Max and the Isle of Sanctus (Secrets of the Twilight Djinn, #2) by John Peragine – Review

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4 stars, Adventure, Book Review, childrens books, djinn, dragon, fantasy, John Peragine, kraken, magic, middle grade, pirates, sailing ships, series, witches

About Max and the Isle of Sanctus by John Peragine

In the second book of Secrets of the Twilight Djinn, Max Daybreaker embarks on all new adventures. Max must battle a Kraken, ride a fire-breathing dragon, and defeat the evil djinn whose powers are growing every day. The stakes are high for Max as he tries to protect his friends from angry sea gods and a vengeful sultan while also saving his mom from a terrible curse! Max must reach the Isle of Sanctus using his unpredictable magic power and foes on all sides before time runs out.

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Review of Max and the Isle of Sanctus

Max and the Isle of Sanctus is filled with pages of non-stop adventure for Max and his friends.  While Max continues to try to reunite with his family, he and the pirates get into more trouble.  Everywhere Max goes, there is someone or something trying to stop him.  Dark and dangerous, the journey is full of daring kids, swashbuckling pirates and loads of magical creatures. 

Max’s gut thinks it knows who is good and who is evil, but he is a kid with little experience to train a gut.  Which leads to never really knowing who is an enemy and who is a friend.  So, constant danger?  Yes.  Scary education for Max?  Also yes.

Captain Cinn is hilarious and is all about the next meal!  Not because he likes to eat but because he loves to cook good food for his friends.  Cinn is my favorite character and I hope he continues to feature in the series. 

I think Max still has plenty of exploits ahead of him.  This is a fun series for the middle graders who want to escape to the adventures of the high seas. 

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of his book in exchange for my honest review.

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The Cornish Princess (The Goldenchild Prophecy, #1) by Tanya Anne Crosby

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5 stars, Book Review, British Isles, Cornwall, fae, fantasy, historical, magic, romance, series, Tanya Anne Crosby

About The Cornish Princess by Tanya Anne Crosby

Said to be a changeling child left to the King and Queen of Cornwall, Gwendolyn is “blessed” at her cradle by three Fae gifts: a prophecy for her future, a gift of “Reflection,” and a golden mane—quite literally, every lock of her hair will turn to gold, only provided it is cut by her one true love.

Yet no one understands more than Gwendolyn that her blessings are actually curses. Any man who gazes upon her will see his own heart reflected in her countenance, and depending upon his virtue, she is the loveliest woman in all the land… or the most hideous. It’s a cruel jest of the capricious Fae, for unless a man’s heart be true, Gwendolyn is destined to be coveted for her crown, but despised for her face.

To make matters worse, Gwendolyn’s ailing father is desperate for an alliance with King Brutus of Loegria. “The Romans are coming!” and according to the Goldenchild Prophecy, only by uniting their dragon banners can they stem the Red Tide. Offered to Brutus’s ambitious son, Prince Locrinus, Gwendolyn’s heart is tempted by a mysterious, maddening half-blood Fae who she can never wed if she is to fulfill her crib side prophecy.

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Review of The Cornish Princess

The Cornish Princess starts with the story of Gwendolyn’s birth and her fae ‘gifts’.  The gifts foretell the girl’s challenging future.  But isn’t that why we are reading this book?

Move forward in time to age seventeen and the story illustrates just how very young heroine the heroine is.  Young, immature, even foolish.  So, with hints of a YA novel.  This includes her treatment Malik, the Sidhe who is put in charge of her safety.  He does his job, but Gwendolyn makes it very difficult. 

However, Gwendolyn is quickly thrust into a very mature situation along with Malik.  While some of her reactions still reflect her age, she learns quickly that she is no longer a child.  This takes the YA edge away and allows adults to enjoy the story.

The fae gifts are fascinating.  Especially the one where Gwendolyn’s appearance reflects the viewers true nature.  Since the story is from Gwendolyn’s view, you never really know what those who look at her think, but you can guess based on their actions.

The adventures are harrowing and heartbreaking.  Considering Gwendolyn’s upbringing and training to become a leader, this might have been expected.  She will have to use all of the skills she has learned over the years.  In addition to the overall arc that is not completed in this book, Gwendolyn will solve a mystery. 

The Cornish Princess is part of a bigger story.  Do not expect a grand finale or a happy ending.  Do expect the author’s exquisite attention to details that bring that little known era of history alive.  Expect the author’s storytelling to feel as magical as the fae in the story.  And plan to look forward to the next book in The Goldenchild Prophecy – even if it is months and months away.

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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The Warrior Poet (The Faery Rehistory, #3) by Sharon Lynn Fisher – Review

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5 stars, elves, fae, fairy, fantasy, historical, Ireland, magic, Morrigan, myth, Portland, romance, series, Sharon Lynn Fisher

About The Warrior Poet by Sharon Lynn Fisher

They searched for each other in dreams. Then they traveled through time to save Ireland.

Portland book artist Neve Kelly is having weird visions—vivid daydreams of lovers on a battlefield that yank her out of reality. A couple weeks before Halloween, a confused, strangely dressed man appears in her living room. He drops a slip of paper that describes a dream much like her own before disappearing without a trace.

Will Yeats has had enough of heroics. With the peace between Ireland and its enemies restored, he plans to spend the next decade quietly writing his Irish fairy history. But suddenly he’s time traveling again. He briefly visits the home of an intriguing stranger, who appears to be American. The next time he’s drawn there, he finds her being sucked through a ghastly hole in her ceiling.

Will saves Neve by carrying her back to 1888 Ireland, where he learns that not only is she from more than a century in the future but from a parallel world where fairies and Tuatha De Danaan heroes are no more than myth. Their dreams of ancient lovers have brought them together … but why? Dark portents surround them — portents bearing the mark of the Morrigan’s meddling — and they soon discover it’s all part of a sinister scheme to seize the throne of Ireland. And the love story from their dreams has begun to manifest in the present moment.

Will’s friends — Irish Queen Isolde and her allies — are depending on Will and Neve to connect with the past in order to save Ireland. But can anything save them from the violent end that their dreams have foreshadowed?

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Review of The Warrior Poet

Every time I read a Sharon Lynn Fisher book, I appreciate the authors effort to create a unique story.  Even the third book in a series is nothing like the first two.  Characters overlap, as does the historical background.  But the imaginative tale is fresh and exciting! 

The Warrior Poet features the hero based on the real Irish poet William Butler Yeats.  The heroine, Neve Kelly, is a modern-day Portland resident who meets Will both in daydreams and by travelling through time.  The peace-loving duo gets caught up in their own destiny to ensure the safety of the humans and the fae co-inhabiting Ireland.   That’s the short version.  The actual story is a long and winding road marked by time travel, adventure, danger, romance and a bit of poetry.

The Warrior Poet is Irish history as told by vibrant characters and painted with Irish folklore and literary culture.  You can enjoy this book as a standalone. Will you have a richer experience if you read the series in order. Absolutely!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book.  My review is my honest opinion.

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As of 10/27, all e-books in this series are just $.99 at Amazon.

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