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Subplots and Storylines – October 2017

Tracey Dyck 29 Comments
I’m always amazed at the huge spectrum of events and emotions that one month can hold.

Gratitude & Contentment

  • Celebrating Thanksgiving with family a couple times over
  • Stuffing made with mandarin oranges and cranberries (the best in the world)
  • Yummy pie
  • Remembering that I don’t have to feel thankful to be thankful

Stress vs. Peace

  • Lots of homework, which is always an ebb and flow
  • Working on several group projects
  • Surviving midterm exams (which was actually more relaxing than a regular week of school, oddly enough–I booked time off work, so besides sitting for a 1-2 hour test each day, I had the rest of my time to study and do whatever the ham and eggs I wanted) (that felt soooo good) (and I actually did pretty well on the exams, yay)

Sorrow & Hope

  • Attending the funeral of a dear mentor’s wife. She passed away too young; her love story with her husband was too sweet and strong to be cut short . . . and yet we celebrated her life, singing “Amazing Grace” and “Beautiful Things” with tears and smiles both.
  • In times like these–when we wish the tale had taken a different turn and don’t understand why it didn’t–we cannot give up what we know for what we don’t know.

Joy & Camaraderie

  • A simple coffee date with a close friend
  • An evening out with my church’s young adult group
The contrasts aren’t always this stark, but this October brought with it something new every week, it seemed. Mostly good things, some growing opportunities, and one difficult event. I’m thankful once again that no matter how things change and no matter what life throws our way, God is unchangeable.

Storylines on the Screen

Yes, I watched more of The Flash season 3 and rewatched more of Once Upon a Time season 3. I sound like a broken record by now, I’m sure. Moving on!

The Lego Ninjago Movie
The first Lego Movie is still my favorite, but I did like the Ninjago one more than The Lego Batman Movie! (And I’m wondering how many times they can put “Lego” and “Movie” into their titles before people start mixing them up.)

Anyway, it was a lighthearted flick with a generous dose of humor and quotable quotes. We went to the local theater to watch it, and I splurged on popcorn because I never do that–and I figured, if I was putting homework aside to go to the movies, I might as well really go to the movies.

Also there was a cat. A real, live-action cat in a world of animated Lego people. Pretty great. And Jay’s comments are still my favorite. “This is my new least favorite place.”

Spider-Man Homecoming
It came out on DVD recently, so of course I had to rewatch it! And it was just as awesome as the first time, even if I saw it on a much smaller screen.

The Scorch Trials
Another rewatch! My sisters have read/are reading The Maze Runner books, so they had great fun pointing out all the things the moviemakers got wrong. (What else is new, right?) That ending still frustrates me like crazy! I’m pretty sure The Death Cure is coming out in the near-ish future, so it’s good I refreshed my memory on the plot.

The Giver
I read the book a while back, but this was my first time seeing the movie. It wasn’t quite as good as I expected–a bit of a step down from other dystopian films like The Hunger Games or Divergent. And Fiona’s character annoyed me. But it was still neat to see the book in visual form, and I found the ending of the movie more satisfying than the book!

Subplots on the Page



Beyond the Gateway and Reaper Reborn by Bryan Davis

I reviewed both of these amazing books last week! If you missed it, check it out HERE. Bryan Davis also reposted my reviews on his own blog HERE.

Sadly, I didn’t finish any other books besides those two this month.

Storylines of My Own Creation

Is it just me, or have I been pretty quiet about my writing world lately? Maybe it’s because I still don’t know what I’m doing with my work-in-progress. Heh.
But during the month of October, I wrote 12,000 words in my Snow White novella (for the Five Poisoned Apples contest)*, which means I finished the first draft! I wasn’t sure if I’d manage to meet that goal before November hit, but midterm week gave me the time to write 8k of those words. So grateful for that!
*The story still doesn’t have a title. I think I might call it “Epically Confused and Possibly Schizophrenic Snow White Retelling” and leave it at that, because I changed things halfway through and didn’t stop to edit the beginning. xD
And you know what else? ECaPSSWR (that’s Epically Confused and Possibly Schizophrenic Snow White Retelling abbreviated in case you missed the footnote, pal) clocked in at 19,906 words. I FINALLY LEARNED MY LESSON. I FINISHED IT UNDER THE MAXIMUM WORDCOUNT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF MY LIFE.

