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Candlewax

by C. Bailey Sims (Goodreads Author)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 90 ratings · 60 reviews

An Ancient Prophecy. A Powerful Relic. An Insatiable Evil. When all three converge, the fate of every living thing will be in peril. All her life Catherine had hoped to see a fairrier cat. No book, no scroll provided to her by her tutors had ever mentioned this legend, much to her frustration, and now-at the worst possible time-she was getting her wish. Only, in her wish t...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published April 3rd 2012 by Terabyte Press (first published March 24th 2012)

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Community Reviews

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May 16, 2012 Sonia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc, read-in-2012

3.5

Princess Catherine of Crystallia is betrothed to the King of Candlewax without her agreement. She ran away to escape from this arranged marriage. Unfortunately, she was robbed after successfully leaving the castle. She met a fairrier cat, Spelopokos. After all, fairrier cats are not only living in the legend but in the real world. Spelopokos, however, happens to be the last fairrier cat in the entire land of Lackanay. If there’s no fairrier cat in Lackanay, it will mark the end of the ancient...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Shiloh (SnarkyWriter) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, netgalley

FTC Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book by Terabyte Press for review purposes

Princess Catherine is running away, having decided that living alone in a neighboring kingdom is a better fate than marrying the horrid old man her parents have picked out for her. Unfortunately, her plans go awry when she meets up with a fairrier cat who insists that she's the subject of a prophecy that will lead to saving the world from unspeakable evil.

I had a great deal of trouble with this book...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Stacey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, netgalley

Candlewax; C Bailey Sims

Netgalley ARC, fantasy, cats, YA romance

I only sort of liked this book. Ms. Sims needs to work on her storytelling. There was a lot of ‘telling’ about the action not showing. Keeping up with the quantity of characters was confusing at times. I felt like we met so many people that were very similar, it was hard to keep them apart. The bad guys all ran together, with very little differentiation. The landscape is even a character, in a manner of speaking; there are three ver...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Sharon Tyler rated it 3 of 5 stars

Candlewax, by C. Bailey Sims, is a young adult fantasy novel. Catherine is sixteen years old, and a princess. When her father, the king, announces that she will marry the king of Candlewax Catherine is less than thrilled. She has never met the man and knows nothing about him, including his age. So, Catherine sets off into the woods, with some supplies and her grandmother's amulet, and goes in search of her future. Little did she know that her future involved an ancient prophesy, a fairier cat th...more Candlewax, by C. Bailey Sims, is a young adult fantasy novel. Catherine is sixteen years old, and a princess. When her father, the king, announces that she will marry the king of Candlewax Catherine is less than thrilled. She has never met the man and knows nothing about him, including his age. So, Catherine sets off into the woods, with some supplies and her grandmother's amulet, and goes in search of her future. Little did she know that her future involved an ancient prophesy, a fairier cat the size of a horse, and fighting evil. That cat is tightly tied to her country's very survival, but he is the last of his kind there. As they travel together to fulfill the prophesy and bring more fairier cats home, the meet a cast of characters that either help or hinder them as they race towards their fate.

I am unsure how to begin with Candlewax. I enjoyed the story, so lets start there. Catherine is a plucky character that has a will and mind of her own. Cyril, the king of Candlewax, is a thoroughly good guy, but still comes off as realistic even though he is a little too perfect. The other characters, even some unimportant background characters, are also very well-defined. The book changes from a few different points of view, but this is done well and helps the reader understand the larger picture of what is happening.

The world building is really well done, including widely varied environments and people. I loved some of the world elements, like the burning trees in Candlewax. However, there were a couple of moments when I found myself checking the page count to see if I was at the end yet. Not because I was not enjoying the read, but because it felt like a very long read even though it was not. It seemed like there were a few viable points where things could have been wrapped up, but there was another fight or something else that needed to be done first. Then, there was the promise that more evil plots would be hatched.

