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War Faery #1
Faery Born
It’s been thirteen years since the Dark Years ended. Thirteen years since the mad War Faery responsible was imprisoned in stone. Now, with goblin attacks on the rise it seems Galanta, the Goblin Queen, is intent on returning the land to chaos and terror.
Isadora Scrumpleton is trying not to think about the Dark Years. She’s just been chosen by her ‘familiar’, found out she’s half faery, and discovered she’s dating the second-in-line to the Faery Throne. That’s enough for one teenage witch to handle. But when goblins attack her village, Izzy is forced into action, ultimately joining the elite Border Guard and attracting the attention of the Goblin Queen.
As Galanta weaves a web of deceit, Izzy struggles to control her powers. Will she be able to stop the Goblin Queen in time, or will the world be plunged into a dark new reality?
Isadora Scrumpleton is trying not to think about the Dark Years. She’s just been chosen by her ‘familiar’, found out she’s half faery, and discovered she’s dating the second-in-line to the Faery Throne. That’s enough for one teenage witch to handle. But when goblins attack her village, Izzy is forced into action, ultimately joining the elite Border Guard and attracting the attention of the Goblin Queen.
As Galanta weaves a web of deceit, Izzy struggles to control her powers. Will she be able to stop the Goblin Queen in time, or will the world be plunged into a dark new reality?
ebook
First published January 1, 2014
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About the author
Donna Joy Usher
22 books187 followersHi there, I’m Donna Joy Usher. I started writing my first novel when I was seven. With no idea about plot or character development (I mean I was only seven) my storyline quickly disintegrated into a muddled jumble of boring dialogue between two horses. Disillusioned, I gave up writing stories for quite a while after that. Instead, I concentrated on my studies, eventually graduating as a dentist.
After many years of ‘drilling and filling’ I turned to writing in an effort to escape the seriousness of my day job. During that time I created my first book, The Seven Steps to Closure, and discovered that I love nothing more than making other people laugh. Well that, and my husband and two miniature schnauzers, Chloe and Xena.
I currently live in beautiful Perth When I am not working or writing, I love to paddle board, walk on the beach and sip chai lattes at the local cafe.
You can connect with me on Twitter (@DonnaJoyUsher), Facebook, Goodreads, Linked In or my blog site, www.donnajoyusher.com.
After many years of ‘drilling and filling’ I turned to writing in an effort to escape the seriousness of my day job. During that time I created my first book, The Seven Steps to Closure, and discovered that I love nothing more than making other people laugh. Well that, and my husband and two miniature schnauzers, Chloe and Xena.
I currently live in beautiful Perth When I am not working or writing, I love to paddle board, walk on the beach and sip chai lattes at the local cafe.
You can connect with me on Twitter (@DonnaJoyUsher), Facebook, Goodreads, Linked In or my blog site, www.donnajoyusher.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 5, 2020
I'm not usually a huge fan of young adult books but this was a fast based enjoyable novel. I look forward to reading the rest of this trilogy as I can't wait to see what happens to all of the characters.
August 6, 2018
Faery Born was a somewhat surprising read. I didn't realize it was young adult when I started it, and while I do read some young adult, it's not something that I pick up often. This story did seem somewhat juvenile, but I think that was partially because the narrator sounded so young. So I wasn't sure that I was going to finish the story at first, but something about it kept my attention and kept me listening until the end. So I think the story was good, I just had to get over the age and maturity level of the characters.
The heroine of this urban fantasy series is Isadora Scrumpleton, a young witch who is finishing up school and coming into her powers. She was insecure that she was a late bloomer, and seemed to be bullied a bit in school. So she is very close with her family, and her best friend Sabina. I thought Izzy's emerging powers were interesting, and the source of those powers was a nice detail in the story. I really liked her familiar, and I would like to see him played up a bit more and given more personality in future books. So for the most part, I liked Izzy as a heroine. My only hang ups with her involved her poor choices and immaturity, where she sometimes ran off half-cocked and mucked things up. But I do have to give her credit for being willing to join the Border Guard and defend her community, friends and family.
