2022 releases

Review: Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley

~ megs14malloy

Sofi and the Bone SongSofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the kingdom of Aell, magic exists and is accessible to all. There are strict laws surrounding the use of magic when it comes to music, however, leaving music as the last untouched art.

In fact, the rules are so strict surrounding music that only five individuals are given the roles of Musik; someone who is allowed to compose their own songs and perform them throughout the land.

Each of the five Musiks is paired with a particular instrument. It’s all quite regimented, but regardless, the Musiks are celebrated throughout the kingdom.

Sofi’s father is a Musik, who plays a very special bone lute. Sofi has been groomed her whole life to follow in his footsteps. He’s been rigid in her training and Sofi has never erred from her path; she wants to be a Musik more than anything.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as wanting. In order to be named a Musik, there is an audition process. Sofi remains confident she will be named Musik. No one works harder, or wants it more than she does.

Things are thrown for a loop, however, when on the day of the audition, a stranger arrives unannounced to perform; a beautiful girl named, Lara. It seems she’s ill-prepared, as she’s never played the lute before and doesn’t even have one with her. Sofi’s confused. Is this some sort of joke?

To Sofi’s horror, Lara’s performance is absolutely incredible. She has the judges, and all else in attendance, in the palm of her hand.

Before she knows it, Sofi’s life has come crashing down around her. Lara has been named a rising Musik, she will inherit Sofi’s father’s position. Then in a most surprising turn of events, Sofi’s father dies quite suddenly.

Sofi cannot believe what is happening. Magic has to be at play. This cannot all be a coincidence. She agrees to travel with Lara, who knows absolutely nothing about being a Musik, to help her get her bearings.

The tuth is, Sofi suspects Lara of using illegal magic to win the position and feels like traveling with her will be the best way to get the evidence she needs. She wants to be able to prove Lara is a fraud. With Lara out of the way, Sofi would finally be able to take her proper place as a Musik.

Sofi and Lara’s journey bring lots of discoveries, most of them involving Sofi and her life, not so much about Lara’s potential use of magic. It’s eye-opening for Sofi in many ways, to say the least, with startling consequences.

Sofi and the Bone Song is a beautiful YA-Fantasy standalone novel that is like a love letter to music itself.

It’s understated and quiet, yet it drew me in from the very start. It’s quite character-driven, but all of the characters were well developed and likable.

I love stories involving music, or musicians. This one is so in depth to that art form. I was eating it up. I’m not sure how impactful this will be for individuals who haven’t been involved with playing music at some point in their lives, but for those who have, I think they’ll definitely be able to connect with this story.

The romance aspect didn’t grab me quite as much as I had hoped. I was mostly interested in the romance of the music and of watching Sofi strive to reach her potential, but I can see how others may fall for the innocence of this young love.

I really enjoyed the sections that explored Sofi’s childhood and the training she experienced at the hands of her father. Having that included helped me to understand more about Sofi as a character, as well as building out the relationship she had with her father.

I also enjoyed the fact that Sofi and Lara were traveling for much of the story; it’s like an old-timey road trip. Their journey was never dull and each stop brought Sofi closer to answers regarding Lara’s sudden rise to success.

Overall, I think this is a soft, subtle, beautiful story that was wrapped up so nicely. Some standalones, you get to the end and wonder, is this really it? I feel like you can walk away satisfied that you have reached the end of this tale. Well done by Tooley.

Thank you to the publisher, Margaret K. McElderry Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Sofi delivered everything I was hoping for!

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Review: The Fervor by Alma Katsu

~ megs14malloy

The FervorThe Fervor by Alma Katsu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

A minister takes his wife and some local kids for a picnic in the mountains. Mayhem ensues. A newspaper man and woman share a romantic interlude at cabin in the woods. An evil is unleashed.

There’s something out there and anyone who goes near it is putting themselves, and anyone they come into contact with after, at risk.

Spiders, spiders everywhere, in the trees and in my hair…

It’s the 1940s and as WWII rages on, hostility towards individuals of Japanese descent in the United States is on the rise. Internment camps have been opened with some public support.

While her husband, a military pilot, is off fighting overseas, Meiko Briggs and her daughter, Aiko, get sent from their home in Seattle to such a camp in rural Idaho. With no other family to help them, Meiko and Aiko are on their own.

They keep their heads down, hoping for a day when they can be reunited with Mr. Briggs and return home. They want their old life back.

