The Box Of Souls

by Tanya Miranda

18-year-old Jasmyn secretly resents her family's preference for her 8-year-old sister Katarina. Her jealousy grows when her grandmother, a dying witch, overlooks Jasmyn and chooses Katarina to inherit her magic powers. Although being second-place to her sister is something Jasmyn has grown accustomed to, this rejection wounds her like no other.


When sinister dragons appear along the California coastline, Katarina tries to stop them, but her spells fail. Her family discovers it is because she didn't inherit all of their grandmother's magic and that her grandmother split her magic between the two sisters.


Now, Jasmyn and Katarina must work through their sibling rivalry to stop the menace. Can Jasmyn put her pain and resentment aside to wield her grandmother's magic? The bond of sisterhood is strong, but so are powers of darkness.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

204 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2015

About the author

My characters keep me up at night with stories of their lives, their pasts, their desires, and their destinies. I just write them down.

Visit me at
http://www.tanyamiranda.com

Reviews

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway. Loved this book and will buy the next book in the series! This author made you feel for the characters. I actually hated the parents. I hope they can redeem themselves in the next book, but I don't know how that is possible. I give the author credit for making me feel hate and pity. Very well written...ohhh and loved the dragons!!

[Sabrina Ramoth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of this book for an honest review.

I thought THE BOX OF SOULS was a wonderful debut novel. The characters were well developed and the rich history we are given into the world of witches Miranda creates, was unique and imaginative.

I liked the character of Jasmyn. I thought she had just enough (justified) teenage angst to keep her likable. Though the family dynamic was sometimes painful and had me feeling like her parents were a bunch of jerks! Patricia and Regina were my favorite! I loved their banter back and forth over Patricia’s refusal to commit.

The ending of this book really took me by surprise. I am excited to see what’s in store for Jasmyn.

My only critique, is the minions, I wasn’t quite clear on their purpose and how they fit with the dragons. I do hope that the author will delve and explore that a bit in the next book.

[E.D.E. Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Box of Souls is a young-adult fantasy about sorcerers, dragons, and a rather dysfunctional family. Despite wanting to shout at a few of the characters, I had a hard time putting this down. It’s very clever, has lots of fun surprises, and is well-suited to a YA audience. There are some lovely passages about magic, immortality, and the bonds between family and friends. This is an imaginative and magical page-turner with very interesting elements that young adult fantasy fans would enjoy.

I look forward to seeing Tanya Miranda's works in the future.

[Katie Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took dragons to an unexpected level for me, not going to lie. But in a good way. I was kind of in love with the rampant destruction, too. Okay, I hated the parents (total jerk wads) but I can't help but respect an author that's willing to write characters it's OBVIOUS the reader will hate, even if I really hated them.
I found the ending meshed really well with the rest of the book, too. I wasn't really sure where Miranda was going to go with it, but certainly wasn't disappointed. Editing was superb.
I'll continue with this series.

[Marinal Elwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Box of Soul by Taya Miranda is a heartfelt blend of fantasy and raw emotion. Jasmyn’s jealousy and longing to be seen felt so real, and her journey from resentment to courage hit me deeply. The sisterhood bond tested by magic, rivalry, and danger, was both painful and beautiful to watch unfold. A touching reminder that even in the shadow of darkness, love and family can spark the brightest power.

[Solayiah Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

At least one of them had to go

Can't say I loved whatever redemption arc the author wanted to give the family. They all did things to the main character and not one word of apology I mean even her sister set her up for failure after crying in front of their parents and not explaining why that was the case (she is smart enough to have actually said somethingand she later mentioned how she felt bad about that). It bothers me a lot in books when they make the main character carry the burden of everything that happened when it wasn't only them. Since it a preference on my part that why my rating is a 2 star instead of 3.

Quick question why were there random love interests popping up in the book. There was not enough development for it to be included. A better uses of those characters dialouge would be instead getting more into the family dynamic. I think for both character that had interest in these rando men they are better of alone for now especially the main character.

I could careless about the dragons. It might be just because I don't really like multiple pov's. All the adults in this book can kick rocks too.

Overall I got what I wanted (sibling rivalry) but I was not a fan of the main character switch to doting on her sibling. You can't convince me after years of build up jealousy that she was over it after seeing her sister in a helicopter.

[Kristy Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a lot of fantasy but as a middle school librarian, I've been trying to read more. A lot of students at my school gravitate towards the fantasy genre and I think they'd really enjoy The Box of Souls. It's a quick, exciting read with relatable characters. My favorite characters are 8 year old Katarina and the two witches- Regina and Patricia. I definitely recommend The Box of Souls!