The secondary characters and Border Guards added a nice touch. They all had great personalities, particularly Wilfred. Ethan, second in line to the fae throne, was a good hero. But I think he could've played a bigger role. I would have loved to see his point of view thrown in now and again. Without it, the courtship between the two of them seemed one-sided.
I think it was the world building and action that kept me interested. I really like fae books, and I love the magic and unique facets of these types of stories. The dreamwalking was an interesting aspect of the story that you don't often see, and I liked how that dimension worked. I did predict the villain before all was revealed, but it didn't that didn't take away from my interest as the story continued. I will continue on with the other books to see how the goblin war plays out.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Tantor Audio.
December 10, 2019
This book has some really interesting concepts and it blends urban fantasy with fantasy. I did have to overlook some of the "magical" wording for spells in the beginning and I am glad I did because I enjoyed this book but it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. I do plan to read on though because I just have to know what happens next.
April 17, 2022
This is a fast paced fantasy with a good amount of humor.
Hayden is fully prepared to be embarrassed in her final test before graduating as she hasn't found her familiar yet.
Therefore she hasn't come into her powers.
As the classroom is making fun of her, nobody in the building is more surprised than her when all of a sudden, not only does she manager to levitate the chair she trying to, but every chair in the room, including those of the not now so joyful students.
Hayden learns that she is not only a witch, but also a Faery, born to one of the most powerful Faeries known.
Hayden is fully prepared to be embarrassed in her final test before graduating as she hasn't found her familiar yet.
Therefore she hasn't come into her powers.
As the classroom is making fun of her, nobody in the building is more surprised than her when all of a sudden, not only does she manager to levitate the chair she trying to, but every chair in the room, including those of the not now so joyful students.
Hayden learns that she is not only a witch, but also a Faery, born to one of the most powerful Faeries known.
December 11, 2021
One of my favorite series. Hard to put down
July 18, 2015
In the first book we meet Izzy (Isadora Scrumpleton), the main heroin. She almost 18 and has only 9 days to active her magical abilities (This can happen only between the ages of 17-18). Her magic will be activated only when her familiar will come to her. Till then she now magic only theoretically. It is very difficult for her to see that all her peers already got their familiars, and some of them already bully her for this incapability.
From some reason, she was lucky at her final test for magic suddenly she could lift all her class into the air. But she didn't meet her familiar yet and she really didn't want it to something like a bumblebee. Fate has other meanings for her and instead of very Prestigious familiar like a cat or a snake it turn to be a very dirty white puppy. No body heard about a dog as familiar before.
On the morning of the day after her powers manifestation she discovered another shocking facts:
A)She can dream-walking which is a very rare trait.
B) In her dream-walking she was courting the second-in-line to the Faery Throne.
C)She is half witch and half fairy and has the royal blood in her, and for that she is allow to court him.
D) She don't remember a thing from those episodes. The theory was - her witch side and and her fairy side are not connected. Only fairies can do dream-walking and which happen only at night while she is a sleep. So when she is a wake in the morning her witch side are in control and it not allow her to remember what happen at night. So only when this sides will be one she will gain her memories.
All those discoveries happened when the queens of the fairy show up knocking on her door and telling her she is not aloud to date her son the prince. Her son happen to be Ethan, which is a very hot guy she ever seen.
When her cousin pester her about what she want to do in the future, on sudden whim, she decided to be a border guard.
She thought that it is enough for life time, but she was wrong. On the day of her birthday 18th party goblins attack her village. Izzy is forced into action,apparently she was good in that. So joining the elite Border Guard turned to be a real thing. In the camp she discover about Trilliania the place of dreams. As a Border Guard one of her duties is to patrol this place and fight all kind of magical monsters. She also find that most people don't know that it is not only dreams and that anything that happen there will manifest also in the awakening realm. So if you wounded there, the same wounds will be there when you awake and if you die so..... Anyway most people can't grasp this and if they discover it by accident they will panicked.This when the Border Guard get into the picture. It's main duties is to prevent all of this from happening and this is why it should kept as secret by all means. The Border Guard can't tell about this place and if by accident they start they will go into a fit.
