Move, Book, or Both: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

So there's an occasional thing we like to do on Our Thoughts Precisely. We'll see a movie and then read the book after to see if there are any differences, if it's more detailed, and whatnot. All to see if we like the Movie, the Book, or Both.

Title: Howl's Moving Castle 
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
More Details: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: Greenwillow Books, April 22, 2008 (First published 1986)

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository     Audible

Summary from Goodreads...

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye...

I first learned about Howl’s Moving Castle when I saw the movie, and since then I’ve been curious about the book. So, recently I went out and purchased it. I can see the story and how it was adapted to the movie, but I also clearly saw the differences between the two. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the book. In fact, I have to say that I loved it. It was the kind of book that literally kept me up until three in the morning because I just had to finished it.

Going into this book I knew that there were going to be some differences, but I have to say that it didn’t bother me at all. The basic concept is about the same. The story follows Sophie Hatter after her unfortunate meeting with the Witch of the Waste and what happens after that. She runs into Calcifer, Howl, and Michael when she enters the castle uninvited. The novel certainly delved more into Howl's past, and what his family was like.  The extra details were certainly a nice addition.  Characters like Howl's apprentice, Michael, and Sophie's sisters—Lettie and Martha—played other roles in the book. I felt like they were more involved with parts of the story dedicated to exploring their personalities a little more.  Some of the events were different and you really have to pay attention to what’s going on otherwise you might overlook it—I almost overlooked it, but thankfully I caught the details.

The setting was pretty similar to the movie, give or take a few details.  The plot did have some major differences and I really enjoyed seeing how the story played out in the novel.  Another aspect that I liked was the fact that a few details were given further explanationss, giving some clarity to their meaning. So while there were clear differences between the book and the movie, I loved both of them. Would I recommend the novel? Totally. And the Movie? Yep. This is the first in the trilogy and I have to say that I would definitely like to get the other two at some point in time, because I'm curious to see what happens to Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer after the end of Howl's Moving Castle.

ARC Review: Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham

Title: Scarlett Undercover
Author: Jennifer Latham
Source/Format: The NOVL Newsletter (Publisher), Paperback ARC
More Details: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Little Brown, May 19, 2015

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Summary from Goodreads...

Meet Scarlett, a smart, sarcastic, kick-butt, Muslim American heroine, ready to take on crime in her hometown of Las Almas. When a new case finds the private eye caught up in a centuries-old battle of evil genies and ancient curses, Scarlett discovers that her own family secrets may have more to do with the situation than she thinks -- and that cracking the case could lead to solving her father's murder...

When I signed up for this book I knew very little about it but the synopsis certainly got my attention. Not just because of the main character but also because of the mystery aspect—it just sounded like something I would enjoy. So as you can guess I was pretty excited to dive into this book and I have to say that I loved it! I literally read this book within a few hours.  It was the kind of book that I found hard to put down, and that's a good thing.  Because I was invested in the story, I wanted to see what happened next and what the characters would do about it.

The beginning of Scarlett Undercover instantaneously grabbed my attention, and I immediately knew that the seemingly simple case was going to end up being much more complicated. And wow, let me tell you, things got complicated real fast. Scarlett finds herself completely embroiled in the case, and I liked how she approached it head-on—even if she broke a few rules here and there.

As far as Scarlett goes, well, she was the perfect main character for this type of novel. She was smart, dedicated, and she cared about her sister, Reem. Basically, she was strong in her own way. I liked how Latham incorporated their faith into the novel, and built up the characters around past events that affected them in the present. Deck (Decker), well, all I have to say about him is that I liked his relationship with Scarlett—it was easy to see that he genuinely cared about her—and even though their relationship was already developed at the start of the story, it was easy to see their connection by the way they interacted with one another. The secondary characters had their own places in the story.  I liked seeing how their paths crossed with Scarlett's and how their respective roles ultimately influenced some of the events in the book.

