The Mermaid Queen (The Witches of Orkney, 4) by Alane Adams

The Mermaid Queen by Alane Adams  
Series:  Book Four of The Witches of Orkney 
Format:  Paperback
Publisher:  Sparkpress
Number of Pages:  217
Publishing:  October 12th, 2021 
Source:  Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Opening Line:  "The giant serpent thrashed against the chains binding him."

Abigail and Calla have returned to their second year of witchlings studies at the Tarkana Academy.  At first everything appears to be going well, they averted a war, and with Hugo's help they defeated the powerful alchemist Vertulious by returning him to the spell book.  However there was no room for celebrations yet, Baba Nana was left being held by a spell that is slowly turning her to ice and Abigail's nemesis, Endera still blames her for her mothers death and will do anything to prevent them from reviving Baba Nana.  Then Vor, the goddess of wisdom appeared and informed Abigail that she has been deceived by the Mermaid Queen, Capricorn.  Feeling the weight of her decision to trust Capricorn, Abigail began to blame herself for everything that transpired.  This heavy weight on Abigail's shoulders became further complicated when Capricorn visits the grounds of the Academy allegedly to return a debt by giving her back the spell book, and also reveals that she has released Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent from his prison cell, planning to use him as a weapon against the island's around Orkney.  By threatening to destroy the islands, she intends to force Odin into making her the goddess of the seas over Aegir.   Once Abigail hears her plans, she vows to right her mistake and return the serpent to his underwater cell.  A task that will require her to locate Odin's chains in order to drag him back into the cell.  

 The Mermaid Queen is the fourth book in the Witches of Orkney and is the prequel series to the Legends of Orkney.  Each book draws inspiration from Norse mythology, and makes mention of Odin, Thor, Loki, and their stories.  In her latest book, I was pleasantly surprised to see Ratatosk and the Norns, or three goddesses of Fate make an appearance, and enjoyed how they were incorporated into the plot.  Reading each of these stories is comforting for me, returning to familiar characters like Hugo,  Abigail and Calla, and a familiar magical world, especially the witches academy.  While at the same time going on an exciting adventure, exploring new "baddies," Asgard and this time potions, poison's, mermaids, and plenty of adventure at sea.  What initially drew me to this series was how it combined a school for witches, Norse mythology and bits of Harry Potter, and it's what has made me excited about each new book.  Plus I adore the black and white illustrations by Jonathan Stroh, gorgeous and perfectly complement the writing.  Abigail has gone through a lot in the past three books.  She's always sort of teetering with being consumed by dark magic, in the same way that Ginny Weasley was being controlled by Tom Riddle's diary.  The spellbook keeps trying to influence her and demonstrate how powerful she can become through each of the spells she performs.  Although, I did question the few moments when it felt like she was loosing herself, and willing to put herself in danger by acting spontaneously, I'm so happy her loyalty toward her friends persevered.  Oh and that ending, yeah a cliffhanger, but has me so eager to see what is in store for Abigail, Hugo and Calla next.  

**A huge thank you to SparkPress for the review copy.**      

Blog Tour for PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER by Lori M. Lee with My Review + Giveaway

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER by Lori M. Lee Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

                                     About The Book:

Title: PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER

Author: Lori M. Lee

Pub. Date: September 7, 2021

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 320

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Lori M. Lee's middle grade debut about a lonely Hmong girl who discovers she's a powerful shaman warrior in this fantasy inspired by Southeast Asian mythology.

Pahua Moua has a bit of a reputation for being a weirdo. A lonely eleven-year-old Hmong girl with the unique ability to see spirits, she spends her summer days babysitting her little brother and playing with her best friend, a cat spirit no one else can see.
One day Pahua accidentally untethers an angry spirit from the haunted bridge in her neighborhood--whoops. When her brother suddenly falls sick and can't be awoken, Pahua fears that the bridge spirit has stolen his soul. She returns to the scene of the crime with her aunt's old shaman tools, hoping to confront the spirit and demand her brother's return. Instead, she summons a demon.

Thankfully, a warrior shaman with a bit of an attitude problem shows up at the last minute and saves her butt. With the help of this guide, Pahua will have to find her way through the spirit worlds and rescue her brother's soul before it's too late. Little does she know she'll have her own discoveries to make along the way. . . .

With its unforgettable characters, unique nature-based magic system, breathtaking twists and reveals, and climactic boss battle, this story based on Hmong oral tradition offers everything a fantasy lover could want.

 

My Review

Opening lines:  "The day my life changed began like most mornings - with a judgmental cat spirit."  

