Muted will be released on July 8, 2025. 

Muted reads like an original fairytale, carrying an immersive sense of magic that flows through every page and illustration. Mundt’s art possesses the lush, atmospheric intensity of some of my favorite graphic novel illustrations, calling to mind the intense, dark art of Molly Knox Ostertag’s The Witch Boy, and with all of the complex characters. Camille is a truly wonderful protagonist who I couldn’t help but root for—her genuine heart and desire to find somewhere she belongs made me immediately like her, and she propels this story forward. She’s often flawed and confused, but that makes her even better, making her someone I don’t just want to succeed, but can empathize with myself. I also love this entire world, augmented by the illustrations—it feels so close to ours and yet utterly more magical. This series is definitely one I’ll want to be keeping an eye on! 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. 

​​Book description credited to the publisher. ​

ages 14+ / ARC / fairy tales / family / fantasy / fiction / graphic novel / LGBTQ+ / series / young adult

Confessions of a Junior Spy will be released on June 10, 2025. 

Some kids want to become doctors. Others set their sights on firefighting, or dancing, or photography. 

But Bea can’t imagine becoming anything other than a spy. Raised in the Pangaen hotel—a center for a global network of spies dedicated to world peace—she’s grown up idolizing her superspy mom and dreaming of developing a Knack that’ll make her a prime candidate for the job. So why is her mom so insistent that Bea go to school, like any non-Pangean kid? 

In the midst of applying to boarding schools, Chantal and her Normal family move into the hotel. And Chantal is clearly running from something…

It’s up to Bea to protect her new friend from whoever’s chasing her and her family. That’s definitely within the skill set for a not-quite-spy-in-training…right? 

I arrived on the first page of Confessions of a Junior Spy knowing only that I had loved Rosaria Munda’s previous books, and even though those were very different (this book holds none of the revolutionary commentary and mid-air dragon battles of the Fireborne trilogy), I was willing to read whatever she chose to write next. I wasn’t disappointed! 

Confessions of a Junior Spy is a fun, fast-paced mystery/spy novel that was an absolute delight to read. The characters here are so much fun—everyone around the Pangean hotel has an eccentric and brilliant personality, and though I definitely have a soft spot for Chantal and Bea, these supporting characters did so much to bring the story to life. The intersecting plots of applying to boarding school and being a spy were fantastic—I can’t wait for the sequel! I also love how Munda balances a ‘Normal’ world with more eccentric aspects such as Knacks or the very presence of the Pangean, giving it a sense of fantasy-type worldbuilding despite barely straying into speculative territory. 

I highly recommend Confessions of a Junior Spy to readers ages nine and up who love fast-paced books in the tradition of Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls and The Misfits—an incredibly fun read! 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. 

ages 9+ / ARC / family / fiction / friends / middle grade / mystery / series

I'm so excited to be part of the book tour for The Legendary Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud, run by TBR and Beyond Tours! This YA fantasy/science fiction novel was released on March 25 and is the third and final book in the Scarlett and Browne series (previous installments are The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne and The Notorious Scarlett & Browne). 

Check out the rest of the tour stops here, and scroll down for my full, five-star review of The Legendary Scarlett and Browne! 

The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne remains an all-time favorite for its iconic voice, witty characters, fascinating worldbuilding, and fast pace. In this third and final book in the series, Jonathan Stroud lives up to my highest expectations. 

To begin with, I can’t think of a gentler way to describe Stroud’s prose than flawless. Every sentence, description, and turn of phrase sparks with energy, character, and uniqueness, making the story fly along at a headlong pace that renders it impossible to put down. The compulsive momentum that made the previous installments so memorable remains not just intact, but more powerful than ever, leaving me at the book’s end wishing only that I had more of Scarlett and Browne’s exploits to discover. (But perhaps I’m due for a reread of the previous books?) 

The setting of Scarlett and Browne is one that I rarely see in a book that feels more fantasy than sci-fi—a futuristic England torn apart by a nebulous past filled with monsters and unsteady peace. Particularly in this volume, this world feels as much a character as any of the protagonists, one whose unlikely surprises change the ever-twisting plot as much as Scarlett or Browne’s decisions. 

But Scarlett and Browne are the true stars of this book and series, and they are the only topic it is appropriate to finish a review off with. Unique, hilarious, and utterly believable, I would follow these two—inner demons, witty retorts, unexpected magical powers, and all—into any story they stumbled into next, particularly when boosted by their repartee. In this book we finally get to see the conclusions to both their personal journeys and their intersecting tales, and without any spoilers, it’s even better than I could’ve imagined. 