On the same time she capture the attention of the Goblin Queen - Galanta, which is totally not a good thing.
Oh! there was another thing - about her fairy side - she is the daughter of the brother to the most evil fairy in all history or so her mother were telling her. This fairy was so evil that the only way to get rid from him his to tie his spirit into a rock. He can come back as a spirit when a blood of one of his descendants will be dripped on this rock. The name of him is Santana Gabriel and the name of his brother is Alexander Gabriel.
The Has it up and downs, and overall it did the deed and send me to read the second book, which I was glade for. The second book was much much better in my opinion and you can go and read my review about it too.
From some reason, she was lucky at her final test for magic suddenly she could lift all her class into the air. But she didn't meet her familiar yet and she really didn't want it to something like a bumblebee. Fate has other meanings for her and instead of very Prestigious familiar like a cat or a snake it turn to be a very dirty white puppy. No body heard about a dog as familiar before.
On the morning of the day after her powers manifestation she discovered another shocking facts:
A)She can dream-walking which is a very rare trait.
B) In her dream-walking she was courting the second-in-line to the Faery Throne.
C)She is half witch and half fairy and has the royal blood in her, and for that she is allow to court him.
D) She don't remember a thing from those episodes. The theory was - her witch side and and her fairy side are not connected. Only fairies can do dream-walking and which happen only at night while she is a sleep. So when she is a wake in the morning her witch side are in control and it not allow her to remember what happen at night. So only when this sides will be one she will gain her memories.
All those discoveries happened when the queens of the fairy show up knocking on her door and telling her she is not aloud to date her son the prince. Her son happen to be Ethan, which is a very hot guy she ever seen.
When her cousin pester her about what she want to do in the future, on sudden whim, she decided to be a border guard.
She thought that it is enough for life time, but she was wrong. On the day of her birthday 18th party goblins attack her village. Izzy is forced into action,apparently she was good in that. So joining the elite Border Guard turned to be a real thing. In the camp she discover about Trilliania the place of dreams. As a Border Guard one of her duties is to patrol this place and fight all kind of magical monsters. She also find that most people don't know that it is not only dreams and that anything that happen there will manifest also in the awakening realm. So if you wounded there, the same wounds will be there when you awake and if you die so..... Anyway most people can't grasp this and if they discover it by accident they will panicked.This when the Border Guard get into the picture. It's main duties is to prevent all of this from happening and this is why it should kept as secret by all means. The Border Guard can't tell about this place and if by accident they start they will go into a fit.
On the same time she capture the attention of the Goblin Queen - Galanta, which is totally not a good thing.
Oh! there was another thing - about her fairy side - she is the daughter of the brother to the most evil fairy in all history or so her mother were telling her. This fairy was so evil that the only way to get rid from him his to tie his spirit into a rock. He can come back as a spirit when a blood of one of his descendants will be dripped on this rock. The name of him is Santana Gabriel and the name of his brother is Alexander Gabriel.
The Has it up and downs, and overall it did the deed and send me to read the second book, which I was glade for. The second book was much much better in my opinion and you can go and read my review about it too.
April 26, 2016
Great book! Really interesting and a wonderful start to a world.
I found that there is almost a straddle in this book between YA and adult. Not in a bad way either! The main character is 17 going on 18: that weird place of child/adult in the eyes of the society. As such, she is adult enough that the book does not feel childish, yet she is venturing out to find her place in the world as an adult so it has that young aspect. I found that this worked tremendously well for the story and helped with the whole idea of what was going on with her powers.
The world that this is set in is very much urban fantasy: our world, but with magic in it. In this case magic is well known to all in the world and magical creatures are commonplace. I enjoyed the setup of the world and felt that it was understandable, but there is still room to expand on it.