I can recommend Candlewax to readers around eleven to fourteen, and older readers that enjoy epic fantasy. Readers that like battle scenes and creative world building will particularly enjoy the story. There is some violence, but very little in way of romantic contact, so there is not much to keep the younger set to pick this up. This was an enjoyable read, with some very promising elements. (less)

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Apr 04, 2012 Valentina rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had a bit of difficulty getting into the book. I realize this is a fantasy novel, and as such, there is always the need for extensive world-building, but I just couldn’t get really past that.
It has all the traits that could make it a great book: a unique premise filled with fully-fledged characters. It’s really just the pacing that it the most distracting. Since this is supposed to be for younger readers (middle grade) I fear it might not be the best way to keep them interested for long.
Cathe...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Annie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have and advanced reading copy of this that I got from my dad. I'm 12 years old and I was supposed to read it to give feedback. I kept putting it off because I had other things to read and I don't particularly like reading new books by new authors. As I started Candlewax though I really enjoyed it.
It was a really original plot with original characters. I really liked Pokos. He seemed nice and gentle at times but at others he was defensive and angry. I really like characters with flip sides t...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

The first lines in Candlewax caught my attention and I had to read the rest of the story. I received an uncorrected proof of Candlewax from NetGalley. The book is due out April 3, 2012. Here is the opening:

"The fairrier cat’s whiskers tingled. This never failed to annoy him, for it meant his concentration had faltered.”

Pokos, the fairrier cat is the size of a horse and is 732 years old. In the land he protects he is the last fairer cat in this land and he is waiting for the holder of Ancient Ony...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Maxine McLister rated it 4 of 5 stars

Princess Catherine of Lackaney decides to run away rather than be forced into an arranged marriage. Before she gets very far, she meets Spelopokos, a fairrier cat, an animal she has always assumed was just a legend. Even more surprising, he can talk. He informs her that, according to an old prophesy, she is destined to save the kingdom (he also eats her horse which seems rather rude but anyway...)

Candlewax is a YA fantasy aimed at middle graders and is more in the tradition of epic fantasy than...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Jill Kerler rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received a paperback ARC courtesy of Terabyte Press. I typically read this genre to discuss books my children are reading. Although, now that they are older I have not found this genre as tempting. However, my interests in history, adventure and suspense made this book intriguing. The beginning was complex -- filled with character introductions and the lay of the land -- but I enjoy flipping back and forth to maps and character listings and found both of these in Candlewax! What seemed at firs...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Mrs. ReaderPants rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pub-date-2012, read-in-2012, net-galley

More reviews at http://readerpants.blogspot.com.

WHAT I LIKED: May I please move to Candlewax? The world-building in this book is incredible! From majestic castles to burning forests of Candlewax trees to the unforgiving land of Cinna, the fantasy world is breathtakingly beautiful and cold and evil at the same time.

Well-paced. I was sucked into the story right away and, for the most part, had a hard time putting it down. Sims provides plenty of conflict to keep the story moving; there were times...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Mrsinserra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks

I received Candlewax as an ARC. I am not always into fantasy novels, but the premise sounded good, so I thought I would give it a try. I am soooo glad I did because this is one of the best books I have read. It has good guys, bad guys, a really bad guy, traitors, soldiers, kings, princesses, and magical beasts. Oh and can’t forget the castles. It was beautifully written with chapters that split the story up quite nicely. It is easy to follow, even though there is a lot going on in the story.

The...more I received Candlewax as an ARC. I am not always into fantasy novels, but the premise sounded good, so I thought I would give it a try. I am soooo glad I did because this is one of the best books I have read. It has good guys, bad guys, a really bad guy, traitors, soldiers, kings, princesses, and magical beasts. Oh and can’t forget the castles. It was beautifully written with chapters that split the story up quite nicely. It is easy to follow, even though there is a lot going on in the story.

There is a lot of adventure surrounding a princess whose destiny, which given to her through a prophesy, is to save her country and the surrounding countries in her realm. Unlike most stories with princesses, Catherine is actually a strong female character. Yes there is a very handsome king she is betrothed to, and yes he is sometimes her “Knight in Shining Armor,” but even though she gets into quite a few precarious situations, for the most part, she saves herself.

This is the first book in a series, but this story does have an ending. There is a bit of a cliff hanger that will be the tie in for the next book, which I am quite eager to read.