If you're familiar with the Rick Riordan Presents series of books you're probably aware that each book is written by an own voices author and introduces the reader to various cultures, their traditions and mythology.  I've always loved how they include diverse stories from Korean, Indian, African, and Mexican cultures, to name a few.  Each new book, educating and exciting children to explore these mythologies for themselves.   In the latest book, Pahua and the Soul Stealer, the reader is introduced to the Hmong traditions and legends, a group of people that I didn't know much about prior to reading the story and am so happy to have read.   I think of all the Rick Riordan Presents books thus far, this one would be one my favorite.  I found the main character, Pahua and Zhong, the Shaman warrior who shows up to help Pahua so engaging to read.   I was just instantly swept up by the story.   There's so many interesting elements, like how Pahua sees spirits, including Miv her opiniated black kitten spirt that are invisible to others.  I felt the tension when Pahua inadvertently set an angry ghost spirit on the bridge free causing her younger brother to become ill and unresponsive, and then quickly flipped pages as she went in search of the lightening axe that she needed to deal with the malevolent spirit to help her brother recover.  I especially enjoyed reading about how she dealt with the challenges that she faces, and how rather than striking down her enemies, she showed empathy, negotiated with them or came to some form of understanding for what she needs.  Even outsmarted them when need be.  Overall, this was a really exciting story and I know I'll defiantly be picking up the next book in the series.                       

 

About Lori:

Lori M. Lee is the author of speculative novels and short stories. Her books include PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER (Disney/Rick Riordan Presents), FOREST OF SOULS and the sequel BROKEN WEB (Page Street), and more. She’s also a contributor to the anthologies A THOUSAND BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS and COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES. She considers herself a unicorn fan, enjoys marathoning TV shows, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family.

Photo credit PrettyGeeky Photography.

 

Sign Up for Lori’s Newsletter!

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week Two:

9/5/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
9/6/2021	Book-Keeping	Review
9/7/2021	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
9/8/2021	booksaremagictoo	Review
9/9/2021	Sometimes Leelynn Reads	Review
9/10/2021	Log Cabin Library	Review
9/11/2021	Books a Plenty Book Reviews	Review

Blog Tour for Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt , Illustrations by Eric Rohmann

Once Upon a Camel by Kathi Appelt, illustrations by Eric Rohmann
Format:  Paperback ARC 
Publisher:  Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books 
Number of Pages:  336
Publishing:  September 7th, 2021
Source:  Review copy provided by Barbara Fisch from Blue Slip Media

Opening lines: "Incoming!  Even in her sleep, Zada recognized that voice."

Once Upon a Camel is one of those stories that instantly grabbed my attention, maybe its having lived in Egypt and ridden on a camel myself, or probably, most likely because of that cover.  The story begins in 1910 at the foothills of the Chisos Moutains in West Texas where Zada is about to visit her fine feathered friends.  Suddenly, Pard and Perlita swoop in all in a tizzy over a "mountain" that is coming.  A massive storm is headed directly in the path of the nest housing Pard and Perlita's two baby kesterel's.  Concerned the two kesterl's are too young to be able to fly yet, Zada agrees to carry them on her head to the Mission.  Just as they're making the final preparations a strong wind blows Pard and Perlita away, leaving Zada alone to take care of the two babies.  Zada isn't as nimble as she once was and is more than a little concerned about getting the two chicks to safety.  

Here's where the story takes a fun twist.  As Zada begins her trek, the young kesterl's begin to get bored, to entertain them she tells them stories about growing up in the 1800's in Smyrna, Turkey at an elite Turkish racing stable to when she came to the United States and became a member of the US Camel Corps.  The stories calm the birds and also helps to distract Zada from the many lurking dangers, like the storm that is still raging behind them and that their trek will be taking them into mountain lion territory, or Pecos de Leon's territory.  

The baby kesterel's are so adorable.  They're like two bickering kids in the backseat of a car on a long roadtrip.  Zada was like their older sister, the calming voice throughout the storm.    Zada's stories were also interesting and I enjoyed learning about the existence of the Camel Corps and how they were used to survey the routes for the railroads.  A fact that I'd never heard of before, and I always appreciate learning something new.  The sandstorm also reminded a lot of my time living in Egypt and the Hamseen's that would appear out of nowhere, raining down sand, swirling around making the air hazy and brown, obscuring the sun and leaving a blanket of powdery dusty sand, a layer of sand mind you on every corner of my window seals.  Defiantly not something anyone would want to get caught outside in.  I also enjoyed that Appelt included a helpful glossary of Turkish phrases at the back of the book.  Her writing style has always appealed to me and I love how she writes these characters that draw you in.  It reminded me of why I love the book Underneath by her so much.   I love how the focus of Once Upon a Camel included storytelling and the importance of sharing our stories as a main focus.  The illustrations by Eric Rohmann were so, so gorgeous, especially the one's of the kesterel's.  Love it!!  Lastly, I adore the inspiration behind Zada's name, which I'm hoping you'll check out for yourself. 