Take a look at these first drafts, all written for the Rooglewood contests, which require entries to be 5,000-20,000 words long:
The Glass Girl (Cinderella) – 21,689 words
Blood Rose (Beauty and the Beast) – 21,224 words
The Brightest Thread (Sleeping Beauty) – 29,933 words
Untitled (Snow White) – 19,906 words
I. Am. So. Pleased. Because honestly, if I ended up with a 30k first draft like TBT, I’m not sure I’d be able to wrangle it into shape before the December 31st deadline. Not with college going on. Buuuut I know I have different problems with ECaPSSWR. Things like that schizophrenic plot I mentioned, a whiny protagonist I didn’t even like half the time, forgetting to add an important fairy tale element to the ending, and overall choppiness.
But that’s what editing is for, isn’t it?
In the meantime, I also received even more feedback from beta readers of The Brightest Thread (talking about the current novel right now, not the old novella). Guys, I have some of the best betas EVER with this project. I’ve been so blessed and encouraged by their praise, and challenged and motivated by their critiques. I’m already eager to start implementing their feedback sometime in the New Year! (Which is two months away . . . excuse me, but who gave 2017 permission access to the HyperSpeed 3000 button?!)
Going forward, I plan to edit ECaP . . . you know what, that’s too long to type and I’m getting lazy. Snow White. I plan to edit Snow White this month and submit it so that December is free of writing deadlines. November is a great month to push myself, because I’m surrounded by epic NaNoWriMo participants who are surviving on coffee and wordsprints alone, and their insanity creative energy is catching!
Oh, and one more thing! This month, I have been bombarded by SO MANY IDEAS for things I cannot yet disclose. I think business school is actually helping, you guys. Somehow in the quagmire of income statements and supply/demand graphs and platitudes about marketing, another side of my brain is waking up. And it wants out.

basically me
Wait, no, that sounds terribly gory. The ideas in that part of my brain want out! Sheesh, Tracey.
Everything’s in that fragile bubble state of newness, so I doubt I’ll have time to develop those ideas until December or January . . . but I’m hoping that I can start creating these secret projects and unveiling them to you all sooner rather than later! This is going to be fun, trust me.

So that’s October in a not-so-small nutshell. How was your month? Are you doing NaNo? (I’m jealous if you are!) Are you entering Five Poisoned Apples? And if you’re the one who gave this year a HyperSpeed 3000 button, confess now, or I’ll send my army of time dragons to your doorstep.

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Book Reviews: Beyond the Gateway + Reaper Reborn by Bryan Davis

Tracey Dyck 24 Comments

Happy Sunday, everyone! Sorry I missed posting yesterday. I chose homework and an evening with friends over publishing this post on time, and while I wish I was a superhero and could get everything done, obviously I’m not. Thanks for bearing with this mere mortal!

Today I’m excited to be sharing not one, but TWO awesome book reviews! I feel like I’ve been doing more reviews than normal lately, which is . . . odd . . . because my reading time is diddly squat these days. Anyway! Remember a couple months ago when I reviewed Bryan Davis’s Reapers? Shortly thereafter, I went ahead and read the rest of the Reapers Trilogy back to back.

THIS IS BIG. I ALMOST NEVER DO THAT. When I start a series, I usually take my time between books because I don’t want to get tired of that storyworld. You can have too much of a good thing, right? (I mean, there’s also the opposite problem, where sometimes I take too long to continue a series, and end up forgetting all the important stuff.) But I had the next two Reapers books sitting oh-so-temptingly on my desk, calling for me to discover how the story continued. So I did it. I read an entire trilogy within several weeks, and the final two books I read back to back. That should tell you how good they were!

Now, I have a weird, hard-to-define rating system when it comes to books. I rated Reapers 5 stars, and it deserved every single one of those stars. But I’m rating Beyond the Gateway and Reaper Reborn as 5 star reads too–except I loved them even MORE. See, there’s a whole range of 5 star books in my mind: there’s the “this was a solid book, I really enjoyed myself, and would gladly recommend it” kind of five stars. And then there’s the “THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE; EVERYONE, GO READ THIS NOW” kind of five stars. These last two books fall squarely in the latter category!

