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Book Reviews: Crossroads 1 & 2 by C. Toni Graham

I am so excited to have the chance to read these two paperback ARCs of Crossroads and the Himalayan Crystals (book one of the trilogy) and Crossroads and the Dominion of Four (book two of the trilogy) in exchange for honest reviews.  These were my sixth and seventh ARCs, and I’m hoping my eighth will be the third and last book in the series! To be clear, my opinions are all my own.

Book One: Crossroads and the Himalayan Crystals

Here’s the cover of the book! I love the colour.

Here’s the synopsis of the book, pulled from Amazon:

“An ordinary school day in Middlefield turns into a mystical tale filled with endless adventures of magic, fairies, flying horses, and danger. A modern-day saga of four young teens who find themselves trapped in another realm-“The Otherworld”-where they must abide by an evil druid’s bidding or risk endangering the lives of their loved ones and the magical beings they have befriended.”

And here’s my review of Crossroads and the Himalayan Crystals!

The Crossroads series has a fun premise, with multiple realms and a quartet of protagonists who get hurled into a new realm by their biology teacher.

I enjoyed the characters and the setting, both of which were unique and interesting. I especially loved the descriptions of all the different places the main characters went in the Otherworld. They were so cool and imaginative! The book was easy to read, and the plot moved at a good pace.

I think the biggest selling point of this book is how unique the magic is. I read a fair amount of fantasy. This series has druids and fairies, but I find the qualities of magic and the variety of powers and how to access them really creative. Not going to give too much away, but all the characters have very different powers. Plus, they tend to discover new ones as they go along, which makes the story that much more interesting!

What I found difficult with this first instalment of the series was that there was a lot of description and dialogue that I found unnecessary. I found myself thinking, “I totally could have imagined that in my head, it didn’t need to be told to me” fairly often, to the point where it got a bit annoying. I think this book and Graham’s future writing would benefit from a bit more leaving things to be crafted by the readers’ minds.

That being said, I did enjoy this book and I think that for a younger audience, the extra description could be helpful. And I did enjoy the story!

Overall, 3/5 stars!

I would definitely recommend this book to younger readers, in the realm of the 8-12 category, and for younger teens.

Book Two: Crossroads and the Dominion of Four

Here’s the cover of the second book!

Here’s the synopsis of the book, pulled from Amazon:

“At first glance, Jake, Shayna, Seneca, and Conner seem like average teens. Maybe even like some kids you know. But theyre special. They know that magic, spells, and prophecies are real. In Crossroads and the Dominion of Four, author C. Toni Graham continues the tale introduced in Crossroads and the Himalayan Crystals. The teens have accepted their fate as defenders of the Otherworld. The realms mythical beings have chosen sides in a deadly magical war, but its not always clear to whom they pledge their allegiance. Jake, Shayna, Conner and Seneca must use their new magical abilities to battle treacherous creatures and face life-altering crossroads. Only a powerful druid and her loyal minions stand in their way to fulfilling their destiny of becoming the prophesized Dominion of Four.

The Crossroads series brings together creatures and humans as they fight for the common goal of returning harmony to the Otherworld and rid the realm of evil forever. Teen readers and fans of action-packed fantasy genres will enjoy this thrilling saga.”

And here’s my review of Crossroads and the Dominion of Four!

I enjoyed this book much more than the first. I found that the description issue was better than in the first book. Also, the plot, setting, and characters stayed fun and intriguing. I also found that the characters developed a lot more in this book. That’s something that’s important to me in general as a reader.

Again, I really loved the unique magic in this book like I did in the first one. It got even better in this book, but I really don’t want to give it away! The book also uses a really fun plot device toward the middle of the book which totally threw me off. Once I’d figured it out I really liked it, though! Totally adds to my opinion of the awesome creativity in the writing!

Fair warning, this book ends on a bit more of a cliffhanger than the first book did. So, be ready to want the third and final book right away like I do!

Overall, 4/5 stars!

I would definitely also recommend this book to younger readers, even more highly than the first. Again, I’d say in the realm of the 8-12 category, and for younger teens.

