YA – A Curse for True Love

Garber, Stephanie. A Curse for True Love. Flatiron Books, 2023. 978-1-250-85120-8. $20.99. 448 p. Grades 9-12.

Evangeline Fox has lost her memories. She knows very few things to be true: she traveled to Magnificent North, she married Prince Apollo, and they live seemingly happily together in the castle. However, she knows that something has happened, something involving a mysterious Lord Jacks. Apollo has told her to stay away from him because he is dangerous and the reason her memories are gone. Little does she know that Apollo is the one who stole her memories and wants to keep Evangeline all to himself. In order to keep the secret, he must kill Jacks once and for all. Through the alternating point of views of Apollo, Jacks, and Evangeline, Apollo’s plan starts to fall apart as Evangeline starts to ask questions and is unequivocally drawn to the mysterious stranger, Archer, that comes to her rescue and encourages her to remember who she is. As the prince slowly becomes the villain and the villain the hero, Evanegline will have no choice but to listen to her heart and trust that true love will guide her along her way to her fairy tale ending. “She was the moth, and Jacks was still the flame.”

THOUGHTS: My expectations for the finale of this series were high. Maybe too high? Although I still loved every moment of this book, I was left feeling as if the story was unfinished as there were still many unanswered questions as I finished the last few pages. However, with the way the book ended, I’m hoping for more stories from the Magnificent North and maybe a bit more of Jacks and Evangeline in future, companion novels. As with the previous two books in the series, its pages are filled with magic spells, deceptions, forgotten stories, danger, curses, and above all, the power of true love. “Other stories were brewing in the Magnificent North.”

Fantasy         

YA – A Hunger of Thorns

Wilkinson, Lili. A Hunger of Thorns. Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-56266-6. $19.99. 432 p. Grades 9-12.

When Maude and Oddette were young girls, they were best friends. Maude, a daughter of witches, processed magic in the form of storytelling. They would have grand and wild adventures through the stories Maude would tell. Now, they’re grown up. Maude has lost her magic, and Odette, no longer her friend, is missing. Odette has always longed to possess magic as her friend did, and Maude knows she went into the forbidden Sticklehurst to hunt for it. Armed only with her stories and flashes of her past inside of the abandoned power plant, Maude journeys into Sticklehurst to rescue her former friend and become the hero of one of her own stories. Will she be able to defeat the monsters once and for all?

THOUGHTS: A Hunger of Thorns is an urban wonderland full of magic, stories, cursed princes, monsters, and wild girls trying to find their place in the world. I’d recommend this one to readers looking for a more sinister and darker fantasy. Although this can be read as a stand alone novel, a sequel planned for the same world, but with different characters and storylines, will be published next year. 

Fantasy

YA – Violet Made of Thorns

Chen, Gina. Violet Made of Thorns. Hodder and Stoughton, 2022. 978-1-399-70777-0. 359 p. $18.99. Grades 12 and up.

Violet is a prophet with a problem… She’s a liar. The soon to be crowned Prince Cyrus is aware of this and has told her his plan for getting rid of her. However, Violet has no plans of going back to where she was before she became the King’s prophet so she forms a plan. But that plan causes a deadly curse that can either end in the kingdom being destroyed, or Violet can figure out a plan. There is one slight problem with this curse which is that it requires Violet to spend time with Prince Cyrus who hates her, or does he? Violet needs to figure out where she stands with the Prince so she can save the kingdom and her own skin.

THOUGHTS: This was a super fun enemies to lovers fantasy novel with minimal fantasy world building. If you are looking to get into fantasy or aren’t the biggest fan of it, this might be the read for you! There are some intense sexual scenes, so this is not for readers under grade 12.

Fantasy          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

Violet is a seer, and although she does have visions, most of her prophecies are lies to please the king and his agenda. After saving Prince Cyrus when he was just a child, Violet was brought to the castle to replace the previous seer who died after prophesying a curse upon the kingdom. Violet fuels the rumors about the curse after she announces the prince will meet his true love at the upcoming ball, a plan set in motion by the king. However, Cyrus has always seen past Violet’s deceptions, and Violet has always been immune to his charms. The night of the ball doesn’t go as planned, and Violet unknowingly awakens another curse that could threaten them all. Forced to work together, Violet and Cyrus cannot deny the attraction between them despite their better judgment. In the end, the curse, and their love, could be their salvation or their destruction. 

THOUGHTS:  Violent certainly draws the line between a heroine and a villain in this morally gray story of lies, deceptions, curses, beasts, and prophecies. I’d recommend this one to fans of Holly Black’s Cruel Prince series, since Violet and Cyrus have a similar relationship as Jude and Cardan. Violet is a strong, clever, and unapologetic seer who will do anything to survive in the deceptive world she belongs in, and some of her choices will surprise readers until the very end. There are some romantic scenes within the novel, but nothing overly descriptive or out of place for a YA novel. 

Fantasy          Emily Hoffman, Conestoga Valley SD

YA – The Ballad of Never After

Garber, Stephanie. The Ballad of Never After. Hodder and Stoughton, 2022. 978-1-250-87543-3. 403 pg. $19.99. Grades 10-12.

The Ballad of Never After starts right after the events of the first book, bringing the reader along with Evangeline after she was betrayed by the Prince of Hearts. Evangeline still has the issue of her true love, Apollo, being cursed and now it seems that the curse is affecting her as well. In order to break this curse, Evangeline finds herself working with Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, against her better judgment. Will she be able to break the curse before it kills her? Evangeline always has been able to follow her heart, but this time it might lead her into the wrong arms.

THOUGHTS: This series is super easy to follow and isn’t extremely fantasy heavy, which makes it a great series for readers who aren’t into heavier fantasy reads. There is a lot of romance found within both books. There also are some spicy scenes, so this would be more appropriate for higher high school grades.  

Fantasy          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy
Romance