I can’t disclose much about their plots because #spoilers, sweetie, but I’ll try to review them anyway. They’re perfect for this autumnal, “spooky” time of year, too.

Funny story: this cover jump-scared me. I was studying it up close while on break
at work, when I suddenly saw those creepy eyes in the background FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Book 2: Beyond the Gateway

This picks up exactly where Reapers left off. Whereas book 1 took some time to lay important groundwork before getting into the action, book 2 launches Phoenix and his friends right into the thick of things. Don’t get me wrong–book 1 wasn’t slow by any means! It just didn’t get truly intense until the latter half. Not so this time! Beyond the Gateway swept me up within the first few chapters, and nothing let up until the very end.

No.

Check that.

Nothing let up at all. Of course there are times of rest to give the reader (and the characters) a short breath, but overall, the plot feels like that long climb at the beginning of a roller coaster before it sends you plunging into an adrenaline-pumping adventure. So. Intense.

One thing I loved was Phoenix’s journey. His principles are tested time and time again. He stumbles. He questions. But he grows. Oh, does he grow! The spiritual side of things starts coming to light in this book, clearer than in the first, and it’s a new realm of thought for Phoenix.

That’s another thing I loved! Most of Bryan Davis’s male heroes are noble, upright, God-fearing men, but Phoenix is cut from slightly different cloth. He definitely wants to do the right thing, but his moral compass has no true north to which it points. (Yet.)

Speaking of which, it’s here that the author starts using the book’s speculative elements to their full potential. In a world where souls cannot instantly travel to their eternal destination, but must be reaped and deposited at a Gateway, the story is rife with opportunities to explore faith, eternity, doubt, and free will. Those things were hinted at in the first book, but here the characters dive right into those sometimes-murky waters in search of truth.

And I, of course, was gobbling it all up.

This book also widens the reader’s experience of the Reapers’ world. Some time is still spent in dystopian, run-down Chicago, but about half of the book takes you to the Gateway itself, and that new setting opens up a plethora of mysteries and answers and still more mysteries.

Back to the characters–remember how I didn’t totally love Shanghai before? I’ve changed my mind on her now. She is amazing. Somehow she became more real, vulnerable, and lovable in this book.

All the characters, really, are fantastic! But the villains, guys–THE VILLAINS. I HATE THEM SO MUCH. I don’t think I’ve hated someone as much as I hate Alex in quite some time.

That being said, Phoenix had to grapple with some verrrry interesting things regarding the fine line between justice and mercy! (If you can’t tell, I adore ethical dilemmas in fiction.)

And naturally Beyond the Gateway ended with a cliff-hanger! Good thing I had the next book on hand . . .

Don’t you just love that cover? All the amber tones,
the flying dust/debris, the light…

Book 3: Reaper Reborn

So I thought book 2 was intense. HA. Book 3 ratcheted it up a few notches!

Villainous people play even crueller mind games on Phoenix.

Even more people are in great danger, with their lives hanging on his decisions.

Chicago is burning.

People are being gassed, bombed, and tortured.

Creepy robots called illuminaries are everywhere.

With new allies and new threats, Phoenix starts getting paranoid–and understandably so. He doesn’t know who to trust at first, but pretty soon he’s forced to trust others in order to take down the corrupt Gateway system and save the people he cares about. Here we see Phoenix stronger than ever before, both physically and character-wise. Seeing him finally get mad at a certain somebody who keeps harping on “his principles” and refuse to take any of that junk was so satisfying! And at the same time, Phoenix is struggling more than ever, sacrificing more than ever, and–

Right, I said there’d be no spoilers. Just go read the trilogy already so we can talk about all the juicy parts!

I have to say, while the book held the reader side of me captive, my writer side was also grinning as I pieced together the genius plot Bryan Davis wove together. He answered questions I barely knew I had, and built it all up to a heart-pounding climax!

You know what else he did? He tied this trilogy to the Time Echoes trilogy!* Old-time readers of his will be thrilled to find the connections, and new readers will hopefully be curious enough to go pick up those other books. The ties between the two series are so clever! I honestly got so excited when Scarlet, a Time Echoes character, was mentioned in passing a few times.

*formerly titled Echoes from the Edge

And after all the cliff-hangers and suspense, the ending of Reaper Reborn was positively perfect. There are huge consequences to everyone’s actions, but there is also enough happiness and satisfaction that by the time I reached the final page, I was content. (Unlike many YA dystopian novels that seem to favor bleak endings . . .)