I highly recommend this book for kids in 4th grade through adults, depending on their reading level and comprehension. This is not a difficult book but there are strange words (created for this story) that could be difficult if the reader did not know how to sound out a word. This book would be good for a boy or a girl; it would be good for a girl because of the strong female character, and the bit of romance aspect. It would be good for boys because of the kings, knights, beasts, and the fighting/adventure aspect. There is absolutely no sex or even references to sex in this book, even though there is a bit of romance, which makes this one of the best books I have read in a while for kids. This book would also be good to read to your kids, a chapter at a time as a bedtime story, a la “the princess bride” style- (if you’ve ever read that book or seen the movie- you’d know what I mean).

I am not paid to review books, I do this to help you, especially parents, find books that are appropriate for your kids to read.
(less)

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Jan 25, 2012 Sara Kovach rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, a-to-z-challenge, a-to-z

Review: Candlewax is an epic adventure set in the fantastical land of Lackanay. Princess Catherine attempts to run away from her life, and an arranged marriage she wants no part of. Before she gets to far, she is propelled into a journey to save the land she was escaping. Along the way, she meets Spelopokos, a fairrier cat who leads her into a new life as the wearer of the Ancient Onyxes. She is to fulfill the ancient prophesy that will save Lackanay and Spelopokos.

Candlewax is full of action,...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Regina Linton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley

This was a fantastic read taking you to a time long forgotten. Back when their were arranged marriages to save kingdoms and the smell of evil is something the trained few can detect.

Catherine is a princess. A right stubborn one at that and when her father tells her that she is betrothed to the King of Candlewax, she is furious. She doesn't want to marry a stinky old king. What she doesn't know is that the old king passed away and his hot son has taken over.

Cyril, King of Candlewax is waiting for...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Vanya D. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, high-fantasy

This is a book I received from NetGalley upon request.

I really liked the story, because the idea was original. I loved the concept of the ferrier cats and the power of the Onyxes; the speaking aloud vs. speaking in thoughts only. I also liked how Catherine (the lead female) compared her studies at the castle with the much more helpful hands-on experience she got in the world outside. It meant that she was learning and growing, and that is important to see in a character.

However, the writing sty...more This is a book I received from NetGalley upon request.

I really liked the story, because the idea was original. I loved the concept of the ferrier cats and the power of the Onyxes; the speaking aloud vs. speaking in thoughts only. I also liked how Catherine (the lead female) compared her studies at the castle with the much more helpful hands-on experience she got in the world outside. It meant that she was learning and growing, and that is important to see in a character.

However, the writing style really put me off. It felt like it was written in partitions. Some chapters sounded really good, really interesting, with depth to plunge in. While others felt like they needed more substance.

Another thing that wasn't quite to my taste was that the entire book was written in the manner of a fairy tale, i.e. with language quality more appealing to younger audiences (10-15), while the story itself seemed to have an older target audience (16-20).

Some scenes (like the longbow shooting) felt forced to me. As if the characters wanted to do something else, but the author forced them to just go along with her wishes. It felt unnatural and unrealistic. Made me feel sympathetic toward the characters.

In addition to all that, I'm quite sorry to say that not even one of the characters made me really love them. Catherine was brave and all, but she was too trusting and naive. Besides, she was a 16-year old pampered princess, who upon her running away from the castle is suddenly perfectly capable of taking care of herself. I am not sure how this transition happened. Also, there were scenes that should've scared her - if she was true to her character - but she simply dismissed them.
Cyril wasn't really the strong male I had expected him to be. He was more like a boy at the age of 22, than the grown king he should have been. I know that young readers can't realize this, but a king at 22 cannot allow himself to think like a boy where his kingdom and people are concerned. I'm afraid that Cyril wasn't really all that concerned.
Spelopokos, the ferrier cat, kind of made an impression in the first couple of chapters, then he faded in the background of it all.
The only strong feeling I got was for the villain - Kallik. He was ruthless, ambitious and ready to obliterate the entire realm just so he can rule it afterwards. When he was described, the images I got were grotesque and mind-shuddering. Perhaps, he was the only real, deep character in this book.

And just a final side note: I hope that the published version of this book has the characters' thoughts marked in Italic, because otherwise it gets confusing as to who is saying/thinking what.