  **I'd especially like to thank Barbara Fisch from Blue Slip Media for the paperback ARC and inviting me to participate in the blog tour** 

Photo credit: Doug Baum.

Kathi Appelt is the author of the Newbery Honoree, National Book Award Finalist, and bestselling The Underneath as well as the National Book Award Finalist for The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp. Some of her award-winning books include Maybe a Fox (with Alison McGhee), Keeper, and Max Attacks to name just a few. She lives in College Station, Texas. 

To learn more, visit her website at kathiappelt.com.  Find Kathi Appelt on Facebook and Pinterest!

                                        

                                        Tour Schedule:

8/30/21         Alohamora Open a Book  
8/31/21         Cracking the Cover  
9/1 /21          Mrs. Knotts Book Nook
9/2/21          Red Canoe Reader
9/3/21          Beagles and Books & Mom Read It
9/6/21          Always in the Middle
9/7/21          Unleashing Readers & Mother Daughter Book Club
9/8/21         Geo Librarian
9/9/21          Prose and Kahn
9/10/21       Log Cabin Library & YA Books Central

Blog Tour for THE CURSED CARNIVAL AND OTHER CALAMITIES by Roshani Chokshi, J.C. Cervantes, Yoon Ha Lee, Carlos Hernandez, Kwame Mbalia, Rebecca Roanhorse, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Sarwat Chadda, Graci Kim, and Rick Riordan with Review + Giveaway

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE CURSED CARNIVAL AND OTHER CALAMITIES by Roshani Chokshi, J.C. Cervantes, Yoon Ha Lee, Carlos Hernandez, Kwame Mbalia, Rebecca Roanhorse, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Sarwat Chadda, Graci Kim, and Rick Riordan Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: THE CURSED CARNIVAL AND OTHER CALAMITIES : New Stories About Mythic Heroes

Author: Roshani Chokshi, J.C. Cervantes, Yoon Ha Lee, Carlos Hernandez, Kwame Mbalia, Rebecca Roanhorse, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Sarwat Chadda, Graci Kim, and Rick Riordan

Pub. Date: September 28, 2021

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 496

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents ten new stories--including one of his own--about beloved heroes that sprang from the imaginations of some of the best middle grade authors working today.

A cave monster . . . an abandoned demon . . . a ghost who wants to erase history . . . a killer commandant . . . These are just some of the challenges confronting the young heroes in this highly entertaining anthology.

All but one of the heroes previously starred in a popular book from Rick Riordan Presents. You''ll be reunited with Aru Shah, Zane Obispo, Min the fox spirit, Sal and Gabi, Tristan Strong, Nizhoni Begay, Paola Santiago, Sikander Aziz, and Riley Oh. Who is the new hero? Read Rick Riordan''s short story to find out!

Ten bestselling and award-winning middle grade authors contributed to this collection: Roshani Chokshi, J.C. Cervantes, Yoon Ha Lee, Carlos Hernandez, Kwame Mbalia, Rebecca Roanhorse, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Sarwat Chadda, Graci Kim, and Rick Riordan, who also served as the editor.

The cultures represented by these own-voices stories are: Indian, Mesoamerican, Korean, Cuban, Black American, African, Navajo, Mexican, Mesopotamian, and Celtic.

There’s something for everyone in this collection of fast-paced and funny adventure stories that show what it takes to be a hero in any time, setting, and universe.

My Review

When I first saw the blog tour and cover of Cursed Carnival, I was instantly intrigued.  I think I imagined that each author would be writing a story centralized around the theme of a Carnival, or something like that.   Which would've worked for me because the only series I've completed is Roshani Chokshi 's Aruh Shah series and I'm familiar with Sarwat Chadda's writing having read his Shadow Magic trilogy (as Joshua Khan).  Instead, it was a pleasant surprise to find that this collection of short stories would include the characters from the authors original series taking on a whole new adventure.  So not having read the authors previous books I was initially a little hesitant, but decided to go along for the ride.  Not having fore knowledge for all of the characters really didn't seem to matter too much, but I should caution that you might pick up on a few spoilers here and there from the original stories like I did.  So if there's a particular series that your hoping to get to, maybe consider holding off until you've completed it before reading the Cursed Carnival.   