I know reviews should be balanced, and I should mention any quibbles I had with these books . . . but there were none. This reading experience was full of the heart, courage, mystery, faith, well-rounded characters, and tight plotting I’ve come to expect from Bryan Davis.

On that note: when I pick up new books by beloved authors who were my favorites during childhood or teenhood, I’m usually a bit worried that my memories are too kind–that I’ll find the new book lacking somehow, and all the magic will crumble.

Well, folks, I’m happy to report that the Reapers Trilogy shows Bryan Davis is at the top of his game! His older books will always hold a special, nostalgic place in my heart, but these newer ones are so skillfully written that they hold a place of equal value. I won’t be forgetting my time with Phoenix in futuristic Chicago anytime soon!

Have you read the Reapers Trilogy yet? Do you like dystopian books? Who’s the last villain you loathed with your entire being? And, most importantly, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO PUT THESE BOOKS ON YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST?

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The Bibliophile Sweater Tag

Tracey Dyck 24 Comments

GUYS. I haven’t done a tag in an eon or three, and while I’m pretty sure I’ve got a few stockpiled somewhere, the lovely Mary Horton @ Sunshine and Scribblings just created a tag of her own . . . and tagged me with it! It’s all about books and sweaters, which are two of my favorite things. So I had to jump in on it now, while it’s still sweater weather!*

*Yes, Canada is preparing for another six months of sweater weather. Don’t laugh.

Rules:

  • Give the person who tagged you a never-ending supply of cookies (or just thank them – either works) [Mary, your lifetime supply of gingersnaps is in the mail!]
  • Answer all the questions and use the blog graphic for this tag somewhere in your post
  • Pass along the tag to at least five other people [Read on till the end, my curious questers.]
  • Wear a sweater (okay, this is optional…but why wouldn’t you want to??) [I would love to wear a sweater, but today was unseasonably warm–it’s a t-shirt for me!]

Before we get going, two teensy tiny announcements:

  1. I’m on Instagram! I’m painfully new at it, but I’ve been participating in #drachtober over there, which is super fun, and I’d love for you to pop by and say hello. Also my social media icons are now conveniently on the blog’s sidebar for your clicking convenience.
  2. I’ve got an email address! Okay, yes, I’ve always had an email address (I don’t live under that big of a rock), but now I have one I’m sharing publicly. So if you have thoughts about the existence of ladybugs or questions about how to tame the fiery rage of the nearest bookdragon, you can shoot me an email at traceydyckauthor[at]gmail.com.

All right, now let’s hop right to it, shall we?

lovely graphic by the lovely Mary Horton

Fuzzy sweater (a book that is the epitome of comfort)

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis // Yes, this counts, because my copy is the whole series in one volume! I reread it for the first time in forever about a year and a half ago, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve missed Narnia since then. The familiar adventures, the delightful prose, the deep-yet-simple themes, all the nostalgia . . . I seriously need more time so I can reread more often.

Striped sweater (book which you devoured every line of)

Reaper Reborn by Bryan Davis // I HAVE TO PICK JUST ONE? I feel like I’m betraying so many other riveting reads. Why do you do this to me? But okay. Fine. I’ll play along and go with what I’m currently reading. It is intense. Bad stuff is happening, people, and I’m not sure how Phoenix and his mates are going to fix everything in the last 50% of the book. I am definitely devouring every line!

Ugly Christmas sweater (book with a weird cover)

The Dark City by Catherine Fisher // I had to search through my Goodreads list for a while to find this. (Apparently I read a lot of attractive books.) That face/mask thingy is just . . . creepy. And I honestly remember next to nothing about this book. Either it was rather bland, or so terrible I blocked it out of my memory.

Cashmere sweater (most expensive book you’ve bought)

The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan // I don’t actually know which is the most expensive book I’ve bought. #bookdragonfail But this is one of those monstrously priced hardcovers–well, fine, it was $20. So not awful. But not cheap either. BUT PRICE ASIDE, I’m picking this one because I don’t talk about the Ranger’s Apprentice series enough around here, considering how much I love it! I know some people complain that this 12th book ruined the series ending, but I actually enjoyed seeing Will all grown up and training a new Ranger. Bittersweet.