The characters are very easy to love in this. Being in first person POV, our most detailed character is Izzy, but this is intentional as her memory is halved between two parts of her life so not having detailed back stories on certain important characters makes sense. Regardless, the characters are well fleshed out and you care for their well being.
There is an awful lot of foreshadowing and hinting happening in this book. After all, everyone knows you don't bring up a big bad in the first two pages of a book for no reason. Then there is the whole faery thing..... but there is room to go into that in the next book.
This was a really good opener to a series and I will definitely be reading on!
I found that there is almost a straddle in this book between YA and adult. Not in a bad way either! The main character is 17 going on 18: that weird place of child/adult in the eyes of the society. As such, she is adult enough that the book does not feel childish, yet she is venturing out to find her place in the world as an adult so it has that young aspect. I found that this worked tremendously well for the story and helped with the whole idea of what was going on with her powers.
The world that this is set in is very much urban fantasy: our world, but with magic in it. In this case magic is well known to all in the world and magical creatures are commonplace. I enjoyed the setup of the world and felt that it was understandable, but there is still room to expand on it.
The characters are very easy to love in this. Being in first person POV, our most detailed character is Izzy, but this is intentional as her memory is halved between two parts of her life so not having detailed back stories on certain important characters makes sense. Regardless, the characters are well fleshed out and you care for their well being.
There is an awful lot of foreshadowing and hinting happening in this book. After all, everyone knows you don't bring up a big bad in the first two pages of a book for no reason. Then there is the whole faery thing..... but there is room to go into that in the next book.
This was a really good opener to a series and I will definitely be reading on!
December 9, 2014
First off i half to say i love love Grams. I wish i had a grams like that. :)
We meet izzy whos half witch half feary but she doesn't know shes a feary untill the queens of fearys show up and tells her she is not aloud to date her son the prince. Thats how she finds out shes a feary. She has royal feary blood running through her veins so she has permission to date the prince or i should say court. She's been dream linking ever since she was little but can't remember bc her witch kinda cancels out her feary side. She has to work on bringing them both together. She decides to be a border guard and goes into boot camp. We learn more about the dream world after that. Theres a whole lot more to this story than i wrote and the end is going to blow your mind. I just don't want to give too much away. Just little stuff here and there.
Full of action and Dramma. Little romance i wanted more of that.
Would i recommend this book. Buy it now. :)
Would i read the next one. Yes, please be out soon.
We meet izzy whos half witch half feary but she doesn't know shes a feary untill the queens of fearys show up and tells her she is not aloud to date her son the prince. Thats how she finds out shes a feary. She has royal feary blood running through her veins so she has permission to date the prince or i should say court. She's been dream linking ever since she was little but can't remember bc her witch kinda cancels out her feary side. She has to work on bringing them both together. She decides to be a border guard and goes into boot camp. We learn more about the dream world after that. Theres a whole lot more to this story than i wrote and the end is going to blow your mind. I just don't want to give too much away. Just little stuff here and there.
Full of action and Dramma. Little romance i wanted more of that.
Would i recommend this book. Buy it now. :)
Would i read the next one. Yes, please be out soon.
September 14, 2015
I received a FREE copy of this book from the Author Donna Joy Usher for an honest review.
This story will suck you in and hold you enthralled you will not want to put the book down. I think Whizbang is my new favorite word. Don't be surprised if you catch me saying it folks :0)
This book was fantastic I can't wait to read part 2 Faery Forged.
This story was action packed from start to finish. It was funny, serious and little romantic. The charters in this book are awesome they have been well thought out and never break charter.
You can see and imagine yourself in the woods, in the castle or in the battle no matter what part of the book your reading your in it with everyone else defending, fighting and loving every second of it.