​Five extraordinarily well-deserved stars!

Thank you to TBR Tours and Knopf for providing an ARC for review purposes. All views expressed here are my own. 

Jonathan Stroud is an author of fantasy books, mainly for children and youths.

Stroud grew up in St Albans where he enjoyed reading books, drawing pictures, and writing stories. Between the ages seven and nine he was often ill, so he spent most of his days in the hospital or in his bed at home. To escape boredom he would occupy himself with books and stories. After he completed his studies of English literature at the University of York, he worked in London as an editor for the Walker Books store. He worked with different types of books there and this soon led to the writing of his own books. During the 1990s, he started publishing his own works and quickly gained success.

In May 1999, Stroud published his first children’s novel, Buried Fire, which was the first of a line of fantasy/mythology children’s books.

Among his most prominent works are the bestselling Bartimaeus Trilogy. A special feature of these novels compared to others of their genre is that Stroud examines the stereotypes and ethics of the magician class and the enslaved demons. This is done by examining the perspective of the sarcastic and slightly egomaniacal djinni Bartimaeus. The books in this series are The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye, and Ptolemy’s Gate, his first books to be published in the United States.

Stroud lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire, with his two children, Isabelle and Arthur, and his wife Gina, an illustrator of children’s books.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel will be released on March 11, 2025. 

Earthsea: a land of many islands and vast oceans, ancient names and fierce dragons, skillful seafarers and powerful sorcerers. Sparrowhawk is only a boy when he is sent to the school on Roke Island, where the greatest mages learn the limits of their powers, and the rules that constrain them. 

Only he is too arrogant, and too skilled. In a show of hubris, he summons a spirit out of legend and releases a nameless shadow into the world, one set upon the death of the one who made it. And to rid himself of this haunting and find its name, Sparrowhawk must travel Earthsea’s waters, bargain with dragons, and see the truth in a shadow born from his most terrible mistake. 

I’m a longtime fan of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea books, and so when I saw this graphic novel adaptation, I jumped at the chance to review an early copy. It absolutely blew me away. I couldn’t have imagined a graphic novel that could so flawlessly encapsulate the magic of A Wizard of Earthsea, but this one does so in gorgeous full-color, immersing me so utterly in this world it felt more like an illustrated version of the original than any sort of adaptation. Each page is such a beautiful, complete work of art that I would honestly love any of them as a poster or screensaver. I don’t recall ever reading a graphic novel where every illustration contains such a precise attention to detail, creating an atmospheric and absorbing experience that I fell in love with all over again every time I turned a page. 

The adaptation of the text itself is also superb. Fred Fordham was clearly fiercely committed to Ursula K. Le Guin’s work; nearly every line is pulled verbatim from the original text, and the changes that are made—whether abridgements or alterations—are so seamless that the reader scarcely notices their presence. Upon finishing this book, I didn’t feel as though anything was missing; rather, it was although, through the illustrations, I had been able to absorb all the details and moments of the story not explicitly spelled out. This is truly the most beautiful graphic novel adaptation I’ve ever read. Whether you’re new to Earthsea or an enduring fan, I can’t recommend A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel highly enough! 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. 

​ages 11+ / adventure / ARC / fantasy / fiction / graphic novel / series / young adult

By Nico

When Greta, a blacksmith’s apprentice, stumbles across a lost Tea Dragon, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. With the help of the owners of the local tea shop, alongside a quiet, isolated girl named Minette, Greta discovers that caring for Tea Dragons is not just a challenge, but an art, and one that’s slowly vanishing as the speed of the world outpaces the long lives and copious needs of the small, shy creatures.

Alongside her new friends, Greta discovers the magic of tea dragons—and how much, without ever knowing it, she’s needed them in her life.

The Tea Dragon Society has been on my TBR for quite literally years—in part because it’s usually the first book mentioned when someone mentions ‘cozy fantasy,’ the subgenre where magical elements are combined with thoughtful, character-driven stories rather than apocalyptic stakes and prophecies. With simple but gorgeous illustrations and an atmospheric storyline, The Tea Dragon Society absolutely lived up to my expectations. It’s a rare story that possesses all the whimsical magic of a fairytale, but this one unapologetically does, and I truly loved it. It’s a pretty quick read but one I wanted to immediately reread upon its conclusion, so I’m so happy that there are more books in this series to enjoy! I highly recommend The Tea Dragon Society to readers ages nine and up, particularly readers who like graphic novels or who long for a cozy fantasy story that recalls (or perhaps helped inspire) stories like The Baker and the Bard. 

