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The Ever Storms (Wilderlore, Book 3) by Amanda Foody (2023)

3/20/2023

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By Ella

The Ever Storms is the third book in the ongoing Wilderlore series; the previous books in the series are The Accidental Apprentice (book 1) and The Weeping Tide (book 2).

Look out—there are spoilers for earlier books in the series in the review!

After facing off with Audrian Keyes and saving the Wilderlands and the Elsewheres—twice—Barclay Thorne is ready for a break. But instead, he and his fellow apprentices, Viola and Tadg, are bound for the Symposium, a series of courses at one of the Lorekeepers’ most prestigious schools in the heart of the Desert.

As an Elsie and outsider to the Lorekeeper world, Barclay is pretty sure he’s going to be scrambling to keep up. And that’s even without the Tourney, an infamous prank war between the Symposium’s students which his friends expect him to be part of, too.

But when a series of mysterious sandstorms known as the Ever Storms appear across the desert, Barclay and his friends might be the only ones who can find their source and stop them before they give rise to something even more disastrous.

I truly love the Wilderlore series, and The Ever Storms was just as good as its predecessors. Witty and magical, this is a perfect middle-grade read for anyone who loves sprawling fantasy series that sparkle with uniqueness and yet take advantage of the familiar. I love Foody’s worldbuilding—every Wilderland is full of interesting details and vivid descriptions, and the Beasts and their powers are both varied and so intriguing. Barclay and his friends, particularly as the series progresses, are such good characters—all distinct and funny, their interactions, relationships, and interactions are consistently engrossing and likable, and I’m so glad to get to know some of them better in this book. I already can’t wait for book 4! I highly recommend The Ever Storms to readers ages nine and up, particularly those who love fantasy series like Septimus Heap and Poppy Pendle. 

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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (2022)

3/13/2023

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By Ella

For a century, Mina’s people have cast a beautiful girl into the ocean every year to become the Sea God’s Bride, and appease his wrath. It is believed only this can keep the storms that have plagued her homeland at bay—and that, one day, the Sea God’s true bride will put an end to the chaos altogether.

But when Shim Cheong is chosen as the sacrifice, Mina refuses to let the girl her beloved brother loves become just another girl vanishing beneath the waves. When the time comes for her to be thrown into the sea, Mina leaps into the sea in her stead—and is thrust into a world full of secrets and gods, where old tales provide only the barest guidance, and her future—or lack thereof—might depend on a single red thread.

Here, Mina must uncover a plot against the Sea God, unravel the rivalries and factions of those who live beneath the sea, and choose between two worlds if she wants to save the world she came from, and all those she left behind.

I fully admit that the stunning cover is the reason I first picked up The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea—but the imaginative worldbuilding, unexpected twists, and strong characters are why I kept reading. The atmospheric setting and strong mythological threads added such depth to all the details and moments; I often felt as though I could see the whole world around Mina. Particularly as the story drew on, there were several twists I wholly wasn’t expecting, and the multilayered relationships, alliances, old feuds, and disagreements of the gods and other beings who inhabit this world gave the whole story a complexity and secretiveness I highly enjoyed. The absorbing, beautiful prose was also utterly amazing! I highly recommend The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea to readers ages twelve and up.

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Author Interview: Deva Fagan

3/6/2023

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Deva Fagan (she/her) is the author of Rival Magic, Nightingale, Circus Galacticus and other books for young readers. She lives in Maine with her husband and her dog. When she’s not writing she spends her time reading, playing video games, doing geometry, and drinking copious amounts of tea.

We recently read and loved her most recent novel, The Mirrorwood, and were thrilled to get the chance to interview her about favorite characters, inspiration, and more! 


Rapunzel Reads: The Mirrorwood's characters are phenomenal and all strikingly unique--I particularly loved Lyrian and Vycorax, who always did what I least expected them to in the best possible way. Do you have a favorite character? If so, why are they your favorite?  

Deva Fagan: I’m so glad you loved the characters and that they surprised you! They surprised me too sometimes! 

The most fun character to write was definitely Moth, the talking cat. I love cats but sadly I’m allergic and thus have never had a cat of my own (I do have a lovely and adorable dog though!). So in a way, writing about Moth was a chance to have a cat of my own without sneezing my nose off! 
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Author photo credit: Paul Van Der Werf

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    Book Reviews By & For Teens

    Everyone knows that Rapunzel spent her early years locked up in a tower. We like to think she read plenty of books to while away the time, and that she’d appreciate our favorites.
     
    We’re two teen siblings who have been reviewing and recommending great middle-grade (MG) and young adult (YA) books since 2014 (9 years and counting!). We’re particularly passionate about fantasy, queer books, and any story beautifully told.
     
    Explore our site more for author interviews, favorite picture books & audiobooks, and more!


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    Check out our 2022 favorites!

    Read all about the 10 best books we read in 2022!

    Click here to read what we loved most about our top books. 

    Young Adult Reviews! 

    We're now featuring reviews for YA (ages 12+) books alongside our middle-grade reviews on our main page! (If you're not sure if a book is young adult, check the age range--if it's 12, 13, or 14+, it's YA.)

    ​Looking for more YA recommendations? Until 2022, we had a separate For Older Readers page, where we highlighted over two dozen awesome YA books. Check it out here! 


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