I love it when I can really get into the book I'm reading. Make's reading more enjoyable for sure. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves the magic, fantasy writing it's well written and a great story. I was not happy with the cliffhanger but then I never am...So glad book 2 is out already so I don't have to wait. :0)
This story will suck you in and hold you enthralled you will not want to put the book down. I think Whizbang is my new favorite word. Don't be surprised if you catch me saying it folks :0)
This book was fantastic I can't wait to read part 2 Faery Forged.
This story was action packed from start to finish. It was funny, serious and little romantic. The charters in this book are awesome they have been well thought out and never break charter.
You can see and imagine yourself in the woods, in the castle or in the battle no matter what part of the book your reading your in it with everyone else defending, fighting and loving every second of it.
I love it when I can really get into the book I'm reading. Make's reading more enjoyable for sure. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves the magic, fantasy writing it's well written and a great story. I was not happy with the cliffhanger but then I never am...So glad book 2 is out already so I don't have to wait. :0)
June 1, 2016
My goodness, I had no idea the magical world I was about to be thrust into when I started reading this book! There is romance and teen angst and magic. Basically, it is the beginning of a great story.
How would you feel of you knew you were a witch but you had these powers that no one could explain? Welp, Isadora has more power in one thought than most other witches, and she learns that it is because she is also part faery, and one of the most powerful faeries of her age!
This story follows her journey to discovering her powers, as well as discovering what she is meant to do, protect others. She may be confused about who she is, but Isadora is a strong young woman who runs towards trouble when most others run away. This story shows us what it could be like if we all found exactly what are strengths were and how to use them to their fullest extent. At least, that's one little lesson I learned. I cannot wait for the next one!!
*I received a copy of this book for free from the authors website in exchange for an honest review.
How would you feel of you knew you were a witch but you had these powers that no one could explain? Welp, Isadora has more power in one thought than most other witches, and she learns that it is because she is also part faery, and one of the most powerful faeries of her age!
This story follows her journey to discovering her powers, as well as discovering what she is meant to do, protect others. She may be confused about who she is, but Isadora is a strong young woman who runs towards trouble when most others run away. This story shows us what it could be like if we all found exactly what are strengths were and how to use them to their fullest extent. At least, that's one little lesson I learned. I cannot wait for the next one!!
*I received a copy of this book for free from the authors website in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2014
I must admit this isn't my usual genre, but I bought this book because I'm a huge fan of Donna Joy Usher, and I've loved her other books. This one didn't disappoint. As usual, the protaganist is a strong capable character, the sort you'd like to have as a best friend. Izzy Scrumpleton is delightful and seeing the faery and witch worlds through her eyes is quite an adventure. We're pulled in right from the beginning, and the action doesn't stop throughout the whole book. The book is a John Locke of the fantasy world, and the plot is fun, action-filled and packed with exciting twists and turns. The characters are all well drawn - Izzy is a very believable teen age girl as well as Faery, her familiar is the most loveable dog you could imagine, and her 'Grams' is one you'll envy if you don't have a grandmother of your own. Ms Usher's writing is as good as always, and the dialogue throughout the book is tight. I can't wait to read the next book in the series - bring it on!
July 12, 2017
I never would have known about this book had it not been for a goodreads challenge. I had to read a book by an author whose first or last name started with U. Thus my search began and Donna Joy Usher was found!
Holy cow am I happy I did!
Izzy is worried her familiar won't show up in time and she'll be left a magicless witch among her peers. Then a weird dog shows up, she floats her entire class, learns who her true father is, and is apparently courting the faery prince in her dreams. Not that she remembers.
I cannot wait to read more! That ending left me hanging. I'm shocked, awed, saddened, and fearful of what the future holds for Izzy. Excellent story I wasn't prepared for, but am so glad that I found.
Holy cow am I happy I did!
Izzy is worried her familiar won't show up in time and she'll be left a magicless witch among her peers. Then a weird dog shows up, she floats her entire class, learns who her true father is, and is apparently courting the faery prince in her dreams. Not that she remembers.