​adventure / ages 9+ / fantasy / fiction / friends / graphic novel / lgbtq+ / magic / middle grade / series

A Copycat Conundrum will be released on January 7, 2025. It is the second book in the Misfits series and is preceded by A Royal Conundrum.

Olive and her fellow mystery-solving Misfits have solved their first case and cemented their home at RASCH, the quirky arts academy that acts as cover for a top-secret group of crime fighters solving the most mysterious misdeeds.

But now new oddities are springing up throughout San Fransisco. Olive’s classmate Zeke has started receiving threatening notes as he digs into his family history. A series of unexplained earthquakes have spread across the city. And expensive art pieces are going missing…

It’s up to the Misfits to track down the perpetrator of this new, bigger crime—and put the pieces together before whoever’s responsible gets away for good.

A Copycat Conundrum was such a fun read! I loved the madcap wit and adventure of the first book in the series, and though second books often struggle to live up to that momentum, this one never does. Olive and the other Misfits crack this second mystery with the same humor, heart, and brilliant character relationships that made A Royal Conundrum so much fun. Even more so than book 1, A Copycat Conundrum has a fabulously quirky supporting cast, with a bevy of new characters whose oddities and surprises made the mystery all the more entertaining, and getting to know the Misfits themselves better was so much fun. I’ll definitely want to get my hands on a finished copy once this one comes out to admire all the final illustrations! I highly recommend A Copycat Conundrum who are looking for a fun series in the tradition of Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls and The Mysterious Benedict Society.

​adventure / ages 9+ / ARC / fiction / friends / humorous / illustrated / middle grade / mystery / sequels / series

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. 

By Nico

Princess Ash is not in for a happy homecoming. After six years away from the capital, she returns to find the country embroiled in political conflicts her brother a stranger, and the court decidedly hostile—and all too ready to question her aptitude because of the cane she uses to get around.

So when Ash meets Splinter, she couldn’t be more excited. Splinter—aspiring knight, determined friend, not quite a girl. Splinter is determined to become a knight like her brother, and Ash has the power to earn her that dream. And if neither is seen as entirely orthodox by the rest of court? Well, at least they have each other.

As their friendship develops, though, Splinter and Ash find themselves uncovering something far more sinister than disapproving squires. And when they discover the lengths the nobility is willing to go to gain power, the two new friends might be their kingdom’s only hope.

If you liked Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston or Alanna the Lioness, Splinter & Ash should be next on your to-read list. This fast-paced, fierce tale was one of my most anticipated reads this year is a reason, and it was a lot of fun to read. Splinter and Ash are both great protagonists, and the almost mystery-like element of the developing understanding of the political conflicts made it a quick read. Though defiant, it lacked much of the emotional intensity of books like Sir Callie, taking a more traditional MG fantasy feel to display Splinter and Ash’s struggles throughout the story. I would’ve loved to see several threads and characters of this story explored more deeply, and I’m hoping that’ll arrive in subsequent books in the series. I recommend Splinter & Ash to readers ages eleven and up looking for a story of friendship, hope, and perseverance set against a fantasy world.
​
fantasy / middle grade / friendship / LGBTQ+ / series / ages 11+

By Nico

Growing up on a tiny island in the midst of a green-spore sea, Tress has no plans to leave her home. Everything she wishes for is here: the people she’s grown up with, her beloved collection of cups from across the spore seas, and her closest friend, Charlie, the duke’s son, who she’s always cared for a little more than a peasant girl should.

But when Charlie is kidnapped by the Sorceress of the Midnight Sea, Tress has no choice but to follow him across the perilous, beautiful spore seas. Braving deceptions, pirates, talking rats, dangerous spores, interplanetary visitors, dragons, and more, it will take all of Tress’s skills to find Charlie – skills she never would’ve even dreamed of possessing back home. But to succeed, she must not only discover Charlie’s location—she’ll have to discover herself, too.

