ARC Review: The Dark Lord's Daughter by Patricia C. Wrede

The Dark Lord's Daughter
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
Publication: Random House Books for Young Readers (September 5, 2023)

Description: From the New York Times bestselling author of Dealing with Dragons comes this timeless fantasy, about an ordinary girl who discovers she's the heir to a dark throne, and must find her place between her life on Earth and her magical inheritance.

Kayla is just an ordinary girl . . . or so she thinks. When a day at the state fair is interrupted by the news that she’s the daughter of a “Dark Lord,” she and her family are quickly whisked to another world—one that’s chock-full of magic but lacking in technology!

As her family encounters fantastical creatures in place of their Earthly gadgets, Kayla must prepare for the unpreparable: meeting her father, the Dark Lord himself, for the very first time. All Kayla wants is to go home, but she must learn magic to do so. The catch? For the Dark Lord’s daughter, the road to mastering magic is filled with evil traditions.

As she ventures closer to her father, Kayla must decide whether to accept her birthright. Is she destined for darkness? Or can she become a new kind of Dark Lady?

My Thoughts: Fourteen-year-old Kayla Jones has always known she was adopted. But she is surprised to learn that she is the daughter of the Dark Lord of Zaradwin. She learns this when a man who has been searching for her for more than ten years finds her at the Minnesota State Fair with her mother and younger brother and takes them to the alternate universe so that she can become the newest Dark Lady.

Kayla has dealt with a lot in her young life including watching her adoptive father die of cancer when she was ten. But dealing with a new world and unwanted expectations might be too much for her without the support of her mother and younger brother. 

This story had excellent worldbuilding. I especially liked how her computer turned into her familiar when she switched worlds. I also liked Kayla who was a mature and responsible young woman who wasn't going to let anyone push her around no matter how often she was told that something was Tradition. 

Kayla is determined to be a new kind of Dark Lady and to make her new world better than it is when she arrives in it. This was an engaging story with well-rounded and interesting characters including a ten-year=old brother who wants to do magic so that he can make things explode. 

Favorite Quote:

"You mean the rulers of Zaradwin keep a secret vault where the Light can't get it?" Archie sounded outraged. "That's cheating."

"Of course it is," Destini said with a sniff. "We're Dark Lords."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll

Like a Charm
Author: Elle McNicoll
Narrator: Carmella Brown
Publication: Audible Studios (April 12, 2022)
Length: 8 hours and 34 minutes

Description: Edinburgh is a city filled with magical creatures. No one can see them...except Ramya Knox.

As she is pulled into her family's world of secrets and spells, Ramya sets out to discover the truth about the Hidden Folk with only three words of warning from her grandfather: beware the sirens.

Plunged into an adventure that will change everything, Ramya is about to learn that there is more to her powers than she ever imagined.

My Thoughts: This was an engaging middle grade title with an intriguing main character. Ramya Knox has a learning disability - dyspraxia. It is a motor disorder meaning she falls often and has really messy handwriting. Since her intelligence is not affected, she's bright and really frustrated to be in special education classes when she sees her cousin in Gifted and Talented classes. 

Ramya's parents are news presenters on television. They are really busy people who don't seem to have time for her. Her mother is also frustrated about her motor issues and is constantly criticizing her. A recent move to Edinburgh has brought Ramya from London to the same city where her aunts live. But a long ago disagreement has estranged Ramya's family from her other relatives.

When her grandfather dies, Ramya attends the funeral - without her parents - and learns that he has left her a gift. The gift opens up a whole new world for her. There is a whole magical side to Edinburgh that she has never seen. But now she learns that she can see through the glamours the hide all the non-human residents. And she learns that sirens are evil and have chaos and divisiveness as their goal. 

She and her cousin - who is bright but doesn't see through glamours - are on a quest to help the magical residents of Edinburgh and to reunite Ramya's family.

The story was filled with adventures for both cousins. It was an engaging and imaginative story. It also had nice things to say about those who have learning disabilities and about the importance of families. I enjoyed the story very much.