I cannot wait to read more! That ending left me hanging. I'm shocked, awed, saddened, and fearful of what the future holds for Izzy. Excellent story I wasn't prepared for, but am so glad that I found.
October 7, 2016
Plenty of people can tell you the plot of this supernatural story but I wanted to concentrate on Izzy (Isadora) who is great central character who doesn't take herself too seriously with a sense of humour, that she got from her cool and quirky Grams, and a previously hidden ability to seriously kick butt. This book is well written so that it is really easy to read with a plot that keeps your interest and of course that great sense of humour as Izzy learns more about herself. The characters around Izzy are great too and I look forward to learning more about them too. This book is the first in the series and the second book Faery Forged is already available (which I got as soon as I finished this one and will review once I've finished) and I believe a 3rd is on its way :-)
September 24, 2015
I seen this book on Facebook and I started reading what it was about! I have been in a book rut for awhile trying to find an Author that will suck me into a book and keep me there till the end! I got this book for free but I would of been willing to pay full price for it because it was that good!! I'm not a review girl that often when it comes to books but for the books that truly had me spell bound I will give an honest review! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! I just bought the second one and I'm telling you to buy this!!! 5 stars for an amazing writer and a wonderful start to a series I will be happy to read!!
July 22, 2016
I really I'd enjoy the book it had so many twists and turns that I really was not expecting. The confusion you get while reading the book it's like being inside her head which I like but at the same time with the book doing that you feel her annoyance because no body is telling her anything. The way the author has written the book as if you are in her mind is really brilliant because you don't realia it till the end of the book. I am defiantly going to be reading the other books I'm the trilogy
October 11, 2023
YA Fantasy is not known for its sense of humour, so it's fun and refreshing to read a book that has one. Izzy has all the angst of your typical teenage witch who just wants to fit in at school, acquire an animal familiar who isn't too embarrassing, hone her spellcasting and fencing skills, kiss the cute faery prince, and protect her family from goblins. Her self-deprecating wit and ability to handle herself under pressure makes her very likable and makes me want to keep reading this series.
July 25, 2016
Started off great, but then it veered off into corny/childish territory. The banter between Galanta and Izzy could've been better. If the author tried to put a comedic spin to the story, it didn't really work. I was really hoping to like this story, but now, I don't think I'll be reading the next one in the series.
June 3, 2017
Good
This is a very good book. It has action, friendships, mystery, magic,witches, fae and other magical creatures. Great story line with great characters. So grab your copy and enjoy reading.
This is a very good book. It has action, friendships, mystery, magic,witches, fae and other magical creatures. Great story line with great characters. So grab your copy and enjoy reading.
May 11, 2017
An action-packed start to a fantasy series.
July 17, 2018
A pleasant surprise
This book is the kind that doesn't prepare the scene and cultural expectations for you. You're just thrown into the fire and things are explained as ya go along. It makes it a more interesting read, but it does make it a little confusing and tricky to understand what's going on. I felt this way the entire book because there were constant explanations for the random things that were happening (like the faery prince randomly courting her in her dreams and she didn't know about it... like what? :P) Goblins, pixies, familiars, monarchs, spells, dreamscapes, etc. Lots of things! Anywho...
When I was going into this, I was expecting a version of Hogwarts. But the school part only lasted the first chapter or two then it wasn't even a factor. All the witches and warlocks had to decide what to do AFTER school, which was a refresher for us older folk who are long past high school. So it switched from 'Harry Potter' to 'Divergent.' The main character, Izzy, has to make a choice about what she wants to do with her life, based on the strength and type of powers she has. Then she would just do that forever. Little did she know that her powers weren't just from her witch heritage... Dun, dun, DUN! Stay tuned!
All in all, it was a cute read, clean, and very imaginative! Can't wait to read more!