This is the first book I’ve read by Brandon Sanderson, and Tress of the Emerald Sea made it certain beyond all doubt that it wouldn’t be the last. Tress’s simple yet incredibly relatable story pulled me in from the first page, into an enthralling world utterly unlike any I’ve read before. The worldbuilding was gorgeous and fascinating but never heavy-handed, making the setting feel utterly realistic, despite being so wildly different than Earth. Watching Tress grow and change over the course of this book felt equally natural, and never did the story arc feel contrived or unrealistic, instead possessing an organic quality that made me fall in love with Tress even more. There is so much that happens in this book, and yet its simplicity is part of its charm, giving it an almost old-fashioned feel that grounds even the most fantastical events. I adored all of the characters, whose lives I grew almost inordinately invested in, and the quirky, wry narrative voice of Hoid made this book decidedly a favorite. I also appreciated, as someone new to Brandon Sanderson’s books, that you didn’t need to have any prior understanding of his Cosmere universe to fall in love with it; Tress is an independent story. I highly recommend Tress of the Emerald Sea to readers ages twelve and up, whether you’re a longtime Brandon Sanderson fan or someone who’s never previously entered the world of Cosmere. 

By Nico

Amari and the Despicable Wonders is the third book in the ongoing Supernatural Investigations series. It is preceded by Amari and the Night Brothers (#1) and Amari and the Great Game (#2).

Amari Peterson is running out of time. The supernatural world teeters on the verge of war, and both sides have declared her the number one enemy. One of her closest friends is beyond Amari’s reach. She can’t trust anyone—not even Quinton, who insists that keeping her out of trouble is the only way to keep her safe.

But when Amari learns that Dylan Van Hesling, new leader of the League of Magicians, is after a series of destructive artifacts called the Despicable Wonders, she knows it’s up to her and her friends to stop him first—even if it means risking the ultimate sacrifice.

I’ve adored every book in the Amari series, and this third installment was no exception. Alston has an incredible ability to craft the kinds of books that make me fall in love with middle grade all over again, with the deft writing, fast pace, and incredible characters that make his stories consistently some of the best I read in a year. It’s not often I come across a series that maintains such a high level of excellence across multiple books – but Alston makes it look easy with the Supernatural Investigations series.

​Three aspects of this series consistently stand out to me: the plot, the characters, and the worldbuilding. Each book is filled with quick twists and plot changes whose only consistency is my inability to predict where the story is headed next. Amari inhabits what’s truly one of the most distinct and real worlds I’ve had the pleasure to recently come across, with the perfect balance of quirkiness and realism. And the characters are truly incredible—at turns irritating and relatable, hilarious and heartbreaking, I truly would follow them wherever they choose to go next. I can’t describe how happy I am to know there will be two more Amari books to enjoy! I highly recommend Amari and the Despicable Wonders (and the entire series) to readers ages eleven and up searching for an absorbing, magical world that you won’t want to leave. 

Sir Callie and the Witch’s War is the third book in the ongoing Sir Callie series by Esme Symes-Smith. The previous books are Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston (book 1) and Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost (book 2).

As war comes to Helston and Dumoor becomes an uncertain haven, Callie, Willow, Elowen, and Edwyn must forge new paths if they ever want to see each other again—let alone the future they’ve all dreamed of. But doing that will mean facing their worst fears without the support, friendship, and camaraderie they’ve come to rely on from one another. And their failure will leave Helston and Dumoor alike bound for an even more terrible future than they could’ve imagined.

The Sir Callie series is truly one of the best middle-grade series I’ve ever come across, and this latest installment is no exception. Thoughtful, emotionally deep, and queer- and nonbinary-focused MG fantasy books are hard enough to come across on their own, but to find not just a standalone but an ongoing series that is all this and more is truly remarkable—and Sir Callie is exactly that. This third book in the ongoing series left me satisfied, validated, and wishing the fourth book was already out!

For me, the emotional heart of this book lies with Edwyn. He’s one of the most striking and real characters throughout the series (which is a hard distinction to make when every character is so incredible!), and seeing him come into his own during Sir Callie and the Witch’s War was truly wonderful. Anger, betrayal, love, hate, self-doubt—every one of his emotions jumps clearly off the page and makes me care about and sympathize with him even more.

Symes-Smith juggles the plotlines of Edwyn, Elowen, and Willow/Callie with flawless skill. Many middle grade books ignore the traumatic realities of young people, but this series never does, and instead of skirting around painful topics it faces them head-on and authentically portrays the challenge of loving and accepting yourself after struggling all your life to believe you deserve to be loved exactly for who you are. As someone whose own life has elements of these characters’ experiences, the validation and comfort in finding this reflected in a middle grade novel was incredibly healing, and I just want to reread it immediately now that I’m done.

This series truly keeps getting more and more incredible, and I can’t wait to read more about these characters and from this author! Highly recommended! 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed here are my own.

Like a Curse will be released on October 22, 2024. It is the sequel to Like a Charm, and closes the Like a Charm duology.