I would recommend this book to readers 12-15, although there was some violence that isn't quite
appropriate for that age group.(less)

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Mar 23, 2012 Ning rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hollow Tour presents:
http://readingbykindlefire.blogspot.c...

Wow, I always enjoy a good fantasy read, but this one was a lot better than my expectation. Candlewax is filled with adventure and magic (talking cats anyone?) and non-stop action that had me glued to the pages, especially the ending! I read through it so fast because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened!

This is strange because at the start of the book I had my doubts. Catherine, Princess of Crystallia, is running away from home...more Hollow Tour presents:
http://readingbykindlefire.blogspot.c...

Wow, I always enjoy a good fantasy read, but this one was a lot better than my expectation. Candlewax is filled with adventure and magic (talking cats anyone?) and non-stop action that had me glued to the pages, especially the ending! I read through it so fast because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened!

This is strange because at the start of the book I had my doubts. Catherine, Princess of Crystallia, is running away from home after being forced to marry King of Candlewax. First of all, for a princess, that’s really irresponsible of her. I like it reflected her independence, but it also made her extremely selfish for someone of her station. Secondly, later she finds out that the King is actually pretty handsome and regretted running away. Gee, so the fact he’s young is more important than the fact he’s a good king and the alliance is important? (Sorry, I had to get this little rant here. It made me want to strangle Catherine!)

Now on to the good parts! Despite having problem with Catherine’s choices, her adventure and the prophecy instantly drew me in, not to mention the Candlewax trees. When I read about them I was so shocked! It’s such a unique idea! I love the world-building in this one with the burning trees and crystals and hunters and Tabrek. Clearly, one can see that everything is well thought out. I just wish that some of the world-building could be clearer. Also, I have a little problem with how tiny the countries are.

But Catherine and her companion’s adventures more than made up for that. The world-building was more than enough for us to understand the characters and their situation! Everything falls together very nicely and smoothly in the end. All the characters had a role to play in the story and their motivations were very real and believable.

With that said, Catherine came off a bit too trusting and she was very lucky to stay alive. She listened to the cat without asking too many questions and just went with the flow of things. I felt like she could be a little bit more proactive about things. Instead, she’s just being led around by others who know more than she does. Lastly, the writing is a bit choppy and could be improved. Some of the sentences are short and of the same sentence type so they don’t flow together very well, but I was able to ignore this mostly as I got further into the story.

In the end, I would recommend this to those who love stories with a great adventure and an independent heroine (although not perfect) and thoughtful world-building. I personally enjoyed this one very much regardless of my complaints and am very happy I got to read this. I can’t wait to return to the world of Lackanay in the next book!(less)

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Apr 03, 2012 Lori Vargas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Princess Catherine of Crystallia was to be wed to the Candlewax King who she thought was stiff as what else candle wax. So she ran a way and upon her journery she bumped into a very large cat a Fairrier. Catherine thought these fairrier cats were only in her grandmothers fairytales. Pokos for short reconized Catherine by the pendant her grandmother gave her he told her of her legacy. The pendant was a talisman and she was Catherine of the Ancient Onyxes she would save the country of Lackanay. Th...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Ms. Rosas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, 112-in-2012, fantasy, young-adult, middle-school-5-8

What I liked: The characters. They were strong and fairly well developed. Catherine grows from a fearful, slightly whiny young girl to strong young woman ready to do what it takes to save her kingdom. She is smart and brave and girls can look up to her, God knows we need more of that. The Characters all have depth and feeling and logical motives. I cared about what happened to them. The Story. The moral of the story is that we need all creatures in the web of life in order to survive. Hunting on...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Shieka( Doctor's Notes) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me start out by saying how much I loved this book. It has been a while since I have read a truly amazing fantasy book. The first pages of this book had me all in once I read about Pokos the farrier cat. He just seemed like such a great character and I was instantly hooked. Pokos is such a major player in this book and the descriptions about him in this book made him seem so real and I visualized him. The world building in this book is some of the best I have seen in a long time. The author c...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-debut-author-challenge, action-adventure, arc, fantasy, historical-fiction, middle-grade, romance, young-adult

What a refreshingly wonderful book! When I finished reading Candlewax I was happy. There weren't any niggling complaints about the book teasing at the happiness, nor unsatisfied expectations from an abrupt cliffhanger. Candlewax is quite simply a tight, well-written, interesting, fun fantasy novel for young adults.