This Audible book was included as part of my membership. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Stormwatcher by Maria V. Snyder

Storm Watcher
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publication: Leap Books (October 2013)

Description: Luke Riley is lost. His mother's recent death has set Luke and his family adrift. Even though his father, twin brothers, and their three Bloodhounds are search and rescue volunteers, they have been unable to rescue themselves and become a family again. The summer after sixth grade looms in Luke's mind as a long, lonely three months where the only thing he can look forward to is watching The Weather Channel. Luke is fascinated with the weather, but since his mother's death in a storm, he is also terrified. Even the promised 13th birthday present of a Bloodhound puppy fails to lift Luke's spirits. He would rather have a different breed - a petite Papillon, but his father insists he get a Bloodhound.

When Luke decides to get the Bloodhound from Willajean, a dog breeder who owns Storm Watcher Kennel, he works out a deal to help at her kennel in exchange for the expensive dog. Thrilled to have a summer with a purpose, Luke befriends Willajean's daughter, Megan and together they plan how Luke can get a Papillon puppy instead of a Bloodhound. But nothing seems to work as they struggle with stubborn fathers, summer storms, unhelpful siblings, and hidden guilt. Can one little white dog really save both families?

My Thoughts: This story begins when Luke Riley is almost thirteen. He's a few days away from his thirteenth birthday. His mother has recently died when her car was struck by lightning and she lost control of it and ran into a tree. 

Luke's dad and his older twin brothers are all dealing with their loss differently. His brothers are constantly picking on him and his dad spends all his time doing his work as an electrician or working Search and Rescue with his bloodhound. Luke's brothers also have bloodhounds and are training them for search and rescue too. His dad wants to have him a bloodhound for his birthday, but Luke wants to have a papillon instead. He's seen them tracking too. 

Luke's dad has arranged for him to work at a local kennel which breeds both bloodhounds and papillons so that he can afford the puppy. His dad thinks he's getting a bloodhound but Luke is determined to get a papillon instead. He gets to know Megan at the kennel. She is the same age as he is and is also a dog lover. She's determined to train her German shepherd as a search and rescue dog. 

Luke has a weather phobia and an obsession with the Weather Channel. He has always been afraid of storms and his mother's death has only cemented his fears. His dad lets him call in sick if the weather is stormy but believes Luke will outgrow his phobia. Luckily, his middle school guidance counselor refers him to the high school guidance counselor who helps him deal his phobia and his grief and guilt at the loss of his mother. 

Things come to a head when Megan goes missing during a storm and his papillon named Lightning is able to track her down when his father and his dog are searching in the wrong direction. 

This was a great story about dealing with loss. It had all sorts of interesting facts both about the weather and about dog training. 

Favorite Quote:

"Dogs see the world through their noses," Megan had explained. "They have one million scent receptors per nostril. And did you know, people shed about forty thousand dead skin cells per minute? That's so gross, but that's what Lance is smelling - those skin cells when they're blown downwind from the person."

I bought this one on February 25, 2014. It is currently out of print.

Friday Memes: Storm Watcher by Maria V. Snyder

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

Everything changed the day Luke's mom died. No surprise, right? Of course things changed. He'd be stupid to expect anything else. But what surprised him the most was what hadn't changed.

Friday 56:

The lights flickered, and Luke held his breath until they steadied. Because the storm showed no signs of letting up, Megan let Lance out of his crate. Although she'd never said as much, Luke figured Lance was her favorite. She fed him first, and she played with him the most.

Storm Watcher by Maria V. Snyder has been on my TBR stack since February 2014. It is currently out of print. It is a young adult story about grief, a boy and his dog, and family life. Here's the description from Maria V. Snyder's website:

Luke Riley is lost. His mother's recent death has set Luke and his family adrift. Even though his father, twin brothers, and their three Bloodhounds are search and rescue volunteers, they have been unable to rescue themselves and become a family again. The summer after sixth grade looms in Luke's mind as a long, lonely three months where the only thing he can look forward to is watching The Weather Channel. Luke is fascinated with the weather, but since his mother's death in a storm, he is also terrified. Even the promised 13th birthday present of a Bloodhound puppy fails to lift Luke's spirits. He would rather have a different breed - a petite Papillon, but his father insists he get a Bloodhound.