Now that Ramya Knox has discovered that there’s a whole world of Hidden Folk existing under her nose in Edinburgh—and that she’s a witch—she’s determined to defeat the sirens and learn what her newly discovered family is like without their looming threat. And, with the siren Portia’s influence rapidly spreading over the human and magical worlds, Ramya knows she has to act fast. The only problem is that she has to master her magical abilities first…and that turns out to be much harder than she’s bargained for.

Alongside old and new friends alike, Ramya must rally her magic and her determination if she wants to defeat Portia before she suffers a defeat she won’t be able to recover from.

I’ve rarely read an incredibly satisfying, self-contained book followed by an equally brilliant sequel. Like a Curse, though, is exactly that. I truly loved Like a Charm, blending fantasy and realism into something I couldn’t help but adore, and the sequel fully lived up to my expectations.

Once more, I unabashedly adore Ramya. Her determination, anxiety, and struggle to prove herself made it difficult to put down her story, and her relationships (especially with Opal) truly gave the book shine with new depth. Although I don’t want to spoil the book, I will say that I particularly loved the ending. McNicoll manages to bring together this duology’s many threads—friendship, magic, neurodiversity, forgiveness, understanding, secrets—and create an incredibly satisfying conclusion that put a spin on fantasy unlike anything I’ve ever read.

I highly recommend Like a Curse (and the Like a Charm duology) to readers ages nine and up who enjoy middle-grade fantasy and are looking for a book that puts a twist on the genre.

An e-ARC of this book was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Night Mother will be released on October 8, 2024.

Night cloaks Madeline Tock’s small town. She spends her days with her father on their graveyard island across the river, where she listens to the whispers of the dead as they journey beyond. They whisper a warning, too: to fear the creator of the constant night.

The Night Mother: half a myth, who crosses the sky with her lantern to harvest the souls of the dead. Only she’s gained a taste for power and the freedom that eternal night allows her—and the living souls it enables her to harvest.

When the Night Mother comes for Madeline’s village and her father, she’s determined to prevent her from stealing them all away. But the Night Mother wants something from Madeline too, and Madeline soon realizes that she can bring back the sun—if only she can defeat the Night Mother first.

The Night Mother delivers a dark fairytale of a story accompanied by gorgeous, detailed illustrations. The art is absolutely beautiful – Sharpe’s layered images are full of color and precision and fully absorbed me. Perhaps best of all, the art perfectly matches the feel of the story, crafting an immersive experience that I absolutely loved. At times, I felt it could be a little text-heavy, reading more like an illustrated book than a graphic novel, but especially past the opening scenes there was a better balance between text and art – and I think that might’ve been partially because I just loved the art so much that I wanted to see more of it!

​I really enjoyed the story as well. The Night Mother truly feels like a fairytale – but rather than the sanitized versions commonly found today, it harkens back to the dark roots of the Grimm Brothers, where a happily-ever-after was far from guaranteed. Although a relatively simple story, it unfolds with smooth precision, introducing in a relatively short page count a variety of compelling, fascinating characters, most of all so Madeline and the Night Mother. I hope to read future volumes of this story! I recommend The Night Mother to lovers of older middle-grade, original fairytales, and dark fantasy ages eleven and up. 

Never Thirteen is the sequel to Forever Twelve by Stacy McAnulty, and finishes out the series.
It will be released on October 1, 2024. 

After a near-death mistake and becoming an Ever—cursed to stay forever twelve—Ivy struggles to find her footing among her new family of Evers, and leave behind the future dreams that she’s imagined for so long.

Fellow Ever Abigail is determined to make Ivy’s life normal again, but the sacrifice is too great to reverse what she’s done. Unless there’s another way…?

Ronan’s a psychic, and it turns out that Evers and psychics are supposed to be mortal enemies—at least, that’s how his family views the situation. But he cares too much about Ivy to simply leave her behind…

Ivy, Abigail, and Ronan will have to work together to unravel the real secrets behind remaining forever twelve if they want their lives to have a chance of becoming normal again.

I was a fan of the first book in this duology, Forever Twelve, and the sequel didn’t disappoint. The strong cast of characters, unusual magic system, and tight writing propel this story forward to a satisfying conclusion. The entire cast—but especially Ronan, Ivy, Abigail, and Este—feel authentic and multifaceted, and the character relationships are also excellent, providing the perfect balance of genuine caring and antagonism to become completely real. I particularly loved the increasingly detailed understanding of the Evers and psychics, and how these worldbuilding aspects that were only broadly painted in the first book were given more attention and unraveling. That said, I struggled a little with the ending, and though I truly can’t think of a better resolution, I would’ve loved a slightly more satisfying conclusion.