Sims' world building is just fabulous; at once I was transported into her world, and there were no frayed edges to trip me up. Even the most fantastic elements had been incorporated i...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Jaclyn Cotton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: recently-finished, netgalley, reviewed-on-my-blog

Note: I will be publishing this review on my blog Jaclyn's Musings and on goodreads. This review is scheduled to post on Mon. Nov. 7, 2011. I am including the direct link, HERE, but please note that the link will not work until the publication date of Mon. Nov. 7, 2011.
Thank you so very much for this opportunity!
~Jaclyn~

Review: Candlewax by C. Bailey Sims
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

C. Bailey Sim's Candlewax is the first in a series of novels about an Ancient Prophecy, a Fairrier car named Spelop...more

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May 31, 2012 Creativity's Corner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, arc, read-in-2012

One of the things I loved about this book is the Fairrier cats – large magical cats that protect Catherine’s realm. It has been a while since I’ve seen a new and different supernatural creature. So many writers are obsessed with reimaginings of animals and paranormals we already have from mythology and it’s nice to have something different presented in a very prominent position. Pokos, the main cat we deal with, is an especially fun character because he has such a strong personality. I loved the...more One of the things I loved about this book is the Fairrier cats – large magical cats that protect Catherine’s realm. It has been a while since I’ve seen a new and different supernatural creature. So many writers are obsessed with reimaginings of animals and paranormals we already have from mythology and it’s nice to have something different presented in a very prominent position. Pokos, the main cat we deal with, is an especially fun character because he has such a strong personality. I loved the prologue from his point of view and I almost wish he had narrated the whole book.

Unfortunately, other than that, the book was a little blah for me. I will be the first to admit that MG isn’t my favorite and it’s partially my fault for not researching more and finding out Candlewax was MG before I requested it from NetGalley. There were several places I felt like the solutions to the problems were too simple and easy, and they were introduced too quickly. I also had a hard time believing in the romance – It felt a little too convenient that Cyril was “mysteriously” attracted to Catherine while she still was disguised as a boy. I’ve said before that I’m getting a little tired of the fated love stories that have no problems. I find there’s too little development of the relationship in these stories for it to be believable for me.

Another big element of the book is the quest. This is a textbook example of the quest genre and a great introduction for the young reader. It has all the elements, but for me it overdid on the obstacles portion of the quest. Don’t get me wrong, obstacles are necessary, but I would have liked fewer obstacles with more elaboration, or more difficulty to them. Once I start stepping out of the story to say to the author “now you’re just being mean!” it’s a little too much.

All that said, I think I would have absolutely loved this book if I had read it 10 years ago, when I was the age this book was intended for. I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoy MG and Fantasy novels, and to those who fit the age group the book was intended for.(less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

C. Bailey Sims' "Candlewax" is not a book that one can simply read and return to the shelf.
In order to fully experience the depth and breath of the characters, worlds and story that has been so artfully set before you; you must open all of your senses to the tastes, smells, sights, sounds, and tactile sensations that a literary excursion such as this will afford you.

Travel with Princess Catherine, The King of Candlewax, Bessie, Menard, and Pokos as they take up the mantle of a prophecy and a que...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Jennifer Zuna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very rarely am I ever at a loss for words when it comes to a book. I was a little trepidatious when I agreed to join this tour. I don't usually go near historical fantasy. The language tends to be cumbersome and I lose interest because it can be a bit confusing. I have to say though that I am so glad I decided to read this book! I was absolutely blown away by this book. The story line was something new and original that I haven't come across personally before. The depth of the characters and the...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Worldpeas14 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of this book. I love to read fantasy novels in my free time, and this book was up to par with my favorite books such as "The Hunger Games" and "The Maze Runner". I think that this book is made for a younger age group than those books, but I truly believe that people of all ages will thoroughly enjoy reading "Candlewax". There is just the right amount of action to keep the pace of the book going. The romance in the novel is lovely but not too mushy to deter male readers. There are...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Marisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I thought the world building was excellent, particularly the kingdom of Candlewax. The description of the Candlewax trees made it one of my top favorite fictional places. In addition to this, I also thought the overall plot was good if not somewhat predictable.