And the plot—literally from page one I was sucked into this story. I wanted to know more about Gemma, her brother, and the circumstances surrounding her situation that eventually led her to Scarlett. Needless to say there was plenty of suspense, action, and mystery that ultimately made this a page-turner for me. And the end…well I did not see it coming. I like it when a story can keep me guessing and that twist near the end was just...wow. There was a lot of deception involved that just blindsided me when it was finally revealed.

At the end of the day, Scarlett Undercover had a mix of interesting elements that ultimately came together to form a fantastic story set against the gritty backdrop of Las Almas.

This galley of the book was provided by The NOVL (newsletter/publisher) for this review, thank you!

Review: A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

Title: A Wind in the Door 
Author: Madeleine L'Engle

Souce/Format: Won, Paperback

More Details: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Publisher/Publication Date: Square Fish, May 1, 2007 (first published 1973)

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository     Audible      Book Outlet

Summary from Goodreads...

It is November. When Meg comes home from school, Charles Wallace tells her he saw dragons in the twin’s vegetable garden. That night Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace go to the vegetable garden to meet the Teacher (Blajeny) who explains that what they are seeing isn’t a dragon at all, but a cherubim named Proginoskes. It turns out that C.W. is ill and that Blajeny and Proginoskes are there to make him well – by making him well, they will keep the balance of the universe in check and save it from the evil Echthros...

So I dived into A Wind in the Door knowing that I loved the previous novel, A Wrinkle in Time—my expectations were a little high because of this. And thankfully, I enjoyed this book as much as the first one.

Most of the characters from the previous book were back, and I enjoyed their relationships with one another. Meg was a great older sister, she cared about Charles Wallace and went to certain lengths as she tried to help and protect him. Calvin was about the same—caring and supportive—so there isn’t much to say about him. But I really enjoyed how they interacted with one another.

Once again I was impressed by Madeleine L’Engle’s use of science combined with fantasy. The elements played a large role in what happened to Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin. as was true with the previous story the beginning was a little slow, but it didn’t bother me enough to make me put the book down. In fact, I liked the gradual build up that the plot followed before the exact details of what was really happening was revealed. Just like in A Wrinkle in Time I really enjoyed the setting. It begins in the small town but ends up entirely different for a good portion of the second half of the book. As always, the setting paired nicely with the plot, and the writing was nice and descriptive. Needless to say, I look forward to reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet to see what happens next.

ARC Review: Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks

Title: Finding Serendipity 
Author: Angelica Banks
Source/Format: Won, ARC
More Details: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Henry Holt and Co., February 3, 2015

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Summary from Goodreads...

When Tuesday McGillycuddy and her beloved dog, Baxterr, discover that Tuesday’s mother—the famous author Serendipity Smith—has gone missing, they set out on a magical adventure. In their quest to find Serendipity, they discover the mysterious and unpredictable place that stories come from. Here, Tuesday befriends the fearless Vivienne Small, learns to sail an enchanted boat, tangles with an evil pirate, and discovers the truth about her remarkable dog. Along the way, she learns what it means to be a writer and how difficult it can sometimes be to get all the way to The End.

It took me a couple of days to finally just sit down and write this review. Not because I didn’t like this book, but for the simple fact that I had to figure out what I wanted to say without spoiling it for everyone else. When I first read the synopsis for this book I was excited to read it. It just seemed like my kind of story. And I have to say that it not only reached my expectations but exceeded them. Finding Serendipity is a gorgeously spun tale about a place where stories can live and breathe, and the adventures of a girl who sets out to find her mother, Serendipity Smith.

I loved this book. The concept of it was just awesome and done so well that I had a hard time putting this book down. The setting, wow, I loved everything about it—the idea behind it clearly had some thought to it and the execution of the details made it easy to get immersed in the story.

As far as characters go, I really liked Tuesday McGillycuddy. On the day that she thinks Serendipity will finally be able to take some time off she finds that her mother has mysteriously gone missing. And she was worried, which was entirely understandable. So, one thing led to another and Tuesday ends up in a place where she thinks she’ll find her mother. The way she got there was just…I don’t even know what to say about it besides that it was definitely something I haven’t read before, and entirely entertaining to watch unfold. It was one of the numerous aspects that I liked about Finding Serendipity. Ok, now I’m going to talk about the dog, Baxterr. I loved Baxterr! He was faithful and helpful to Tuesday and he was just such a nice addition to the story. I could go on and on about all of the various characters but that would kind of be a spoiler so I’m just going to stop now. I’ll just leave it at the fact that they were all great!