We follow Meiko and Aiko during their time at camp. There’s an illness spreading there and Meiko suspects there is more to it than meets the eye. It starts out with cold-like symptoms, but quickly escalates making the infected anxious and violent; like things weren’t bad enough already.

We also follow the minister, Archie, as he deals with the aftermath of his ill-fated picnic on the mountain, as well as the newspaper reporter, Fran. Through these multiple perspectives the whole truth of the fervor is revealed.

Katsu’s signature style is on full display throughout this tale; melding historic events with Horror and supernatural elements.

While the human-side of this story is horrifying enough, the supernatural elements involve yokai, entities from Japanese folklore, specifically the Jorogumo, a spider demon. These aspects were absolutely fascinating.

The content of this novel provides a great opportunity for exploration of topics pertinent today, such as xenophobia and aggressive nationalism.

Also, the whole idea of the illness and it’s spread, the fear related to that; obviously, that’s quite topical as well and left me with plenty to think about. I think those aspects will make this a great pick for book clubs, or just to discuss with friends. It’s nuanced. We love that.

I would describe this as a slow burn, however there are plenty of creepy elements and intrigue sprinkled throughout. This kept me compelled enough to keep going. I needed to find out what was going to happen.

My slight critiques would be that I wished the Jorogumo would have played an even larger, or maybe more overt role, and the switching amongst the multple-POVs sometimes made it feel a bit disjointed. I did enjoy how it all came together eventually though.

This novel absolutely solidified my belief that man is the most dangerous monster of all. I picked up on that same message in Katsu’s earlier release, The Hunger, as well.

Seriously, the things people are willing to do to one another when they’re afraid…

Overall, this was a strong novel. It’s smart and explores a lot of really interesting and important topics. I continue to be impressed with Katsu’s imaginative take on Historical Horror. It’s so unique and refreshing. Well done!

Thank you so much to the publisher, P.G. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I have been highly anticipating this one and it did not disappoint.

The Fervor releases this Tuesday, April 26th!!!

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Review: When the Crow’s Away (Evenfall Witches B&B #2) by Auralee Wallace

~ megs14malloy

When the Crow's Away (Evenfall Witches B&B Mystery #2)When the Crow’s Away by Auralee Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When the Crow’s Away is the second book in Auralee Wallace’s bewitching Cozy Mystery series, Evenfall Witches B&B.

The first book, In the Company of Witches, was a great series starter and definitely left me wanting more.

These books follow Brynn Warren, who after the death of her husband, moves back into the B&B run by her Aunts, Nora and Izzy. The stated purpose is to help them run the place, but everyone quietly acknowledges that Brynn needs some time to heal surrounded by loved ones.

The Warren family have been a part of Evenfall for hundreds of years. There are whisperings around town, of course, that they are witches, but the Warrens do try hard to hide their true powers from the general public.

Brynn’s powers faded after she lost her husband, but have slowly been coming back to her. Brynn’s special power is that she can converse with the dead.

In this installment, Brynn is visited by the recently departed soul of local chocolatier, Mortimer Sweete. Mortimer insists he was murdered and he wants Brynn to find out who did it and help bring them to justice.

Mort has a suspect in mind, but as Brynn digs in, she discovers even more potential suspects. It appears Evenfall’s business community isn’t as quaint and peaceful as it first appears.

Auralee Wallace definitely knows how to write a Cozy. This was so fun, intriguing and cute. I loved getting to know more about Brynn’s family in this one. I am even more attached to this cast of characters now.

I absolutely love an amateur sleuth trope and this one is well done. Having Brynn’s Aunts help her out definitely added the perfect amount of light humor to this murder mystery.

The ending was so intriguing, setting us up perfectly for another installment. I sense a romance on the horizon. I can’t wait for the next book!

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

I am completely hooked on this series and plan to read any that are published!!

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The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

~ megs14malloy

The Paris ApartmentThe Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

After getting herself in a bit of a sticky situation at work, Jess does what any young woman would do and flees the country.

Luckily, she has a brother, Ben, who lives in Paris. Although they have never been close, when she calls him to see if she can stay with him for a bit, he doesn’t necessarily say no.

On the night she is set to arrive in Paris, Jess even has a couple of interactions with Ben via text. This is great, he’s definitely not going to turn her away.