Hoodie (favorite classic book)

sadly, I don’t own it. but I would love
this version!

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie // Since I already picked Chronicles of Narnia for the Fuzzy Sweater, I’ll pick one of the next best classics: Peter Pan. I was supremely late to that party, seeing as I read it for the first time last year. But I’m hooked! (Ha. Terrible pun intended.) It’s so whimsical and arbitrary in a childlike way, and I adore it.

Cardigan (book that you bought on impulse)

Siren’s Song by Mary Weber // I promise you I was shopping for someone else at the bookstore. Yet somehow I walked out with a book for myself? How did that happen? I’m not sure if this was a true impulse buy, because I’ve been meaning to buy it ever since finishing Storm Siren earlier this year. But obviously I bought this book so fast, I didn’t realize this is BOOK 3. AND I DON’T YET OWN BOOK 2. OOPS.

Turtleneck sweater (book from your childhood)

The Black and White Rainbow by John Trent // I’m going waaaay back to my early childhood here. This was one of my absolute favorite picture books, a story about MooseBerry Mouse and his friends trying to restore color to their black and white world. (I specifically remember my parents giving Monty the Mole a funny voice when he talked with his mouth full.) And the illustrations–my word, they are gorgeous.

Homemade knitted sweater (book that is Indie-published)

Prodigy Prince by Natasha Sapienza // My reading diet is a little sparse in this category, unfortunately! But I’ve got one very intriguing indie book waiting for me right now. It’s high fantasy and involves a banished villain, six gifted youths, and a second-in-line prince. Sounds like my cup of tea!

V-neck sweater (book that did not meet your expectations)

The Realms Thereunder by Ross Lawhead // I thought I would love this one–goodness, I wanted to love it–but unfortunately, the great cover and the fact that Ross Lawhead is Stephen R. Lawhead’s son didn’t translate to a five star book for me. The concept was pretty cool, though, and I will eventually read the sequel. It’s just not . . . on the top of my TBR pile right now.

Argyle sweater (book with a unique format)

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke // It contains copious footnotes. Does that count? It’s also a faint-inducing one thousand pages or so–that definitely counts, right?! But despite its density, I loved it to pieces. Like I mentioned, I don’t do enough rereading, but this is absolutely going to be something I return to one day. I keep eyeing it on my shelf, promising, “One day . . . one day.”

Polka dot sweater (a book with well-rounded characters)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater // Again, there are so many books I could highlight here! But this was one of the first to come to mind. Despite my quibbles with the Raven Cycle, the deft characterization is my favorite part. Every gesture, every description, is artfully nuanced and painfully real. I’m kind of in love with Steifvater’s prose, especially as it relates to characters.

Well, that was super cozy and fun, and now I want to go read allll the things! Thanks again, Mary! You are a tag genius. And now I get to pass that genius along to five other bloggers.

(because all my siblings are bibliophiles and bloggers too!)
Emily @ Stranger Worlds (formerly known as Ink, Inc.)
+ anyone who’s wearing a sweater and wants to grab this tag!
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Book Review: Five Magic Spindles

Tracey Dyck 24 Comments
Goodreads // Amazon

When Rooglewood Press published a collection of Cinderella retellings a few years ago, Five Glass Slippers, I snatched it up. To my delight, the creative spins on a tale that’s been told hundreds of times blew me away.

And when the next collection of Beauty and the Beast retellings, Five Enchanted Roses, came out, I was even more delighted! It was clear that all these writers deserved to win the contests Rooglewood was hosting; these were talented, creative individuals, all with their own distinctive approach.

Well, I’m happy to report that the third collection, Five Magic Spindles, is just as wonderful as its predecessors! In fact, it might be the most unique set of retellings yet.

The Man on the Buckskin Horse // Rachel Kovaciny

When I first heard that one of the stories was a Western, I was . . . well, skeptical. I don’t read Western books or watch Western movies all that often. I’m a fantasy nerd at heart!

But within the first chapter, Rachel Kovaciny had me hooked with her dry humor and the no-nonsense midwife Emma Thornberry. I didn’t think it was possible to plunk Sleeping Beauty into a log cabin, toss in a farmer and a gunslinger, and come out with anything remotely like the original fairy tale. But she did it!