All in all, Finding Serendipity was an entirely enjoyable book, and while it might be considered middle grade, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read it. The only thing I really have to say that could even remotely be considered a complaint is that I wish there was a sequel, because I would totally read it.

Review: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Title: A Wrinkle in Time 
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Source/Format: won, 50th Anniversary Edition
More Details: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: Square Fish, first published 1962

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository     Audible 

Before I get started, let me just say that I completely forgot that this review even existed. Its just been sitting unpublished for a few months and it wasn't until recently when I was going through my drafts that I realized this mistake. Anyway, moving on to the forgotten review. (This one only covers the first book in the edition I have.)

Before I won the 50th anniversary edition I never actually considered reading A Wrinkle in time by Madeleine L'Engle.  Despite the fact that I've heard about it I honestly didn’t think that it would interest me. But I’m glad to say that I didn’t pass it up because I actually ended up enjoying this book.

 A Wrinkle in Time is a deeply imaginative story about friendship, the bonds between family no matter how far apart you are, and absurdly cool science fiction themes that contrasted nicely with the story. The setting was numerous places and spanned across different, often times strange—sometimes drastically methodical—worlds that were so unlike the one we all know. It all began in a small town but gradually shifted once the Tesseract’s meaning was revealed. A Wrinkle in Time was easily an enjoyable, entertaining novel that’s one of my favorites. The characters were wonderful—they were well-written with a number of flaws to make them different from one another—and it was interesting to see how those characteristics would play into the events of the plot.

While I did find the beginning to be a little slow—as it did take some time to introduce the characters and setup the plot—things did pick up quickly after that and the pacing ended up having a nice flow. The ending was quick, but nice, and it wrapped up a lot of the plotlines introduced in A Wrinkle in Time. All in all, I look forward to reading A Wind in the Door.

Review: The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

Title:The Unbound
Author: Victoria Schwab
Source/Format: Purchased, Hardcover
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Hyperion, January 28, 2014

Goodreads     Barnes & Noble     Amazon    Book Depository

I don’t know if I have the words to sum up how much I loved The Unbound—I really don’t think I do. This book was amazing, and I didn't think it was possible to like it more than the first book—but I did. It’s been some time since I read The Archived by Victoria Schwab, so when I was in the bookstore and saw the hardback of The Unbound I decided to get it. I have no regrets.

All of my favorite characters from The Archived were back and dealing with the fallout from the last book. Mackenzie Bishop was more broken than not—her reactions were realistic given what she went through. I liked the fact that she wasn’t just ok about everything. I loved Mackenzie and her family I really got their relationship with one another. Their reactions to certain situations in the book were completely understandable, and I liked the way the tension was portrayed as they did their best to protect their daughter. Their concern, gosh, it was awesome. I love it when the family is more involved with the main characters, so in that aspect it was completely well-done. And Wesley Ayers…what can I even say about him? He was nice, and he truly did care for Mackenzie. The portrayal of their relationship was nice and refreshing amongst everything else that went on in the story. There were a few new characters that attend Hyde School like Mackenzie does. They were nice additions to The Archived world.

The writing, despite being first person, was descriptive with enough detail that I could easily get into the story.The plot might have seemed a little slow at first, but there were little hints as to what was going on. I didn’t have a problem with the pacing, and ended up enjoying The Unbound from start to finish. In fact, I read it in one sitting.

Review: Video Game Storytelling by Evan Skolnick

Title:Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know about Narrative Techniques

Author: Evan Skolnick
Source/Format: Blogging for Books, Review Copy

Age Range: anyone

Publisher/Publication Date: Watson-Guptill, December 2, 2014

Goodreads     Amazon   Barnes & Noble     

Summary from Goodreads...