When she arrives at the beautiful apartment house, however, she discovers you have to be rung in. She’s unable to reach Ben at that time.

After some tense moments, she is finally able to secure access without his help, but once inside, he is still no where to be found.

Ben is supposed to be there. She just heard from him. It’s late at night, where could he have gone to and why wouldn’t he tell her?

Ben’s absence isn’t the only thing confusing Jess. What is with this apartment house? It is absolutely stunning. How can Ben afford this?

Jess settles in and decides to wait it out. Ben will come back in his own time. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen and things in this house are starting to creep her out.

All the other residents are odd AF and seem to be hiding something from her, but what?

As Jess digs deeper in, she realizes she needs to be afraid. Something is not right here and now she may be next on the chopping block. If that doesn’t leave you intrigued, I don’t know what will.

Y’all, this book was so much fun!! I listened to the audiobook and as it is a multiple-POV story, there are various narrators for the different roles; making it a freaking blast to listen to!

With her signature style, Lucy Foley delivers a fast-paced, multi-layered Parisian Mystery here. The twists just keep on coming. My jaw was on the floor for half the book.

I would say for me, there were certain perspectives that I did find more interesting than others, which caused this to lag a wee bit sometimes.

Overall though, a super fun read. I love the way Foley always brings a sort of classic-format to very modern mysteries. It’s so appealing to me.

Personally, I hope Foley just keeps doing what she’s doing. This is her lane. It works so well. She is absolutely freaking fantastic at whipping up a high velocity, tense, atmospheric, drama-infused mystery and I am so here for it!

I’m already highly anticipating her next release. Whatever it may be. I want it.

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Review: One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose

~ megs14malloy

One of Us is DeadOne of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Jenny is the owner of a posh salon in the upscale area of Buckhead in Atlanta. Her salon, Glow, caters to a set number of wealthy clients who come in for very regular treatments.

Because of this exclusivity and frequency of visits, Jenny has come to know her clients very, very well. Almost too well for her tastes. Along with her assistant, Jenny has become quite versed in navigating the ups-and-downs of her clients toxic relationships.

The most recent drama involves former Queen Bee, Shannon, whose politician husband, Bryce Madison, recently left her for a 20-something waitress he met while on a business trip to Texas.

The waitress, Crystal, has recently moved to town and become the new Mrs. Madison. Young and innocent, like Dorothy walking into Oz, Crystal has no idea what she is in for when it comes to Buckhead society.

For her part, Olivia is all too happy to sit back and watch Shannon’s demise. Truthfully, she’s been waiting for that star to fall for a while. As she sees it, now is her time.

Lastly, there’s Karen. The least aggressive socially of the bunch, Karen’s still hiding some big secrets of her own.

These women are used to a constant state of drama, with under-handed insults being slung back and forth, but how far are they willing to take it? Would someone actually kill to protect their position in the community? How about to keep their secrets secret?

Y’all, somebody is not going to make it out alive…

One of Us is Dead is like Fried Green Tomatoes met The Real Housewives of Atlanta, they fell in love and had a baby that was essentially an Adult version of Mean Girls.

You know based off that description that my evil a$$ is 100% here for it.

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook for this one, which does feature a full cast. It was really well done and I definitely recommend that format.

It was fun having a different narrator for each perspective. It felt like I was really getting to know these characters and they are twisted. Everyone was hiding something. Everyone knew things they shouldn’t. They were just all up in each others business. It was captivating.

The more I think on it, the more I am realizing just how much fun I had with it. It was really close to a full 4-stars for me. I think initially though, I was disappointed that the ending wrapped everything up so quickly.

I wanted more intrigue as far as the murdery bits were concerned. For most of the narrative I actually forgot that the whole point was that someone was ultimately going to end up dead. There was so little focus on that.

I would have appreciated more time invested in those aspects, but of course, that is completely a personal taste issue. I was just sort of hoping for a wee more mystery.

Overall, this is a super fun, fast-paced, dramatic and slightly ridiculous read.

Be forewarned, however, if you are not into girl-on-girl slander, back-stabbing and crime, this may not be for you. Just know going in these women are brutal. They aren’t holding any punches.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a ton of fun with this one!

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Review: In a Garden Burning Gold (Argyrosi #1) by Rory Power

~ megs14malloy

In a Garden Burning Gold (Argyrosi, #1)In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

In a Garden Burning Gold is Rory Power’s Adult Fantasy debut and I would argue she has brought her own unique stamp to that space. We love to see it.