“The closer I get to fifty, the rarer sensible folks become.”

Favorite Things:

  • Emma. She’s practical and blunt and hilarious. Why don’t we have more books from middle-aged perspectives?
  • Snark!
  • Palmer, the swoon-worthy gunman, has a deep backstory packed into just a few pages.
  • I felt like all the characters had a history–their own stories, their relationships with each other, everything.
  • It was such fun picking out all the Sleeping Beauty elements in this wildly different setting. I won’t spoil anything for you, but it was definitely creative!
  • The heartwarming ending.

Not-so-favorite Things:

  • I must have missed a detail, because I thought Palmer was about 20 years older than he actually was, right up until the end. Oops.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and flew right through it. 4.5 stars!

Guardian of Our Beauty // Kathryn McConaughy

I remember when Anne Elisabeth Stengl (the lovely author who runs Rooglewood) shared a collection of first lines from a bunch of writers entering the Five Magic Spindles contests. And I still remember how Kathryn McConaughy’s first line about a king drowning in daughters jumped out at me. That same amusing, old fairy tale style is all over her story!

This is possibly the most exotic tale of the collection. Despite being written in a slightly more distant manner, I was fully immersed in the Middle Eastern-inspired setting and its almost mythological flavor.

Palli did not know how she could save anyone. But if all she had to was sleep–well, she could do that! She slept every night. When her other small sisters wondered why Palli went so willingly to bed, Palli only blinked at them and said, “It is good practice.”

Favorite Things:

  • Palli, the Sleeping Beauty character, was so sweet and altruistic.
  • All the cool creatures! They were what gave the story a mythical slant. At first, they seemed random, but I should’ve known better–they all became important later on.
  • The setting. It felt like there was a whole world to explore.
  • Political happenings that were realistic, not ideal, but still not dry at all.
  • Neriya, the prince: oh my goodness, he’s a sweetheart too! So brave and endearing.
  • The God Who Answers. I shan’t say more. It’s best to read it for yourself.

Not-so-favorite Things:

  • At times, like when I thought the inclusion of the creatures was random, it felt like the story meandered. But in the end, it did tie together, so this isn’t completely a negative!

This was another pleasant surprise! A solid 4 stars.

The Ghost of Briardale // Grace Mullins

I think I was most excited by this middle story when I first read the blurb. I mean, it takes place in an insane asylum! Forgive me, but I have an odd fascination with both crazy characters–both the creepy psychopathic kind and the lovable/gruff/off the rocker kind.

And while there wasn’t a lot of those kinds of craziness going on, the delightfully convoluted plot was more than enough to keep me engaged! There’s a ghost, a dwarf who can’t turn invisible, a miniature prince turned human-sized, a Slavering Swamp Beast, and buckets of enchantment. There’s gloomy dungeons, locked towers, and a courtyard full of statues. Doesn’t that sound fun?

Never before in his life had Franz wished this much to throttle anyone, but there were important reasons why he couldn’t. First, she was a girl, and he would never hit a girl even if she were as annoying as this translucent green creature.

The second reason was that he was helplessly strapped, so, even if she’d been some sort of brute, the only harmful thing he could do was glare.

Favorite Things

  • Franz. Dear, dear Franz! He’s exactly the kind of unlikely hero that I love to cheer for! As a banker’s clerk wrongly committed to the asylum, he tries so very hard to be the True Hero everyone is looking for. He’s not strong enough to slay a dragon, he’s never saved anyone, and the only thing he has going for him is a big heart.
  • While Franz was the kind of hero I love to cheer for, Mara was the kind of antagonist I love to hate.
  • Roselee, the green ghost, was adorable.
  • The fairies were trapped in the forms of a squirrel, a chicken, and a lizard. (Yep. You read that right.)
  • Lots of banter.
  • All the magic! It was so layered and complex, with each chapter revealing more and more of the enchantment. I was kept guessing the whole time.
  • A certain subplot I won’t name was really sweet.
  • A satisfying ending.

Not-so-favorite Things

  • Not much to say here, except for the very minor disappointment of not including crazy people in the way I expected.

All in all, this was a complete pleasure to read. Props to Grace Mullins for her twisty plot and lovable characters! 5 stars!

