Review: All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

Publisher: Titan Books
Published: 4th August 2020

Synopsis:
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer - the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it's never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy's dangerous soul magic. When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he'll help her prove she's fit to rule, if she'll help him reclaim his stolen magic. But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder - and more peril - than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she'll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected... or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

Review:
'All the Stars and Teeth' is a YA fantasy with a powerful and flawed Princess, a cursed pirate called Bastian, adventure and danger on the high seas and an abundance of magic. It is a fast-paced and exciting opening to a duology which weaves a compelling tale about the abuse of power and how one girl attempts to save a kingdom.

I enjoyed it because it was so unique and different to anything else that I've read recently in the YA fantasy genre. The story was unpredictable and the characters were multi-faceted. Nobody was completely good or bad and that made everything much more interesting. Case in point is the so-called heroine of the story, Amora Montara. She has spent her whole life readying herself to follow in her father's footsteps and become the High Animancer. She is devoted to her people but also longs for adventure and wants to explore the other islands that make up the kingdom of Visidia. When the test to prove that she is fit to be the heir to her father's throne goes horribly wrong, she flees the island, looking for a way in which she can win back the peoples' trust and make a triumphant return.

She's a fiesty and headstrong character but has always listened to her father's guidance and done her best to make him proud. She has grown-up being taught about the magic she holds within her but as events start to unravel she discovers that there is more than one side to the story of the Montara's rise to power. She does a lot of questionable things in the book, not all of which I agreed with but I think that makes her seem so much more real and easier to identify with.

I also loved the character of Ferrick who she is reluctantly engaged to and who is a healer with the ability to do pretty cool things, such as regenerating body parts. Vataea is pretty awesome as well but Bastian, the pirate who Amora escapes with, was definitely my absolute favourite. I'm pretty obsessed with pirate books generally but Bastian and his ship the Keel Haul gave me everything that I long for in a good pirate book. There's some love/hate sparks between him and Amora going on throughout but the romance never swamps the rest of the story. It sizzles away in the background and then flares to life at particular moments in the book which may just have been among my favourite bits.

Adalyn Grace has done a terrific job of the world building. There's a handy guide in the beginning of the book to the kingdom of Visidia which I found helpful in keeping track of the different places that they visit throughout the story. Each one is more fascinating and magical than the next. I especially enjoyed their trip to Mornute, the island of enchantment magic but also Kerost, where the people have the ability to control time.

The ending was hugely intriguing and contained a great plot twist which sets things up nicely for the next book, 'All the Tides of Fate' which will be published in 2021.

Review: Wonderland: An Anthology edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane

Publisher: Titan Books
Published: 17th September 2019

Synopsis:
Join Alice as she is thrown into the whirlwind of Wonderland, in an anthology that bends the traditional notions of Lewis Carroll's classic novel.

So, it's time now to go down the rabbit hole, or through the looking-glass or... But no, wait. By picking up this book and starting to read it you're already there, can't you see?

Review:
'Wonderland' is an anthology of short stories inspired by 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. I didn't need to know anything else about this book to know that I desperately wanted to read it. Although I'm not always a huge fan of short stories and I will always prefer to read a full-length novel, they were fun to dip in and out of and interesting to see the authors' takes on the original Alice.

The anthology blends together stories which fit into a myriad collection of genres, from horror to fantasy to historical. Some were much better than others but I always find with short stories that although you don't always connect with every single one, there's usually something for everyone.

There are some really great writers included in 'Wonderland' such as M.R. Carey, Mark Chadbourn, Genevieve Cogman, Jane Yolen, Juliet Marillier, Lilith Saintcrow, James Lovegrove and Catriona Ward. Each have given their own unique take on a different aspect of the classic novel.

My favourites were:

1. Wonders Never Cease by Robert Sherman
An intriguing take on how the Alice story never really ends. There's always a different Alice with a different ending, some happy, some sad.

2. Good Dog, Alice! by Juliet Marillier
I really loved this story. A blue door reveals a magical world that may provide a solution to Dorothea's problem. This one crept up on my slowly because initially you think it's going to be a sweet story about childhood with birthdays and puppies but then it morphs into something much darker and twisted.

3. About Time by George Mann
Lucy thinks that she is past childish pursuits, such as her adventures in Wonderland but when she visits to say goodbye, she finds an unexpected visitor. I thought this story was a brilliant twist on the age old terror of the monster hiding under the bed. The ending really made me smile.

4. The White Queen's Pawn by Genevieve Cogman
This is probably one of the shortest stories in the anthology but there is such a creepy feeling to it that it really got under my skin and I couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards. 

Review: The Record Keeper - Agnes Gomillion

The Record Keeper by Agnes Gomillion, published by Titan Books on 18th June 2019

Synopsis:
After World War III, Earth is in ruins, and the final armies have come to a reluctant truce. Everyone must obey the law--in every way--or risk shattering the fragile peace and endangering the entire human race.

Although Arika Cobane is a member of the race whose backbreaking labor provides food for the remnants of humanity, she is destined to become a member of the Kongo elite. After ten gruelling years of training, she is on the threshold of taking her place of privilege far from the fields. But everything changes when a new student arrives. Hosea Khan spews dangerous words of treason: What does peace matter if innocent lives are lost to maintain it?

As Arika is exposed to new beliefs, she realizes that the laws she has dedicated herself to uphold are the root of her people's misery. If Arika is to liberate her people, she must unearth her fierce heart and discover the true meaning of freedom: finding the courage to live--or die--without fear.

Review:
'The Record Keeper' is Agnes Gomillion's debut novel. It is described as a 'fresh new take on the afro-futuristic science-fiction genre', which made me curious about the book but also wonder whether it was going to appeal to my tastes. I haven't read a lot of science-fiction and it's not normally a genre that I choose.

The story is set in 170 AE (After the End). Earth has been left in tatters after World War III and a fragile peace has been met. The main character Arika, is taken from a community nursery when she is very young. She is destined to become a member of the Kongo elite but before then she has to survive the years of training that lay ahead of her under the watchful and sometimes brutal eye of Teacher Jones. Arika becomes an exemplary student, always ready with the correct answer in class but never quite forgetting her earlier rebellion when she was seven and tried to rally her fellow comrades. Her carefully constructed existence and beliefs come under threat when a new pupil arrives at the school and cracks start to form. Arika is no longer sure if she can follow the path set out for her as Hosea opens her eyes to the truth about the society they now live in.

One of the book's main themes is racism. The white English ruling class have the dominant place in society and the Kongos' job is to work the fields and provide food for them. The balance of power is uneven and black people are suppressed by the ruling class. They are made to go through a Rebirth, where they have to take a pill that reprograms their memories and makes them forget their pasts. This is simply a tool that is used to control them and ensure they stay in their place. Everyone in the story has to fulfil their role and obey the law or they threaten the peace of society.

This was an interesting and unique read but I did struggle to fully engage with the story and the characters. I think a large part of that is down to the fact that there was nothing familiar that I could grasp onto and I found the world building a bit lacking. I couldn't quite find my feet in the new world that Gomillion had created and this meant that I often couldn't follow all the nuances of the plot. I think that is probably down to the fact that science fiction isn't my favourite genre, so if you do like SF then that won't be a problem for you. Arika was an extremely strong protagonist and her courage and determination were definitely qualities that I admired. Her journey is not easy but she is tough and fierce and gradually becomes a new voice to be listened to in a world where people have long been quietened.