There’s no denying that Power has a wickedly delightful imagination and a beautiful style of writing. Additionally, in the YA space, I’ve loved her body horror and vivid imagery.

In a Garden Burning Gold is a complex story following twins, Rhea and Lexos. The twins are gifted with special powers and use those to help their father rule their small country.

The twins have two other siblings, Chrysanthi and Nitsos. These children also have unique talents of their own, but they’re not close to as powerful as Rhea and Lexos. Therefore they are but a footnote in their father’s eye.

Rhea controls the changing of the seasons, but in order to do so she must select a consort and ultimately end their life in order to switch from one season to the next. That’s a heavy assignment, as you can imagine.

Lexos controls the stars and tides. Together, Rhea and Lexos have always been each other’s main allies, but what happens when they are no longer on the same side?

As I mentioned above, this is a complex story. The world-building takes up a lot of time and I still don’t feel like I understand everything that was involved in all of the political maneuverings.

Lexos and Rhea are in separates places throughout most of the story and they are both interacting with numerous side characters. I had a difficult time keeping any of these characters straight.

Honestly, I was barely holding it together for the first 75% of the book. Around that point there’s a shocking twist that dropped me back in and didn’t let up.

Prior to that point however, it was just okay for me. It was pretty writing, I could see that it was a good story, but I personally didn’t feel connected. The point behind it all felt very elusive to me.

Fortunately, the experience really amped up towards the end. There were some startling revelations that I would love to explore further. Therefore, I will absolutely pick up the next book when it releases.

So, even though it may seem like I was underwhelmed by this, I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that. I think this is a solid start to a very complicated story. Power is a gifted writer and I trust that she is going to up the stakes even further in the next book.

Overall, I would recommend this to Fantasy Readers who enjoy lush world-building, slow burn, political and familial drama based stories. I know that even though this one didn’t capture me from the very start, that there are a lot of Readers out there who will be engaged with it from the very first chapter.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to the sequel!

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Review: The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

~ megs14malloy

The House Across the LakeThe House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Casey Fletcher is a NYC-based actress, who having grown up in the industry, is used to a lot of drama.

Unfortunately for Casey, after suffering a personal tragedy, she makes a mistake many people have made before her. She turns to the bottle to numb her pain.

Initially, she’s still able to function somewhat, but she’s spiraling fast, head-first into the NYC pavement. Luckily, the paparazzi is there to capture her descent for the whole world to see. ((read with heavy sarcasm))

Casey’s mother, in an ill-advised effort to help her daughter, ships her off to their Vermont lake house, because we all know being secluded in the middle of nowhere on a lake will make you quit drinking.

Frankly, Casey could use a break from the city anyway, so she doesn’t put up much of a fight. Her mother thinks since Casey doesn’t have a car there, she won’t be able to get alcohol, but the friendly neighbor who is making her grocery runs keeps her fully stocked.

At the lake house, Casey struggles just as much as in the city. It is the last place she was with her husband and the root of her misery.

Drinking her days away, Casey is obviously not in a good head space. She struggles to concentrate on anything, or remain focused, that is until she begins to utilize the family binoculars.

Across the lake is a massive modern home recently purchased by an uber-wealthy couple, Tom and Katherine Royce. Tom, a successful businessman and Katherine, a stunning former model, give Casey plenty to focus on.

After a shocking encounter on the lake brings Casey and Katherine together, the two women begin a tentative friendship. The more the women chat and get to know one another, the more clear it becomes to Casey that all is not well in the Royce household.

Not long after, Katherine suddenly vanishes. Casey, having witnessed some very suspicious behaviors from the couple before, thinks violence may have been involved. She doesn’t believe Katherine just up and left of her own volition.

Casey becomes obsessed with revealing the truth, but at what cost?

Y’all know, I have been itching to get my hands on this release and it did not disappoint. With his signature-style, Riley Sager has spun another web of intrigue so delicious even Alfred Hitchcock would be giving it two thumbs up!

I loved the modern-Rear Window vibes and the setting was fantastic. Having Casey being on her own, in the house that literally haunted her just by being there, it felt so claustrophobic and unsettling.

It can be tough sometimes being on your own, but Casey being alone at that house was taking it to a whole new level of isolation. Sager paced out the reveals of the before perfectly, in my opinion. It kept me so interested.