Finally, if you’re an author looking for a review for your new work…

I would love to write one for you! Seeing a review request in my inbox is so exciting!

Happy Reading!

– Paperback Patronus

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Book Review: Unwilling Key by Sarah Beth Moore (eARC)

I am so excited to have the chance to read this Kindle eARC (Electronic Advance Reader Copy) of Unwilling Key by Sarah Beth Moore in exchange for an honest review.  This is my fifth ARC. It’s also the sequel to Broken Moon, which I reviewed last year. To be clear, my opinions are all my own.

Here’s the synopsis of the book, pulled from Amazon:

Naiya Legerdemain has successfully escaped the City and saved her adoptive family. Now hiding in the underground rebel stronghold, Athens, she finds herself at loose ends – both unable to leave and unable to fulfill the mission her father left her before he died.

In place of her mission, she is expected to play her role as the resistance’s figurehead, learn to fight, train her powers and discover the true purpose of her family’s ancient line. And frankly, she couldn’t be less interested.

Even worse, she’s begun seeing things. Strange, shadowy apparitions that threaten to overthrow her already questionable sanity. The reappearance of her old enemy, the Home Guard, along with a growing unease about what Athens is and what it stands for, further undermine her grip on reality. Combined with the knowledge that human souls are fast running out, life has become very unpleasant indeed.

At her side is Tate, the brainiac beauty whom she loves to hate (and hates to love), her sweet little brother/monster Pip, the giant hulking hunter, Achilles, and the boy she’s not supposed to love: Enoch. Of course, with the addition of a new member of their party – handsome Aidan – things have gotten slightly more interesting.

Will Naiya be able to discern good from evil, friend from foe, in this newest installment of the Broken Moon series? Will she get the guy and win the day? Most importantly, will she do it all without freaking the hell out? Well, only time will tell.

The cover of the first book in the series, Broken Moon, looks like this:

And the cover of Unwilling Key is just as gorgeous!

We all know by now how much I appreciate lovely covers.

Finally, here’s my review of Unwilling Key!

To start, I loved Unwilling Key! Broken Moon‘s magical dystopian world hooked me from the start, and this continues in Unwilling Key. I love the descriptive language Sarah Beth Moore uses to depict these intricate, if battered, settings. Also, one of my favourite aspects of the setting of Unwilling Key is its dystopia – it is a world without maps, with little tether to what it once was. This episode in the series begins to reveal the geographical locations of some of the cities as places that really exist in our world today. These connections are intriguing and sometimes funny, as are the names citizens of the new cities choose for their homes, without the knowledge of what they had been before.

Even with a few more grounding details, things get even more mysterious and interesting in Unwilling Key, constantly adding questions to a never-ending list of things you want to understand, while slowly unraveling the answers through a plot that is both action and character-driven.

Other Awesome Stuff

Characters I loved in Broken Moon remain loveable, while this instalment also introduce new characters who immediately catch my attention and reel me in. Their interactions are authentic and dynamic. Also, the political conflict gets more elaborate and complicated as new cities and worlds come into play. But it remains entirely believable, especially given our world’s contemporary political climate.

Sarah Beth Moore also crafts a very strong female lead character. I think that’s one of the things I like best. This isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill “downtrodden female character discovers she has powers and immediately is able to use them to save the world” story. Naiya, the main character, has an amazing monologue. In it, she says just that, in better words (but I’ll refrain from spoiling it for you). Instead, she faces real struggle in harnessing her powers and left me feeling that she was much more deserving than most in the end.

Unwilling Key is an exciting, action-packed read and I enjoyed it from cover to cover!

Overall, 5/5 stars!

I highly recommend this dystopian sci-fi adventure story of love, resilience, and determination.

Finally, if you’re an author looking for a review for your new work…

I would love to write one for you! Seeing a review request in my inbox is so exciting! In fact, I’ve got another ARC in my inbox right now!  Stay tuned for a review of that in the near future.

You need to get copies of Broken Moon and Unwilling Key right away!!

Happy Reading!

– Paperback Patronus