Each short story in The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities is roughly 45-50+ pages in length.  There's an equal balance of humor, fast paced action and plenty of monsters.  I so love that they're all written by own-voice authors and introduce readers to stories involving the mythology of their culture.  I wouldn't consider the short stories as an introduction to the authors other books, but instead more of an introduction into the authors writing style, their worlds, myths and characters that they write about.  Or maybe it can be seen as an addition to a favorite characters stories.  Some of my favorites were The Loneliest Demon by Sarwat Chadda (really inspired to bump up his The Plague God Series now), My Life as a Child Outlaw by Rick Riordan (yep even he makes an appearance with a short story), The Initiation by Yoon Ha Lee and My Night at the Gifted Carnival by Graci Kim.  Truthfully, all the stories were really good and if I had all the time in the world, I'd defiantly be reading more of the authors other books.         

About the Authors: 

Click on the links to be taken to their websites!

Roshani Chokshi

J.C. Cervantes

Yoon Ha Lee

Carlos Hernandez

Kwame Mbalia

Rebecca Roanhorse

Tehlor Kay Mejia

Sarwat Chadda

Graci Kim

Rick Riordan

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of THE CURSED CARNIVAL AND OTHER CALAMITIES, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week Two:

9/5/2021	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Review
9/6/2021	A Dream Within A Dream	Review
9/7/2021	Nonbinary Knight Reads	Review
9/8/2021	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
9/9/2021	Log Cabin Library	Review
9/10/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review
9/11/2021	Emelie's Books	Review

Review of Egg Marks the Spot (Skunk and Badger #2) by Amy Timberlake, illustrations by Jon Klassen

Egg Marks the Spot (Skunk and Badger #2) by Amy Timberlake, illustrations by Jon Klassen

Format:   E-ARC

Publisher:  Algonquin Young Readers

Number of Pages:  160

Publishing:  September 15th, 2021

Source: Edelweiss + 

Opening Lines:  "RAP-RAP.  RAP-RAP-RAP.  The knocking sounded on the attic door, the door of Badger's new rock room." 

In this sequel to Skunk and Badger, Badger is once again hard at work with Important Rock Work when  Skunk interrupts him to ask for money to get them a subscription to the Sunday New Yak Times.  The paper houses Skunk's favorite section, the Book Review, something he hasn't been able to read in awhile because Mr. G. Hedgehog has been confiscating his paper all for himself, thinking it was a previous arrangement they'd made.  To avoid having his paper taken yet again, Skunk suggests they go on a rock finding expedition, a little camping, picnicking and stargazing is just what they need.  Badger sees their trip as a chance to replace his Spider Eye Agate, which was stolen by his treasure hungry cousin, Fisher.  So the two pack their backpacks and head out to Badger's favorite campsite at Endless Lake.  However, once at the lake they have a run in with Fisher, who is searching for valuable treasure and he vows that nothing will get in his way.

I read the first book in this series back in September of last year and wasn't surprised to learn that it had won many awards.  It's such a deserving book.  It's been described as Winnie the Pooh  meets Wind in the Willows, and it really does have these qualities. Egg Marks the Spot  involves these two unlikely friends who go off on a camping adventure and along the way discover that friendship is more valuable than most other things in life.  You can't help thinking of the Odd Couple when reading these books.  Badger is kind of curmudgeonly, while Skunk is as energetic as ever.  The differences in their personalities is amusing, but I love how they end up finding a lot of commonalities and respect each other as individuals.  The whole scene of Skunk trudge, trudge, trudging up that hill with his big yellow backpack makes this a book to treasure.  I also enjoyed how we're learning about Skunks life in the city prior to moving in with Badger and Badger's declaration to Fisher at the end about keeping his friends.  Despite a little quirkiness involving a Jurassic period find and the conflict that arises, this has two adorable characters and lovely messaging with a focus on being kind.  Although my E-ARC didn't have all the finished artwork, what was included was gorgeous, similar in style to the cover.  I hope there will be many more adventures for Skunk and Badger.    ** Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Algonquin Young Readers for my E-ARC. **

Review of Prince Dustin and Clara: Legends of the Black Forest by Daniel Lee Nicholson

Prince Dustin and Clara:  Legends of the Black Forest by Daniel Lee Nicholson
Format:  E-ARC
Publisher:  Fossil Mountain Publishing
Number of pages:  280
Publishing: September 17th, 2021
Source:  Publisher

Opening Lines: It was a hazy, humid day many, many years ago.  In a magical land of fairies and sorcerers, a stone castle stood tall on the horizon."

Legends Of The Black Forest is the third book in the Prince Dustin and Clara series, written as a homage to the original creators of The Nutcracker.  The latest book includes a foreword by Silvino Da Silva from the Ruth Page Center for the Arts.  