There were, however, two main issues I had with the book. First was the pacing. It felt a bit slow to me and this made it hard for me to ge...more I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I thought the world building was excellent, particularly the kingdom of Candlewax. The description of the Candlewax trees made it one of my top favorite fictional places. In addition to this, I also thought the overall plot was good if not somewhat predictable.

There were, however, two main issues I had with the book. First was the pacing. It felt a bit slow to me and this made it hard for me to get into the story. Although I could read several chapters at a time, once I put the book down, I wasn’t eager to pick it back up again. This was better towards the last twenty or so pages when the climatic battle got underway, which I wound up liking quite a bit. I was somewhat surprised to see that Sims didn’t hold back on putting a bit of gore in there, especially considering this book seems to be aimed mainly at a middle school audience. Still, she didn’t overdo it. It was just the right amount.

The second thing I took issue with was the romance between Catherine and Cyril. At first it started off beautifully. She was disguised as a boy and rather than being taken with her appearance right away, they bonded a bit over horses. However, when her identity is revealed to him, their romance seems to head straight to the I-can’t-live-without-you phase. It was all just...too fast for me. I mean, he’s already basically in love with her after knowing her for a handful of days and vice versa. I would have appreciated it if their relationship developed a bit more naturally. Also, I found that after the two of them automatically fell in love, rather than growing closer over things they had in common, they merely seemed to be attracted to one another physically. Whenever one of them was admiring the other for something, it was usually their looks. Occasionally it was for something else, though in the end I found this pairing to be slightly forced.

Despite this, I did genuinely like Catherine’s character. I also really wound up liking Spelopokos and the other farrier cats. Part of me wishes the journey had stayed exclusively with Catherine and Spelopokos rather than adding in Cyril, Menard, and Bessie (who sort of became unimportant after we left the town we met her in). I feel that if the book had focused on the two of them, it would have been a stronger story.(less)

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Mar 28, 2012 Carrie Ardoin added it

Shelves: couldn-t-finish-it, tour, i-own-this

Princess Catherine has decided to run away from her home, because she is very upset about the arranged marriage her parents are forcing her into. Shortly after beginning her journey, Catherine meets the over 700 year old Fairrier cat, Spelopokos. He is believed to be the last of his species. The two get off to a rocky start, but soon Spelopokos begins filling Catherine in about her family's istory...and am important prophecy, of which she is the key.

I won't give this a starred rating, because I...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Amelia Mapstone rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of my new favorite books!!! I loved every bit of this. The writing is clean and very well-written, and the book itself is great for all ages! I love fantasy novels like this because they feel more like a family story, or a movie we'd all go see together. Princess Catherine reminds me of myself in some ways, which is always a good thing when reading a book. The relationships between the characters is heartwarming and properly adorable.
And though I've read several things before about a "proph...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Ayesha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: stumbled-upon-books, e-book, advanced-reader-copies, reviewed

I had serious doubts when I first started this book. A huge white dog that seems like it could be the pet version of White Fang, and she names it "Wolfy"? I cried a little for White Fang. The writing also seemed rather forced - not a huge fan of super short, easy sentences. Makes me sad when authors think their readers can't handle a run-on, or a compound word here and there.

But once you get into it, you realize the story in and of itself is actually quite compelling and you want to know more. A...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Tina (yAdultReview) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, middle-grade, fantasy, arc-netgalley

Originally published at Nose in a Book.

Really quick, this is the only link I could find to buy this book. The ISBN is invalid, according to most sites, and others just don't recognize the name or author. Weird, right? Maybe it will become more widely available after the publication date? Also, longest summary ever, right? Jeez. However, anything with a sentient cat has won me over before I've even begun, if I'm honest. This cat, Pokos, reminds me of Grimalkin from Maguire's Wicked Years novels:...more Originally published at Nose in a Book.