I also really enjoyed, not just Casey as a main character, but all her interactions and musings involving the Royces. They certainly kept her mind occupied, at least for a little while.

There were additional side characters, two men in particular, that added a lot to the story as well. They were also residing on the lake at the time that Casey was there and I felt they both added in their own way to the drama unfolding. One was a solid presence, who it felt good to have around, the other, I wasn’t so sure about.

The ending of this is completely over-the-top and caught me by surprise. It’s definitely one of his more memorable conclusions. Trust me when I say, it’s a wild ride.

We started in one direction and ended in another. It was jolting and f*ing enjoyable as heck!!

I really had a phenomenal time reading this. I know that not every Reader is going to love Casey as a protagonist as much as I did, but I found her relatable and even charming in her own clunky way.

This was my most anticipated release of the year and I’m so happy that I was given the opportunity to get to it a little early. Thank you so much to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

The House Across the Lake is releasing on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Preorder now, as you won’t want to miss this!!

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Review: The Maid by Nina Prose

~ megs14malloy

The MaidThe Maid by Nita Prose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Twenty-five year old, Molly Gray, works as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel.

Like her Gran before her, Molly takes her profession seriously. It’s up to her to leave each room in a state of perfection for the guests of the hotel. There’s really nothing more important.

After all, the room is the point of staying at a posh hotel. There’s no better feeling than slipping under those pristine sheets at the end of a long day. Maybe gorging yourself on room service, champagne; it’s a whole vibe.

Molly is happy to do her part ensuring the Regency Grand never waivers on its standards.

As is common in hotels of this type, they have guests who stay with them quite frequently. Mr. Charles Black and his second wife, Gisele, are two of these esteemed visitors.

Despite their socio-economic difference, Molly has built a special relationship with Gisele; some may even call them friends. Gisele is blunt and no-nonsense, often helping Molly, who has a difficult time navigating social situations.

Molly’s Gran used to help her with such things, but Gran’s been gone for a few months now, leaving Molly on her own. Molly still uses a lot of the things Gran taught her in her interactions with others, but it’s not the same. She misses her a whole lot.

When Molly stumbles upon Mr. Black, dead in the bed of his hotel suite, she can hardly believe what she is seeing. The room is a state of disarray, the likes of which she hasn’t seen from the couple before. Who would do this to Mr. Black?!

Unfortunately for Molly, her quirky mannerisms and behavior lead the police to consider her a main suspect. Adding insult to injury, other players in the hotel scene may have taken advantage of Molly and aided in her ending up in this position. It’s a tangled web, indeed.

I really enjoyed the audiobook for The Maid. Molly was a unique character and I liked getting to know her, even though at times I felt it difficult to read smarmy characters taking advantage of her. It made sense in terms of the narrative, but it was a difficult pill to swallow.

Personally, I could have handled this being a bit cozier even. It was actually quite serious in certain segments and I don’t think I was emotionally prepared for that.

I expected something different than what I got, but this is an excellent debut Mystery. I actually appreciate the nuance Prose brought to this tale. It’s definitely deeper than I was planning for.

The Mystery itself was fun though. I love drama in families and apparently, now drama in the workplace is my thing; fictional only, please. The setting of the hotel was vivid and realistic to me. I felt like I could picture it all playing out.

The pace did slow down a couple of times, but those quieter moments were really just times where we were offered the opportunity to deep dive into Molly’s background. She was such an interesting character that I didn’t even mind those moments that much.

Overall, I think this is a great story, a fun Mystery, and a superbly promising debut. I look forward to reading whatever Prose has in store for us next!!

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Review: When the Corn is Waist High by Jeremy Scott

~ megs14malloy

When the Corn is Waist HighWhen the Corn is Waist High by Jeremy Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

When the Corn is Waist High is confounding to me. I have had the most difficult time trying to determine what my final rating will be. Jeremy Scott, you have left me confused, surprised and at a loss for words.

This story follows our narrator, Solomon Lancaster, who is a Catholic Priest, as well as the Sheriff for his Indiana County.

Although Lancaster seems slightly unprepared to run a murder investigation, he’ll be the first to remind you that the Sheriff is in fact an elected position.

He’s not actually a trained criminal justice professional. He’s definitely more comfortable in his role listening to the confessions of his congregation.