Clara and Fritz Stahlbaum are enjoying some long awaited  fun at Camp Lache Lake, Clara is preparing to audition for the lead in a dance recital, while the boys skip rocks and play with the frogs in the lake.  Meanwhile, at Castle Zauberin, Serihilda is dealing with some uninvited guests and making plans to rule all of the Black Forest.  Wizard Herr Drosselmeyer's evil twin, Drachenmeyer is still imprisoned within a high tower of Niedertrachtig Castle, held by the enchantment's of Merlin's magical stones.  However, unbeknown to Wizard Drosselmeyer the spell holding his twin is beginning to weaken,  and is soon to be completely broken when Serihilda casts a spell causing snow to once again fall in the Land of Snow.  Once Queen Nordika is alerted to the spell being lifted, she requests help from Clara, Prince Dustin and Princess Sugar Plum.  The trio must reach Zauberin Castle before midnight and defeat Serihilda before she can release all of the Dark Forces upon the Black Forest.

I love all the little details in the prologue, it beautifully sets the scene and makes for a lovely image of this fairytale castle nestled within the forest.  I especially love this passage, "white velvet snow capped the tops of each peak like a sprinkling of marshmallows on hot chocolate."  Doesn't that just sound like a cozy wintery read, especially with music from The Nutcracker ballet playing in the background?  Then in one fell swoop two trolls are demolished when they get caught somewhere they're not supposed to be.  Those scenes alone had me laughing out loud.  Lot's of amusing moments like that and coupled with lots of action.   

I enjoyed how the story is written in three acts, beginning with Castle Zauberin and then has the trio beginning their adventure into the enchanted Black Forest, passing through the land of the tree fairies, and on into the swamplands before reaching Castle Zauberin.  Along the way they encounter many hazards everything from trolls to tornado's are thrown at them by Serihilda making for a fun adventure.  I didn't even mind when each act ended on a small cliff hanger, it seemed to really hook you into wanting to read a little bit further.  But most of all I loved the setting of the Black Forest, it just lends itself to this mysterious place with dangers lurking in the shadows.  I'd be remise if I didn't mention the lovely black and white illustrations and cover, Luke Ahearn created the interior artwork and cover design and Niele Diel, a German artist created the cover illustration.  Overall, I have really enjoyed reading this fantasy re-imagining of the Nutcracker ballet, getting to know Clara, Prince Dustin and follow along with their adventures.  With it's general themes of good versus evil I can easily see this as a fun family read.     ** A huge thank you to Danielle at Fossil Mountain Publishing for the E-ARC**      

MG Historical Fiction review of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs
Format:  E-ARC
Publisher:  Sourcebooks
Number of pages:  288
Publishing:  September 14th, 2021
Source: Publisher via Netgalley following authors request for a review.  

Opening Lines: "The smoking star lit the night sky as women wept, holding their babies close."

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna is an inspiring story of promises, determination, and one incredible girls bravery and courage as she leads her family north to safety.  It tells the story of Petra, a twelve-year- old girl who's been struggling over the loss of her mother, who died giving birth to her younger brother and whose father was taken by Federale soldiers to join the revolution.  That was six months ago, but the pain is still raw.  Papa promised Petra he would return,  since then she's been fulfilling her promise to take care of the family by collecting wood which she sells for food.  Petra has been holding on to the piece of coal he gave her, and to her dream of one day learning to read, maybe to even become a teacher.  Then one day, Federales come to their small village looking for young men to join the war, upset that the men are all gone, they burn down the village,  forcing Petra and her family to flee into the hills.  Thus begins the harrowing trek that takes Petra and her family across treeless lands, with the sun bearing down on them, and little provisions or water to even sustain them, all while hiding from the Federales and avoiding scorpions, coyotes and rattlesnakes.  

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna was inspired by stories told to the author by her grandmother and great-grandmother growing up.  The main character, Petra Luna, was also inspired by the historical events surrounding the author's own families escape from their burning village after being attacked by Federale soldiers in 1913 during the Mexican Revolution.  Per the authors note at the end of the book, in 1913 there were over 6,000 people trying to cross over a bridge into the United States when the gates were closed.  It wasn't until the Federales showed up threatening people along the border that they were allowed entrance into the United States.   Petra's story is a heartfelt, compelling historical fiction that seems to mirror current events at the Mexican American border.  Even now refugees are enduring the harsh desert on foot, hoping to reach the border and be granted entrance to seek asylum in the United States.  Though the story is written about events that took place a long time ago, it's written in a way that is easily accessible to younger children and will help build empathy.  **Thank you to the author,  Alda P. Dobbs for suggesting the story and Sourcebooks for the review copy.**