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would absolutely be interested in picking up future work from Trang Thanh Tran!

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Review: The Atlas Six (The Atlas #1) by Olivie Blake

~ megs14malloy

The Atlas Six (The Atlas, #1)The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Atlas Six is one of those books that got so hyped up that it made me avoid it. I can’t recall precisely when the time period was, but I couldn’t go anywhere in the bookish social media world without having it pop up consistently.

Then, as happens many, many times with me, the cover got me. I’ll admit it. I wanted to own it because of the redesigned cover released by Tor. It’s stunning.

I finally decided to read it when a group I am a part of here on Goodreads chose it as a book of the month selection. I’m happy to finally know what all the fuss is about and I gotta say, this was wayyyyy better than I expected.

Since this is so hyped, and I think I am one of the last people left to read it, I won’t bother going too far into what it’s about. As a general description, I would say that it’s got the whole dark academia, secret society, magic-wielding multi-perspective thing down pat.

I was into this from the very start. The first two characters we meet, Libby and Nico, actually ended up being my two favorites of the entire book.

They’re academic rivals, which is something I tend to adore. Additionally, their backgrounds, plus the low-simmering constant vein of animosity running between them was giving me the Hermione-Draco fanfic vibes of my dreams.

We follow them as they are recruited by the mysterious, Atlas Blakely, to potentially join the ranks of the Alexandrian Society, a secret society composed of the most powerful magical academicians in the world.

I loved following along with Libby and Nico as they met the other recruits and began to learn more about what their participation with the process would actually entail.

Meeting the other individuals involved, Tristan, Parisa, Reina and Callum, was equally as fascinating and the dynamic amongst the group was ripe with tension.

This did remind me a lot of The Magicians. They share similar elements and I can’t say if this book handled those ideas any better or worse than that book did.

I sort of feel the same about them. I enjoyed it very much when I was reading it, but I’m not sure how long all the details are going to stick around in my brain.

There were some sections that were very dialogue heavy amongst the characters, as they waxed and waned about their powers and the overall magic system. I’ll admit to my eyes glazing over a bit during some of those sections.

For example, they would discuss in great lengths the parameters of their magic, what they would choose to do with it, the morality of certain choices, etc.

Personally, I just wanted to return to the action, but I can understand why those discussions may be important to the long-term growth of the story.

With this being said, the majority of this was intriguing. I found particular scenes, especially towards the end quite exciting and revealing. I absolutely will be continuing on with this series.

Overall, I’m so glad I finally took the time to read this one. I think this is a great base for the continuation of a series. I’m looking forward to it!

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Review: The Princess Companion (The Four Kingdoms #1) by Melanie Cellier

~ megs14malloy

The Princess Companion (The Four Kingdoms, #1)The Princess Companion by Melanie Cellier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A few weeks ago, while searching for retellings, I came across the work of Melanie Cellier for the first time. I was astounded by her vast catalogue of reimaginings, for both very popular and some more obscure fairy tales.

The book I decided to pick up first was The Secret Princess, which is a retelling of The Goose Girl. It is also the first book in Cellier’s Return to the Four Kingdoms series.

I was so excited to begin my journey with this author.

While I enjoyed it, I could tell that I was missing something. There were certain events alluded to in that story more than once that left me wondering, what do other people know that I don’t know?

Thanks to a comment from one of my book friends, I discovered that what I was missing was an entire other series that predated that book. I mean I had an idea that The Secret Princess was the start of a companion series, but I guess I just didn’t think about it that much.

Once the original series, The Four Kingdoms, was recommended to me, I decided I should go back and begin at the actual beginning. Let’s do it right.

I’m glad I did. I had so much fun with this one. It has really reinvigorated my love for fairy tale retellings.

This story is actually a reimagining of The Princess and the Pea and follows a mild-mannered, woodcutter’s daughter, Alyssa. As our story begins, Alyssa, gets lost at night in a storm while traveling and she’s separated from her companions.

In search of shelter, she stumbles upon the Winter Castle, the off-season home of the royal family. Currently in residence, the King, Queen and their children, Prince Max and two twin Princesses, as well as their various servants.

After a bit of a mistaken identity moment, Alyssa is granted a room for the night and subsequently gets caught up in the dramatics of the royal family. They seem to take to her right away, even offering her the position of Princess Companion for the unruly twins.

Of course she accepts, it’s a huge jump in status for a woodcutter’s daughter, and Alyssa truly enjoys her time with the royal family, particularly her time with Prince Max.

This story follows Alyssa’s time in their employ, as she grows closer with the royal family and fights to save the kingdom from malicious outside forces.

This was such a delight to read. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was fabulous. Esther Wane’s voice work brought this story to life for me. I found it completely engaging from the very start.

I loved Alyssa as a character. She was so down-to-earth and pure of heart. Her circumstances got a little intense towards the end and I was actually biting my nails in anticipation. I didn’t want anything awful to happen to her.

I think Cellier did a great job creating such likable characters over the course of this story. It’s not that long, but I did find myself becoming quite attached to many of them. Additionally, the pace was really well done, with just enough at stake to keep it compelling throughout.

This also provided an excellent base set-up for the greater Four Kingdoms world. I am excited to continue on with this series. The next book follows a character that we met in this novel. She’s not someone I cared for, so I am interested to see if Cellier can get me on her side in the next book.

I am so happy to have discovered this series and to have now picked it up in the proper place.

I think these books are going to be a great way to break up my many other darker reads. Every once in while you just need something light and fun. These books definitely check those boxes.

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Review: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

~ megs14malloy

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi, #1)The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi was my first Chakraborty novel. I am so happy to have discovered her work.

This was such an incredible story; well told and well constructed. I loved this cast of characters so much. I honestly can’t believe how attached I got to them.

The star of our show, of course, is Amina al-Sirafi. As a woman over 40, I can tell you it was an absolute delight to get a female protagonist who was a little more battle-worn, and time advanced, than your typical lead.

Amina has had many, many adventures on the high seas, as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates. She’s loved and lost, been in tight spots and epic battles of wit. She’s also been married numerous times and even is a mother to a delightful little girl, Marjana.

She should be happy and I guess, in a lot of ways she is, but an adventurer will always have that nagging feeling in the pit of their gut that there’s more out there.

When Amina is approached by an extremely wealthy woman to embark on one more quest, she’s definitely reluctant. It’s dangerous and she doesn’t want to leave her daughter behind, in spite of the slight urge to adventure on.

Unfortunately, the woman really leaves her without much of a choice and when riches beyond Amina’s wildest imaginations are dangled in front of her, she agrees. One more mission.

Determined to succeed, Amina assembles a team of her old colleagues, each one with a specialty likely to contribute greatly to their task. They’ve got their means of transportation, they’ve got their team, they’ve got a goal.

Thus, they set out to find and rescue the allegedly kidnapped granddaughter or their rich benefactor.

This adventure was so engrossing. I loved the crew. The banter was witty and the stakes were high. As the story progressed, more magical elements were introduced and I definitely found it enchanting.

There were some sections towards the end that I found a little confusing, but it could have been because I was reading it so quickly. I was dying to discover what was going to happen, so it kept me going at a pretty steady pace.

I’m super stoked that this is just the start of this series. What a fun way to kick it off. I am very anxious to see where it is going to go from here. I can’t wait to go on more adventures with Amina and her crew!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Harper Voyager, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was fantastic!

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