Really quick, this is the only link I could find to buy this book. The ISBN is invalid, according to most sites, and others just don't recognize the name or author. Weird, right? Maybe it will become more widely available after the publication date? Also, longest summary ever, right? Jeez. However, anything with a sentient cat has won me over before I've even begun, if I'm honest. This cat, Pokos, reminds me of Grimalkin from Maguire's Wicked Years novels: blunt, forward, and not really that sensitive. Catherine herself sort of starts off badly. She sneaks out of her palace, gets robbed, and is clotheslined by a branch while fleeing. Pokos eats her horse. She is not a happy camper. From the third chapter, I suspected she had some kind of precognition; she mentions very realistic dreams more than once. This apparently has to do with being around Pokos. They pick up another girl, Bessie, in a village and end up running from Catherine's betrothed, the Candlewax King. I liked him, Cyril, the Candlewax King. He's very haughty, and he and Catherine are off to a bad start, but I think it'll get better. There's a lot of action in the first part, which I appreciated. Infodumps are no fun for anyone!

I'll admit to first being annoyed that Catherine disguises Bessie as Princess, because I just felt like I already knew the ending. I won't spoil it though. It was just extremely awkward reading about Cyril picking his way around Bessie, while assuming Catherine is a servant boy. Cyril is drawn to Catherine-as-Kenneth in a way that makes reading kind of cringeworthy. I even skimmed most of the detailing-the-landscape-of-Candlewax parts, just hoping someone would figure it out and stop it. I am put out of my misery after only a few chapters, but man, how I writhed. Things work out though, and Catherine continues on her journey. We meet The Betrayer, as well, but I won't spoil his identity. I'd also like to mention that the trodliks remind me of the Diggers from the Bone World series. They were gross in those books and they're gross in this one too!

Another thing that's gross? When Catherine and her party arrive in Cinna, she "immediately dislikes" a beautiful, confident-looking woman with a tight bodice. Lovely. There's going to be a Man Stealing Whore in this novel, that was my first thought. I was wrong about it in this instance, but it's not uncommon. I need to rant about it. Look, people, women can be ugly or beautiful, dainty or not, and still be nice people! The tightness of the bodice does not reveal a person's nature, so can we just stop with this bullshit trope? It shows up in every YA book that has ever existed (okay, that might be hyperbole) and I am sick of it. Not every story needs a woman out to steal the protag's man, and really, it's unrealistic. Bah. Granted, Julia isn't working alone and she wasn't trying to steal Cyril either, but there is only so much "instant dislike" between female characters that I can take, you know?

I skimmed so much description in this one, but I still liked the way it was written. Catherine wasn't overly sheltered or annoying or too stupid to live, and the plot didn't really drag at all. It's pretty vanilla when it comes to the Catherine/Cyril romance, too. They wait forever to kiss and there's no way we're getting even a fade-to-black. Which is fine. I guess. I just liked Catherine and Cyril a lot as people, and they got over their issues really quickly (especially for YA). Catherine does her own thing and Cyril doesn't want to "contain" her or anything. They fall in love. It's nice. They have some sweet scenes that I enjoyed reading.

In all, I liked this one. It's sweet and descriptive, with a real plot and a back-burner romance. Plus, it's legit fantasy, and I love that. This one comes out tomorrow, so be sure to check it out if you're so inclined.(less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

A wonderful fantasy story. The world created by C. Bailey Sims was great. It had an adventure, romance, mystery, talking cats, magic, and the big, bad guy. It was a well-paced story that I couldn't wait to get back to reading.

It all starts when Catherine runs away from home because she didn't want to get married to the guy that her father had chosen for her. Turns out that guy was just what she needed and wanted. On her way out, she is saved by Pokos, a fairrier cat. This cat talks and he once h...more

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Bloggers Unite™ : ARC Giveaway: Candlewax by C. Bailey SIms	1	5	May 04, 2012 10:24am
Book Bloggers Ano...: ARC Giveaway: Candlewax by C. Bailey Sims	1	1	May 04, 2012 10:23am
What is it that draws Catherine to Cyril?	1	3	Jan 09, 2012 05:20am
Did Catherine make a mistake when she pursued Magnus after the Duray Principas?	1	2	Jan 03, 2012 09:24am

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“King Stephen of Crystallia looked at the impassive face of William, the big, red-headed captain of Candlewax, and resisted the urge to throw something.” — 2 people liked it

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