So when bodies start dropping in his community of Crooked Creek, he begins bumbling around like a cowboy at his first rodeo. While the initial body was surprising enough, after the second and then the third, it’s clear the community has an active serial killer on their hands.

The FBI gets called in and they aren’t impressed by Lancaster’s skill set. Nevertheless, he manages to keep himself involved in the investigation.

This book was interesting. I listened to the audiobook and appreciated the narrator’s classic storytelling voice, as well as Scott’s no-nonsense writing style.

I made it through the story in a day and had some highs and lows, but I was never bored. I was definitely intrigued, with one major twist dropping my jaw and having me question everything I thought I knew.

After that point, the intensity continued to climb for me as I began to see things in a whole new light. In my opinion, that was really well played by Scott.

I loved how I was sort of lulled into a sense of complacency, feeling like this was just a normal Police Procedural, but it’s sure as heck not!

Additionally, I did love the ending of this. It left me with that devious little smile on my face I love so much; more than satisfactory. I am wondering if this will be the start to a series, or if this is where Scott is going to leave it?

Generally, I am not a huge fan of religious elements being involved in my stories, and I know others may be turned off by that, but I really don’t see how this story could have worked otherwise.

Thank you to the publisher, Turner Publishing and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. This was my first novel by Scott and I look forward to picking up more in the future!

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Review: Shinji Taskahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa

~ megs14malloy

Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl (Fiction - Middle Grade)Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Julie Kagawa never fails to completely capture my attention with her stories. Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl is no exception. This Middle Grade Adventure story was an absolute blast to read!

When he was very young, Shinji Takahashi lost both of his parents in a devastating house fire. Since that time, he has lived with her Aunt Yui.

Aunt Yui and Shinji travel the world in their boat, The Good Tern, searching for rare treasures for her business. In a way, they’re real life treasure hunters. It’s an interesting life; Shinji can’t complain, even though he is a bit surly at times.

While in Africa, they visit the small village of Abenge. Shinji goes exploring while his Aunt does some work. She gives him a bit of cash, so he can pick out a treasure of his own.

In a dusty old shop, he comes across an idol that will change the course of his life. A magical object that binds itself to Shinji and tattoos the Mark of the Coatl on his arm.

Almost as soon as he has the object in his hot little hands, a pair of menacing men approach Shinji and try to get the object from him. When Shinji refuses, it looks like things may turn violent and Shinji decides to run for it.

He’s not sure what exactly he has, but obviously it’s valuable as heck because these dudes aren’t giving up.

Before he can even make sense of it, Shinji is captured and whisked away to an unknown location. Once there, he is able to befriend a girl named, Lucy. She fills him in a bit on the people behind his capture, the mysterious Hightower Corporation.

Lucy seems to be some sort of tech prodigy and Shinji likes her right away, but can he trust her?

It seems Lucy is an ally. She aids in his escape from Hightower and leads him to some people who she thinks will be able to help and protect him: The Society of Explorers and Adventurers, better known as SEA.

It seems the tattoo on Shinji’s arm, the Mark of the Coatl, is actually a curse of sorts. In order to break it, Shinji must return to the source of the magic’s power and return it.

A team from SEA is assembled, made up of Oliver Ocean, Maya Griffin, Professor Carrero and Zoe Kim, participating via her drone, to help Shinji and Lucy on their quest.

Along the way, the group faces many obstacles, both natural and magical. They’re forced to face human villains, as well as creatures of legends. It’s a wild ride!

This was such a easy story to get into. Kagawa is a gifted storyteller and this one drew me in from the very start.

I loved Shinji so much. He truly embodies all of the characteristics needed in a hero. Additionally, I loved learning more about the secret organization of SEA. Hardcore Disney fans will find some Easter Eggs in this one. That made it extra fun, but really this story can be enjoyed by anyone.

The intensity builds in a nice, steady pace throughout the story, all leading to an epic showdown in the temple of the Coatl.

There were some scenes where I was biting my nails, edge-of-my-seat, praying for my favorites. Kagawa did a fantastic job of incorporating various folklore from around the world into this, as well as providing a strong message on the importance of protecting the world’s cultural artifacts.

This ended in such a great spot for the continuation of the series. I have no idea how many books are slated to be included in this series, or even if there will be multiple authors contributing. Either way, I am in for the long haul.

Bring on more SEA!!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was an excellent start to another fantastic Middle Grade series!!

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