When Luke decides to get the Bloodhound from Willajean, a dog breeder who owns Storm Watcher Kennel, he works out a deal to help at her kennel in exchange for the expensive dog. Thrilled to have a summer with a purpose, Luke befriends Willajean's daughter, Megan and together they plan how Luke can get a Papillon puppy instead of a Bloodhound. But nothing seems to work as they struggle with stubborn fathers, summer storms, unhelpful siblings, and hidden guilt. Can one little white dog really save both families?

YA Book Review: The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle

The Storm Keeper's Island
Author: Catherine Doyle
Series: Storm Keeper's Island
Publication: Bloomsbury Children's Books (January 22, 2019)

Description: Fionn Boyle comes from a long line of brave seafarers, people with the ocean behind their eyes. But he can't help but fear the open sea. For years, Fionn's mother has told him stories of Arranmore Island, a strange place that seems to haunt her. Fionn has always wondered about this mysterious island, and from the day he arrives he starts noticing things that can't be explained. He can sense the island all around him, and it feels like the island is watching him, too.

Once in a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for his grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down. But as Fionn and the other descendants of Arranmore's most powerful families fight to become the island's next champion, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling a long-ago war and changing Fionn's life and the island's future forever.

My Thoughts: Eleven-year-old Fionn Boyle has come to Arranmore Island with his 13-year-old sister Tara to stay with their grandfather for a while. Their mother suffers from depression and can't take care of them. Fionn didn't want to come. He is terribly afraid of the sea and doesn't want to leave his mother to stay with a strange man he hasn't met.

Fionn's mother left Arranmore right after her husband's death and before Fionn was born. Strange things begin to happen as soon as he steps foot on the island. It feels like the island is watching him. His grandfather is rather a strange man. He is called the Storm Keeper but all he seems to do is make various candles. With Tara preoccupied with a new boyfriend, Fionn is left alone to figure out what is going on.

It is time for the old storm keeper to step down and the rival Beasley family, including Tara's new boyfriend Barley, really wants the job of being the next storm keeper. It takes a while before Fionn learns that his grandfather is charged with keeping the island safe from an ancient evil named Morrigan who is sleeping somewhere on the island.

There are a number of magical things about the island. The Sea Cave, if it can be found, lets the finder ask for one wish. Bartley with Tara's assistance is looking for the cave in order to ask for the power the comes along with being the next storm keeper. Fionn would like to find it too. Since he can't wish his father back alive, he'd like to have a cured mother.

Fionn goes on a number of adventures with his grandfather. Each time a candle is burned, it takes the one holding it back to the time and place preserved in the wax. One of their first adventures takes them back to the very beginning when Dagda united the five clans and defeated Morrigan and her soulstalkers.

This book was filled with adventures. I loved the characters especially Fionn who doesn't think that he is very courageous but surprises himself with his actions. I loved Fionn's grandfather Malachy who is nearing the end of his term as storm keeper and losing his memory.

This was an excellent middle grade fantasy.

Favorite Quote:

"Did you just say the Sea Cave is magical? Did I hear that correctly?"

"Clear as a bell," said Shelby, unfazed. "I had elocution lessons as a child. It was either that or fencing and since I'm not a sixteenth-century monarch, I chose the speech stuff."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Bloomsbury. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

In a field full of wildflowers, a boy and a girl stood side by side beneath an ancient oak tree. The sky was angry, the thunder growling like an angry beast.

Friday 56:

Then he stood in front of the fireplace and blew the candle out.

It exhaled like a sleeping giant and pushed a breeze through the cottage that rattled the windowpanes. Fionn felt it on his ankles as he sank into his grandfather's chair.

This week I am spotlighting a Middle Grade novel that was recently added to my review stack. The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle's blurb says it is for fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. Here is the description from Amazon:

Fionn Boyle comes from a long line of brave seafarers, people with the ocean behind their eyes. But he can't help but fear the open sea. For years, Fionn's mother has told him stories of Arranmore Island, a strange place that seems to haunt her. Fionn has always wondered about this mysterious island, and from the day he arrives he starts noticing things that can't be explained. He can sense the island all around him, and it feels like the island is watching him, too.

Once in a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for his grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down. But as Fionn and the other descendants of Arranmore's most powerful families fight to become the island's next champion, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling a long-ago war and changing Fionn's life and the island's future forever.