Spindle Cursed // Michelle Pennington

Before I knew that all these stories were actually amazing, the presence of a good ol’ high fantasy amongst the less-traditional genres was a relief. Spindle Cursed guaranteed at least one story I’d love. And, though all the other stories proved to be far better than I foresaw, I was right about this one–I did love it! It follows the original tale a bit more closely than all the others, but still stands apart in its fleshed-out storyworld and vibrant characters.

The story primarily follows Prince Edmond, a rather dashing, serious, down-to-earth character who completely stole my heart. But all the others were fantastic too! Aaaand this is the only story to include an honest-to-goodness dragon. Instant brownie points right there.

“Martin, I am a fool,” Edmond called.

Reining in his horse, Martin turned his craggy face to look back in surprise. As Edmond drew even with him, Martin inquired, “Would Your Highness wish me to agree with you or disagree?”

Favorite Things:

  • DRAGON.
  • Classic fantasy settings that popped off the page rather than settle into dusty clichés.
  • Lona, the fairy who looks after the sleeping princess, lives alone in the thorn-riddled castle and has gone utterly mad. It’s wonderful.
  • The rapport between Edmond and Martin reminded me of Sage and Mott from The False Prince at times.
  • Lady Rhoswen is another one of those love-to-hate-them villains!
  • A neat twist on the sleeping curse.
  • Arabella was noble and good-hearted and all around a likeable princess.
  • I absolutely loved how Michelle Pennington dealt with the romance. There was still the magical kiss, but it required a genuine relationship to develop first. It was done really well!

Not-so-favorite Things:

  • At times, some of the action scenes seemed to take a step outside the character’s head and became less immersive.

This was a fantastic addition to the collection! It kept a more traditional fairy tale slant, which I loved. 4.5 stars.


Out of the Tomb // Ashley Stangl

Sci-fi is something I haven’t read much of either (although there’s more of it in my reading diet than there is Westerns), so I wasn’t completely sure what to expect. I needn’t have worried, because Out of the Tomb was superb! Ashley Stangl thrust me right into a teeming new world full of flora, fauna, and gadgetry I’d never heard of, yet made me feel right at home.

But it was the raw, relatable characters that won me over completely. Tanza, though an alien girl, was a rough-around-the-edges protagonist who wormed her way right into my heart. And her tale flipped Sleeping Beauty upside down, because this time, it’s a prince who gets woken!

She turned her back on the spindle and rifled through the boxes of antique medical tools, falling into a quiet rhythm as she searched for anything of value. Most people found tombs eerie, but Tanza luxuriated in the peace.

A man’s voice, deep and smooth, flowed through the silence. “I beg your pardon, but are you robbing me?”

Favorite Things:

  • Tanza is bacon-flipping SMART. She robs high-tech tombs for a living and definitely knows how to look after herself.
  • Prince Auren is absolutely adorable. So confused and old-fashioned and struggling to understand the ways of a world one hundred years ahead of him.
  • The concept of virtue names was genius, and it made me love Auren and Tanza even more. I won’t explain it, because that’s something else you need to read for yourself!
  • Maybe it was just the genre, but somehow I got a few Lunar Chronicles vibes . . .
  • There’s so much culture, history, and worldbuilding jam-packed into this novella, and all without resorting to too much telling.
  • Hovercars!
  • Plot twist!
  • The Moon-Cross Festival scene was my favorite thing ever. So precious!

Not-so-favorite Things:

  • Nothing to report here, unless you count my severe distaste for Keffer, Tanza’s low-life boss.

I think, surprisingly, this might have been my favorite story in the collection! The ending nearly made me cry, which is difficult to do in less than a hundred pages. I would gladly follow these characters into more adventures. 5 stars!

Overall

A rollicking Western. A world of priests, princes, and flying cats. A castle woven in complex enchantments. A prince brave enough to face a dragon. A sci-fi adventure. Five completely different stories that somehow all paid homage to the original Sleeping Beauty we know and love.

This is a strong collection indeed! Just like the two books before it, there’s bound to be something in it for everyone; yet you may be pleasantly surprised by stories you didn’t even expect to like. I’m giving Five Magic Spindles a smashing FIVE STARS. This is one book I’ll be eager to return to in the future!

If you’ve read Five Magic Spindles, which was your favorite story? If you haven’t, tell me which ones looks most promising! (And then get thee to Amazon and go buy it!)

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