With increasingly sophisticated video games being consumed by an enthusiastic and expanding audience, the pressure is on game developers like never before to deliver exciting stories and engaging characters. WithVideo Game Storytelling, game writer and producer Evan Skolnick provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide to storytelling basics and how they can be applied at every stage of the development process—by all members of the team. Full Summary Here

So for my first nonfiction read of 2015 I got Video Game Storytelling by Evan Skolnick and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. This book was all about the art of putting together a good video game story, narrative, and how all of the parts should go along with one another for a better, coherent game experience for players.

“Conflict powers your story. Conflict is the burning energy that propels it forward. And if your tale runs out of fuel before it reaches its destination, you’ve got a problem” (p.7).

The very beginning of Video Game Storytelling dishes out some important advice on story conflicts and the importance of them before jumping right into the three-Act Structure. Across the various chapters, the information delves more into it as the different areas of game storytelling, breaking it down into sections. These individual sections expertly presented explanations and used well-known movies and video games as examples.

“The Monomyth is composed of two main elements: archetypes and story structure” (p.28).

This book also covered typical characters in games and their respective arcs. I found those chapters particularly interesting. Skolnick broke down the basic structure of video game storytelling into various parts that highlighted the importance of each and how they could be applied to video games. There’s a lot of information that’s covered, but presented straight-forwardly with plenty of examples of how it was all used previously. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read it.

I received this book from Blogging For Books for this review, thank you! 

Review: Doctor Who: Silhouette by Justin Richards

 Title: Doctor Who: Silhouette 
Author: Justin Richards
Publisher/Publication Date: Broadway Books, September 9, 2014
Genre: Science Fiction; Action & Adventure
Format/Source: Paperback, Blogging for Books (Review Copy)

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Goodreads

Summary

"Vastra and Strax and Jenny? Oh no, we don't need to bother them. Trust me."

Marlowe Hapworth is found dead in his locked study, killed by an unknown assailant. This is a case for the Great Detective, Madame Vastra.

Rick Bellamy, bare-knuckle boxer, has the life drawn out of him by a figure dressed as an undertaker. This angers Strax the Sontaran.

The Carnival of Curiosities, a collection of bizarre and fascinating sideshows and performers. This is where Jenny Flint looks for answers.

How are these things connected? And what does Orestes Milton, rich industrialist, have to do with it all? This is where the Doctor and Clara come in. The Doctor and his friends find themselves thrust into a world where nothing and no one are what they seem. Can they unravel the truth before the most dangerous weapon ever developed is unleashed on London?

I hate to admit that prior to Silhouette I’d never read a Doctor Who book or watched the series. I had heard great things about the series and was curious to find out what all the excitement was about. Now that I’ve read it, I think that I’m a die-hard Doctor Who fan in training.

Silhouette takes place in London during the Victorian era. It’s the adventures of the 12th Doctor Who. During this installment of Doctor Who, he travels through time to investigate a mysterious spike in energy in Victorian London. He soon found himself caught up in the investigation of Marlowe Hapworth’s mysterious death.

Although the story started out slow, the pace soon picked up with a shocking turn of events around every corner. I loved the interesting take on emotions and paper. And the conclusion—well, it was just epic.

I am looking forward to reading additional books featuring the 12th Doctor Who and would definitely recommend Silhouette to readers who love suspenseful science fiction stories.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author

JUSTIN RICHARDS has written for stage and screen as well as writing novels and graphic novels. He has also co-written several action thrillers for older children with the acknowledged master of the genre Jack Higgins. Justin acts as Creative Consultant to BBC Books' range of Doctor Who titles, as well as writing quite a few himself. Married with two children (both boys), Justin lives and works in Warwick, within sight of one of Britain's best-preserved castles.

Review: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Title:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Other Stories
Author: Lweis Carroll
Source/Format: Purchased, Barnes & Noble Hardcover Edition
Age Range: Anyone
Publisher/Publication Date: Barnes & Noble, November 1, 2010 (First Published June 1, 1962)
Goodreads     Barnes & Noble

    So, on Halloween I went out and bought Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Other Stories in a gorgeous hardcover edition from Barnes & Noble.  This review will only cover the first story.