This book is the kind that doesn't prepare the scene and cultural expectations for you. You're just thrown into the fire and things are explained as ya go along. It makes it a more interesting read, but it does make it a little confusing and tricky to understand what's going on. I felt this way the entire book because there were constant explanations for the random things that were happening (like the faery prince randomly courting her in her dreams and she didn't know about it... like what? :P) Goblins, pixies, familiars, monarchs, spells, dreamscapes, etc. Lots of things! Anywho...
When I was going into this, I was expecting a version of Hogwarts. But the school part only lasted the first chapter or two then it wasn't even a factor. All the witches and warlocks had to decide what to do AFTER school, which was a refresher for us older folk who are long past high school. So it switched from 'Harry Potter' to 'Divergent.' The main character, Izzy, has to make a choice about what she wants to do with her life, based on the strength and type of powers she has. Then she would just do that forever. Little did she know that her powers weren't just from her witch heritage... Dun, dun, DUN! Stay tuned!
All in all, it was a cute read, clean, and very imaginative! Can't wait to read more!
March 3, 2019
I enjoyed this tremendously. It's a fantasy set in an alternate present-day Britain complete with sportscars and televisions, but also with witches, faeries and halfbreeds. Isadora Scrumpleton, in the last days of her seventeenth year, has to find her place in that world.
There's a long-departed adversary, but he doesn't come much into this book. There's also one explicit Harry Potter reference, from Deathly Hallows, but it's very well used--it made me laugh. There are a lot of differences from Rowling's world, like the way familiars work, and the different worlds. It's similar, but not enough of an imitation to turn me off. Honestly, I felt like Usher had read the Potter books and decided to write about a world where magic is a part of the norm and not a separate world, and that kind of "it might work this way instead" is a perfectly valid source of inspiration.
What did turn me off was that Usher chose to create her world using a race of dark-skinned enemies with dreadlocks. Granted, the way their queen was described would have made her gorgeous, and I almost want this to become a movie just to see Galatea on film. But it would have been more satisfying if there had been explicitly non-white characters among the heroes. This factor accounts for the fifth star the book doesn't get.
There's a long-departed adversary, but he doesn't come much into this book. There's also one explicit Harry Potter reference, from Deathly Hallows, but it's very well used--it made me laugh. There are a lot of differences from Rowling's world, like the way familiars work, and the different worlds. It's similar, but not enough of an imitation to turn me off. Honestly, I felt like Usher had read the Potter books and decided to write about a world where magic is a part of the norm and not a separate world, and that kind of "it might work this way instead" is a perfectly valid source of inspiration.
What did turn me off was that Usher chose to create her world using a race of dark-skinned enemies with dreadlocks. Granted, the way their queen was described would have made her gorgeous, and I almost want this to become a movie just to see Galatea on film. But it would have been more satisfying if there had been explicitly non-white characters among the heroes. This factor accounts for the fifth star the book doesn't get.
July 29, 2018
3.5 stars
I have to admit that when I started the book, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. I was afraid it was going to be too twee for my tastes. But any time a book seems to have a slow start to me, I try to read the first hundred pages to see if it picks up (fifty pages in shorter books).
I didn’t need one hundred, or fifty pages to get into this. After about maybe 20 or even fewer pages, the plot was moving forward and I was invested.
Izzy is a great female lead, with a cast of strong supporting characters. And there were some truly original plot devices involved (the Cinderella spell was my favorite). Although the romance was an important part of the story, it wasn’t the whole story, which was another thing in its favor. Although this is only the first book and there are some elements that need to be explored further, I think this will be a good series for fans of Cassandra Clare.
I have to admit that when I started the book, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. I was afraid it was going to be too twee for my tastes. But any time a book seems to have a slow start to me, I try to read the first hundred pages to see if it picks up (fifty pages in shorter books).
I didn’t need one hundred, or fifty pages to get into this. After about maybe 20 or even fewer pages, the plot was moving forward and I was invested.
Izzy is a great female lead, with a cast of strong supporting characters. And there were some truly original plot devices involved (the Cinderella spell was my favorite). Although the romance was an important part of the story, it wasn’t the whole story, which was another thing in its favor. Although this is only the first book and there are some elements that need to be explored further, I think this will be a good series for fans of Cassandra Clare.
