Review Wednesday: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

Title: The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire #1)

Author: C.J. Redwine
1st Date of Publication: February 16, 2016

ISBN: 9780062360243
# of Pages: 387

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Age Rating: 13+

Buy on Amazon

Book Description:
Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Setting: Fictional world of several kingdoms
Point of View: 3rd person- Lorelai Diederich, Kolvanismir Arsenyevnek, and Irina

Goodreads Rating: 3.79

My Rating: 4.30

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: The cover is very interesting in a disturbing way. Why is the apple black and dripping as if it is poisoned? It seemed like a Snow White allusion.
View on Title: Who is the "Shadow Queen?" Is it the heroine or is it the villain (who are obviously both females)?

Pros:

• This book was not a let down at all. I really liked the twist on Snow White and the of being a mardushka, in other words "witch." She has the ability to control anyone she touches and uses magic with, which is neat.
• The protagonists are great and I really enjoyed this despite not being a fan of third person point of view books. C.J. Redwine pulled off a difficult task.
• Lorelai's character is the semblance of Snow White but she is so much more than Snow White ever was. She has the power of magic but she is one with nature. 
• She can protect herself and has a great sense of responsibility. She is great with animals and even has a "pet" gyrfalcon which I wish I had one.
• Kol's character shows a lot of strength since he "accidentally" becomes the king of his land in Eldr, which are people who turn into dragons (So freaking cool!). He is given a great deal of responsibility that he was not signed up for and never planned on having to deal with the responsibility of a king, but he takes it on very humbly. 
• Irina is a mardushka like her niece, Lorelai, and is the evil queen who usurped the throne. But, her story is actually sad and you can sympathize with her character.
• The love story, which was bound to happen, was actually sweet and unusual in a good way. Plus, it wasn't completely predictable. The couple in this book are what you would say is the real book power couple in my opinion.
• The world inside the book is interesting because it is fictional and shows several kingdoms. In my version of the book, the map of all the kingdoms are drawn inside the cover.

Cons:

• I felt that the ending became rushed so quickly. I read one chapter where there was conflict and struggle and then all of a sudden it's the end of the book where the build up could have been better and a little more satisfying.

Critics' Reviews:
“Forget everything you think you know about Snow White. There are no shrinking violets here, just a bold and cunning princess determined to save a kingdom that’s rotting beneath dark magic…. A gripping addition to the retelling genre.” -Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles
“A perfect addition to the fractured fairy[tale] genre…the princess does not need any saving in this tale.” -VOYA
“Filled with complex characters, imaginative and horrible consequences, and sharp twists." -Booklist
“An action-packed retelling of “Snow White”...Great fun” -School Library Journal
“A fully imagined fairy tale landscape.” -Publishers Weekly

C.J. Redwine's Website:
http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/

Other Recommendations:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

New Release Review: The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

Title: The Wish Granter (Ravenspire #2)

Author: C.J. Redwine
1st Date of Publication: February 14, 2017

ISBN: 9780062360274
# of Pages: 432

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Age Rating: 13+

Buy on Amazon 

Book Description:
An epic, romantic, and action-packed fantasy inspired by the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, about a bastard princess who must take on an evil fae to save her brother’s soul, from C. J. Redwine, the New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Queen. Perfect for fans of Graceling and the Lunar Chronicles.

The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop.

Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown.

So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself.

But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.

Setting: Fictional world of several kingdoms
Point of View: 3rd person- Arianna Glavan, Sebastian Vaughn, Alistair Teague

Goodreads Rating: 4.11

My Rating: 4.25

 

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: It looks like a quilt where there is magic involved through the circular motion as if the wind is blowing it.
View on Title: Who is the Wish Granter? Does he or she truly grant wishes or is there more to it?

Pros:

• This book is a stand-alone despite being in the same world as the previous book.
• I really like that you get to see more of the world that you saw from the first book, The Shadow Queen.
• You get to see the main characters, Lorelai and Kol, from the previous book in a short scene of this book.
• The characters I thought were also very well-developed.
• Princess Arianna is a very bold character and is relentless in what she thinks is right. She never loses her servant attitude even though she literally went from rags to riches, which is the same for her brother, Thadeus.
• Sebastian is a heartthrob and he is good with weapons. He is the perfect hero who struggles with his past and tries not to become what he is predisposed to in his early life.
• Teague is so cutthroat and manipulative. He's basically a mob boss, except that he's the only mob boss in the entire kingdom. He's willing to go at any lengths to gain the ultimate power. His character is how I really see Rumpelstiltskin. 

Cons:

• The only thing I did not particularly like was how rushed the end felt, which I felt the same with The Shadow Queen. I understand that the situation was dire and last minute, but it felt like Sebastian and Ari went from nothing to "we have to do this now."

Critics' Reviews:
“Satisfying fare for fantasy fans.” -Kirkus Reviews
“A welcome feminist revision of the classic fairy tale.” -School Library Journal

C.J. Redwine's Website:
http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/

Other Recommendations:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

Anticipation Friday: The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

Goodreads Description
An epic, romantic, and action-packed fantasy inspired by the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, about a bastard princess who must take on an evil fae to save her brother’s soul, from C. J. Redwine, the New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Queen. Perfect for fans of Graceling and the Lunar Chronicles.

The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop.

Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown.

So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself.

But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul.

Preorder on Amazon

Other info
Expected Date of Publication: February 14, 2017
Stand-Alone or Series/Companion: Stand-Alone and Companion (Ravenspire #2)
Genre: Young Adult Fanatsy

Why Am I Anticipating This Book?

• The first book, The Shadow Queen, was a rendition of the Evil Queen. This one seems to be about Rumpelstiltskin as the Wish Granter.
• I'm pretty sure that the two main characters, Lorelai and Kolvanismir, from The Shadow Queen are going to show up sometime.
• I like how it starts with a set of twins where they both try to protect each other.
• Finally, I hope to see more of the world rather than Ravenspire.

Author Spotlight: C.J. Redwine

From: Turlock, California
Currently Living: Nashville, Tennessee
Family: Husband and 5 children
Education: Bachelor's at Pepperdine University

Books:
Defiance (Buy on Amazon)
Deception (Buy on Amazon)
Deliverance (Buy on Amazon)
The Shadow Queen (Buy on Amazon)
The Wish Granter (Buy on Amazon)
The Traitor Prince (Preorder on Amazon- February 13, 2018)

Other Interests:
C.J. Redwine loves fairy tales, Harry Potter, and any movie starring Johnny Depp. If the novel writing gig ever falls through, she’ll join the Avengers and wear a cape to work every day.

Personal Website- http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/