     I've seen the movies, even the more recent one, but this is the first time I've read the original book.  Considering how much I love Alice in Wonderland, I should have gotten around to reading it sooner.  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is as the title suggests: Alice’s adventures with the variety of characters that live there. The story had a series of miscellaneous events that just sort of happened at random. Regardless of this fact, I loved it. Actually, I think I liked the novel better than the movies.
 
     Alice was a child that came across as a bit of a know-it-all, and seemed to always want to be right. She was almost as random as the storyline, but overall her faults didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I felt like I got a better understanding of the characters by reading the original novel. But my favorite character will always be the Cheshire Cat. The whimsical setting of wonderland paired nicely with the writing that flowed well and had the right amount of descriptions and dialogue. So yes, I loved this book, and that’s all I really have to say on it. I definitely recommend reading the original.

Review: Double Vision: The Alias Men by F.T. Bradley

Title:Double Vision: The Alias Men
Author: F.T. Bradley
Source/Format: Author, Hardcover
Age Range: Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: HarperCollins, October 14, 2014

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository 

     Double Vision: The Alias Men by F.T. Bradley is probably one of the best spy novels I’ve read, and easily one of my favorite books this year. Linc was back again for another adventure centered on the latest mission Pandora has assigned him. There was no lack of danger and suspense as they worked against a tight deadline that had me flipping the pages as fast as I could read them.

     Lincoln Baker (Linc) was back to his old antics, getting into some trouble, but mostly he had grown as a character across the trilogy. Benjamin Green (Ben) was back as well and as usual he was stiff and all about following the rules. Sometimes he was too in-the-box, rather than thinking outside of it. But having both Linc and Ben interact with one another is a part of what makes the Double Vision series great. I mean, how would you feel if you had to deal with a lookalike? Oh, and Henry, the tech guy was back. I love Henry and his gadgets! As always, Henry had an assortment of cool and useful gadgets for Linc to use. And Agent Stark, I liked how more of her past was finally revealed. Linc’s family was great as well—especially the grandfather.

     The plot begins as they all do: with Pandora contacting Linc with a new mission. So really, this book picked up right where the last left off. It seemed so straight forward at first—so easy—but alas that was not to be. Things weren’t easy for Linc—this Dangerous Double case was a complicated one. There were all sorts of twists that had me believing that I knew who the culprit was, but the ending was unpredictable—my assumptions were wrong. I like it when books surprise me, and Double Vision: The Alias Men had no shortage of surprises. There was an equal mix of action, humor, and a well-developed plot that kept me reading till the end. My only wish is that I hadn’t read it so quickly. I love this series and I’m sad to see it end, but the ending was awesome and wrapped things up nicely. All in all, this was a fantastic end to the trilogy.

This copy was provided by the author for review, thank you!
Read a preview below:

Review: Crystal Fire by Jordan Dane

Title: Crystal Fire
Author: Jordan Dane
Source/Formate: won, paperback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Harlequin Teen, November 26, 2013

Amazon      Barnes & Noble     Goodreads     Audible     Book Depository

     I had reservations about Crystal Fire by Jordan Dane since I was unfamiliar with the author. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that I rather enjoyed this book, and would consider picking up its predecessor Indigo Awakening. The concept of the story was fascinating with its take on psychics, and paired with writing that flowed nicely with a good pace. Crystal Fire ended up being a quick read. As I said, the writing—third person—had a nice flow to it with descriptions that helped me visualize the setting and major events. The characters were developed with backstories that shaped who they were.  With plausible worries, and emotions that made them seem more real. Their bonds with one another played out in a spectacular fashion that only served to enhance the story. One part that I found hilarious was the way the main characters decided to deal with one of the villains, and for some reason I just couldn’t stop laughing at it—it was so sudden that it was almost ridiculous. It was one of the most…um colorful endings to a villain that I’ve ever read. I’m not going to specify on what happened exactly, but it was funny. Since I’m unfamiliar with the series I was left wondering how certain things and characters got to where they were. But the story was easy to get into once I got past my initial confusion as more details were revealed over the course of the book. The plot and the concept were well-developed with a satisfying ending. All in all, Crystal Fire surprised me in a good way, and I will definitely check out other works by Jordan Dane.