March 5, 2020
Donna is onto something. It's brilliant new fantasy and somehow familiar, easy to step into... Hold onto your hat. Each page could have been fleshed out into several. Love, hate, Othering, new ways to look at old themes so they can be easily accepted, it's all here. Twists and turns in rally car mode. This had the scope for a much longer book. Look forward to the next two and hope this inspires Donna to trust in her imagination in future projects and get more information, detail in and not accept script flow cuts from editing that sometimes needed more.
August 8, 2024
a first for me
This is the first I’ve read this author, and I thought the book was ok. It was a bit confusing, and the formatting / grammatical errors drove me insane. Apostrophes being used as quotation marks the whole book… how was that not addressed? They aren’t interchangeable. I digress. The plot was fast paced enough that I will continue on with the story to see what happens next.
This is the first I’ve read this author, and I thought the book was ok. It was a bit confusing, and the formatting / grammatical errors drove me insane. Apostrophes being used as quotation marks the whole book… how was that not addressed? They aren’t interchangeable. I digress. The plot was fast paced enough that I will continue on with the story to see what happens next.
March 23, 2018
Pretty good read
I took a chance on a free book that probably wasn't targeting my demographic. This book is for Young Adults but I still enjoyed the story. I was a bit concerned when it started with the Cinderella bit and then thought we were going down the Sleeping Beauty path but luckily the story veered away from that.
I took a chance on a free book that probably wasn't targeting my demographic. This book is for Young Adults but I still enjoyed the story. I was a bit concerned when it started with the Cinderella bit and then thought we were going down the Sleeping Beauty path but luckily the story veered away from that.
April 12, 2018
Enjoyable Read
I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I enjoyed the twists in the plot as well. While some were fairly predictable, there were enough to that weren't, to keep me hanging on. There were a couple typos, but not enough to make me cringe. I would definitely refer this book to anyone who likes the young adult/fantasy/paranormal romance genres.
I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I enjoyed the twists in the plot as well. While some were fairly predictable, there were enough to that weren't, to keep me hanging on. There were a couple typos, but not enough to make me cringe. I would definitely refer this book to anyone who likes the young adult/fantasy/paranormal romance genres.
January 14, 2019
I got this book free and it took me some time to get round to reading it. I didn't particularly expect to enjoy it, but I found that I really liked it and didn't want to stop reading. Both the concept and the humour were great - if you like Helen Harper you're sure to like this and vice versa. Definitely going to read the rest in the series.
August 4, 2022
Similar but different
I am the type of person that gets lost in the world of the book I'm reading and this was no different. I love the banter, the story line, everything. The similarities between this and Harry Potter is definitely there. I give 4 stars because I feel like there was room for so much more back story. I will be reading the rest for sure and I do recommend.
I am the type of person that gets lost in the world of the book I'm reading and this was no different. I love the banter, the story line, everything. The similarities between this and Harry Potter is definitely there. I give 4 stars because I feel like there was room for so much more back story. I will be reading the rest for sure and I do recommend.
March 10, 2018
Pretty good
Good plot and the characters are captivating. I'm glad the author didn't spend too much on the witch school. It had great romance build up and actions. Loved the cover. Couldn't stop reading. Can't wait to read the next two books. Totally recommend this series.
Good plot and the characters are captivating. I'm glad the author didn't spend too much on the witch school. It had great romance build up and actions. Loved the cover. Couldn't stop reading. Can't wait to read the next two books. Totally recommend this series.
March 19, 2018
A
I liked this book. Well written, nicely played out. My only complaint was the use of "wizbang" and the like. It was annoyingly silly. There was some predictability, but out didn't disrupt the enjoyment.
I liked this book. Well written, nicely played out. My only complaint was the use of "wizbang" and the like. It was annoyingly silly. There was some predictability, but out didn't disrupt the enjoyment.
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