I recommend Never Thirteen (and the first book) to readers ages ten and up looking for a quirky, character-driven fantasy series. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed here are my own. 

By Nico

When Zach and his friends get attacked by a monster from another world, it’s hard not to panic. After all, even his worst problems—like his struggles in school and grandmother’s illness—are firmly grounded in modern, normal Australia.

Then Zach and his friends are introduced to the Tower, a secret organization spanning the globe that detects magical interlopers like the one they encountered and banishes them before they can wreak havoc. They’re given the choice to simply remain silent about what they’ve seen or become full members of the Tower—where they can defeat the otherworldly creatures and learn to harness the magical currents that flow between the worlds to perform spells themselves.

Zach’s life seems to be looking up. He’s literally learning magic—and, with his newfound healing abilities, he might even be able to save his grandmother. But keeping half of his life secret is more complicated than he could’ve imagined, and Zach must decide whether he’s willing to do what it takes to become the mage his friends, and the Tower, needs him to be.

The Tower Between is a fun, fast-paced middle-grade series opener for fans of world-within-our-world stories and ensemble casts. The very idea of the Tower grabbed me immediately, and loved digging into what truly felt like how such an organization would exist within our modern world—with all the associated complications, practicalities, and sci-fi edge! The threads of folklore, science fiction, and more found in the other worlds accessed through the Tower were very strong, and lent those worlds a lot of personality.

​I would’ve loved to get to know Zach and his personal conflicts/life a little better—the subplot with his grandmother lent his character a lot of dimensionality, and I would’ve loved to see more of that with the rest of his family. That said, I feel like the relationships and characters within the primary cast were extremely well fleshed out. I often find it hard to keep track of large casts, but I didn’t have that problem with this book, as they all had a distinct flair and personality. I particularly loved the magic system here—although different schools or categories of magic can easily feel cliché, their execution here makes them truly come alive and feel different from others I’ve read. I recommend The Tower Between to readers ages ten and up who love fantasy adventures with big casts of characters.

Thank you to the author for providing an e-copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed here are my own. 

As a longtime afficionado of fantasy books, it took me far longer than it should’ve to get to see my trans identity reflected back at me in the kind of story I loved—full of incredible characters, startling twists, and gorgeous worldbuilding. When I read The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas two years ago, it was all that and more—and I truly can’t describe how thrilled I am to be hosting today’s stop on the promo book tour for Celestial Monsters, the sequel and conclusion to the Sunbearer Trials duology!

My review!

In a word—incredible. Once more, Aiden Thomas has created one of the most thoughtful, compulsively readable, and validating fantasy novels I’ve ever had the pleasure to read, a duology closer that leaves me wishing for more while simultaneously pulling off an incredibly satisfying ending.

Often in a review I’ll give a special shout-out to a favorite character, but Celestial Monsters has such an incredible cast that it was nearly impossible to narrow it to just three! Niya is undeniably my favorite cis character in this book—she’s the kind of unabashed, snarky, loud, and vulnerable character I absolutely need to see more of in fantasy (and just in general, for that matter), and she truly has one of the strongest personalities I’ve encountered in a book. Xio is a quieter character, but their ferocity and struggle brought them to life for me. They could’ve so easily become a cliché based on The Sunbearer Trials’s setup, but instead I couldn’t wait to get to their point of view chapters and see what they did next.

And I’ll always have a soft spot for Teo. His determination, strong bonds (platonic, familial, and romantic), and voice form the core of this series, and there’s truly no story I wouldn’t follow him into. There aren’t a whole lot of characters I would root for unconditionally, but Teo is absolutely one of them.

In a genre still so dominated by cis characters, there’s something incredible about seeing trans and nonbinary characters as the leads, the villains, the side characters…the diversity of experiences and characters in this book is truly beautiful. And the entire world of Reino de Sol is gorgeous—even beyond the deft queer- and transnorm society, this world is vibrant with color and personality, with each city that Teo and his friends travel through filled with its own character

​I truly can’t recommend Celestial Monsters enough--without question, this book deserves five stars! 


​Special thanks to Colored Pages Book Tours, Fierce Reads, and Feiwel and Friends for the gifted copy of Celestial Monsters! All opinions expressed here are my own.

Aiden Thomas (he/they) is a trans, Latinx, New York Times bestselling author of young adult novels. They received an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, OR. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color. Learn more on their website!