Review: Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title:Killer Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: K-Teen, February 25, 2014

Goodreads     Barnes & Noble     Audible     Book Depository

     Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep was an action-packed ending to the Mythos Academy series.  Lately, I've had a hard time finding a new series that I can really get invested in, so I'm really going to miss this one. Estep never fails to deliver an entertaining story with plenty of action and touches of romance expertly intertwined with the mythology the series revolves around.

     All of my favorite characters were back and better than ever, as the final fight is literally just around the corner. Things are as tense as they should be. As everyone is bracing themselves because the Reapers of Chaos are getting bolder with their attacks. Right from page one we're back with Gwen and her friends, but the peace surrounding them doesn't last long as the Reapers are up to no good again. The action starts as a new issue arises, and the fight over the artifacts continues. But Gwen was never alone, she always had her friends—Daphne, Carson, Oliver, Alexi, and her boyfriend Logan—to back her up, along with her adorable Fenrir Wolf puppy, Nyx.  Oh, and not to forget Grandma Frost, Gwen's baking expert, sword wielding grandmother.  The characters went through some changes—hardships and everything else—but it all added up to a great story.

    The final battle—the battle to end all battles—it happened in Killer Frost, but not how I expected it to play out. The plot—all of the anticipation built up by the previous books—just sort of intersected resulting in the final conflict as Gwen and her friends face down Loki himself. It was, and I really can’t put it any other way, one heck of an epic battle that's befitting to a series like Mythos Academy! The ending was perfect and wrapped up the plot points from previous books nicely. So I have to say, Killer Frost is another exciting final book to another great series that finished in 2014. I’m going to miss this one, but since I own all of the books in print I can almost foresee a reread of the entire series sooner rather than later. But hey, I've still got Estep’s upcoming release—Cold Burn of Magic—to look forward to.

Review: Courting Magic by Stephanie Burgis

Title:Courting Magic

Author: Stephanie Burgis

Source/Format: Review Copy, Ebook

Age Range: YA

Publisher/Publication Date: Five Fathom's Press, August 12, 2014

Goodreads    Amazon     Kobo     Smashwords     iBooks

Summary from Goodreads
    In Kat Stephenson's Regency England, magic is even more shocking than a stolen kiss. But now that she's eighteen, it's time for wild and magical Kat to be introduced to high society by her older sisters, whether she likes it or not...and to finally have a romance of her own! Read More Here

     Magical mayhem, humor, with the right amount of mystery and a touch of romance—Courting Magic by Stephanie Burgis had it all, and it worked perfectly. Even though it was a novella, I found Courting Magic to be highly entertaining with a well executed plot, and I was more than happy to return to the Kat, Incorrigible world. Kat was back at it again with more crazy antics, but this time she was on a specific mission while also being introduced into "Society." Needless to say, her family was slightly overbearing but meant well in their attempts to help her find a husband. I loved the way things unfolded. The mystery aspect was done well and I was left to wonder who was behind it, and when the culprit was revealed it turned out to be someone I never expected.  I was stunned, nearly speechless, it was a really good plot twist. The ending was absolutely perfect, loved it—that's all I've got to say on it. For anyone who's read any of the Kat, Incorrigible books you're going to need to read this one for sure. Or if you're anyone just looking for a quick read definitely consider checking out Courting Magic.

This Review Copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

About the Author

Stephanie Burgis was born in Michigan, but now lives in Wales with her husband, writer Patrick Samphire, and their children. Before becoming a fulltime writer, she studied music history as a Fulbright Scholar in Vienna, Austria and worked as a website editor for a British opera company. She has published over thirty short stories for adults. Kat, Incorrigible (US)/A Most Improper Magick (UK) won the Waverton Good Read Children's Award in 2011 for Best Début Children's Novel by a British writer. It was followed by Renegade Magic/A Tangle of Magicks) and Stolen Magic/A Reckless Magick. And don't forget to visit Stephanie Burgis on:

Twitter     Website